MRCA NEWS - Retailing : Franchising : Branding - Vol.1 No.3

LETTER

LETTER

RETAILING | FRANCHISING | BRANDING VOL 1 NO 3∣ WM RM8 / EM RM10

“Today we have 173 Focus Point outlets and over 80 of those are franchisees…. I have made many millionaires in the last 13 years.”

--------------------------------------------------------------Dato’ C.L Liaw, President/CEO Focus Point Holdings Berhad

Vol 1 NO 3 RM8.00

FOCUS POINT

builds a successful retail chain ISSN:2289-3377 KDN NO:PP13818/02/2013(031900)

FOR THE LOVE OF TRAVEL

Dato’ Sri Lee Ee Hoe, Group Managing Director, Apple Group of Companies

KL GETS READY FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Sue Wang, General Manager, Avenue K

MRCA CELEBRATES 21 YEARS

Contents Pg4

Credit Page MRCA Board Members & MPH

Pg6

Pg8

Publisher’s Note Message from President of MRCA, Dato’ Nelson Kwok

MRCA Member’s Logo Page

58

Pg

32

20

28

Pg

On The Cover Focus Point builds a successful retail chain Dato’ C.L Liaw shares how he created the No.1 retail optical chain by building a strong franchise team of former Focus Point employees.

Kuala Lumpur gets ready for something different Avenue K’s General Manager, Sue Wang and her team make this old charm the new place ‘to be’.

26

• • • • •

Malaysian delegation explored business opportunities in Mozambique H.E Dato’ Nelson Kwok exposes Malaysian businesses to the retail market in Maputo, Mozambique.

28

Reaching Out

Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013 Branding masters get together to share success stories and inspire the local business community.

30

MRCA turns 21!

Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

32

Pg

Pg

18

Pg 10

Focus 3PF Register your franchise before 1 January 2014.

16

For the love of TRAVEL Apple Vacation’s Dato’ Sri Lee Ee Hoe talks about creating a brand that pushes boundaries and delivers on its brand promise.

18

Need help with your franchise business?

Find out the role PNS plays in helping franchises reach their full potential with Tuan Syed Kamarulzaman, Managing Director of Perbadanan Nasional Berhad.

20

Limelight

26

Pg

• • • • • •

OneCity Sunway Pyramid Berjaya UCH MyOrtho BMS Organics Quill Automobiles

New Members • • • • • • • •

10

Pg

Want to franchise? Do it right!

Lydia Jominin and Sahar Sahad from Smart Franchise Partner explain the role of a franchise consultant.

FindIt 333 Maxis introduces a new search service that will lead customers right to your doorstep.

ABC Image Builders ALL IT Hypermarket Beauty Majesty Cite Media Holding Group HCK Media Red Triangle Whealer Solutions YS Master Sdn Bhd

∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Everything you need to know about franchise Take control of your stress and anxiety Is English still the Global Business Language?

Be an outstanding professional at work Innovate, Create and Succeed – Chinese Innovative Economy Forum

• Hari Raya wishes come true at Gugusan Dedap • Encouragement Fund- Branding Education Charity Fund

Updates

60 61 62 63 63

64 66

• Fella Design • Secret Recipe

67 67

Talkingpoint

68

34 36 38 40 42 44

45 48 49 50 51 52 53 54

61

Pg

22

For The Record 24

• June/July • August/September

Gallery

• MRCA CEO Night 2013

2

Launch Pad

56 57

67

Pg 58

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣

3

Contents Pg4

Credit Page MRCA Board Members & MPH

Pg6

Pg8

Publisher’s Note Message from President of MRCA, Dato’ Nelson Kwok

MRCA Member’s Logo Page

58

Pg

32

20

28

Pg

On The Cover Focus Point builds a successful retail chain Dato’ C.L Liaw shares how he created the No.1 retail optical chain by building a strong franchise team of former Focus Point employees.

Kuala Lumpur gets ready for something different Avenue K’s General Manager, Sue Wang and her team make this old charm the new place ‘to be’.

26

• • • • •

Malaysian delegation explored business opportunities in Mozambique H.E Dato’ Nelson Kwok exposes Malaysian businesses to the retail market in Maputo, Mozambique.

28

Reaching Out

Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013 Branding masters get together to share success stories and inspire the local business community.

30

MRCA turns 21!

Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

32

Pg

Pg

18

Pg 10

Focus 3PF Register your franchise before 1 January 2014.

16

For the love of TRAVEL Apple Vacation’s Dato’ Sri Lee Ee Hoe talks about creating a brand that pushes boundaries and delivers on its brand promise.

18

Need help with your franchise business?

Find out the role PNS plays in helping franchises reach their full potential with Tuan Syed Kamarulzaman, Managing Director of Perbadanan Nasional Berhad.

20

Limelight

26

Pg

• • • • • •

OneCity Sunway Pyramid Berjaya UCH MyOrtho BMS Organics Quill Automobiles

New Members • • • • • • • •

10

Pg

Want to franchise? Do it right!

Lydia Jominin and Sahar Sahad from Smart Franchise Partner explain the role of a franchise consultant.

FindIt 333 Maxis introduces a new search service that will lead customers right to your doorstep.

ABC Image Builders ALL IT Hypermarket Beauty Majesty Cite Media Holding Group HCK Media Red Triangle Whealer Solutions YS Master Sdn Bhd

∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Everything you need to know about franchise Take control of your stress and anxiety Is English still the Global Business Language?

Be an outstanding professional at work Innovate, Create and Succeed – Chinese Innovative Economy Forum

• Hari Raya wishes come true at Gugusan Dedap • Encouragement Fund- Branding Education Charity Fund

Updates

60 61 62 63 63

64 66

• Fella Design • Secret Recipe

67 67

Talkingpoint

68

34 36 38 40 42 44

45 48 49 50 51 52 53 54

61

Pg

22

For The Record 24

• June/July • August/September

Gallery

• MRCA CEO Night 2013

2

Launch Pad

56 57

67

Pg 58

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣

3

LETTER

MRCA IS PUBLISHED BY

Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association

No.15-6, Blk A, Jaya One, No 72A, Jalan Universiti, 46200, Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 603-7955 3526 Fax: 603-7955 3525 Website: http://mrca.org.my

MRCA NEWSLETTER IS PRODUCED FOR MRCA BY

MPH Group Magazine (M) Sdn Bhd (771396-H)

Lot 1, 1st Floor, Bangunan TH, No. 5 Jalan Bersatu, Seksyen 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor DE, Malaysia Tel: 603-7960 7334 Fax: 603-7960 3278 E-mail: magazines@mph.com.my

MALAYSIAN RETAILER-CHAINS ASSOCIATION Patron Y.A. Bhg Tun Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamad

Immediate Past President Dato’ Tay Sim Kim OSIM (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Board of Advisors Y.B. Dato’ Sri Mustapa Bin Mohamed Y.B. Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai Y.B. Senator Tan Sri Datuk Lee Hock Seng JP

Deputy President Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang JP Focus Point Holdings Berhad

President’s Advisors Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Clement Hii Dato' Sri Low Jee Keong Dato’ Dr. Jennifer Low JP

Vice Presidents Dato’ Dahlan Mohd Rashid DR Group Holdings Sdn. Bhd. Dato’ Garry Chua Rotol Food-Chain (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Founder President Dato’ Eddie Choon Poh Kong Holdings Berhad Life Time Honorary President Mr Albert Chiang Bonia Corporation Berhad

Ms Valerie Choo Grand Surf Sdn. Bhd. Secretary General Mr Andy Goh Fujihome Global Berhad

Mr Lee Hwa Cheng Sinma Jewellery Centre Sdn. Bhd.

Deputy Secretary General Ms Shirley Tay Sunrider International (M) Sdn. Bhd.

President H.E Dato’ Nelson Kwok T.T. JP Nelson’s Franchise (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Treasurer General Mr S.Y. Cheah Golden Scoop Sdn. Bhd.

Council Dato’ Dr Chai Kee Kan KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn. Bhd.

Legal Advisor Dato’ Manjit Singh Manjit Singh Sachdev Mohammad Radzi & Partners.

Mr Henry Yip Choong Hung Dragon-i Restaurant Sdn.Bhd. Mr Lai Sia Ling Econsave Cash & Carry (PD) Sdn.Bhd.

Mr Ringo Low Ringo Low & Assoc.

Mr Ching Kok Cheong Fella Design Sdn. Bhd.

Honorary Auditor Dato’ Raymond Liew McMillan Woods.

Mr Lawrence Ooi In Sim PJ Uniform Sdn.Bhd.

Mr Ler Leong Keh IBDC (M) Sdn.Bhd.

Mr Bruce Lim Aun Choong SEG International Berhad.

MPH GROUP

Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Ng Tieh Chuan

MPH GROUP MAGAZINE

MPH GROUP PUBLISHING

General Manager V S Ganesan

Senior Marketing and Sales Executive Lilian Ng

Chief Operating Officer Swaminathan MV

General Manager Kuah Sze Mei

Senior Editor Vimala Seneviratne

Marketing Executive Juan Margrita

Editor Aleyann Matthews

CREATIVE

Production Editor Shamsul Hidzry O Khairuddin

Head of Department Amy Heng

Contributor Sharmila Vella

Deputy Creative Head (Magazine) Stephanie Yap

Sales Managers Ng Wee Ming Faridah Ismail Rebecca Gun

Senior Creative Designers Ng Seng Chee, Ngan Pooi Kuan Creative Designers Norshazila Isamuddin, Raja Khairul Mudzaffar Shah

FINANCE

CIRCULATION & RETAIL DISTRIBUTION

Accountant Barbara Tay

General Manager Tai Kwai Meng

General Manager (Finance) Kelvin Chong Manager Koh Sook Khuen

Online Partner

Mr Ricky Thye Kok Lam Tangible Aim Sdn.Bhd. Mr Brian Tham Jee Ping Watatime (M) Sdn.Bhd. Ms Choi Wei Yee Sunlight Taxi Sdn.Bhd.

Advertising Enquiries

V S Ganesan / Ng Wee Ming Tel: 603-7960 4278 Fax: 603-7960 3278 E-mail: ganesan@mph.com.my

Printer

MPH Group Printing (M) Sdn Bhd (142270-H) No 31, Jalan 2/148A, Taman Sungai Besi, Industrial Park 57100 K.L Tel: 603-7987 0966 Fax: 603-7984 0966 E-mail: sales@mphprinting.com.my

Distributors (Malaysia)

MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd (5048-A) Ground Floor, Bangunan TH, No. 5 Jalan Bersatu, Seksyen 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor DE, Malaysia Tel: 603-7958 1688 Fax: 603-7958 1623 E-mail: distributors@mph.com.my

All authors automatically agree to indemnify MRCA and MPH Group Magazine Sdn Bhd against any loss, costs, expenses (including legal fees), damages and liabilities that might arise from their own incapacity, negligence, breach of contract or other civil misdeeds. We reserve the right to edit all articles. Submit your articles to annie9979@ gmail.com. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2013 by MRCA and MPH Group Magazine Sdn Bhd. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of MRCA and MPH Group Magazine Sdn Bhd. MRCA and MPH Group Magazine Sdn Bhd accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photography, illustration and other editorial materials.

LETTER

MRCA IS PUBLISHED BY

Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association

No.15-6, Blk A, Jaya One, No 72A, Jalan Universiti, 46200, Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 603-7955 3526 Fax: 603-7955 3525 Website: http://mrca.org.my

MRCA NEWSLETTER IS PRODUCED FOR MRCA BY

MPH Group Magazine (M) Sdn Bhd (771396-H)

Lot 1, 1st Floor, Bangunan TH, No. 5 Jalan Bersatu, Seksyen 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor DE, Malaysia Tel: 603-7960 7334 Fax: 603-7960 3278 E-mail: magazines@mph.com.my

MALAYSIAN RETAILER-CHAINS ASSOCIATION Patron Y.A. Bhg Tun Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamad

Immediate Past President Dato’ Tay Sim Kim OSIM (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Board of Advisors Y.B. Dato’ Sri Mustapa Bin Mohamed Y.B. Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai Y.B. Senator Tan Sri Datuk Lee Hock Seng JP

Deputy President Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang JP Focus Point Holdings Berhad

President’s Advisors Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Clement Hii Dato' Sri Low Jee Keong Dato’ Dr. Jennifer Low JP

Vice Presidents Dato’ Dahlan Mohd Rashid DR Group Holdings Sdn. Bhd. Dato’ Garry Chua Rotol Food-Chain (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Founder President Dato’ Eddie Choon Poh Kong Holdings Berhad Life Time Honorary President Mr Albert Chiang Bonia Corporation Berhad

Ms Valerie Choo Grand Surf Sdn. Bhd. Secretary General Mr Andy Goh Fujihome Global Berhad

Mr Lee Hwa Cheng Sinma Jewellery Centre Sdn. Bhd.

Deputy Secretary General Ms Shirley Tay Sunrider International (M) Sdn. Bhd.

President H.E Dato’ Nelson Kwok T.T. JP Nelson’s Franchise (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Treasurer General Mr S.Y. Cheah Golden Scoop Sdn. Bhd.

Council Dato’ Dr Chai Kee Kan KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn. Bhd.

Legal Advisor Dato’ Manjit Singh Manjit Singh Sachdev Mohammad Radzi & Partners.

Mr Henry Yip Choong Hung Dragon-i Restaurant Sdn.Bhd. Mr Lai Sia Ling Econsave Cash & Carry (PD) Sdn.Bhd.

Mr Ringo Low Ringo Low & Assoc.

Mr Ching Kok Cheong Fella Design Sdn. Bhd.

Honorary Auditor Dato’ Raymond Liew McMillan Woods.

Mr Lawrence Ooi In Sim PJ Uniform Sdn.Bhd.

Mr Ler Leong Keh IBDC (M) Sdn.Bhd.

Mr Bruce Lim Aun Choong SEG International Berhad.

MPH GROUP

Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Ng Tieh Chuan

MPH GROUP MAGAZINE

MPH GROUP PUBLISHING

General Manager V S Ganesan

Senior Marketing and Sales Executive Lilian Ng

Chief Operating Officer Swaminathan MV

General Manager Kuah Sze Mei

Senior Editor Vimala Seneviratne

Marketing Executive Juan Margrita

Editor Aleyann Matthews

CREATIVE

Production Editor Shamsul Hidzry O Khairuddin

Head of Department Amy Heng

Contributor Sharmila Vella

Deputy Creative Head (Magazine) Stephanie Yap

Sales Managers Ng Wee Ming Faridah Ismail Rebecca Gun

Senior Creative Designers Ng Seng Chee, Ngan Pooi Kuan Creative Designers Norshazila Isamuddin, Raja Khairul Mudzaffar Shah

FINANCE

CIRCULATION & RETAIL DISTRIBUTION

Accountant Barbara Tay

General Manager Tai Kwai Meng

General Manager (Finance) Kelvin Chong Manager Koh Sook Khuen

Online Partner

Mr Ricky Thye Kok Lam Tangible Aim Sdn.Bhd. Mr Brian Tham Jee Ping Watatime (M) Sdn.Bhd. Ms Choi Wei Yee Sunlight Taxi Sdn.Bhd.

Advertising Enquiries

V S Ganesan / Ng Wee Ming Tel: 603-7960 4278 Fax: 603-7960 3278 E-mail: ganesan@mph.com.my

Printer

MPH Group Printing (M) Sdn Bhd (142270-H) No 31, Jalan 2/148A, Taman Sungai Besi, Industrial Park 57100 K.L Tel: 603-7987 0966 Fax: 603-7984 0966 E-mail: sales@mphprinting.com.my

Distributors (Malaysia)

MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd (5048-A) Ground Floor, Bangunan TH, No. 5 Jalan Bersatu, Seksyen 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor DE, Malaysia Tel: 603-7958 1688 Fax: 603-7958 1623 E-mail: distributors@mph.com.my

All authors automatically agree to indemnify MRCA and MPH Group Magazine Sdn Bhd against any loss, costs, expenses (including legal fees), damages and liabilities that might arise from their own incapacity, negligence, breach of contract or other civil misdeeds. We reserve the right to edit all articles. Submit your articles to annie9979@ gmail.com. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2013 by MRCA and MPH Group Magazine Sdn Bhd. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of MRCA and MPH Group Magazine Sdn Bhd. MRCA and MPH Group Magazine Sdn Bhd accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photography, illustration and other editorial materials.

From the President

Greetings from MRCA

O

la Gente Boa! It means ‘Hello good people’ in Portuguese, the spoken language in Mozambique. I hope the 3rd quarter of the year finds you all well.

I’m happy to present the third issue of the MRCA News Magazine with more industry related articles for your reading pleasure. I’m especially excited about this issue as MRCA turns 21 years in October! So, to take you on a trip down memory lane, this issue features a photo collage of the 21 years of MRCA so you can see first hand just how much we’ve grown. Now 243 members strong and with target of 250 members by year end, our association has grown into adulthood. Today, our association and members are recognised as some of the top brands locally and in the international market. I’m proud to say that our members are also recognised for successfully bringing Malaysia to the world.

CONGRATULATIONS to all members for this recognition.

Together, we have reached many significant milestones.

In August, as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Mozambique to Malaysia, I led a delegation of 18 companies made up of MRCA members and non-members on a business trip to Mozambique. The delegation travelled to Africa with the intent to establish business relationships and explore opportunities available for Malaysian businesses. A very special thank you to MATRADE for their support and assistance in making this trip a huge success.

In this issue, we are privileged to have on our cover, Focus Point’s Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang, Deputy President of MRCA. Based on his own business experience, he speaks about the importance of a strong team to successfully expand your business. Focus Point’s unique franchise model is exclusively for former employees of Focus Point and has proven to work well, making Focus Point: Malaysia’s Number 1 optical retail store. You can read all about it here and be inspired!

I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate Dato’ Liaw’s thoughts on a strong team and further stress on the importance of the human resource in your business.

Members should take advantage of MRCA’s Retail Academy that organises various training sessions to help upgrade your employee skills and performance. Investing in your employees is important to create and maintain a motivated team, a crucial ingredient for a successful business.

That said, I would like to conclude by saying: Happy 21st Birthday MRCA. It’s been a successful 21 years. We have much to celebrate!

H.E Dato’ Nelson Kwok JP

President, Malaysian Retailer – Chains Association Honorary Consul of the Republic of Mozambique to Malaysia

6

∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

From the President

Greetings from MRCA

O

la Gente Boa! It means ‘Hello good people’ in Portuguese, the spoken language in Mozambique. I hope the 3rd quarter of the year finds you all well.

I’m happy to present the third issue of the MRCA News Magazine with more industry related articles for your reading pleasure. I’m especially excited about this issue as MRCA turns 21 years in October! So, to take you on a trip down memory lane, this issue features a photo collage of the 21 years of MRCA so you can see first hand just how much we’ve grown. Now 243 members strong and with target of 250 members by year end, our association has grown into adulthood. Today, our association and members are recognised as some of the top brands locally and in the international market. I’m proud to say that our members are also recognised for successfully bringing Malaysia to the world.

CONGRATULATIONS to all members for this recognition.

Together, we have reached many significant milestones.

In August, as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Mozambique to Malaysia, I led a delegation of 18 companies made up of MRCA members and non-members on a business trip to Mozambique. The delegation travelled to Africa with the intent to establish business relationships and explore opportunities available for Malaysian businesses. A very special thank you to MATRADE for their support and assistance in making this trip a huge success.

In this issue, we are privileged to have on our cover, Focus Point’s Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang, Deputy President of MRCA. Based on his own business experience, he speaks about the importance of a strong team to successfully expand your business. Focus Point’s unique franchise model is exclusively for former employees of Focus Point and has proven to work well, making Focus Point: Malaysia’s Number 1 optical retail store. You can read all about it here and be inspired!

I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate Dato’ Liaw’s thoughts on a strong team and further stress on the importance of the human resource in your business.

Members should take advantage of MRCA’s Retail Academy that organises various training sessions to help upgrade your employee skills and performance. Investing in your employees is important to create and maintain a motivated team, a crucial ingredient for a successful business.

That said, I would like to conclude by saying: Happy 21st Birthday MRCA. It’s been a successful 21 years. We have much to celebrate!

H.E Dato’ Nelson Kwok JP

President, Malaysian Retailer – Chains Association Honorary Consul of the Republic of Mozambique to Malaysia

6

∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Cover Story І Focus Point Holdings Berhad

Focus Point Holdings Berhad І

Cover Story

expand his business in Kuala Lumpur.

Liaw opened the first store in Sungai Wang Plaza in 1997. “It was during the economic downturn, so it was a good opportunity to secure good locations at cheaper prices. It was also easier to recruit people during that time as many were without jobs.”

The winning formula It wasn’t long before loyal employees of Focus Point wanted to branch out and start their own businesses. In 2000, Liaw saw this as an opportunity to further expand his business, partnering with people who have already proven themselves to him. He came up with a winning franchise business model where only former Focus Point employees could become franchisees.

However, moving to the capital city proved to be Focus Point’s biggest challenge. He says: “No one knew us in Kuala Lumpur and there were a lot of big players at the time. When Carrefour at Mid Valley offered us a 15,000 square foot space, I thought they were crazy. However, I took up the challenge and created Focus Point’s first optical city.”

“When my former employees spoke about starting their own business, I thought why should we work against each other when we can work together,” he explains. To help the franchisees, Focus Point works closely with Perbadanan Nasional Berhad and private banks that offer loans to potential franchisees. “Today we have 173 Focus Point outlets and over 80 of those stores are franchisees, some of whom have up to five stores.”

The business model works and is profitable. In most cases franchisees make up their capital by the end of the first year of their business. “At the end of the day, it’s about making profits. I have made many millionaires in the last 13 years.”

“Starting a business is easy but maintaining it is the difficult part.”

Liaw believed that it was an innovative move as none of his competitors had ever done it before. Optical city is a one-stop optical store that has a café, lasik centre and a full range of opticals categorised by brand. “The response was great, everyone was talking about Focus Point’s Optical City in Mid Valley. It was definitely a significant time for us,” says Liaw.

FOCUS POINT:

builds a successful retail chain

Dato’ C.L. Liaw, President/CEO of Focus Point Holdings Berhad attributes the success of his brand to a unique franchise system, exclusively for his former employees, that made it the No.1 optical retail chain in Malaysia.

I

t all began with a dream and RM20,000 in his pocket.

Dato’ C.L. Liaw, President/CEO of Focus Point Holdings Berhad, never thought that opening a small optical store in a supermarket in Muar would one day make Focus Point the number one optical retail chain store in the country.

“My people are “After I completed my A-Levels, my mother gave me RM20,000 to continue my education, I decided to take that money and open my first store and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Born and raised in Batu Pahat, Johor, Liaw realised he had a passion for the business after working at an optical shop while still in school. “I figured that

10 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Liaw moved his headquarters from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur in 2000 and expanded further to Ipoh and Penang. “I admit that the first 10 years of the expansion was tough and we faced many challenges but the 10 years after that was more stable,” he says. As of 2008, Focus Point captured the No.1 spot as Malaysia’s leading optical store. “Three years ago, we were listed in Bursa Malaysia and that was another huge turning point for us.”

Based on his experiences, he explains that the entrepreneur must have passion for the business and must be willing to put in the effort. “If you let others run your business for you, the business will fail in three years, I’ve seen it happen.”

Apart from a good franchise model, Liaw suggests that entrepreneurs should constantly challenge themselves and be innovative to meet the challenges that the competitive retail industry will throw at them. “Starting a business is easy but maintaining it is the difficult part.”

Marketing that works “We are aggressive in our marketing strategies.” Focus Point was the first optical shop to start the ‘0’ easy payment plan to encourage customers to own better quality eyewear. “We have monthly promotions, direct mailers, SMS blasts, emails and other means to drive customers to our stores,” explains Liaw.

“I believe in the importance of personal touch to retain customers and encourage repeat sales.

almost everyone will need eye-wear, be it reading glasses or sunglasses,” he explains. So, when a friend proposed that he open a store of his own he jumped at the opportunity.

“I opened my first store in 1989. It was a tough first two years because I had very little capital.” However, Liaw persevered very important to me.” and expanded his business to Segamat and five years later to Johor Bahru. “In Johor, it was a different ball game. The business turnover and sales revenue was much bigger and it was very challenging.”

Eventually amidst the challenges, Focus Point became a popular name in Johor. He decided to

He is concerned that many people have a misconception about franchise. “Some people think that just because they buy into a big brand, their business will automatically succeed.” Liaw refutes this idea and reiterates the importance of franchisees being hands-on in their business.

In the beginning...

“I believe in quality and professionalism to sustain my brand and I have achieved that, thanks to my very talented team at Focus Point,” he adds.

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 11

Cover Story І Focus Point Holdings Berhad

Focus Point Holdings Berhad І

Cover Story

expand his business in Kuala Lumpur.

Liaw opened the first store in Sungai Wang Plaza in 1997. “It was during the economic downturn, so it was a good opportunity to secure good locations at cheaper prices. It was also easier to recruit people during that time as many were without jobs.”

The winning formula It wasn’t long before loyal employees of Focus Point wanted to branch out and start their own businesses. In 2000, Liaw saw this as an opportunity to further expand his business, partnering with people who have already proven themselves to him. He came up with a winning franchise business model where only former Focus Point employees could become franchisees.

However, moving to the capital city proved to be Focus Point’s biggest challenge. He says: “No one knew us in Kuala Lumpur and there were a lot of big players at the time. When Carrefour at Mid Valley offered us a 15,000 square foot space, I thought they were crazy. However, I took up the challenge and created Focus Point’s first optical city.”

“When my former employees spoke about starting their own business, I thought why should we work against each other when we can work together,” he explains. To help the franchisees, Focus Point works closely with Perbadanan Nasional Berhad and private banks that offer loans to potential franchisees. “Today we have 173 Focus Point outlets and over 80 of those stores are franchisees, some of whom have up to five stores.”

The business model works and is profitable. In most cases franchisees make up their capital by the end of the first year of their business. “At the end of the day, it’s about making profits. I have made many millionaires in the last 13 years.”

“Starting a business is easy but maintaining it is the difficult part.”

Liaw believed that it was an innovative move as none of his competitors had ever done it before. Optical city is a one-stop optical store that has a café, lasik centre and a full range of opticals categorised by brand. “The response was great, everyone was talking about Focus Point’s Optical City in Mid Valley. It was definitely a significant time for us,” says Liaw.

FOCUS POINT:

builds a successful retail chain

Dato’ C.L. Liaw, President/CEO of Focus Point Holdings Berhad attributes the success of his brand to a unique franchise system, exclusively for his former employees, that made it the No.1 optical retail chain in Malaysia.

I

t all began with a dream and RM20,000 in his pocket.

Dato’ C.L. Liaw, President/CEO of Focus Point Holdings Berhad, never thought that opening a small optical store in a supermarket in Muar would one day make Focus Point the number one optical retail chain store in the country.

“My people are “After I completed my A-Levels, my mother gave me RM20,000 to continue my education, I decided to take that money and open my first store and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Born and raised in Batu Pahat, Johor, Liaw realised he had a passion for the business after working at an optical shop while still in school. “I figured that

10 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Liaw moved his headquarters from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur in 2000 and expanded further to Ipoh and Penang. “I admit that the first 10 years of the expansion was tough and we faced many challenges but the 10 years after that was more stable,” he says. As of 2008, Focus Point captured the No.1 spot as Malaysia’s leading optical store. “Three years ago, we were listed in Bursa Malaysia and that was another huge turning point for us.”

Based on his experiences, he explains that the entrepreneur must have passion for the business and must be willing to put in the effort. “If you let others run your business for you, the business will fail in three years, I’ve seen it happen.”

Apart from a good franchise model, Liaw suggests that entrepreneurs should constantly challenge themselves and be innovative to meet the challenges that the competitive retail industry will throw at them. “Starting a business is easy but maintaining it is the difficult part.”

Marketing that works “We are aggressive in our marketing strategies.” Focus Point was the first optical shop to start the ‘0’ easy payment plan to encourage customers to own better quality eyewear. “We have monthly promotions, direct mailers, SMS blasts, emails and other means to drive customers to our stores,” explains Liaw.

“I believe in the importance of personal touch to retain customers and encourage repeat sales.

almost everyone will need eye-wear, be it reading glasses or sunglasses,” he explains. So, when a friend proposed that he open a store of his own he jumped at the opportunity.

“I opened my first store in 1989. It was a tough first two years because I had very little capital.” However, Liaw persevered very important to me.” and expanded his business to Segamat and five years later to Johor Bahru. “In Johor, it was a different ball game. The business turnover and sales revenue was much bigger and it was very challenging.”

Eventually amidst the challenges, Focus Point became a popular name in Johor. He decided to

He is concerned that many people have a misconception about franchise. “Some people think that just because they buy into a big brand, their business will automatically succeed.” Liaw refutes this idea and reiterates the importance of franchisees being hands-on in their business.

In the beginning...

“I believe in quality and professionalism to sustain my brand and I have achieved that, thanks to my very talented team at Focus Point,” he adds.

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 11

Cover Story І Focus Point Holdings Berhad

Focus Point Holdings Berhad І

Cover Story

School project

Focus on the people Liaw believes that at the core of any business, is the people. “People are our asset. You can have the best location to sell the best product but if you don’t have the right people, the business will not succeed,” he says. “I have made it my personal mission as the founder of Focus Point to ensure that my team is motivated at all times. My people are very important to me,” he states.

He adds, “At Focus Point, we take care of our employees by setting a good career path for them with appropriate training and promotions as well as opportunity for franchise.”

Mobile optical service (MOS)

Focus Point offers training programme for their employees with both external and internal trainers.

“Every month we line up training sessions at our own in-house training centre that is led by our team of general managers,” says Liaw.

Other self-improvement activities include motivational talks and product training.

Liaw understands that to operate a retail chain, good and capable people are important and that they also need to be trained and motivated from time to time.

“It is important to me to give back to society after all the support from our customers all through these years.”

The Caring Hearts Foundation – Focus Point gives back Officially launched in 2007, the Caring Hearts Foundation, Focus Point’s corporate social responsibility division is very close to Liaw’s heart. “It is important to me to give back to society after all the support

12 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Blood donation campaign

Branching out into F&B Although Focus Point’s main focus is still very much on the optical business, Liaw feels there is a need to grow revenue and diversify. He is of the opinion that there is tremendous potential in the food and beverage business as food is a necessity and the population is increasing.

from our customers all through these years,” Liaw explains.

The foundation is a platform where various charitable activities are organised throughout the year. This includes world sight day, blood donation drives, annual home visitations to orphanages, old folk homes, Orang Asli villages and the less fortunate. Through this foundation, Focus Point administered 20,000 free eye exams last year.

restaurants and cafes,” he says. Last year, Liaw ventured into the food industry with Japanese themed eateries, Minori and Inaho, Japanese restaurants and Komugi, a Japanese bakery and café.

“Our mobile optical service is a 20-foot bus that is fully-fitted with the latest equipment that travels into rural areas and schools to perform free eye-tests and to donate eye-wear. We frequently work closely with NGO’s to help with their charitable causes,” he adds.

Dato' Liaw participating

“I notice that the younger generation are spending a lot of their time socialising at

When asked why he chose Japanese themed food, Liaw admits that he likes Japanese cuisine but more importantly he feels that Japanese food is well liked by many Malaysians. Currently, there are two Japanese restaurants and seven bakeries.

More outlets are set to open in the near future.

Win Some, Lose Some “I’ve learnt many valuable lessons along this journey. When I decided to branch out to China in 2000, the business failed

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 13

Cover Story І Focus Point Holdings Berhad

Focus Point Holdings Berhad І

Cover Story

School project

Focus on the people Liaw believes that at the core of any business, is the people. “People are our asset. You can have the best location to sell the best product but if you don’t have the right people, the business will not succeed,” he says. “I have made it my personal mission as the founder of Focus Point to ensure that my team is motivated at all times. My people are very important to me,” he states.

He adds, “At Focus Point, we take care of our employees by setting a good career path for them with appropriate training and promotions as well as opportunity for franchise.”

Mobile optical service (MOS)

Focus Point offers training programme for their employees with both external and internal trainers.

“Every month we line up training sessions at our own in-house training centre that is led by our team of general managers,” says Liaw.

Other self-improvement activities include motivational talks and product training.

Liaw understands that to operate a retail chain, good and capable people are important and that they also need to be trained and motivated from time to time.

“It is important to me to give back to society after all the support from our customers all through these years.”

The Caring Hearts Foundation – Focus Point gives back Officially launched in 2007, the Caring Hearts Foundation, Focus Point’s corporate social responsibility division is very close to Liaw’s heart. “It is important to me to give back to society after all the support

12 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Blood donation campaign

Branching out into F&B Although Focus Point’s main focus is still very much on the optical business, Liaw feels there is a need to grow revenue and diversify. He is of the opinion that there is tremendous potential in the food and beverage business as food is a necessity and the population is increasing.

from our customers all through these years,” Liaw explains.

The foundation is a platform where various charitable activities are organised throughout the year. This includes world sight day, blood donation drives, annual home visitations to orphanages, old folk homes, Orang Asli villages and the less fortunate. Through this foundation, Focus Point administered 20,000 free eye exams last year.

restaurants and cafes,” he says. Last year, Liaw ventured into the food industry with Japanese themed eateries, Minori and Inaho, Japanese restaurants and Komugi, a Japanese bakery and café.

“Our mobile optical service is a 20-foot bus that is fully-fitted with the latest equipment that travels into rural areas and schools to perform free eye-tests and to donate eye-wear. We frequently work closely with NGO’s to help with their charitable causes,” he adds.

Dato' Liaw participating

“I notice that the younger generation are spending a lot of their time socialising at

When asked why he chose Japanese themed food, Liaw admits that he likes Japanese cuisine but more importantly he feels that Japanese food is well liked by many Malaysians. Currently, there are two Japanese restaurants and seven bakeries.

More outlets are set to open in the near future.

Win Some, Lose Some “I’ve learnt many valuable lessons along this journey. When I decided to branch out to China in 2000, the business failed

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 13

Cover Story І Focus Point Holdings Berhad shouldn’t be afraid to learn from others, to emulate and develop those ideas and push them further. “It’s alright to copy good ideas but then it is important to modify those ideas and to make it your own.”

“At the end of the day, it’s about making profits. I have made many millionaires in the last 13 years.”

Krone and it was a huge loss,” explains Liaw who considers business experiences like these, valuable lessons that money can’t buy.

As for attributes an entrepreneur should have to be successful, Liaw lists passion as an absolute must. “Passion for your business is important. You have to pay attention to your business and you need to be focused,” he shares. He also talks about keeping ideas fresh and continuing to innovate in business. “These ideas must come with action, otherwise it’s no good.” Liaw also speaks about how entrepreneurs

Minori japanese restaurant

14 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Staying focused “I believe that it was fate that brought me here. The past 24 years has not been easy but it was my passion for the business that carried me through.” Spearheading the largest optical retail store in Malaysia and with new innovative ideas, Liaw has no plans to put on the brakes. “My future plans include further expansion overseas.”

Staying true to his focus point, Liaw counts on his good business acumen as well as on his motivated and strong team to continue to be number one, while aspiring for his brand to reach across and beyond the Namachoco Sand Malaysian shores. MN

Cover Story І Focus Point Holdings Berhad shouldn’t be afraid to learn from others, to emulate and develop those ideas and push them further. “It’s alright to copy good ideas but then it is important to modify those ideas and to make it your own.”

“At the end of the day, it’s about making profits. I have made many millionaires in the last 13 years.”

Krone and it was a huge loss,” explains Liaw who considers business experiences like these, valuable lessons that money can’t buy.

As for attributes an entrepreneur should have to be successful, Liaw lists passion as an absolute must. “Passion for your business is important. You have to pay attention to your business and you need to be focused,” he shares. He also talks about keeping ideas fresh and continuing to innovate in business. “These ideas must come with action, otherwise it’s no good.” Liaw also speaks about how entrepreneurs

Minori japanese restaurant

14 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Staying focused “I believe that it was fate that brought me here. The past 24 years has not been easy but it was my passion for the business that carried me through.” Spearheading the largest optical retail store in Malaysia and with new innovative ideas, Liaw has no plans to put on the brakes. “My future plans include further expansion overseas.”

Staying true to his focus point, Liaw counts on his good business acumen as well as on his motivated and strong team to continue to be number one, while aspiring for his brand to reach across and beyond the Namachoco Sand Malaysian shores. MN

Focus І 3PF

It’s time to register your

Franchise T

he Franchise Registration Regularisation Programme (3PF) calls for unregistered licensing/ franchise businesses to be registered through the 3PF programme before the deadline – 31 October 2013.

Businesses that fail to do so may be fined up to RM500,000.

Find out more about 3PF and whether your business needs to be registered.

What is 3PF? 3PF otherwise known as Program Pemutihan Pendaftaran Francais or Franchise Registration Regularisation Programme, is an initiative by the government to give the industry a deadline to prepare themselves before the enforcement of the new Franchise Act 1998.

The amended Franchise Act 1998 has been in effect from 1 January 2013 but it will be fully enforced on 1 January 2014. The objective is to improve and strengthen the franchise industry and to ensure that the development of the industry is ethical and based on the law that controls it.

Through 3PF, unregistered franchise businesses will also have the opportunity to be registered. Also, companies that practice a licensing system will be able to convert to the franchise system in accordance to the Franchise Act. Why register with 3PF? One of the significant amendments made to the Franchise Act 1998 is the definition of franchise which now includes licensing as franchising. This means that all companies that practice licensing similar

“The New Franchise Act 1998 has been amended and will be enforced by 1 January 2014.”

to franchising have to be registered under the Franchise Act 1998.

• Companies, firms or individuals that provide franchise consultancy services.

Furthermore, 3PF provides an opportunity for a franchisee under a local franchisor or foreign franchisor to register under section 6A and Section 6B of the Franchise Act 1998. According to the new amendment, franchise consultants can also take this opportunity to register their services as mentioned under section 14 of the Franchise Act 1998.

How to register?

There are 2 ways you can register:

Does your business need to be registered?

The following need to register with 3PF: • Companies carrying out an unregistered franchise system.

• Companies engaged in the franchising business but do not declare the businesses as franchises, either intentionally or unintentionally.

• Businesses registered under a normal business license but in fact fulfill the definition of a franchise under the Franchise Act 1998.

• Companies that have registered their business as franchisor with the Ministry but have never practiced franchising.

• Companies that act as franchisee to local or foreign franchisor.

16 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

A. Through A Franchise Consultant Franchisor will have to fill in the prospective franchisor evaluation form and submit to a franchise consultant. The consultant will engage with the Ministry and submit application through MyFEX after the Ministry has confirmed that the respective company can be franchised.

B. Through The Ministry Of Domestic Trade, Co-Operative and Consumerism Franchisor will have to fill in the prospective franchisor evaluation form and submit to the Ministry. Then, applicants have to submit their application through MyFEX. If your company is unsuccessful in the preliminary registration, the Ministry will arrange for the company to undergo a franchise development programme before it can be recognised as a franchisor.

The deadline is 31 October 2013. Register at www.myfex.gov.my/portal/ or visit www. franchisemdtcc.gov.my MN

Focus І 3PF

It’s time to register your

Franchise T

he Franchise Registration Regularisation Programme (3PF) calls for unregistered licensing/ franchise businesses to be registered through the 3PF programme before the deadline – 31 October 2013.

Businesses that fail to do so may be fined up to RM500,000.

Find out more about 3PF and whether your business needs to be registered.

What is 3PF? 3PF otherwise known as Program Pemutihan Pendaftaran Francais or Franchise Registration Regularisation Programme, is an initiative by the government to give the industry a deadline to prepare themselves before the enforcement of the new Franchise Act 1998.

The amended Franchise Act 1998 has been in effect from 1 January 2013 but it will be fully enforced on 1 January 2014. The objective is to improve and strengthen the franchise industry and to ensure that the development of the industry is ethical and based on the law that controls it.

Through 3PF, unregistered franchise businesses will also have the opportunity to be registered. Also, companies that practice a licensing system will be able to convert to the franchise system in accordance to the Franchise Act. Why register with 3PF? One of the significant amendments made to the Franchise Act 1998 is the definition of franchise which now includes licensing as franchising. This means that all companies that practice licensing similar

“The New Franchise Act 1998 has been amended and will be enforced by 1 January 2014.”

to franchising have to be registered under the Franchise Act 1998.

• Companies, firms or individuals that provide franchise consultancy services.

Furthermore, 3PF provides an opportunity for a franchisee under a local franchisor or foreign franchisor to register under section 6A and Section 6B of the Franchise Act 1998. According to the new amendment, franchise consultants can also take this opportunity to register their services as mentioned under section 14 of the Franchise Act 1998.

How to register?

There are 2 ways you can register:

Does your business need to be registered?

The following need to register with 3PF: • Companies carrying out an unregistered franchise system.

• Companies engaged in the franchising business but do not declare the businesses as franchises, either intentionally or unintentionally.

• Businesses registered under a normal business license but in fact fulfill the definition of a franchise under the Franchise Act 1998.

• Companies that have registered their business as franchisor with the Ministry but have never practiced franchising.

• Companies that act as franchisee to local or foreign franchisor.

16 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

A. Through A Franchise Consultant Franchisor will have to fill in the prospective franchisor evaluation form and submit to a franchise consultant. The consultant will engage with the Ministry and submit application through MyFEX after the Ministry has confirmed that the respective company can be franchised.

B. Through The Ministry Of Domestic Trade, Co-Operative and Consumerism Franchisor will have to fill in the prospective franchisor evaluation form and submit to the Ministry. Then, applicants have to submit their application through MyFEX. If your company is unsuccessful in the preliminary registration, the Ministry will arrange for the company to undergo a franchise development programme before it can be recognised as a franchisor.

The deadline is 31 October 2013. Register at www.myfex.gov.my/portal/ or visit www. franchisemdtcc.gov.my MN

Focus І Apple Group

Apple Group І

Focus

“It is important for me to push the boundaries and create tours that are special.”

For the love of

TRAVEL

The Applenian 2013. if it is expensive, people will pay if they get what they are paying for.”

Dato' Sri Lee Ee Hoe

Dato' Sri Lee Ee HoeJP, Group Managing Director and Tour Guide Extraordinaire, Apple Group of Companies, has created a brand that pushes boundaries and delivers on its brand promise.

N

ot many people can say they have visited 70 countries in their lifetime but Dato' Sri Lee Ee HoeJP, Group Managing Director, Apple Group of companies, sure can!

“When Apple first started we focused on travel to Japan. I could speak the language and had a love for Japan like it was my second home. I had a lot to share as a tour guide,” he says. Back then when people thought of going to Japan they would After completing his education he returned to Malaysia and brought with him a automatically think of Apple Vacations. wealth of experience in the Japanese tour Today, Apple Vacations has branched out industry. It was only natural for him to set into various divisions that include ticketing, MICE tours, Muslim tours, Asia tours, up his own travel company so he could Western & Exotic tours and Free & Easy – do what he loves. “I had to think of an online and offline sales of tour important and entrepreneurs need to packages.

Malaysian and Singaporean tourists during the holidays to cover my tuition fees.

“This was ideal for me, as I am a son of a rubber tapper.”

“I’ve even been to the South Pole three times,” he declares. Lee’s love for travel and sharing of travel information started at a very young age. “In those days, it was safe to hitchhike, so that’s what I did, I hitchhiked and backpacked around “Brand is very Malaysia during the school holidays,” he says. understand that He adds, “In school I loved playing a big role in organising events and tours for the uniformed societies, it’s just something I’ve always done.” After completing school, Lee left Yong Peng, his hometown in Johor and went to Japan to continue his education in International Economics. Fluent in written and spoken Japanese from his five years there, Lee explained that he had always had a fascination for Japan.

“Also, at that time over 23 years ago, students in Japan were allowed to work and study.

So, I was able to work as a tour guide for

18 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

epidemic, tours get cancelled and we stand to lose a lot of money.” He cites the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami as an example, “That year we had five chartered flights to Hokkaido for the summer but only one flight was full even though we sold the tickets at slashed prices.” However, Lee understands that without risk there is no gain. “As businesses grow, sometimes the risks are bigger.”

Apple Vacations has successfully done this through selling themed tours. “We have a theme for every tour. For example, the Sakura tour to see the beautiful lavender blooms in Hokkaido “When people think during the summer.”

Other popular themed tours include the Midnight Sun tour that takes tourists to North Cap in Norway to experience this incredible phenomenon. “It is important to me to push the boundaries and create tours that are special,” says Lee. He has made it his personal mission to help Malaysian tourists fulfill their bucket list for ‘The Places To See Before You Die’. “In October I am leading a tour to Siberia on the Siberian Trans Railway, 9288 kilometres

starting from Moscow and crossing four time zones. In June 2014, I’ll be taking a group to the North Pole,” he adds.

Apple Vacations, indeed, has chartered new territories that no other Malaysian tour operator has done. Although an

of a brand, they think of the logo ‘expensive’ tour guide, Lee has a following of tourists that book tours specifically with him. “I have one particular customer that has been to 20 countries with me,” Lee says. “Being hands-on in your business is very important as the brand promise needs to be kept for the brand to succeed.”

Lee admits that the industry has its challenges. “This is a very fragile industry.

Things change in seconds. If there is a natural disaster, civil unrest or an

In recent years, Apple Vacations has seen an expansion and now the business includes boutique hotels, multimedia, food and beverage as well as development and properties. “We have managed to secure a number of properties in the Golden Triangle. We will be moving to our new office in Wisma Apple right away.” located on Jalan Sultan Ismail soon and we also have a few boutique hotels in the area as well.”

Lee refers to a successful entrepreneur as having to be ‘clever’ and able to make smart investments. Pushing the boundaries of conventional travel, Lee sees the importance of the brand going a step further. “I want to take people to places that they never dreamed they would go,” he says. “After all, I’m in the business of making dreams come true.” MN

it begins and ends with the product.”

appropriate name, simple, yet something people could remember,” says Lee. “So I came up with Apple, but not a red or green apple. It had to be unique so I chose purple, a favourable colour for both men and women,” he adds.

Lee paid special attention to the logo because he believes that is what people remember. “When people think of a brand, they think of the logo right away.”

With its highly recognisable purple apple as its logo, that Apple Vacations was born 17 years ago.

On how Apple handles competition from other online ticketing portals, he explains, “Our online ticketing portal offers our customers up to five choices of airlines from the cheapest flight available for their destination on their selected dates.” In this way, Apple offers their customers options to make the best choice.

Lee stresses the importance of marketing the brand. “Brand is very important and entrepreneurs need to understand that it begins and ends with the product. The quality of the product is what matters, even

APPLE VACATIONS kick-off the fifth round of direct flights to Hokkaido come December this year.

Dato' Lee leading a tour, Machu Picchu, Peru, South America.

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 19

Focus І Apple Group

Apple Group І

Focus

“It is important for me to push the boundaries and create tours that are special.”

For the love of

TRAVEL

The Applenian 2013. if it is expensive, people will pay if they get what they are paying for.”

Dato' Sri Lee Ee Hoe

Dato' Sri Lee Ee HoeJP, Group Managing Director and Tour Guide Extraordinaire, Apple Group of Companies, has created a brand that pushes boundaries and delivers on its brand promise.

N

ot many people can say they have visited 70 countries in their lifetime but Dato' Sri Lee Ee HoeJP, Group Managing Director, Apple Group of companies, sure can!

“When Apple first started we focused on travel to Japan. I could speak the language and had a love for Japan like it was my second home. I had a lot to share as a tour guide,” he says. Back then when people thought of going to Japan they would After completing his education he returned to Malaysia and brought with him a automatically think of Apple Vacations. wealth of experience in the Japanese tour Today, Apple Vacations has branched out industry. It was only natural for him to set into various divisions that include ticketing, MICE tours, Muslim tours, Asia tours, up his own travel company so he could Western & Exotic tours and Free & Easy – do what he loves. “I had to think of an online and offline sales of tour important and entrepreneurs need to packages.

Malaysian and Singaporean tourists during the holidays to cover my tuition fees.

“This was ideal for me, as I am a son of a rubber tapper.”

“I’ve even been to the South Pole three times,” he declares. Lee’s love for travel and sharing of travel information started at a very young age. “In those days, it was safe to hitchhike, so that’s what I did, I hitchhiked and backpacked around “Brand is very Malaysia during the school holidays,” he says. understand that He adds, “In school I loved playing a big role in organising events and tours for the uniformed societies, it’s just something I’ve always done.” After completing school, Lee left Yong Peng, his hometown in Johor and went to Japan to continue his education in International Economics. Fluent in written and spoken Japanese from his five years there, Lee explained that he had always had a fascination for Japan.

“Also, at that time over 23 years ago, students in Japan were allowed to work and study.

So, I was able to work as a tour guide for

18 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

epidemic, tours get cancelled and we stand to lose a lot of money.” He cites the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami as an example, “That year we had five chartered flights to Hokkaido for the summer but only one flight was full even though we sold the tickets at slashed prices.” However, Lee understands that without risk there is no gain. “As businesses grow, sometimes the risks are bigger.”

Apple Vacations has successfully done this through selling themed tours. “We have a theme for every tour. For example, the Sakura tour to see the beautiful lavender blooms in Hokkaido “When people think during the summer.”

Other popular themed tours include the Midnight Sun tour that takes tourists to North Cap in Norway to experience this incredible phenomenon. “It is important to me to push the boundaries and create tours that are special,” says Lee. He has made it his personal mission to help Malaysian tourists fulfill their bucket list for ‘The Places To See Before You Die’. “In October I am leading a tour to Siberia on the Siberian Trans Railway, 9288 kilometres

starting from Moscow and crossing four time zones. In June 2014, I’ll be taking a group to the North Pole,” he adds.

Apple Vacations, indeed, has chartered new territories that no other Malaysian tour operator has done. Although an

of a brand, they think of the logo ‘expensive’ tour guide, Lee has a following of tourists that book tours specifically with him. “I have one particular customer that has been to 20 countries with me,” Lee says. “Being hands-on in your business is very important as the brand promise needs to be kept for the brand to succeed.”

Lee admits that the industry has its challenges. “This is a very fragile industry.

Things change in seconds. If there is a natural disaster, civil unrest or an

In recent years, Apple Vacations has seen an expansion and now the business includes boutique hotels, multimedia, food and beverage as well as development and properties. “We have managed to secure a number of properties in the Golden Triangle. We will be moving to our new office in Wisma Apple right away.” located on Jalan Sultan Ismail soon and we also have a few boutique hotels in the area as well.”

Lee refers to a successful entrepreneur as having to be ‘clever’ and able to make smart investments. Pushing the boundaries of conventional travel, Lee sees the importance of the brand going a step further. “I want to take people to places that they never dreamed they would go,” he says. “After all, I’m in the business of making dreams come true.” MN

it begins and ends with the product.”

appropriate name, simple, yet something people could remember,” says Lee. “So I came up with Apple, but not a red or green apple. It had to be unique so I chose purple, a favourable colour for both men and women,” he adds.

Lee paid special attention to the logo because he believes that is what people remember. “When people think of a brand, they think of the logo right away.”

With its highly recognisable purple apple as its logo, that Apple Vacations was born 17 years ago.

On how Apple handles competition from other online ticketing portals, he explains, “Our online ticketing portal offers our customers up to five choices of airlines from the cheapest flight available for their destination on their selected dates.” In this way, Apple offers their customers options to make the best choice.

Lee stresses the importance of marketing the brand. “Brand is very important and entrepreneurs need to understand that it begins and ends with the product. The quality of the product is what matters, even

APPLE VACATIONS kick-off the fifth round of direct flights to Hokkaido come December this year.

Dato' Lee leading a tour, Machu Picchu, Peru, South America.

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 19

Focus І Perbadanan Nasional Berhad

Perbadanan Nasional Berhad І

Need help with your

FRANCHISE business?

Syed Kamarulzaman Bin Dato’ Syed Zainol Khodki Shahabudin, Managing Director of Perbadanan Nasional Berhad, outlines the role of PNS in helping Malaysian franchises reach their full potential.

I

f you have a service or a business you think will sell and you plan to expand your business to achieve fast market penetration, then franchise is definitely a good business option for you. Where do you begin? Perbadanan National Berhad (PNS) is an agency owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc.) with a mandate to lead the development of Malaysia’s franchise industry. Managing Director of PNS, Syed Kamarulzaman defines the role that PNS plays and the service they provide for franchisors and potential franchisors.

Can you define the role plays by PNS as opposed to the Franchise Division in the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism?

The Ministry is in charge of creating the franchise blueprint. PNS is a government agency that has been given the mandate to spearhead and implement the blueprint. Having a blueprint is just a piece of paper, what we do is implement what’s on this piece of paper.

However, everybody has a role to play and this includes the various associations, consultants and business people.PNS also functions like a bank, we offer financing to help franchisors with business expansion. We also provide small loans to franchisees. We also invest in franchise if the business requires us to invest to make it stronger. Our theme for the year is “How do we strengthen Malaysian franchise business”. It is our job to ensure that the Malaysian franchisors are sustainable and ready locally as well as ready for export.

Tuan Syed Kamarulzaman bin Syed Zainol Khodki Shahabudin

20 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

How do you help implement the blueprint set by the Ministry?

We are here from start to finish. First, we identify what we need to do for a particular franchise, then we do everything from advising, training, consulting, and if need be, financing as well. We offer financing to businesses that require help with their funding. We are also involved in property investment for the sole purpose of renting out the retail space to potential franchise/franchisees to help cut their cost. Through the PNS Academy we also play a big role in encouraging the franchise business at the school level through the universities. Our academy offers training courses for those interested in the franchise business. The academy also goes on a drive educating and informing people of the opportunities available in the franchise business.

Focus

In your opinion why should a person consider a business in franchise?

Anyone can set up a business. Statistics show that in the United States, 80 per cent of businesses fail in the first five years. However, statistics show that in the franchise business, 80 per cent are still in business after five years. The reason for this is simple. The term ‘franchise’ simply means working together as a team. The franchisor eliminates the process of learning for his franchisee, thus minimising the risks. In a franchise, a successful system has already been set in place making the transition and process much easier when beginning a new business. However, it is important that the entrepreneur has a passion for the business. Without passion and dedication, the business will be doomed from the start. Entrepreneurs must remember that there is no easy way to run a business. It involves hard work, commitment and flair.

Mismanagement is one of the main reasons that businesses fail.

“It is our job to ensure that Malaysian franchisors are sustainable and ready locally as well as ready for export.”

What role does the PNS Academy play in preparing individuals for the franchise industry?

The role of the PNS Academy is to develop the franchise. We want the franchisor to concentrate on the business and to leave the training to us. Our modules cover all the needs of the franchise industry such as legal, finance and management, among others.

Apart from professional local trainers, we also have foreign trainers from time to time. Although our base is in Kuala Lumpur, if there is a demand we travel across the Peninsular and to East Malaysia to conduct our training and certification. Our courses are not free.

There is a small fee to ensure that the students are committed when they register for the course.

Recently, PNS has been encouraging local franchisors to venture overseas. Why do you believe that this is a good business choice?

Currently, our population stands at 29 million and there is a market saturation especially in the food and beverage line. If the business is strong enough it should venture overseas to other countries where the population is more and opportunities ample. By venturing overseas, entrepreneurs have a chance to be leaders in the industry and other brands will be encouraged to do the same in the future.

Also, it is a good way to bring recognition to our country. Take the Koreans, as an example. Their brands, food and music are popular all over the world.

“We function like a bank, we offer financing to businesses that require help with their funding.”

Currently there are 47 Malaysian brands that have ventured overseas, but entrepreneurs should only venture overseas when their brand is strong and their business is ready to take that step. Extensive market research is necessary before venturing overseas.

How does PNS plan to further strengthen the franchise industry?

We encourage feedback from the industry. If we are aware of the weaknesses faced by the industry then we will focus on those weaknesses. We welcome businesses to come and explore what we can do to help them, either financially, as advisors, as investors and as industry trainers. MN Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 21

Focus І Perbadanan Nasional Berhad

Perbadanan Nasional Berhad І

Need help with your

FRANCHISE business?

Syed Kamarulzaman Bin Dato’ Syed Zainol Khodki Shahabudin, Managing Director of Perbadanan Nasional Berhad, outlines the role of PNS in helping Malaysian franchises reach their full potential.

I

f you have a service or a business you think will sell and you plan to expand your business to achieve fast market penetration, then franchise is definitely a good business option for you. Where do you begin? Perbadanan National Berhad (PNS) is an agency owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc.) with a mandate to lead the development of Malaysia’s franchise industry. Managing Director of PNS, Syed Kamarulzaman defines the role that PNS plays and the service they provide for franchisors and potential franchisors.

Can you define the role plays by PNS as opposed to the Franchise Division in the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism?

The Ministry is in charge of creating the franchise blueprint. PNS is a government agency that has been given the mandate to spearhead and implement the blueprint. Having a blueprint is just a piece of paper, what we do is implement what’s on this piece of paper.

However, everybody has a role to play and this includes the various associations, consultants and business people.PNS also functions like a bank, we offer financing to help franchisors with business expansion. We also provide small loans to franchisees. We also invest in franchise if the business requires us to invest to make it stronger. Our theme for the year is “How do we strengthen Malaysian franchise business”. It is our job to ensure that the Malaysian franchisors are sustainable and ready locally as well as ready for export.

Tuan Syed Kamarulzaman bin Syed Zainol Khodki Shahabudin

20 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

How do you help implement the blueprint set by the Ministry?

We are here from start to finish. First, we identify what we need to do for a particular franchise, then we do everything from advising, training, consulting, and if need be, financing as well. We offer financing to businesses that require help with their funding. We are also involved in property investment for the sole purpose of renting out the retail space to potential franchise/franchisees to help cut their cost. Through the PNS Academy we also play a big role in encouraging the franchise business at the school level through the universities. Our academy offers training courses for those interested in the franchise business. The academy also goes on a drive educating and informing people of the opportunities available in the franchise business.

Focus

In your opinion why should a person consider a business in franchise?

Anyone can set up a business. Statistics show that in the United States, 80 per cent of businesses fail in the first five years. However, statistics show that in the franchise business, 80 per cent are still in business after five years. The reason for this is simple. The term ‘franchise’ simply means working together as a team. The franchisor eliminates the process of learning for his franchisee, thus minimising the risks. In a franchise, a successful system has already been set in place making the transition and process much easier when beginning a new business. However, it is important that the entrepreneur has a passion for the business. Without passion and dedication, the business will be doomed from the start. Entrepreneurs must remember that there is no easy way to run a business. It involves hard work, commitment and flair.

Mismanagement is one of the main reasons that businesses fail.

“It is our job to ensure that Malaysian franchisors are sustainable and ready locally as well as ready for export.”

What role does the PNS Academy play in preparing individuals for the franchise industry?

The role of the PNS Academy is to develop the franchise. We want the franchisor to concentrate on the business and to leave the training to us. Our modules cover all the needs of the franchise industry such as legal, finance and management, among others.

Apart from professional local trainers, we also have foreign trainers from time to time. Although our base is in Kuala Lumpur, if there is a demand we travel across the Peninsular and to East Malaysia to conduct our training and certification. Our courses are not free.

There is a small fee to ensure that the students are committed when they register for the course.

Recently, PNS has been encouraging local franchisors to venture overseas. Why do you believe that this is a good business choice?

Currently, our population stands at 29 million and there is a market saturation especially in the food and beverage line. If the business is strong enough it should venture overseas to other countries where the population is more and opportunities ample. By venturing overseas, entrepreneurs have a chance to be leaders in the industry and other brands will be encouraged to do the same in the future.

Also, it is a good way to bring recognition to our country. Take the Koreans, as an example. Their brands, food and music are popular all over the world.

“We function like a bank, we offer financing to businesses that require help with their funding.”

Currently there are 47 Malaysian brands that have ventured overseas, but entrepreneurs should only venture overseas when their brand is strong and their business is ready to take that step. Extensive market research is necessary before venturing overseas.

How does PNS plan to further strengthen the franchise industry?

We encourage feedback from the industry. If we are aware of the weaknesses faced by the industry then we will focus on those weaknesses. We welcome businesses to come and explore what we can do to help them, either financially, as advisors, as investors and as industry trainers. MN Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 21

Focus І Smart Franchise Partner

Want to

FRANCHISE?

Do it right!

Sahar Sahad and Lydia Jominin, Franchise Consultants, Smart Franchise Partner talks to MRCA Magazine about the role of franchise consultants and how they play a crucial part in ensuring the success of your franchise business.

F

ranchise is a lucrative business model but only if it's done right.

It is important to understand that turning your business into a franchise is not as easy as getting it registered. There are various other steps that need to be taken to ensure that your business venture is a success, with little or no room for failure. “The role of the franchise consultant isn’t only about getting the franchise registered,” says Lydia. She explains that there are various preparatory measures before even beginning the registration process and plenty of after-care support that is required of a franchise consultant.

To start with, the mindset of the potential franchisor is crucial. Sahar states that it is important for the franchisor to realise that they are not supposed to make money from franchisees but through them. “ Going into franchise because your business is not doing well is definitely not a good reason.”

Smart Franchise Partner takes us through a step by step guide on how to turn your business into a franchise:

STEP 1

Explaining the Franchise Here, the consultant will explain franchise as a whole. i.e. What is franchise?

Advantages of franchising, the franchise regulations in Malaysia particularly the Franchise Act 1998, the right philosophy of franchise, roles and responsibilities of franchisors as well as franchisees etc.

STEP 2

The Franchise Readiness Audit (FRA) The consultant goes through a checklist to ensure that the business is franchise ready, the consultant will then review whether

or not the business is a proven business in terms of its operations, marketability and profitability.

STEP 3

Financial Due Diligence Here, there is a review of the business’ audited accounts to ensure the financial stability of the business. A crucial area, a minimum financial track record of 36 months is looked at for profitability.

STEP 4

Perfecting the Model Then, the consultant will explore what needs to be tweaked with the current business model so it is full-proof when converted into a franchise.

STEP 5

Plan Execution At this point, the consultant helps with implementing what’s on paper and closing the ‘gap’ between the now and the ‘ideal’ franchise business model.

STEP 6

Introduction of 3rd Party Consultant The franchise consultant will seek experts in various fields that the business needs i.e branding, IT system, marketing etc to help with execution of the franchise.

STEP 7

Monitoring of Performance The consultant follows the business closely for a minimum of 6 months.

STEP 8

Preparation of Documents The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is documented and all other necessary documents required for registration is put together.

22 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Lydia Jominin and Sahar Sahad

STEP 9

Developing the Initial Investment Package Consultant works on the projections for the franchise model and comes up with the initial franchise fee and other relevant fees based on the model. The basic investment package is proposed together with its justification to the business owner.

STEP 10

The Registration The business is franchise ready and consultant will register the franchise application through an online portal i.e MyFex under the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism.

STEP 11

After Care The consultant provides complete aftercare for the new franchisor while the business adapts to being a franchise.

At Smart Franchise Partner, the role of the franchise consultants is taken very seriously. “A consultant must hold a certain amount of accountability and it is up to the consultant to ensure that the franchisor is completely ready before embarking into the franchise industry,” says Sahar. “It is our personal mission to ensure that your franchise business is a success.” MN Contact Smart Franchise Partner today to find out if you’re franchise ready! Call 019 – 2233 544 or visit www.smartfranchise. com.my.

Focus І Smart Franchise Partner

Want to

FRANCHISE?

Do it right!

Sahar Sahad and Lydia Jominin, Franchise Consultants, Smart Franchise Partner talks to MRCA Magazine about the role of franchise consultants and how they play a crucial part in ensuring the success of your franchise business.

F

ranchise is a lucrative business model but only if it's done right.

It is important to understand that turning your business into a franchise is not as easy as getting it registered. There are various other steps that need to be taken to ensure that your business venture is a success, with little or no room for failure. “The role of the franchise consultant isn’t only about getting the franchise registered,” says Lydia. She explains that there are various preparatory measures before even beginning the registration process and plenty of after-care support that is required of a franchise consultant.

To start with, the mindset of the potential franchisor is crucial. Sahar states that it is important for the franchisor to realise that they are not supposed to make money from franchisees but through them. “ Going into franchise because your business is not doing well is definitely not a good reason.”

Smart Franchise Partner takes us through a step by step guide on how to turn your business into a franchise:

STEP 1

Explaining the Franchise Here, the consultant will explain franchise as a whole. i.e. What is franchise?

Advantages of franchising, the franchise regulations in Malaysia particularly the Franchise Act 1998, the right philosophy of franchise, roles and responsibilities of franchisors as well as franchisees etc.

STEP 2

The Franchise Readiness Audit (FRA) The consultant goes through a checklist to ensure that the business is franchise ready, the consultant will then review whether

or not the business is a proven business in terms of its operations, marketability and profitability.

STEP 3

Financial Due Diligence Here, there is a review of the business’ audited accounts to ensure the financial stability of the business. A crucial area, a minimum financial track record of 36 months is looked at for profitability.

STEP 4

Perfecting the Model Then, the consultant will explore what needs to be tweaked with the current business model so it is full-proof when converted into a franchise.

STEP 5

Plan Execution At this point, the consultant helps with implementing what’s on paper and closing the ‘gap’ between the now and the ‘ideal’ franchise business model.

STEP 6

Introduction of 3rd Party Consultant The franchise consultant will seek experts in various fields that the business needs i.e branding, IT system, marketing etc to help with execution of the franchise.

STEP 7

Monitoring of Performance The consultant follows the business closely for a minimum of 6 months.

STEP 8

Preparation of Documents The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is documented and all other necessary documents required for registration is put together.

22 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Lydia Jominin and Sahar Sahad

STEP 9

Developing the Initial Investment Package Consultant works on the projections for the franchise model and comes up with the initial franchise fee and other relevant fees based on the model. The basic investment package is proposed together with its justification to the business owner.

STEP 10

The Registration The business is franchise ready and consultant will register the franchise application through an online portal i.e MyFex under the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism.

STEP 11

After Care The consultant provides complete aftercare for the new franchisor while the business adapts to being a franchise.

At Smart Franchise Partner, the role of the franchise consultants is taken very seriously. “A consultant must hold a certain amount of accountability and it is up to the consultant to ensure that the franchisor is completely ready before embarking into the franchise industry,” says Sahar. “It is our personal mission to ensure that your franchise business is a success.” MN Contact Smart Franchise Partner today to find out if you’re franchise ready! Call 019 – 2233 544 or visit www.smartfranchise. com.my.

Focus І FindIT333

leads customers right to your doorstep Maxis introduces a search service that highlights your store to potential customers making your business grow even further.

C

onsumers in the digital lifetsyle of today expects information that is instant and comprehensive. Maxis is all ready to meet this need with its latest search service FindIT333 set to hit the market in November 2013.

WHAT IS FINDIT333?

FindIT333is an integrated local search service which can be accessed through all digital media such as smartphone applications, Online, WAP and traditional access such as Voice and USSD. That means your potential customers will have your store location, your range of products and your latest promotions at their fingertips anytime, anywhere.

Maxis believes that FindIT333 will be a popular tool used by consumers to get the information they need and here’s why: Insight

Supporting Facts & Figures:

Mobile devices are emerging as the most powerful medium for local searches

46% consumers use mobile exclusively as their primary research tools (Source: SearchEngineWatch) 1 in 3 searches on mobile with local intent (Source: Small Biz Trends) Smartphone penetration continues to rise steeply (Source: Comscore)

Mobile Local Business searches are followed-up with purchases

70% of local mobile searches lead to online action within 1 hour (source: Marketing Pilgrim) 78% of local business searches made a purchase as a result of their search on their mobile (Source: Comscore)

Purchasers are increasingly likely to conduct a local search before a purchase

61% - 87% purchasers (depending on categories from restaurants to groceries) have conducted a local search in the past 12 months (Source: IMMR Local Search Study)

HOW WILL FINDIT333 HELP YOUR BUSINESS? The service will connect on the move buyers to sellers effectively as the service is available across multiple mobile devices and accessible by all Maxis and non-Maxis mobile users. In Malaysia, the current trend in smartphone mobile device usage shows increased activity in online searches as the data below suggests: Malaysian Mobile Device Usage • 35% YoY expected increase in Smartphone sales till 2015.

• Smartphone adoption is currently 28% and growing to 50% by 2014. This translates to 11 million smartphone users in Malaysia.

• 17.5 million unique internet users in Malaysia.

Maxis Users • 40% smartphone users in Maxis, which translate to 5.6 million smartphone users.

• Over 8 million data users in Maxis.

• Over 40 million access/day on Maxis USSD *100# service.

• 16 million access/month on Maxis WAP site.

24 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

WHY FINDIT333?

1. We will list your business.

2. Your listing is enchanced to provide useful information such as Specialities, Geo-coding, Directions, Pictures etc for consumers.

3. Adds a social element to allow reviews, ratings and sharing over social network.

4. Your information is searchable by tagging the business, brand name, location, category and/with appropriate keyword.

5. Your listing will be kept up-to-date by monthly re-verification of the data.

6. The service will be available across all access and open to all mobile subscribers in Malaysia.

7. Maxis is experienced with the best methods in targeting the consumers.

8. The ‘Hot Deals’ service allows your business to run campaigns using mobile vouchers.

9. The service is tracked so you will be able see for yourself the number of consumer calling/clicking your listings.

With FindIt333, your business will have an edge over the competition. Some other benefits also include: • Your existing customers will find you with ease-anywhere.

• You will target new customers and generate walk-ins to your business.

• Branding of your business .

• Targeted Marketing.

• Simple ‘Go To Market’ for your business.

• No expertise or costs on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Online Traffic Purchase etc is required to be expended by your business. This will be taken care by our experts.

• High ROI for your business.

Choose FindIT333 today and grow your business even further. Maxis is pleased to offer ALL MRCA members a special rate.

This offer is only valid till 31 October 2013.

For more information email us: maxis@ findit333.com or call Janet Chan at 0125596025. MN

Focus І FindIT333

leads customers right to your doorstep Maxis introduces a search service that highlights your store to potential customers making your business grow even further.

C

onsumers in the digital lifetsyle of today expects information that is instant and comprehensive. Maxis is all ready to meet this need with its latest search service FindIT333 set to hit the market in November 2013.

WHAT IS FINDIT333?

FindIT333is an integrated local search service which can be accessed through all digital media such as smartphone applications, Online, WAP and traditional access such as Voice and USSD. That means your potential customers will have your store location, your range of products and your latest promotions at their fingertips anytime, anywhere.

Maxis believes that FindIT333 will be a popular tool used by consumers to get the information they need and here’s why: Insight

Supporting Facts & Figures:

Mobile devices are emerging as the most powerful medium for local searches

46% consumers use mobile exclusively as their primary research tools (Source: SearchEngineWatch) 1 in 3 searches on mobile with local intent (Source: Small Biz Trends) Smartphone penetration continues to rise steeply (Source: Comscore)

Mobile Local Business searches are followed-up with purchases

70% of local mobile searches lead to online action within 1 hour (source: Marketing Pilgrim) 78% of local business searches made a purchase as a result of their search on their mobile (Source: Comscore)

Purchasers are increasingly likely to conduct a local search before a purchase

61% - 87% purchasers (depending on categories from restaurants to groceries) have conducted a local search in the past 12 months (Source: IMMR Local Search Study)

HOW WILL FINDIT333 HELP YOUR BUSINESS? The service will connect on the move buyers to sellers effectively as the service is available across multiple mobile devices and accessible by all Maxis and non-Maxis mobile users. In Malaysia, the current trend in smartphone mobile device usage shows increased activity in online searches as the data below suggests: Malaysian Mobile Device Usage • 35% YoY expected increase in Smartphone sales till 2015.

• Smartphone adoption is currently 28% and growing to 50% by 2014. This translates to 11 million smartphone users in Malaysia.

• 17.5 million unique internet users in Malaysia.

Maxis Users • 40% smartphone users in Maxis, which translate to 5.6 million smartphone users.

• Over 8 million data users in Maxis.

• Over 40 million access/day on Maxis USSD *100# service.

• 16 million access/month on Maxis WAP site.

24 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

WHY FINDIT333?

1. We will list your business.

2. Your listing is enchanced to provide useful information such as Specialities, Geo-coding, Directions, Pictures etc for consumers.

3. Adds a social element to allow reviews, ratings and sharing over social network.

4. Your information is searchable by tagging the business, brand name, location, category and/with appropriate keyword.

5. Your listing will be kept up-to-date by monthly re-verification of the data.

6. The service will be available across all access and open to all mobile subscribers in Malaysia.

7. Maxis is experienced with the best methods in targeting the consumers.

8. The ‘Hot Deals’ service allows your business to run campaigns using mobile vouchers.

9. The service is tracked so you will be able see for yourself the number of consumer calling/clicking your listings.

With FindIt333, your business will have an edge over the competition. Some other benefits also include: • Your existing customers will find you with ease-anywhere.

• You will target new customers and generate walk-ins to your business.

• Branding of your business .

• Targeted Marketing.

• Simple ‘Go To Market’ for your business.

• No expertise or costs on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Online Traffic Purchase etc is required to be expended by your business. This will be taken care by our experts.

• High ROI for your business.

Choose FindIT333 today and grow your business even further. Maxis is pleased to offer ALL MRCA members a special rate.

This offer is only valid till 31 October 2013.

For more information email us: maxis@ findit333.com or call Janet Chan at 0125596025. MN

Focus І Avenue K

Kuala Lumpur gets ready for something DIFFERENT

Sue Wang, General Manager, Avenue K, and her dynamic team breathe new life into the old Avenue K making it the new place ‘to be’.

S

ue Wang, General Manager, Avenue K, attributes her gusto for shopping mall management to having grown up a stone’s throw away from the famed Orchard Road in Singapore. It was only natural that she was willingly sucked into the excitement of a career in shopping while working at a mall in Singapore.

“Some friends asked me to help with some marketing but I found myself more interested in what went into the leasing, positioning and branding of the mall more than anything else,” says Sue. Having found her calling, she continued on the career path of mall management that took her to China, her biggest challenge.

“When in China, my wealth of experience could only be filled up on a back of a postcard. That was how under experienced I was,” she says. “In China, I got to see the good, the bad and the ugly, which to me was the fastest learning curve.”

has an LRT station right below us,” says Sue. About 12 million commuters use this LRT station yearly and that number is growing rapidly.

“So the question is not why Avenue K, but why not?” says Sue. “Taking on Avenue K, I went in with my eyes wide open,” she says. However, the words of her CEO, Kelvin Ng rang clear in her mind, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” So, with a plan, Sue got to work. “On seeing Avenue K’s less than impressive track record, I knew the first thing I had to do was find its niche and purpose.”

To do that, extensive market research was done to find out the dynamics of the individuals who work, live and frequented the area. “We found out the people

“It is important to have a team During her three years that understands and supports in China she the vision that you have.” met all the challenges head on. It was through her wanted a fun mall, working experience there that she learnt someplace they all about good mall management, she says. could hang out and “When you get thrown in the deep end, feel comfortable.” There you either sink or swim.” Luckily for her, was also a need for a mall she came out stronger, more experienced that carried more affordable and with her head above water. fashion outlets catering to young people as well as a variety of food and Fresh from working in Marina Bay Sands, beverage outlets. And that was exactly what Singapore, Sue decided to take on a Sue and her team did. whole new and exciting project in Kuala Lumpur: the revamping of Avenue K. One of the many challenges that the team Some call it the rough diamond of Kuala faced was working around things that were Lumpur but Sue sees something different. already in place that sometimes proved “All it needed was attention, passion and limiting. “This had us working three times someone to believe in it.” harder than anyone else to secure tenants,” she says. The big brands that were As for location, it is safe to say that already tenants also had Avenue K has it all. “We are right in the faith in Sue and her middle of the city, across from the iconic team to change things twin towers and we are the only mall that around for the better.

Sue Wang, General Manager, Avenue K

26 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Aesthetically, Avenue K has an advantage because of its dedicated window façade that dictates the theme of the month through the display of visually stimulating items.

Also, its compact size makes it manouvre friendly. To the quick and savvy Generation Y, convenience is an important factor.

Avenue K provides that extra touch which includes an interactive I-kiosk for easy access to all the outlets in the mall, which is an advantage of a smaller mall.

shopper’s budget. “I want shoppers to feel that they are welcomed. We want them to stay and hang out here,” she says.

The real challenge, Sue states, is keeping the brand unique and different from the rest. She has a few ideas up her sleeves. “At Avenue K, I want to create an element of surprise and delight all the time. This will give people something to look forward to.” Sue also has plans for activities such as Sue says “When you get thrown in the deep ‘paperless lucky that Avenue draw’. “For now, end, you either sink or swim.”

K is not let’s just say that competing with the bigger malls in the people can look forward to something area. “I believe in the phrase, ‘To thine new and exciting for the upcoming own self be true’. We aren’t trying to be festivities.” anyone else as everyone else is taken,” she says bursting into Mirroring the ideals of Joyce Yap, Sue’s laughter. Avenue K plans to fulfil former colleague and CEO of Retail at the demands of the market while Pavilion who told her that ‘you are only as setting itself apart from the rest. good as your team’, Sue is grateful for her “At Avenue K we will concentrate dynamic team that has worked tirelessly on the personal touch, something over the last two years. “It is important the bigger malls find challenging to to have a team that understands and provide.”

supports the vision that you have.” I’m blessed with very strong personalities in my marketing and leasing teams.” The dynamic team at Avenue K is made up of young, energetic individuals who understand young brands and fashion. “They challenge each other. This is great because I don’t work very well with ‘yes’ people,” she adds.

Avenue K is all set for a soft opening in October 2013. “We will reopen officially in January of 2014,” she says while also noting that there are still a few retail spaces available at a fair and friendly price.

Sue’s unwavering passion toward Avenue K is obvious for all to see. “My team and I have spent a lot of time and effort simply because we believe in this mall. It will bring a breath of fresh air to the city.” With an impressive list of tenants and a whole new style, Sue believes that the glitches have been fixed and Avenue K is now ready to make its mark providing shoppers with a different kind of shopping experience.

So, are you ready Kuala Lumpur? MN

The new and revamped Avenue K is anything but ordinary. Anchor tenants include brands such as H&M and Cotton On. The Cotton On outlet in Avenue K is the largest in South East Asia. There are also plans to create a platform for local talents to showcase their music, arts and fashion design. “We are looking to have fashion designers from universities and colleges who will be able to showcase their work.” Also, the Spanish Steps on Level 3 make a perfect amphitheatre for local artists to perform during lunch hour, an event that will create a whole new experience in the city centre.

Sue and her team are working on building a mall that is ‘feel good’ and engage brands that wouldn’t break the Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 27

Focus І Avenue K

Kuala Lumpur gets ready for something DIFFERENT

Sue Wang, General Manager, Avenue K, and her dynamic team breathe new life into the old Avenue K making it the new place ‘to be’.

S

ue Wang, General Manager, Avenue K, attributes her gusto for shopping mall management to having grown up a stone’s throw away from the famed Orchard Road in Singapore. It was only natural that she was willingly sucked into the excitement of a career in shopping while working at a mall in Singapore.

“Some friends asked me to help with some marketing but I found myself more interested in what went into the leasing, positioning and branding of the mall more than anything else,” says Sue. Having found her calling, she continued on the career path of mall management that took her to China, her biggest challenge.

“When in China, my wealth of experience could only be filled up on a back of a postcard. That was how under experienced I was,” she says. “In China, I got to see the good, the bad and the ugly, which to me was the fastest learning curve.”

has an LRT station right below us,” says Sue. About 12 million commuters use this LRT station yearly and that number is growing rapidly.

“So the question is not why Avenue K, but why not?” says Sue. “Taking on Avenue K, I went in with my eyes wide open,” she says. However, the words of her CEO, Kelvin Ng rang clear in her mind, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” So, with a plan, Sue got to work. “On seeing Avenue K’s less than impressive track record, I knew the first thing I had to do was find its niche and purpose.”

To do that, extensive market research was done to find out the dynamics of the individuals who work, live and frequented the area. “We found out the people

“It is important to have a team During her three years that understands and supports in China she the vision that you have.” met all the challenges head on. It was through her wanted a fun mall, working experience there that she learnt someplace they all about good mall management, she says. could hang out and “When you get thrown in the deep end, feel comfortable.” There you either sink or swim.” Luckily for her, was also a need for a mall she came out stronger, more experienced that carried more affordable and with her head above water. fashion outlets catering to young people as well as a variety of food and Fresh from working in Marina Bay Sands, beverage outlets. And that was exactly what Singapore, Sue decided to take on a Sue and her team did. whole new and exciting project in Kuala Lumpur: the revamping of Avenue K. One of the many challenges that the team Some call it the rough diamond of Kuala faced was working around things that were Lumpur but Sue sees something different. already in place that sometimes proved “All it needed was attention, passion and limiting. “This had us working three times someone to believe in it.” harder than anyone else to secure tenants,” she says. The big brands that were As for location, it is safe to say that already tenants also had Avenue K has it all. “We are right in the faith in Sue and her middle of the city, across from the iconic team to change things twin towers and we are the only mall that around for the better.

Sue Wang, General Manager, Avenue K

26 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Aesthetically, Avenue K has an advantage because of its dedicated window façade that dictates the theme of the month through the display of visually stimulating items.

Also, its compact size makes it manouvre friendly. To the quick and savvy Generation Y, convenience is an important factor.

Avenue K provides that extra touch which includes an interactive I-kiosk for easy access to all the outlets in the mall, which is an advantage of a smaller mall.

shopper’s budget. “I want shoppers to feel that they are welcomed. We want them to stay and hang out here,” she says.

The real challenge, Sue states, is keeping the brand unique and different from the rest. She has a few ideas up her sleeves. “At Avenue K, I want to create an element of surprise and delight all the time. This will give people something to look forward to.” Sue also has plans for activities such as Sue says “When you get thrown in the deep ‘paperless lucky that Avenue draw’. “For now, end, you either sink or swim.”

K is not let’s just say that competing with the bigger malls in the people can look forward to something area. “I believe in the phrase, ‘To thine new and exciting for the upcoming own self be true’. We aren’t trying to be festivities.” anyone else as everyone else is taken,” she says bursting into Mirroring the ideals of Joyce Yap, Sue’s laughter. Avenue K plans to fulfil former colleague and CEO of Retail at the demands of the market while Pavilion who told her that ‘you are only as setting itself apart from the rest. good as your team’, Sue is grateful for her “At Avenue K we will concentrate dynamic team that has worked tirelessly on the personal touch, something over the last two years. “It is important the bigger malls find challenging to to have a team that understands and provide.”

supports the vision that you have.” I’m blessed with very strong personalities in my marketing and leasing teams.” The dynamic team at Avenue K is made up of young, energetic individuals who understand young brands and fashion. “They challenge each other. This is great because I don’t work very well with ‘yes’ people,” she adds.

Avenue K is all set for a soft opening in October 2013. “We will reopen officially in January of 2014,” she says while also noting that there are still a few retail spaces available at a fair and friendly price.

Sue’s unwavering passion toward Avenue K is obvious for all to see. “My team and I have spent a lot of time and effort simply because we believe in this mall. It will bring a breath of fresh air to the city.” With an impressive list of tenants and a whole new style, Sue believes that the glitches have been fixed and Avenue K is now ready to make its mark providing shoppers with a different kind of shopping experience.

So, are you ready Kuala Lumpur? MN

The new and revamped Avenue K is anything but ordinary. Anchor tenants include brands such as H&M and Cotton On. The Cotton On outlet in Avenue K is the largest in South East Asia. There are also plans to create a platform for local talents to showcase their music, arts and fashion design. “We are looking to have fashion designers from universities and colleges who will be able to showcase their work.” Also, the Spanish Steps on Level 3 make a perfect amphitheatre for local artists to perform during lunch hour, an event that will create a whole new experience in the city centre.

Sue and her team are working on building a mall that is ‘feel good’ and engage brands that wouldn’t break the Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 27

Focus І Mozambique

Mozambique І

Focus

MALAYSIAN delegation explored business opportunities in

MOZAMBIQUE

H.E Dato’ Nelson KwokJP is determined to expose Malaysian businesses to the retail market in Maputo, Mozambique.

3

between the nations. The group also visited Mozambican malls to get a first hand feel of the retail market in the city of Maputo.

In a bid to further strengthen economic and trade ties between Malaysia and Mozambique, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry in Mozambique, Kenneth Marizane.

Minister Marizane extended his welcome to the delegation and expressed his desire to encourage more Malaysian businesses to consider Mozambique for their future business expansion.

Kwok summarised the trip as an eye opener where he described Mozambique to be the Malaysia of 15 years ago where brands could quite quickly penetrate the market and become market leaders. “There are plenty of opportunities that are available in Mozambique for Malaysian brands,” he concludes. MN

1 2

A

s the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Mozambique to Malaysia, H.E Dato’ Nelson Kwok JP led a delegation of 18 Malaysian companies on a business mission trip to Mozambique.

“Apart from promoting cultural exchange and education between Mozambique and Malaysia, I intend to promote trade relations as well,” said Kwok. The group visited Mozambique between the 13 and 17 August 2013 and the trip was the first of its kind. “This is the first time a Malaysian business delegation has made an official visit to Mozambique,” he explained.

4 1. Malaysian delegation arrive at Maputo International Airport.

2. Attending MATRADE'S one on one business session.

3. With the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.

5

4. Outside the 5-star Radisson Blu Hotel, Maputo.

5. Business meeting at Avenida Hotel.

6. One on One business session in progress.

6

The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) took a lot of care to ensure the delegation had a successful trip. Pre-arranged by MATRADE, the first two days, the delegation spent in meetings with local businessmen and then for a time of networking and sharing of business models

28 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 29

Focus І Mozambique

Mozambique І

Focus

MALAYSIAN delegation explored business opportunities in

MOZAMBIQUE

H.E Dato’ Nelson KwokJP is determined to expose Malaysian businesses to the retail market in Maputo, Mozambique.

3

between the nations. The group also visited Mozambican malls to get a first hand feel of the retail market in the city of Maputo.

In a bid to further strengthen economic and trade ties between Malaysia and Mozambique, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry in Mozambique, Kenneth Marizane.

Minister Marizane extended his welcome to the delegation and expressed his desire to encourage more Malaysian businesses to consider Mozambique for their future business expansion.

Kwok summarised the trip as an eye opener where he described Mozambique to be the Malaysia of 15 years ago where brands could quite quickly penetrate the market and become market leaders. “There are plenty of opportunities that are available in Mozambique for Malaysian brands,” he concludes. MN

1 2

A

s the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Mozambique to Malaysia, H.E Dato’ Nelson Kwok JP led a delegation of 18 Malaysian companies on a business mission trip to Mozambique.

“Apart from promoting cultural exchange and education between Mozambique and Malaysia, I intend to promote trade relations as well,” said Kwok. The group visited Mozambique between the 13 and 17 August 2013 and the trip was the first of its kind. “This is the first time a Malaysian business delegation has made an official visit to Mozambique,” he explained.

4 1. Malaysian delegation arrive at Maputo International Airport.

2. Attending MATRADE'S one on one business session.

3. With the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.

5

4. Outside the 5-star Radisson Blu Hotel, Maputo.

5. Business meeting at Avenida Hotel.

6. One on One business session in progress.

6

The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) took a lot of care to ensure the delegation had a successful trip. Pre-arranged by MATRADE, the first two days, the delegation spent in meetings with local businessmen and then for a time of networking and sharing of business models

28 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 29

Focus І Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013

Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013 І with the market, you will somehow lose out without branding, particularly for second and third generations that are taking over the business and may not have the rapport with clients as the original owners did,” stated Chong.

The Branding Association has also proposed the setting up of a branding association for ASEAN countries to cater to the needs of brands in the region in promoting products and services to the world market.

Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013

“I believe that we can conquer the world market because we are 10 countries and 600 million people, and we have many free trade agreements that give us a market outreach to more than one billion consumers,” said Datuk Dzulkifli.

Among the speakers at the conference were Eversendai Corp Bhd group managing director Tan Sri A.K. Nathan, STYLO chief executive officer Datuk Nancy Yeoh, Securiforce Group of Companies executive chairman Datuk Maznah Hamid, Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance president Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas and Malayan Banking Bhd chief marketing officer Mohamed Adam Wee.

strong brand distinguishes one’s product or services from another.

So it’s significant to spend time in researching, defining, and building

2

With this in mind, the Branding Association of Malaysia in collaboration with the Malaysian External Trade Development Corp (MATRADE), recently invited business stalwarts to share their success stories and inspire the local business community to take branding seriously in their pursuit of entrepreneurial success.

4

Branding Association president Datuk Eric Chong said this year’s Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013’s themed, “Branding — Innovation, Governance 3

and Entrepreneurship”, was timely in educating entrepreneurs the different elements that help build a strong brand.

Tan Sri Nathan pointed out that there was a need for a smarter approach to branding. “For many entrepreneurs, ‘brand development’ consists of thinking up a name and a logo and focusing on getting a website up and running. While these are important elements, they miss the more fundamental role and purpose of branding, a powerful Brand Idea or brand promise.

“The biggest mistake I see is that most entrepreneurs don’t give enough attention to brand. Brands need investment, expertise, and constant attention. It’s your most valuable business asset. It’s your relationship with your customer. You need to keep it healthy – and it will help you build loyalty,” added Tan Sri Nathan.

Meanwhile, Datuk Nancy felt strong brands have tangible business benefits. “They allow you to charge a premium, get customers to ask for you by name, enjoy strong word of mouth, and help you to be forgiven more easily when you mess up. And let’s face it, all brands make mistakes from time to time, and need to update and continue to elevate their brand.”

Earlier, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade & Industry, whose speech was read by Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Hamim Samuri, commented, “Being a politician, the brand that we are developing is 1Malaysia and so far more than 20 products have been developed. It’s a brand that finds its strengths not in anti-national sentiments but in a shared vision of a peaceful and developed-nation.

by Sharmila Vella

A

the brand.

1

“We are currently helping our friends in Thailand to set up a branding association.

“This conference is also a good platform for local entrepreneurs and business owners to mingle and perhaps collaborate with these foreign representatives.

They can network and leverage on the facilities provided by Matrade to enlarge their businesses and consumer reach,” added Chong.

MATRADE senior director of exporters development division Datuk Dzulkifli Mahmud believed in the collective power of branding across all the countries in the region.

Focus

1. Launching Ceremony of Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013.

2. From left: YBhg Dato’ Nancy Yeoh, Chief Executive Officer of STYLO and Ms Lynette Ow, General Manager of Capital FM. 3. Organising Chairperson, Michelle Hah from Firefighter.

4. From left: YBhg Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas, President of Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG) and Mr Ho Kay Tat, Chief Executive Officer of The Edge.

5. Mr Mohamed Adam Wee, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Maybank.

6. From left: YBhg Tan Sri AK Nathan, Group Managing Director of Eversendai Corporation Berhad and YBhg Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, Former Editor-in-Chief of Bernama.

5

“It’s a brand not for the disloyal to tarnish but for the deservingly loyal to reap the benefits.

It’s a brand that guarantees this government’s willingness to listen to the rakyat as much as every patriotic citizen makes sacrifices for the country.”

More than 750 people including High Commissioners and Ambassadors from Brunei, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam attended the conference. MN

6

“Branding is usually equated with advertising. But it is more than that. It starts with fostering a brand culture within the organisation which is then communicated externally through the various media.

“A lot of businesses have quite a superficial understanding of branding, so this is a good platform to learn from the experts.”

While big enterprises were familiar with the concept and importance of branding, Chong said entrepreneurs, on the other hand, had not grasped the need for branding.

“They know how to make money but they don’t know how to brand. But if, what you do requires a rapport

30 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 31

Focus І Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013

Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013 І with the market, you will somehow lose out without branding, particularly for second and third generations that are taking over the business and may not have the rapport with clients as the original owners did,” stated Chong.

The Branding Association has also proposed the setting up of a branding association for ASEAN countries to cater to the needs of brands in the region in promoting products and services to the world market.

Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013

“I believe that we can conquer the world market because we are 10 countries and 600 million people, and we have many free trade agreements that give us a market outreach to more than one billion consumers,” said Datuk Dzulkifli.

Among the speakers at the conference were Eversendai Corp Bhd group managing director Tan Sri A.K. Nathan, STYLO chief executive officer Datuk Nancy Yeoh, Securiforce Group of Companies executive chairman Datuk Maznah Hamid, Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance president Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas and Malayan Banking Bhd chief marketing officer Mohamed Adam Wee.

strong brand distinguishes one’s product or services from another.

So it’s significant to spend time in researching, defining, and building

2

With this in mind, the Branding Association of Malaysia in collaboration with the Malaysian External Trade Development Corp (MATRADE), recently invited business stalwarts to share their success stories and inspire the local business community to take branding seriously in their pursuit of entrepreneurial success.

4

Branding Association president Datuk Eric Chong said this year’s Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013’s themed, “Branding — Innovation, Governance 3

and Entrepreneurship”, was timely in educating entrepreneurs the different elements that help build a strong brand.

Tan Sri Nathan pointed out that there was a need for a smarter approach to branding. “For many entrepreneurs, ‘brand development’ consists of thinking up a name and a logo and focusing on getting a website up and running. While these are important elements, they miss the more fundamental role and purpose of branding, a powerful Brand Idea or brand promise.

“The biggest mistake I see is that most entrepreneurs don’t give enough attention to brand. Brands need investment, expertise, and constant attention. It’s your most valuable business asset. It’s your relationship with your customer. You need to keep it healthy – and it will help you build loyalty,” added Tan Sri Nathan.

Meanwhile, Datuk Nancy felt strong brands have tangible business benefits. “They allow you to charge a premium, get customers to ask for you by name, enjoy strong word of mouth, and help you to be forgiven more easily when you mess up. And let’s face it, all brands make mistakes from time to time, and need to update and continue to elevate their brand.”

Earlier, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade & Industry, whose speech was read by Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Hamim Samuri, commented, “Being a politician, the brand that we are developing is 1Malaysia and so far more than 20 products have been developed. It’s a brand that finds its strengths not in anti-national sentiments but in a shared vision of a peaceful and developed-nation.

by Sharmila Vella

A

the brand.

1

“We are currently helping our friends in Thailand to set up a branding association.

“This conference is also a good platform for local entrepreneurs and business owners to mingle and perhaps collaborate with these foreign representatives.

They can network and leverage on the facilities provided by Matrade to enlarge their businesses and consumer reach,” added Chong.

MATRADE senior director of exporters development division Datuk Dzulkifli Mahmud believed in the collective power of branding across all the countries in the region.

Focus

1. Launching Ceremony of Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2013.

2. From left: YBhg Dato’ Nancy Yeoh, Chief Executive Officer of STYLO and Ms Lynette Ow, General Manager of Capital FM. 3. Organising Chairperson, Michelle Hah from Firefighter.

4. From left: YBhg Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas, President of Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG) and Mr Ho Kay Tat, Chief Executive Officer of The Edge.

5. Mr Mohamed Adam Wee, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Maybank.

6. From left: YBhg Tan Sri AK Nathan, Group Managing Director of Eversendai Corporation Berhad and YBhg Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, Former Editor-in-Chief of Bernama.

5

“It’s a brand not for the disloyal to tarnish but for the deservingly loyal to reap the benefits.

It’s a brand that guarantees this government’s willingness to listen to the rakyat as much as every patriotic citizen makes sacrifices for the country.”

More than 750 people including High Commissioners and Ambassadors from Brunei, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam attended the conference. MN

6

“Branding is usually equated with advertising. But it is more than that. It starts with fostering a brand culture within the organisation which is then communicated externally through the various media.

“A lot of businesses have quite a superficial understanding of branding, so this is a good platform to learn from the experts.”

While big enterprises were familiar with the concept and importance of branding, Chong said entrepreneurs, on the other hand, had not grasped the need for branding.

“They know how to make money but they don’t know how to brand. But if, what you do requires a rapport

30 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 31

Focus І MRCA Turns 21!

Turns 21!

Let’s take a trip down memory lane

T

he Malaysian Retailers-Chain Association is made up of the Crème de la Crème of retail and franchise chain brands in Malaysia. Fulfilling the vision of MRCA’s founder and first President, Dato’ Eddie Choon, MRCA was built on the foundation that pooling resources opens up the opportunity to harness networking power to ultimately expand businesses.

Twentyone years later, MRCA is now 243 members strong and growing rapidly. Through the years, MRCA members have contributed more than 100 000 jobs to Malaysians across the country. Members have also received numerous awards and accolades throughout the years that stand as a testimony to their extensive involvement and contribution to the success of the industry.

7 7. MRCA Golf Invitational 2008.

8. MRCA CEO Night 2008.

8

9

9. MRCA Council Installation 2010.

1

10. MRCA Visual Display Competition & Prize Presentation 1999.

11. MRCA Annual Dinner & Launching of MRCA Card’ 1999.

12. MRCA mission to Indonesia 2005.

13. Council Installation Banquet 2006.

14. MRCA’s The Sign of Quality’ 1995.

15. MRCA Cheque Presentation ceremony to 'Malaysian Association for the blind’ 2001.

2

The association has created a much sought after avenue where the best in the industry come together and are constantly working towards innovation and expansion beyond Malaysian shores.

In anticipation of MRCA’s 21st Birthday Party on the 18 October 2013 at Setia City Convention Centre, let’s take a photographic journey through MRCA’s 21 years. MN

3

1. MRCA Intercompanies Study Visit 2002.

10

2. MRCA 7D Vietnam & Cambodia Business Study Tour.

11 12

3. Colors of MRCA 2004.

4. MRCA Secretariat opening ceremony & 12th Annual General Meeting’ 2009.

5. MRCA Franchise Conference’ 1998.

6. MRCA Je Charity Screening Fundraiser 1999.

13

4

14

15

5

6

32 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 33

Focus І MRCA Turns 21!

Turns 21!

Let’s take a trip down memory lane

T

he Malaysian Retailers-Chain Association is made up of the Crème de la Crème of retail and franchise chain brands in Malaysia. Fulfilling the vision of MRCA’s founder and first President, Dato’ Eddie Choon, MRCA was built on the foundation that pooling resources opens up the opportunity to harness networking power to ultimately expand businesses.

Twentyone years later, MRCA is now 243 members strong and growing rapidly. Through the years, MRCA members have contributed more than 100 000 jobs to Malaysians across the country. Members have also received numerous awards and accolades throughout the years that stand as a testimony to their extensive involvement and contribution to the success of the industry.

7 7. MRCA Golf Invitational 2008.

8. MRCA CEO Night 2008.

8

9

9. MRCA Council Installation 2010.

1

10. MRCA Visual Display Competition & Prize Presentation 1999.

11. MRCA Annual Dinner & Launching of MRCA Card’ 1999.

12. MRCA mission to Indonesia 2005.

13. Council Installation Banquet 2006.

14. MRCA’s The Sign of Quality’ 1995.

15. MRCA Cheque Presentation ceremony to 'Malaysian Association for the blind’ 2001.

2

The association has created a much sought after avenue where the best in the industry come together and are constantly working towards innovation and expansion beyond Malaysian shores.

In anticipation of MRCA’s 21st Birthday Party on the 18 October 2013 at Setia City Convention Centre, let’s take a photographic journey through MRCA’s 21 years. MN

3

1. MRCA Intercompanies Study Visit 2002.

10

2. MRCA 7D Vietnam & Cambodia Business Study Tour.

11 12

3. Colors of MRCA 2004.

4. MRCA Secretariat opening ceremony & 12th Annual General Meeting’ 2009.

5. MRCA Franchise Conference’ 1998.

6. MRCA Je Charity Screening Fundraiser 1999.

13

4

14

15

5

6

32 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 33

Limelight І OneCity

The Ever Happening City

This massive integrated development by MCT Consortium brings new life to USJ.

S

itting on a 77acre plot of freehold land in USJ25, MCT is confident about tapping into the mature population of the surrounding area to keep OneCity buzzing with lifestyle and commercial activity.

"We believe we are heading in the right direction with this project. USJ is a populous area but does not have a complete sizable integrated development to cater to the population here. So we can easily draw in the crowd to OneCity", says MCT's General Manager, Retail Leasing, Joe Hue. According to Joe, the area within a 5 km radius of OneCity provides a catchment of 1.32 million people.

The preliminary phase of OneCity is largely built around the business, leisure and

entertainment lifestyle and consists of few different components. For smart use of a good space, the 12-halls cinema are built for dual usage. It is used as seminar halls during the weekday ensuring halls are fully utilized throughout the week.

The rooftop houses six thematic dining restaurants creating a different level of dining experience. OneCity also offers relaxation and rejuvenation with a spa and even an e-Fitness Centre for the health buffs.

OneCity also has Malaysia's largest karaoke lounge and a 15,000 square feet dance club. OneCity boasts a 60,000 square feet column-free rooftop banquet hall that can fit 1,200 people with an outdoor cocktail area that is absolutely charming.

Definitely a must-visit, OneCity is located just 20 minutes from KLIA, making it a perfect stopover for business visitors and tourists alike. MCT is looking to tie up with the Malaysian Tourism Board and various

Dato' Danny Goh - Executive Director of MCT Consortium Berhad

34 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

travel agencies to make OneCity the ‘last stop’ location for tourists before heading to the airport.

There is ample parking space within the area to support the potential crowd with 12,000 parking bays spread across three levels of basement car park, connected to all the different components within OneCity. More importantly, improved infrastructure in the surrounding area ensures that OneCity is conveniently accessible. MCT has spent RM40 million on infrastructure development to ensure the development is accessible via the LDP, Elite Highway, Subang Jaya as well as Putra Heights. There are future plans for an LRT station in front of OneCity and the non-existence of traffic lights ensures that traffic flows smoothly around the vicinity. Expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2013, OneCity is all set to be the ‘NEW PLACE TO BE’. MN

Limelight І OneCity

The Ever Happening City

This massive integrated development by MCT Consortium brings new life to USJ.

S

itting on a 77acre plot of freehold land in USJ25, MCT is confident about tapping into the mature population of the surrounding area to keep OneCity buzzing with lifestyle and commercial activity.

"We believe we are heading in the right direction with this project. USJ is a populous area but does not have a complete sizable integrated development to cater to the population here. So we can easily draw in the crowd to OneCity", says MCT's General Manager, Retail Leasing, Joe Hue. According to Joe, the area within a 5 km radius of OneCity provides a catchment of 1.32 million people.

The preliminary phase of OneCity is largely built around the business, leisure and

entertainment lifestyle and consists of few different components. For smart use of a good space, the 12-halls cinema are built for dual usage. It is used as seminar halls during the weekday ensuring halls are fully utilized throughout the week.

The rooftop houses six thematic dining restaurants creating a different level of dining experience. OneCity also offers relaxation and rejuvenation with a spa and even an e-Fitness Centre for the health buffs.

OneCity also has Malaysia's largest karaoke lounge and a 15,000 square feet dance club. OneCity boasts a 60,000 square feet column-free rooftop banquet hall that can fit 1,200 people with an outdoor cocktail area that is absolutely charming.

Definitely a must-visit, OneCity is located just 20 minutes from KLIA, making it a perfect stopover for business visitors and tourists alike. MCT is looking to tie up with the Malaysian Tourism Board and various

Dato' Danny Goh - Executive Director of MCT Consortium Berhad

34 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

travel agencies to make OneCity the ‘last stop’ location for tourists before heading to the airport.

There is ample parking space within the area to support the potential crowd with 12,000 parking bays spread across three levels of basement car park, connected to all the different components within OneCity. More importantly, improved infrastructure in the surrounding area ensures that OneCity is conveniently accessible. MCT has spent RM40 million on infrastructure development to ensure the development is accessible via the LDP, Elite Highway, Subang Jaya as well as Putra Heights. There are future plans for an LRT station in front of OneCity and the non-existence of traffic lights ensures that traffic flows smoothly around the vicinity. Expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2013, OneCity is all set to be the ‘NEW PLACE TO BE’. MN

Limelight І Sunway Pyramid

You can count on

Sunway Pyramid 4 -time MRCA's Most Supportive Shopping Mall Award winner shows relationship building is winnable.

A

“We are also very honoured to be in partnership with MRCA and proud of our contribution towards MRCA’s vision.”

good and healthy working relationship between shopping mall management and their tenants achieves a win-win situation. Besides delivering firstclass customer service, Sunway Pyramid believes that the heart and soul of a shopping mall lies in its business partners’ mix and it is essential both parties support one another for the good of the business and the industry.

the Most Supportive Shopping Mall Award. So far, Sunway Pyramid remains the only mall to win this award 4 times.

Every year, MRCA awards its members with industrial recognitions for achieving a mark set by the association which helps the industry to grow more competitive, healthier and stronger.

The mall on-going effort in this area has been acknowledged by MRCA through

Thematic mall, Sunway Pyramid houses 890 outlets consisting of international

HC Chan, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Pyramid Shopping Malls and Theme Parks.

Chan receives the 4th MRCA Most Supportive Shopping Mall trophy from Deputy Secretary general of Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism.

36 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

and local fashion brands, food and beverages offerings and the country’s largest ice rink. “Tenants are the heartbeat of a shopping mall and therefore, it is important that the management provide a supportive environment to help tenants grow their business so that both parties are able to enjoy the fruits of the labour and thus benefit and encourage the development of the industry,” said HC Chan, Chief Executive Officer, Sunway Shopping Malls and Theme Parks. “We are also very honoured to be in partnership with MRCA and proud of our contribution towards MRCA’s vision.”

Apart from MRCA's Most Supportive Shopping Mall Award, the mall has also won FIABCI Prix d'Excellence 2011 award under the Retail Development Category and Malaysia's Most Favourite Mall, an award determined via public voting organised

by Tourism Malaysia. To date, Sunway Pyramid has clinched a total of 35 international and national awards. MN

Limelight І Sunway Pyramid

You can count on

Sunway Pyramid 4 -time MRCA's Most Supportive Shopping Mall Award winner shows relationship building is winnable.

A

“We are also very honoured to be in partnership with MRCA and proud of our contribution towards MRCA’s vision.”

good and healthy working relationship between shopping mall management and their tenants achieves a win-win situation. Besides delivering firstclass customer service, Sunway Pyramid believes that the heart and soul of a shopping mall lies in its business partners’ mix and it is essential both parties support one another for the good of the business and the industry.

the Most Supportive Shopping Mall Award. So far, Sunway Pyramid remains the only mall to win this award 4 times.

Every year, MRCA awards its members with industrial recognitions for achieving a mark set by the association which helps the industry to grow more competitive, healthier and stronger.

The mall on-going effort in this area has been acknowledged by MRCA through

Thematic mall, Sunway Pyramid houses 890 outlets consisting of international

HC Chan, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Pyramid Shopping Malls and Theme Parks.

Chan receives the 4th MRCA Most Supportive Shopping Mall trophy from Deputy Secretary general of Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism.

36 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

and local fashion brands, food and beverages offerings and the country’s largest ice rink. “Tenants are the heartbeat of a shopping mall and therefore, it is important that the management provide a supportive environment to help tenants grow their business so that both parties are able to enjoy the fruits of the labour and thus benefit and encourage the development of the industry,” said HC Chan, Chief Executive Officer, Sunway Shopping Malls and Theme Parks. “We are also very honoured to be in partnership with MRCA and proud of our contribution towards MRCA’s vision.”

Apart from MRCA's Most Supportive Shopping Mall Award, the mall has also won FIABCI Prix d'Excellence 2011 award under the Retail Development Category and Malaysia's Most Favourite Mall, an award determined via public voting organised

by Tourism Malaysia. To date, Sunway Pyramid has clinched a total of 35 international and national awards. MN

Limelight І Berjaya UCH

Developing Ideas Into

Successful Businesses The Berjaya UCH immersion methodology focuses on interactive learning

our pricing strategy by coming out with more interesting promotional strategies.”- Student B “Social networking is important as we can tap our network to get the job done faster”.

– Student C “In a nutshell, the Young Entrepreneurs Fair has brought about a huge impact on us students. It gave us the experience to analyse problems that arose, learned about teamwork, marketing strategies, negotiation skills, creativity, communication skills, food handling hygiene and other principles that makes one an entrepreneur.”

- Student D So do you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and start your own business?

Come talk to us and find out!

Opening ceremony of the Young Entrepreneurs Fair, from left to right: Head of School of Hospitality Najmi Abdullah, Director of School of Culinary Arts Chef Jochen Kern, Dr Rod Allan D Lara, live mascot – Scarecrow, COO of BERJAYA UCH Mae Ho, Head of School of Tourism Kit Thong and local celebrity Keith Valentine Tan.

B

eing your own boss and starting your own business can be a daunting experience for some but is in fact an exciting and rewarding experience. At BERJAYA University College of Hospitality (BERJAYA UCH), the students of its Entrepreneurship Development programme were recently challenged to define, conceptualise and implement the idea of ‘entrepreneurship’. They were all tasked on applying theoretical knowledge into practice.

and launched successful new ventures based on specially tailored team projects giving participants hands-on, practical experiences in developing new ‘businesses’.

Known as the Berjaya Immersion Methodology, interactive learning of this kind fosters dynamic engagement through student participation. To simulate real world entrepreneurs, the students were required to start and run their own businesses with zero or minimal capital.

They were furnished with business contacts and tools needed to achieve their goals.

The learning outcome for each project was to make a profit from the exercise while putting the theories learnt in class to the test.

“Having good communication skills is a starting point towards good teamwork. Not planning properly inevitably resulted in making a lot of last minute decisions which ended up costing us much more than what we had initially budgeted.”- Student A

The students also joined the Young Entrepreneurs Fair where they designed

The following reflective journals, written by the students, illustrate their viewpoint and experienced gained from the project.

“While working as a group, I have developed initiatives by taking up roles that maximised my strengths. I initiated a plan to change

38 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

BERJAYA UCH School of Business offers the following programmes: Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Business Management (Hons), Diploma in Business Management, Foundation in Commerce, Bachelor of Retail Management (Hons) and Diploma in Retail Management. MN

Students operating a lasagna and cupcake stall at the Young Entrepreneurs Fair.

The Vice President of MACEOS Alun Jones inspecting one of the stalls.

Limelight І Berjaya UCH

Developing Ideas Into

Successful Businesses The Berjaya UCH immersion methodology focuses on interactive learning

our pricing strategy by coming out with more interesting promotional strategies.”- Student B “Social networking is important as we can tap our network to get the job done faster”.

– Student C “In a nutshell, the Young Entrepreneurs Fair has brought about a huge impact on us students. It gave us the experience to analyse problems that arose, learned about teamwork, marketing strategies, negotiation skills, creativity, communication skills, food handling hygiene and other principles that makes one an entrepreneur.”

- Student D So do you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and start your own business?

Come talk to us and find out!

Opening ceremony of the Young Entrepreneurs Fair, from left to right: Head of School of Hospitality Najmi Abdullah, Director of School of Culinary Arts Chef Jochen Kern, Dr Rod Allan D Lara, live mascot – Scarecrow, COO of BERJAYA UCH Mae Ho, Head of School of Tourism Kit Thong and local celebrity Keith Valentine Tan.

B

eing your own boss and starting your own business can be a daunting experience for some but is in fact an exciting and rewarding experience. At BERJAYA University College of Hospitality (BERJAYA UCH), the students of its Entrepreneurship Development programme were recently challenged to define, conceptualise and implement the idea of ‘entrepreneurship’. They were all tasked on applying theoretical knowledge into practice.

and launched successful new ventures based on specially tailored team projects giving participants hands-on, practical experiences in developing new ‘businesses’.

Known as the Berjaya Immersion Methodology, interactive learning of this kind fosters dynamic engagement through student participation. To simulate real world entrepreneurs, the students were required to start and run their own businesses with zero or minimal capital.

They were furnished with business contacts and tools needed to achieve their goals.

The learning outcome for each project was to make a profit from the exercise while putting the theories learnt in class to the test.

“Having good communication skills is a starting point towards good teamwork. Not planning properly inevitably resulted in making a lot of last minute decisions which ended up costing us much more than what we had initially budgeted.”- Student A

The students also joined the Young Entrepreneurs Fair where they designed

The following reflective journals, written by the students, illustrate their viewpoint and experienced gained from the project.

“While working as a group, I have developed initiatives by taking up roles that maximised my strengths. I initiated a plan to change

38 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

BERJAYA UCH School of Business offers the following programmes: Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Business Management (Hons), Diploma in Business Management, Foundation in Commerce, Bachelor of Retail Management (Hons) and Diploma in Retail Management. MN

Students operating a lasagna and cupcake stall at the Young Entrepreneurs Fair.

The Vice President of MACEOS Alun Jones inspecting one of the stalls.

Limelight І MyORTHO

When the shoe

fits

MyORTHO orthotics experts help you take the right STEP toward staying pain-free with orthotic shoes and insoles. of heel pain as well as children’s heel and knee pain to name a few.

Dr Edmund Lee, Director of Myortho Footcare

T

The solution?

Generally there are three types of feet - arched, high arched and flatfooted. A large percentage of Malaysian population is flat-footed, i.e. no arch is present whatsoever under the foot.

People with flat feet are exposed to greater level of risks with a higher chances of developing strained muscles, weakened muscles, pain spots and other pains as a result of its fallen arch.

However, based on these conditions, there is a good chance to treat children aged from 5 to 15 years old with flat foot problem as the arch can still be molded with the use of insoles. As for adults, functional orthotics insoles and healthy footwear with adequate arch support can support and provide relief for flat foot without which, they could experience pain in their feet, legs, knees and even to their lower back.

he health of your feet has dramatic impact on the health of your body. Many people don’t realise that instability of the foot can lead to painful skeletal alignment issues.

MyORTHO Premium Orthotic Insoles help to relieve the pain and discomfort caused by an unsupported foot during everyday activities , sports and work.

However, for people with high arched feet or excessive pronation, it is most likely developed due to bone or nerve (neurological) condition.

In high arched feet, the arch will lower significantly during walking and running and the ankles will twist inwards. Unlike flat feet, more stress is placed on the metatarsals (section between the ankle and the toes) which can cause the feet to be painful.

Taking the right steps.

Everyone walks a little differently but most commonly; your heel will touch the ground first with each step. Then you roll over the ball of your foot and onto your toes.With each move, your heel swings from side to side; the big toe maintains balance while the little toes acts as a springboard. But if your heel swings too much, the foot may flatten more than it should and over time, these abnormal movements may cause foot problems. Orthotic products will limit or assist motion by altering the way the bones and muscles work when one is on the move.

Orthotics Insoles & Shoes. How do they work?

They are designed to correct faulty foot function reducing the amount of ankle role and arch flattening during the gait cycle. In turn this will reduce the amount of internal rotation of the ankles, legs and knees. Orthotics and orthotic shoes not only help alleviate problems in the feet but also in other parts of the body such as the knees and lower back.

What causes foot problems?

Foot problems are responsible for causing a wide range of health problems - bunions and hammer toes, outside knee and hip pain, children’s growing pain, corns and callous, ball of foot pain, shin pain, back

What different types of orthotics are available?

Generally, there are 2 types of orthotics: custom-made orthotics

40 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

insole and pre-made, off-the-shelf orthotics.

While the later two are readily available, custom-made orthotics insole can only be prescribed and dispensed by an Orthotist or related health practitioner. Custom made orthotics insoles are prescribed for patients with serious biomechanical disorders and/ or foot deformities.

Good footwear is important.

The next time you buy a pair of shoes; have your feet measured and always use the shoe side for your bigger foot as a guide. It is best to go shoe shopping in the afternoon as that is the time when your feet swells to the largest!

The soles of the shoes should be strong with flexibility and preferably with non-slippery surface grip. A pair of shoes fitted with comfortably cushioned insoles or prescribed orthotic insoles will help reduce the impact of walking on hard surfaces. Though it is fashionable, try to avoid pointy or high heel shoes as they may cramp the toes.

You are the only one who can tell if the shoe fits. Buy shoes only if they are comfortable.

If can’t find shoes that fit, you should seek MyORTHO for advice.

Dr Edmund Lee is renowned foot orthotic expert in Malaysia practicing at MyORTHO ORTHOTIC SPECIALIST CENTRE . MyORTHO Centre takes a holistic approach and assesses patients from “the feet up”. www.myortho.com.my. MN

Limelight І MyORTHO

When the shoe

fits

MyORTHO orthotics experts help you take the right STEP toward staying pain-free with orthotic shoes and insoles. of heel pain as well as children’s heel and knee pain to name a few.

Dr Edmund Lee, Director of Myortho Footcare

T

The solution?

Generally there are three types of feet - arched, high arched and flatfooted. A large percentage of Malaysian population is flat-footed, i.e. no arch is present whatsoever under the foot.

People with flat feet are exposed to greater level of risks with a higher chances of developing strained muscles, weakened muscles, pain spots and other pains as a result of its fallen arch.

However, based on these conditions, there is a good chance to treat children aged from 5 to 15 years old with flat foot problem as the arch can still be molded with the use of insoles. As for adults, functional orthotics insoles and healthy footwear with adequate arch support can support and provide relief for flat foot without which, they could experience pain in their feet, legs, knees and even to their lower back.

he health of your feet has dramatic impact on the health of your body. Many people don’t realise that instability of the foot can lead to painful skeletal alignment issues.

MyORTHO Premium Orthotic Insoles help to relieve the pain and discomfort caused by an unsupported foot during everyday activities , sports and work.

However, for people with high arched feet or excessive pronation, it is most likely developed due to bone or nerve (neurological) condition.

In high arched feet, the arch will lower significantly during walking and running and the ankles will twist inwards. Unlike flat feet, more stress is placed on the metatarsals (section between the ankle and the toes) which can cause the feet to be painful.

Taking the right steps.

Everyone walks a little differently but most commonly; your heel will touch the ground first with each step. Then you roll over the ball of your foot and onto your toes.With each move, your heel swings from side to side; the big toe maintains balance while the little toes acts as a springboard. But if your heel swings too much, the foot may flatten more than it should and over time, these abnormal movements may cause foot problems. Orthotic products will limit or assist motion by altering the way the bones and muscles work when one is on the move.

Orthotics Insoles & Shoes. How do they work?

They are designed to correct faulty foot function reducing the amount of ankle role and arch flattening during the gait cycle. In turn this will reduce the amount of internal rotation of the ankles, legs and knees. Orthotics and orthotic shoes not only help alleviate problems in the feet but also in other parts of the body such as the knees and lower back.

What causes foot problems?

Foot problems are responsible for causing a wide range of health problems - bunions and hammer toes, outside knee and hip pain, children’s growing pain, corns and callous, ball of foot pain, shin pain, back

What different types of orthotics are available?

Generally, there are 2 types of orthotics: custom-made orthotics

40 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

insole and pre-made, off-the-shelf orthotics.

While the later two are readily available, custom-made orthotics insole can only be prescribed and dispensed by an Orthotist or related health practitioner. Custom made orthotics insoles are prescribed for patients with serious biomechanical disorders and/ or foot deformities.

Good footwear is important.

The next time you buy a pair of shoes; have your feet measured and always use the shoe side for your bigger foot as a guide. It is best to go shoe shopping in the afternoon as that is the time when your feet swells to the largest!

The soles of the shoes should be strong with flexibility and preferably with non-slippery surface grip. A pair of shoes fitted with comfortably cushioned insoles or prescribed orthotic insoles will help reduce the impact of walking on hard surfaces. Though it is fashionable, try to avoid pointy or high heel shoes as they may cramp the toes.

You are the only one who can tell if the shoe fits. Buy shoes only if they are comfortable.

If can’t find shoes that fit, you should seek MyORTHO for advice.

Dr Edmund Lee is renowned foot orthotic expert in Malaysia practicing at MyORTHO ORTHOTIC SPECIALIST CENTRE . MyORTHO Centre takes a holistic approach and assesses patients from “the feet up”. www.myortho.com.my. MN

Limelight І Quill Automobiles

ABC Image Builders І

Pamper your BMW the right way Look out for the NEW Satellite Service Center in Section 13,PJ for your BMW service needs

I

n January 2009, Quill Automobiles was awarded the BMW dealership.

Today, Quill Automobiles is a stateof-the-art BMW 4S Centre occupying a total built-up space in excess of 50,000 square feet in the heart of Petaling Jaya’s prime business district, making Quill Automobiles the largest BMW dealership in Malaysia.

Quill Automobiles is the first BMW dealer to own and operate a Satellite Service Centre previously located in Puchong and will soon be relocated to Section 13, Petaling Jaya. The new 20,000 square feet service center is set to open for business by early 2014. The reason for this relocation was due to the rapid expansion and growth of the current After Sales – service center business, and also to meet and be able to fulfill more customers' demand and need.

The new service center is equiped with the latest BMW compliant equipment and handled by highly trained technicians.

It also houses a Spare Parts Department carrying none other than original BMW parts.

The new service center will offer customers a range of services that include the BMW Fast Lane, Body & Paint and Auto Spa. The BMW Fast Lane Service provides a quality range of services and repairs carried out with typical BMW expertise within the

New Members

Get your merchandising needs met with

ABC Image Builders Share your brand’s inception and growth.

We are a merchandising solutions provider and our strength lies in solution finding.

Our field of focus is retail environment.

We started in 1997 and over the last 16 years have developed into a strong 16 staff company, that includes a full fledged design studio, engineering/technical and factory facility. Factory facility is capital intensive and ideal for both prototyping & actual production purposes.

What is your current presence in Malaysia.

Our service presence is primarily in Malaysia.

However, our regional work presence includes Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines.

Artist impression. Design subject to change. shortest possible time using only original BMW parts. The service center also carries out these other following tasks: maintenance work, wear-and-tear repair and wheel and tires.

an extensive range of certified pre-owned BMW cars which was rigorously inspected and has undergone a thorough selection process that is in line with the BMW tradition for uncompromised quality and standards.

To enjoy the BMW Fast Lane service, customers are encouraged to call for an appointment in order to ensure a dedicated service technician is available to attend to their vehicle. While waiting for their vehicle, customers will be able to sit back and relax at the waiting lounge. As an added bonus, the new service center will also house BMW’s Best Premium Selection displaying

Quill Automobiles has always been committed to providing customers with an attentive, professional and knowledgeable service quality that is benchmarked against the very best practices.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

We are always looking into creating a strong presence in the retail industry. We evolve with the retail and consumer environment, always aiming to serve as an efficient bridge between the two. Early this year (2013), we expanded our creative capacity through seeding our new associate company Tech Builders PLT. Tech Builders PLT augments the creative capacity of ABC Image Builders Sdn Bhd to include the latest in technology through her role as the research and development body, multimedia content creation source and physical computing specialist. These, combined with

For more information or details about Quill Automobiles, please log on to www.quillautomobiles.com.my or call 03-79556333. MN

our long standing creative quality and capacity in design, prototyping and manufacturing, enables ABC Image Builders Sdn Bhd to now be a brand that offers unique tech-embedded custom-built retail solutions.

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

In the next 5 years, we see our brand as the creative trendsetter, one that revolutionises the retail industry, one that adapts to the always-changing retail-consumer environment. With the continuing rise in e-commerce industry, we see ourselves as the brand that will not only keep the retail industry ahead, but one that will complement the consumer experience through creating a symbiosis between e-commerce and the physical retail environment. And most importantly, we see ourselves as a brand that can stay true to our creed of serving as an efficient bridge between the retail and consumer environment; to constantly facilitate the communication between the two in the most positive, constructive and ethical manner. MN

Mr. Wong Kok Lim, Managing Director

44 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 45

Limelight І Quill Automobiles

ABC Image Builders І

Pamper your BMW the right way Look out for the NEW Satellite Service Center in Section 13,PJ for your BMW service needs

I

n January 2009, Quill Automobiles was awarded the BMW dealership.

Today, Quill Automobiles is a stateof-the-art BMW 4S Centre occupying a total built-up space in excess of 50,000 square feet in the heart of Petaling Jaya’s prime business district, making Quill Automobiles the largest BMW dealership in Malaysia.

Quill Automobiles is the first BMW dealer to own and operate a Satellite Service Centre previously located in Puchong and will soon be relocated to Section 13, Petaling Jaya. The new 20,000 square feet service center is set to open for business by early 2014. The reason for this relocation was due to the rapid expansion and growth of the current After Sales – service center business, and also to meet and be able to fulfill more customers' demand and need.

The new service center is equiped with the latest BMW compliant equipment and handled by highly trained technicians.

It also houses a Spare Parts Department carrying none other than original BMW parts.

The new service center will offer customers a range of services that include the BMW Fast Lane, Body & Paint and Auto Spa. The BMW Fast Lane Service provides a quality range of services and repairs carried out with typical BMW expertise within the

New Members

Get your merchandising needs met with

ABC Image Builders Share your brand’s inception and growth.

We are a merchandising solutions provider and our strength lies in solution finding.

Our field of focus is retail environment.

We started in 1997 and over the last 16 years have developed into a strong 16 staff company, that includes a full fledged design studio, engineering/technical and factory facility. Factory facility is capital intensive and ideal for both prototyping & actual production purposes.

What is your current presence in Malaysia.

Our service presence is primarily in Malaysia.

However, our regional work presence includes Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines.

Artist impression. Design subject to change. shortest possible time using only original BMW parts. The service center also carries out these other following tasks: maintenance work, wear-and-tear repair and wheel and tires.

an extensive range of certified pre-owned BMW cars which was rigorously inspected and has undergone a thorough selection process that is in line with the BMW tradition for uncompromised quality and standards.

To enjoy the BMW Fast Lane service, customers are encouraged to call for an appointment in order to ensure a dedicated service technician is available to attend to their vehicle. While waiting for their vehicle, customers will be able to sit back and relax at the waiting lounge. As an added bonus, the new service center will also house BMW’s Best Premium Selection displaying

Quill Automobiles has always been committed to providing customers with an attentive, professional and knowledgeable service quality that is benchmarked against the very best practices.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

We are always looking into creating a strong presence in the retail industry. We evolve with the retail and consumer environment, always aiming to serve as an efficient bridge between the two. Early this year (2013), we expanded our creative capacity through seeding our new associate company Tech Builders PLT. Tech Builders PLT augments the creative capacity of ABC Image Builders Sdn Bhd to include the latest in technology through her role as the research and development body, multimedia content creation source and physical computing specialist. These, combined with

For more information or details about Quill Automobiles, please log on to www.quillautomobiles.com.my or call 03-79556333. MN

our long standing creative quality and capacity in design, prototyping and manufacturing, enables ABC Image Builders Sdn Bhd to now be a brand that offers unique tech-embedded custom-built retail solutions.

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

In the next 5 years, we see our brand as the creative trendsetter, one that revolutionises the retail industry, one that adapts to the always-changing retail-consumer environment. With the continuing rise in e-commerce industry, we see ourselves as the brand that will not only keep the retail industry ahead, but one that will complement the consumer experience through creating a symbiosis between e-commerce and the physical retail environment. And most importantly, we see ourselves as a brand that can stay true to our creed of serving as an efficient bridge between the retail and consumer environment; to constantly facilitate the communication between the two in the most positive, constructive and ethical manner. MN

Mr. Wong Kok Lim, Managing Director

44 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 45

New Members І ALL IT Hypermarket

Beauty Majesty І

Gadgets Galore at

ALL IT Hypermarket Share Your Brand’s Inception and Growth A pioneer in introducing the hypermarket concept in the IT retailing industry in Malaysia, we are pleased to celebrate our 10th Year Anniversary this year. By gathering all the IT peripherals and gadgets under one roof, customers enjoy a wide range of products and numerous international brands at their convenience. Over the years, our aim remains the same, as suggested by our tagline “Fulfilling All Your IT Needs!”

What is Your Current Presence in Malaysia?

Our first outlet in Low Yat Plaza, has earned the recognition as ‘The Largest Computer Retail Outlet in Malaysia’ in the Malaysia Book of Records. Since then we have expanded steadily to 8 outlets in Klang Valley, including the recent one in Kajang.

The KL community is familiar with Low Yat whereas the PJ community will know our Hypermarkets at Digital Mall Sec 14 and IPC (Ikano). Not to be limited based on location, we also operate an online store at Rakuten to cater to our customers’ needs across Malaysia.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

Customer service is very important in the retail line. We strive to provide excellent

New Members

Feel beautiful with

by Beauty Majesty Share your brand’s inception and growth.

Officially launched in June 2012, MaskSlim, the first mask and slimming product concept store in Malaysia, has successfully introduced a new and trending beauty product to the market. In spite of Malaysia’s diversity in age groups and ethnicity, we offer a wide range of masks and slimming products from head to toe.

While the market begins to discover and appreciate our ideas and products, we are expanding our network enthusiastically to rapidly spread the good news of the breakthrough of a total beauty solution.

customer service at our outlets, from personal selling to providing technical services. With product training sessions from brands like Apple, Intel, HP, Microsoft etc, our staff are equipped with the latest product knowledge. As a member of our rewards program, customers will enjoy discounted technical charges, complimentary handling fees and extended product exchange period at all our outlets.

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

It is going to be exciting in the next few years as we plan to further increase the number of outlets, focusing on

e-commerce and social media, further strengthening our branding and market positioning by leveraging on our competitive advantages. With IT products and mobile solutions getting more common and becoming a necessity in current society, we see good opportunity for market expansion.

At the end of the day, we still want to satisfy our customers by providing them a wide variety of IT products at great prices! *Subscribe to our e-newsletter for latest updates on news and promotion by emailing your name and contact number to marketing@allit.com.my MN

With an ambitious expansion program, our stores are strategically located throughout the Klang Valley. Visit one of our stores nearest to you for a great beauty experience with MaskSlim: 1st Outlet : SS2, Petaling Jaya 2nd Outlet : Tropicana City Mall 3rd Outlet : Hartamas Shopping Centre 4th Outlet : Paradigm Mall 5th Outlet : Sunway Giza Mall 6th Outlet : Sunway Pyramid 7th Outlet : KL Festival City

8th Outlet : Gurney Paragon

Ms.Estee Leong, Managing Director What is your current presence in Malaysia?

Currently we have 8 outlets in the Klang Valley as well as in Penang. More outlets will be opening soon in other major cities like Johor Bahru and Ipoh. We plan on strengthening our retail network across the country.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

Besides having prints ads and advertorials in popular lifestyle magazines such as Cleo, InTrend and Jasmine, we have also collaborated with a number of bloggers to increase our brand awareness.

We have also participated in a few beauty exhibitions to allow beauty product lovers to learn more about our products and try them out at a special price.

From time to time we have attractive offers on our products for customers and other marketing initiatives on our social media sites like our FB Share & Win contest.

Yee PP, Managing Director of ALL IT Hypermarket

48 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

We are looking into expanding to other Asian countries and to eventually be the No.1 choice for masks and slimming products in the market. MN

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 49

New Members І ALL IT Hypermarket

Beauty Majesty І

Gadgets Galore at

ALL IT Hypermarket Share Your Brand’s Inception and Growth A pioneer in introducing the hypermarket concept in the IT retailing industry in Malaysia, we are pleased to celebrate our 10th Year Anniversary this year. By gathering all the IT peripherals and gadgets under one roof, customers enjoy a wide range of products and numerous international brands at their convenience. Over the years, our aim remains the same, as suggested by our tagline “Fulfilling All Your IT Needs!”

What is Your Current Presence in Malaysia?

Our first outlet in Low Yat Plaza, has earned the recognition as ‘The Largest Computer Retail Outlet in Malaysia’ in the Malaysia Book of Records. Since then we have expanded steadily to 8 outlets in Klang Valley, including the recent one in Kajang.

The KL community is familiar with Low Yat whereas the PJ community will know our Hypermarkets at Digital Mall Sec 14 and IPC (Ikano). Not to be limited based on location, we also operate an online store at Rakuten to cater to our customers’ needs across Malaysia.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

Customer service is very important in the retail line. We strive to provide excellent

New Members

Feel beautiful with

by Beauty Majesty Share your brand’s inception and growth.

Officially launched in June 2012, MaskSlim, the first mask and slimming product concept store in Malaysia, has successfully introduced a new and trending beauty product to the market. In spite of Malaysia’s diversity in age groups and ethnicity, we offer a wide range of masks and slimming products from head to toe.

While the market begins to discover and appreciate our ideas and products, we are expanding our network enthusiastically to rapidly spread the good news of the breakthrough of a total beauty solution.

customer service at our outlets, from personal selling to providing technical services. With product training sessions from brands like Apple, Intel, HP, Microsoft etc, our staff are equipped with the latest product knowledge. As a member of our rewards program, customers will enjoy discounted technical charges, complimentary handling fees and extended product exchange period at all our outlets.

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

It is going to be exciting in the next few years as we plan to further increase the number of outlets, focusing on

e-commerce and social media, further strengthening our branding and market positioning by leveraging on our competitive advantages. With IT products and mobile solutions getting more common and becoming a necessity in current society, we see good opportunity for market expansion.

At the end of the day, we still want to satisfy our customers by providing them a wide variety of IT products at great prices! *Subscribe to our e-newsletter for latest updates on news and promotion by emailing your name and contact number to marketing@allit.com.my MN

With an ambitious expansion program, our stores are strategically located throughout the Klang Valley. Visit one of our stores nearest to you for a great beauty experience with MaskSlim: 1st Outlet : SS2, Petaling Jaya 2nd Outlet : Tropicana City Mall 3rd Outlet : Hartamas Shopping Centre 4th Outlet : Paradigm Mall 5th Outlet : Sunway Giza Mall 6th Outlet : Sunway Pyramid 7th Outlet : KL Festival City

8th Outlet : Gurney Paragon

Ms.Estee Leong, Managing Director What is your current presence in Malaysia?

Currently we have 8 outlets in the Klang Valley as well as in Penang. More outlets will be opening soon in other major cities like Johor Bahru and Ipoh. We plan on strengthening our retail network across the country.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

Besides having prints ads and advertorials in popular lifestyle magazines such as Cleo, InTrend and Jasmine, we have also collaborated with a number of bloggers to increase our brand awareness.

We have also participated in a few beauty exhibitions to allow beauty product lovers to learn more about our products and try them out at a special price.

From time to time we have attractive offers on our products for customers and other marketing initiatives on our social media sites like our FB Share & Win contest.

Yee PP, Managing Director of ALL IT Hypermarket

48 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

We are looking into expanding to other Asian countries and to eventually be the No.1 choice for masks and slimming products in the market. MN

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 49

New Members І

HCK Media І

Cité Media Holding Group

New Members

Cite Lifestyles : Toward English and online versions

C

ité Media Holding Group is the largest Chinese publication in Taiwan as well as a major publication player in South East Asia. Each year, Cité Media publishes more than 40 periodicals amounting to a total of 20 Million copies that has helped them see a steady growth each year in Malaysia and in Singapore. These titles also include more than 15,000 books that are equivalent to 13 million copies of annual printing volume.

In Malaysia, Cité Media carries five International magazine titles that include: Queen Malaysia International Chinese Edition, Mina Malaysia International Chinese Edition, ViVi Malaysia International English Edition,

HCK Media

My Home Malaysia and Singapore Chinese Edition.

breaks new boundaries with FOCUS Malaysia

Cité Media also carries titles in the following categories: • Business & Finance • Information Technology • Lifestyles & Parenting • Style & Fashion • Leisure & Entertainment

In a bid to continue establishing a strong presence in Malaysia, Cité Media has opened their flagship Cite Reading Garden in Seri Petaling Kuala Lumpur while perfecting their customer service by moving into online book shops and reading at the book fairs. MN

Cite Malaysia Corporate Office Add: No 41, Jalan Radin Anum, Bandar Baru Seri Petaling 57000 Kuala Lumpur.

Web: www.cite.com.my Tel: 603-90578822 Fax:603-90576622 facebook.com/queenmag.my, facebook.com/minamag.my, facebook.com/ViViMalaysia, facebook.com/MyHomeMsia

50 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Since our inception on 9 December 2011, HCK Media has successfully achieved the aim to be focused, insightful and impactful, producing stories that are independent, investigative and indepth. One of the key business activities of HCK Media is a business weekly, Focus Malaysia, which has garnered strong presence throughout West and East Malaysia. Distribution has crossed borders, reaching even subscribers from the US and Australia.

Unwavering in delivering pertinent and interesting news with a different angle and unbiased analysis to readers, HCK Media aims to analyse and summarise all key issues covered for much better informed reading. Thanks to readers and clients, the result is encouraging response and steady growth of our publications, in both print and digital.

Mr KK Chong Senior Vice President, Media and Technology

Moving forward, HCK Media is striving for a more progressive future, and to be the leading print and digital newspaper. MN

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 51

New Members І

HCK Media І

Cité Media Holding Group

New Members

Cite Lifestyles : Toward English and online versions

C

ité Media Holding Group is the largest Chinese publication in Taiwan as well as a major publication player in South East Asia. Each year, Cité Media publishes more than 40 periodicals amounting to a total of 20 Million copies that has helped them see a steady growth each year in Malaysia and in Singapore. These titles also include more than 15,000 books that are equivalent to 13 million copies of annual printing volume.

In Malaysia, Cité Media carries five International magazine titles that include: Queen Malaysia International Chinese Edition, Mina Malaysia International Chinese Edition, ViVi Malaysia International English Edition,

HCK Media

My Home Malaysia and Singapore Chinese Edition.

breaks new boundaries with FOCUS Malaysia

Cité Media also carries titles in the following categories: • Business & Finance • Information Technology • Lifestyles & Parenting • Style & Fashion • Leisure & Entertainment

In a bid to continue establishing a strong presence in Malaysia, Cité Media has opened their flagship Cite Reading Garden in Seri Petaling Kuala Lumpur while perfecting their customer service by moving into online book shops and reading at the book fairs. MN

Cite Malaysia Corporate Office Add: No 41, Jalan Radin Anum, Bandar Baru Seri Petaling 57000 Kuala Lumpur.

Web: www.cite.com.my Tel: 603-90578822 Fax:603-90576622 facebook.com/queenmag.my, facebook.com/minamag.my, facebook.com/ViViMalaysia, facebook.com/MyHomeMsia

50 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Since our inception on 9 December 2011, HCK Media has successfully achieved the aim to be focused, insightful and impactful, producing stories that are independent, investigative and indepth. One of the key business activities of HCK Media is a business weekly, Focus Malaysia, which has garnered strong presence throughout West and East Malaysia. Distribution has crossed borders, reaching even subscribers from the US and Australia.

Unwavering in delivering pertinent and interesting news with a different angle and unbiased analysis to readers, HCK Media aims to analyse and summarise all key issues covered for much better informed reading. Thanks to readers and clients, the result is encouraging response and steady growth of our publications, in both print and digital.

Mr KK Chong Senior Vice President, Media and Technology

Moving forward, HCK Media is striving for a more progressive future, and to be the leading print and digital newspaper. MN

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 51

New Members І Red Triangle

Whealer Solutions І

New Members

Whealer Solutions

offer training and development programmes for your employees

Jason Teh, CEO of Red Triangle Sdn. Bhd.

Red Triangle

helps you pull your SOCKS up with fashionable designs Share your brand’s inception and growth.

Red Triangle Sdn. Bhd. was incorporated 10 October 2002 with the aim to provide quality fashionable footwear and accessories for everyone from all walks of life under the name SAWKS AVENUE. SAWKS is not only a retail brand that is designed with a unified theme but with quality, staying true to our slogan - Great Socks make Great Walks.

What is your current presence in Malaysia?

Over these 11 years, SAWKS has expanded from a single outlet in Penang to more than 18 outlets around peninsular Malaysia servicing consumers with a wide range of hosiery for babies and adults. Our brand credits its growth to anticipating what our consumers want then meeting those needs with comfort, fit and value, while maintaining the right touch with fashionable trends. As the company grows, SAWKS strives to excel achieving the 7Fs all while maintaining reasonable prices.

These 7Fs are: • Fashionable • Fantastic look • Form (cutting) • Fit • Fabrics • Functions • Feel (Comfort)

52 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Staying true to quality is a company-wide commitment and the key to customer satisfaction. In order to achieve the commitment with 7Fs, we take into account customer reviews done every quarter. These reviews help to educate and train our staff on the demands of our consumers and to enhance their sensitivity to market trends. Based on the latest market research, we have recently taken to social media to successfully market our brand.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

Our brand is fundamentally based on service and quality. We believe great brands come from great people, that is why our employees are very important to us. Our new employees with six week orientation which includes six training modules that include start retail operation, product knowledge, point of sales system, customer service, supply chain management

& sales operation. Our orientation programme is run by our senior employees & professional trainers with our ‘on job coaching programme assesment’.

In June 2013, we launched our retail KPI programme assesment to keep our employees on track.

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

We plan to sustain our brand not only in Malaysia but also abroad. We will continue to have strong expansion regionally as a leading fashionable footwear and accessory brand. In the near future, we plan to expand our brand to Indonesia & Singapore through our franchise program to fulfill our vision of 100 stores in 60 months by 2018. MN

Share your brand’s inception and growth.

With an aim to make the world a better place, Whealer Solutions was founded in 2009

by Chia Jee Chew, Winnie Law and Lok Chong Hong. Since the inception of Whealer Solutions, we have expanded by providing unique & customised human resource development solutions to a wide spectrum of businesses, i.e. Finance & Insurance, Food & Beverage, Retail, Sales Agency, Manufacturing, FMCG, Property Developer, Education, Legal Services, Accounting Services, Oil & Gas, Media Agency and Dealership.

What is your current presence in Malaysia?

Being a HRDF (Human Resource Development Fund) certified training consulting firm that provides Human Resource Development (HRD) solutions, Whealer Solutions specialises in attitude building and soft-skills development, more specifically in leadership/management, communication, sales and customer service.

While our office and training centre is located in the Klang Valley, we have conducted many of our training programmes/workshops throughout Malaysia as well as outside of Malaysia.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

We are committed to help organisations breakthrough to achieve greater results.

Over the years, we have delivered a wide range of effective learning and development solutions to our clients, which include: • ANT (Amazing Natural Team) Series - Team Enhancement Solutions: ANT Colony Building, ANT Vision Workshop and ANT Communication Workshop.

• ACE (Awesome Customer Experience) Series - Customer Service Enhancement Solutions: ACE Service, ACE Management, ACE Teamwork and ACE Attitude.

• Sales Related - Sales Performance Enhancement Solutions: Sales Lab, Telephoning Skills, Rapport Building, Influencing Power and Questioning & Listening Skills.

• ART (Acquirable Relations Technique) Series - People Skills Enhancement Solutions: Presentation Skills, Training Skills and Group Selling Skills.

Chia Jee Chew, Co-Founder and CEO of Whealer Solutions • PRO (People & Result Oriented) Leadership Series - Leadership Enhancement Solutions: Strategic Planning, Management Brainstorming and Executive Coaching.

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

In the near future, we hope to establish ourselves in the service and hospitality industries as a credible provider of customer service training. This will lay the path for us to become the standard-setting consultants in the area of customer service in Malaysia.

In the next 5 years, we are eager to form value-adding partnerships with the retail, hospitality and F&B industries to enhance the levels of customer service.

To find out more about our training solutions, check us out at www.whealer. com or contact us at 603-78630263 / enquiry@whealer.com. All MRCA members can reach Jee Chew at jeechew@ whealer.com to explore how training and people development can improve your business. MN

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 53

New Members І Red Triangle

Whealer Solutions І

New Members

Whealer Solutions

offer training and development programmes for your employees

Jason Teh, CEO of Red Triangle Sdn. Bhd.

Red Triangle

helps you pull your SOCKS up with fashionable designs Share your brand’s inception and growth.

Red Triangle Sdn. Bhd. was incorporated 10 October 2002 with the aim to provide quality fashionable footwear and accessories for everyone from all walks of life under the name SAWKS AVENUE. SAWKS is not only a retail brand that is designed with a unified theme but with quality, staying true to our slogan - Great Socks make Great Walks.

What is your current presence in Malaysia?

Over these 11 years, SAWKS has expanded from a single outlet in Penang to more than 18 outlets around peninsular Malaysia servicing consumers with a wide range of hosiery for babies and adults. Our brand credits its growth to anticipating what our consumers want then meeting those needs with comfort, fit and value, while maintaining the right touch with fashionable trends. As the company grows, SAWKS strives to excel achieving the 7Fs all while maintaining reasonable prices.

These 7Fs are: • Fashionable • Fantastic look • Form (cutting) • Fit • Fabrics • Functions • Feel (Comfort)

52 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Staying true to quality is a company-wide commitment and the key to customer satisfaction. In order to achieve the commitment with 7Fs, we take into account customer reviews done every quarter. These reviews help to educate and train our staff on the demands of our consumers and to enhance their sensitivity to market trends. Based on the latest market research, we have recently taken to social media to successfully market our brand.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

Our brand is fundamentally based on service and quality. We believe great brands come from great people, that is why our employees are very important to us. Our new employees with six week orientation which includes six training modules that include start retail operation, product knowledge, point of sales system, customer service, supply chain management

& sales operation. Our orientation programme is run by our senior employees & professional trainers with our ‘on job coaching programme assesment’.

In June 2013, we launched our retail KPI programme assesment to keep our employees on track.

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

We plan to sustain our brand not only in Malaysia but also abroad. We will continue to have strong expansion regionally as a leading fashionable footwear and accessory brand. In the near future, we plan to expand our brand to Indonesia & Singapore through our franchise program to fulfill our vision of 100 stores in 60 months by 2018. MN

Share your brand’s inception and growth.

With an aim to make the world a better place, Whealer Solutions was founded in 2009

by Chia Jee Chew, Winnie Law and Lok Chong Hong. Since the inception of Whealer Solutions, we have expanded by providing unique & customised human resource development solutions to a wide spectrum of businesses, i.e. Finance & Insurance, Food & Beverage, Retail, Sales Agency, Manufacturing, FMCG, Property Developer, Education, Legal Services, Accounting Services, Oil & Gas, Media Agency and Dealership.

What is your current presence in Malaysia?

Being a HRDF (Human Resource Development Fund) certified training consulting firm that provides Human Resource Development (HRD) solutions, Whealer Solutions specialises in attitude building and soft-skills development, more specifically in leadership/management, communication, sales and customer service.

While our office and training centre is located in the Klang Valley, we have conducted many of our training programmes/workshops throughout Malaysia as well as outside of Malaysia.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

We are committed to help organisations breakthrough to achieve greater results.

Over the years, we have delivered a wide range of effective learning and development solutions to our clients, which include: • ANT (Amazing Natural Team) Series - Team Enhancement Solutions: ANT Colony Building, ANT Vision Workshop and ANT Communication Workshop.

• ACE (Awesome Customer Experience) Series - Customer Service Enhancement Solutions: ACE Service, ACE Management, ACE Teamwork and ACE Attitude.

• Sales Related - Sales Performance Enhancement Solutions: Sales Lab, Telephoning Skills, Rapport Building, Influencing Power and Questioning & Listening Skills.

• ART (Acquirable Relations Technique) Series - People Skills Enhancement Solutions: Presentation Skills, Training Skills and Group Selling Skills.

Chia Jee Chew, Co-Founder and CEO of Whealer Solutions • PRO (People & Result Oriented) Leadership Series - Leadership Enhancement Solutions: Strategic Planning, Management Brainstorming and Executive Coaching.

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

In the near future, we hope to establish ourselves in the service and hospitality industries as a credible provider of customer service training. This will lay the path for us to become the standard-setting consultants in the area of customer service in Malaysia.

In the next 5 years, we are eager to form value-adding partnerships with the retail, hospitality and F&B industries to enhance the levels of customer service.

To find out more about our training solutions, check us out at www.whealer. com or contact us at 603-78630263 / enquiry@whealer.com. All MRCA members can reach Jee Chew at jeechew@ whealer.com to explore how training and people development can improve your business. MN

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 53

New Members І YS Master Sdn Bhd

Taang ShiFu

offers a healthy dining alternative

Share your brand’s inception and growth.

YS Master Sdn Bhd was founded in 1991 as a traditional Chinese medicine store in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Johor Bahru by Dato’ Sri Leow Fong Kam. Starting out with traditional Chinese medicine retailing, as well as designing and packaging hampers we successfully captured the needs of customers.

Despite having no experience in the industry, Taang ShiFu was born in August 2008, using our strong medical background as a foundation to serve herb-based delicacies.

Today, Taang ShiFu has 17 wholly owned restaurant outlets throughout Malaysia and has been awarded with several national and international awards, including Top Product Award 2011, Super Health Brand 2011, Golden Bull Awards 2011 and 2012, SME Brand Excellence Award 2012, Entrepreneur Asia Hearts Award 2012 (Singapore), Oversea Model Entrepreneur Award (Taiwan; presented by President Ma Ying-Jeou of Republic of China).

What is your current presence in Malaysia?

Initially serving only 6 types of soup and finally settling with a full menu of nourishing delicacies the following year, today, Taang ShiFu has expanded throughout Malaysia, in Johor Bahru, Melaka, Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh.

Specialising in traditional Chinese herbal and medicine, we provide comprehensive nourishing food and beverages serving customers young and old. We have built a reputation as a nourishing concept restaurant, providing healthy food and beverage at competitive prices with the finest quality and a spectacular dining environment.

54 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

We have positioned ourselves as a ‘nourishing’ ambassador in the market, serving genuinely nourishing delicacies with a combination of tasty food and with the goodness of traditional Chinese herbs.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

Our brand is supported by constant in-house training, emphasising the importance of brand value through constantly improving our service and food quality. We are using a service-based, customer satisfaction-orientated reward system to assure that our employees are determined in giving their best to patrons.

As our core value states, we strive for service excellence as our top priority, under absolute integrity, maximising the benefits of all our stakeholders. Our employees are also given training on technical knowledge and skills in Chinese traditional herbs in order to equip our service crew with the correct knowledge in order to better serve our patrons. Our strategic competitive advantage is being able to provide the most suitable dish to the right person, introducing and educating our patrons on the goodness of consuming the right application of traditional herbs.

We are committed to providing the best nourishing food and beverage for customer satisfaction.

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

Following the increase in general health awareness today, we believe that our brand, will have a very positive future, especially in the next 5 years. Herb-based

Dato’ Sri Leow Fong Kam, Group Chairman, and Datin Sri Teh Kim Hong, Founder delicacies such as Ginseng herbal soup, that is traditionally prepared by the older generation, is available at our restaurant.

Reunion gatherings become more meaningful with an additional taste of healthiness and a sense of love. As part of our mission statement, we strive to serve society responsibly through the promotion of a healthy dining culture. We strongly believe that healthy dining will be the future mainstream dining trend. We have absolute confidence in the direction that our brand is moving toward. MN

New Members І YS Master Sdn Bhd

Taang ShiFu

offers a healthy dining alternative

Share your brand’s inception and growth.

YS Master Sdn Bhd was founded in 1991 as a traditional Chinese medicine store in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Johor Bahru by Dato’ Sri Leow Fong Kam. Starting out with traditional Chinese medicine retailing, as well as designing and packaging hampers we successfully captured the needs of customers.

Despite having no experience in the industry, Taang ShiFu was born in August 2008, using our strong medical background as a foundation to serve herb-based delicacies.

Today, Taang ShiFu has 17 wholly owned restaurant outlets throughout Malaysia and has been awarded with several national and international awards, including Top Product Award 2011, Super Health Brand 2011, Golden Bull Awards 2011 and 2012, SME Brand Excellence Award 2012, Entrepreneur Asia Hearts Award 2012 (Singapore), Oversea Model Entrepreneur Award (Taiwan; presented by President Ma Ying-Jeou of Republic of China).

What is your current presence in Malaysia?

Initially serving only 6 types of soup and finally settling with a full menu of nourishing delicacies the following year, today, Taang ShiFu has expanded throughout Malaysia, in Johor Bahru, Melaka, Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh.

Specialising in traditional Chinese herbal and medicine, we provide comprehensive nourishing food and beverages serving customers young and old. We have built a reputation as a nourishing concept restaurant, providing healthy food and beverage at competitive prices with the finest quality and a spectacular dining environment.

54 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

We have positioned ourselves as a ‘nourishing’ ambassador in the market, serving genuinely nourishing delicacies with a combination of tasty food and with the goodness of traditional Chinese herbs.

What kind of training and support do you offer your brand?

Our brand is supported by constant in-house training, emphasising the importance of brand value through constantly improving our service and food quality. We are using a service-based, customer satisfaction-orientated reward system to assure that our employees are determined in giving their best to patrons.

As our core value states, we strive for service excellence as our top priority, under absolute integrity, maximising the benefits of all our stakeholders. Our employees are also given training on technical knowledge and skills in Chinese traditional herbs in order to equip our service crew with the correct knowledge in order to better serve our patrons. Our strategic competitive advantage is being able to provide the most suitable dish to the right person, introducing and educating our patrons on the goodness of consuming the right application of traditional herbs.

We are committed to providing the best nourishing food and beverage for customer satisfaction.

Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

Following the increase in general health awareness today, we believe that our brand, will have a very positive future, especially in the next 5 years. Herb-based

Dato’ Sri Leow Fong Kam, Group Chairman, and Datin Sri Teh Kim Hong, Founder delicacies such as Ginseng herbal soup, that is traditionally prepared by the older generation, is available at our restaurant.

Reunion gatherings become more meaningful with an additional taste of healthiness and a sense of love. As part of our mission statement, we strive to serve society responsibly through the promotion of a healthy dining culture. We strongly believe that healthy dining will be the future mainstream dining trend. We have absolute confidence in the direction that our brand is moving toward. MN

For The Record І June/July

June Meeting

hosted by

August/September І

Berjaya University College of Hospitality mall in Taiping and Datin Su Wai Fun from Vision Four Media Group spoke about the upcoming Taste MIGF 2013. On behalf of the host, Mr Ashari Abu Hasan, consultant for the Retail Programme, School Of Business, Berjaya University College of Hospitality presented programmes available at BerjayaUCH for students interested in retail education.

The meeting ended with a delicious meal prepared by the talented students of the school of culinary arts. MN

August Meeting

with

For The Record

Maxis Berhad

H

eld at Menara Maxis on the 22 August, Dato’ Nelson was pleased to welcome members to the August meeting. Having just returned from the business trip to Mozambique, Dato’ Nelson had prepared a slide show of photographs that he shared with everyone present. He was happy to note that the trip was a success and it was filled with networking opportunities and some sight seeing as well.

In his welcome speech Dato’ Nelson continued to stress on the importance of the MRCA Academy and how members should take the opportunity available to send their employees for various training for self-improvement.

H

eld on the 20 June 2013, Deputy President Dato’ Liaw chaired the meeting and welcomed members on behalf of Dato’ Nelson. In his welcome address, Dato’ Liaw expressed his excitement on the upcoming CEO Night and informed members that the event has seen an incredible response and the tickets have been sold out. He also announced the upcoming business trip to Mozambique led by Dato’ Nelson and encouraged members to participate to secure business contacts and explore opportunities that might be available to them.

Ms Lam Lai Meng from Seg International Berhad began the business presentations with a presentation titled ‘Employment Of Persons With Disabilities.’ Next up was Mr Hazeeq Hamzah from SECOM who spoke about enhancing security systems. Last but not least, Maxis shared their latest and most exciting mobile application – Findit333 that will boost sales and bring customers right to your doorstep!

There were three business presentations that evening from Mr William Tang, The Store Corporation Berhad where he introduced their new

Dinner was served after the meeting where guests were able to network while enjoying their delicious meal. MN

July Meeting

brought to you by

T

Ruyi Holdings Sdn Bhd

September Meeting

hosted by

Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PNS)

he July monthly meeting was held at Wisma Ruyi on the 30 July 2013. Dato’ Nelson welcomed members and apologised for not attending the monthly meeting in June due to work commitments. He reminded members about the upcoming charity visit to Gugusan Dedap on the 31 July for Hari Raya and encouraged members to attend and donate halal goods. Dato’ Nelson

The meeting continued with the latest addition to the itinerary ‘Retail Tips Of The Month’ a ten- minute run down on the latest retail tips by Dr Shaheen Mansori. Business presentations for the afternoon were from Mr Edmund T. Zehoo from Blynk Mobile, Mr Lee Chee Leong from MYY Mall and Director of PNS, Tuan Syed Kamarulzaman went up to say a few words to all MRCA members present.

The meeting ended with a delicious meal and a chance for members to network as well as meet and mingle with the PNS team. MN

also took this opportunity to congratulate the host Dato’ Sharon Foong on her new title that received a tremendous applause from the members present.

Business presentations for the evening included presentations from Mr Kok Jit Soon, Nang Yang Siang Pau, Dr Edmund Lee from MyORTHO and from the host, Ruyi Holdings, presented by Mr Michael Wey. Members also had a chance to get free foot analysis from MyORTHO and a free blood analysis from Ruyi. A scrumptious dinner was served after the meeting. MN

56 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

P

erbadanan Nasional Berhad (PNS) hosted MRCA’s September monthly meeting at their premises. Dato’ Nelson began with his welcome speech and thanked PNS for welcoming the association and its members to such a lovely venue. He also informed members that MRCA would be collaborating with PNS on their programme to offer loans to potential franchisees. MRCA will play a role in evaluating the franchisees and their eligibility for the loans.

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 57

For The Record І June/July

June Meeting

hosted by

August/September І

Berjaya University College of Hospitality mall in Taiping and Datin Su Wai Fun from Vision Four Media Group spoke about the upcoming Taste MIGF 2013. On behalf of the host, Mr Ashari Abu Hasan, consultant for the Retail Programme, School Of Business, Berjaya University College of Hospitality presented programmes available at BerjayaUCH for students interested in retail education.

The meeting ended with a delicious meal prepared by the talented students of the school of culinary arts. MN

August Meeting

with

For The Record

Maxis Berhad

H

eld at Menara Maxis on the 22 August, Dato’ Nelson was pleased to welcome members to the August meeting. Having just returned from the business trip to Mozambique, Dato’ Nelson had prepared a slide show of photographs that he shared with everyone present. He was happy to note that the trip was a success and it was filled with networking opportunities and some sight seeing as well.

In his welcome speech Dato’ Nelson continued to stress on the importance of the MRCA Academy and how members should take the opportunity available to send their employees for various training for self-improvement.

H

eld on the 20 June 2013, Deputy President Dato’ Liaw chaired the meeting and welcomed members on behalf of Dato’ Nelson. In his welcome address, Dato’ Liaw expressed his excitement on the upcoming CEO Night and informed members that the event has seen an incredible response and the tickets have been sold out. He also announced the upcoming business trip to Mozambique led by Dato’ Nelson and encouraged members to participate to secure business contacts and explore opportunities that might be available to them.

Ms Lam Lai Meng from Seg International Berhad began the business presentations with a presentation titled ‘Employment Of Persons With Disabilities.’ Next up was Mr Hazeeq Hamzah from SECOM who spoke about enhancing security systems. Last but not least, Maxis shared their latest and most exciting mobile application – Findit333 that will boost sales and bring customers right to your doorstep!

There were three business presentations that evening from Mr William Tang, The Store Corporation Berhad where he introduced their new

Dinner was served after the meeting where guests were able to network while enjoying their delicious meal. MN

July Meeting

brought to you by

T

Ruyi Holdings Sdn Bhd

September Meeting

hosted by

Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PNS)

he July monthly meeting was held at Wisma Ruyi on the 30 July 2013. Dato’ Nelson welcomed members and apologised for not attending the monthly meeting in June due to work commitments. He reminded members about the upcoming charity visit to Gugusan Dedap on the 31 July for Hari Raya and encouraged members to attend and donate halal goods. Dato’ Nelson

The meeting continued with the latest addition to the itinerary ‘Retail Tips Of The Month’ a ten- minute run down on the latest retail tips by Dr Shaheen Mansori. Business presentations for the afternoon were from Mr Edmund T. Zehoo from Blynk Mobile, Mr Lee Chee Leong from MYY Mall and Director of PNS, Tuan Syed Kamarulzaman went up to say a few words to all MRCA members present.

The meeting ended with a delicious meal and a chance for members to network as well as meet and mingle with the PNS team. MN

also took this opportunity to congratulate the host Dato’ Sharon Foong on her new title that received a tremendous applause from the members present.

Business presentations for the evening included presentations from Mr Kok Jit Soon, Nang Yang Siang Pau, Dr Edmund Lee from MyORTHO and from the host, Ruyi Holdings, presented by Mr Michael Wey. Members also had a chance to get free foot analysis from MyORTHO and a free blood analysis from Ruyi. A scrumptious dinner was served after the meeting. MN

56 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

P

erbadanan Nasional Berhad (PNS) hosted MRCA’s September monthly meeting at their premises. Dato’ Nelson began with his welcome speech and thanked PNS for welcoming the association and its members to such a lovely venue. He also informed members that MRCA would be collaborating with PNS on their programme to offer loans to potential franchisees. MRCA will play a role in evaluating the franchisees and their eligibility for the loans.

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 57

Gallery І MRCA CEO Night 2013

MRCA CEO Night 2013 І

Gallery

5

4 4. From Left: Mr. Loh Yuen Tuck, Mr Ricky Thye, Mr. Lee Hwa Cheng, Mr. Kenneth Lee, Dato’ Tay Sim Kim, Datin Eva Ho, Ms. Valerie Choo, Ms. Shirley Tay, Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang & Dato’ Garry Chua.

5. From Left: Datin Nancy Liew, Dato’ Lawrence Liew, Mr. Henry Yip & Mr. Lai Sia Ling.

6. From Left: Ms. Valerie Choo, Mr. Tan Kai Hee , Dato’ Nelson Kwok.

7. From Left: Mr. Brian Tham, Mr. Kelwin Lim , Datin Cynthia Cheong, Dato’ Vincent Choo, Mr. Roys Tan, Mr. Lim See Tat & Mr. Loh Yuen Tuck.

8. Dato' Nelson Kwok, Dato' Voon Tin Yew, Tan Sri Dato' Sri Liew Kee Sin and Mr Henry Yip.

6

1

Glitz and Glamour at the

MRCA CEO Night 2013: leaders get together for an exclusive night out 3

1. Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Liew Kee Sin. 2. From Left: Dato’ Nelson Kwok, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Liew Kee Sin & Mr. Henry Yip. 3. Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Liew Kee Sin, Dato’ Nelson Kwok & Mr. Andy Goh.

58 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

2

7

H

eld at the Setia City Convention Centre in Setia Alam, Shah Alam on the 27 June 2013, this prestigious event was graced by over 900 guests.

A popular yearly event, the keynote speaker this year was Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Liew Kee Sin, President & CEO of SP Setia Bhd. Tan Sri Liew spoke about ‘Reaching The Top and Staying There – SP Setia’s Strategies Towards This.’ A charismatic speaker, the crowd were all ears as he brought them through SP Setia’s beginnings and the struggles they faced as an up and coming developer. He also spoke about perseverance and the need to be able to rise above the ashes in times of adversity. Fueled by a strong team that had a strong presence on the floor that night, he attributes his success to his reliable team from SP Setia and stressed that a crucial ingredient to a successful business is a productive team. He shared with his fellow entrepreneurs the importance of incorporating charity work as part and parcel of any businesses’ corporate social responsibility and how doing things in kind will ultimately reflect the success of their business. He concluded the session with an interactive question and answer session with the audience. A delicious western meal was served and guests were entertained by various performances throughout the night. MN

8

9

9. From Left: Ms. Choi Wei Yee and Mr. Lawrence Ooi with guests at the predinner cocktails.

10. From Left: Dato’ Dr Jennifer Low, Ms. Valerie Cho, Dato’ Eddie Choon, Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang & Mr. Kenneth Lee. 11. Students from Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. 12. From Left: Mr. Seak Thean Pow, Mr. Henry Yip, Dato’ Garry Chua, Mr. Andy Goh & Mr. Roys Tan.

10 11

12 Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 59

Gallery І MRCA CEO Night 2013

MRCA CEO Night 2013 І

Gallery

5

4 4. From Left: Mr. Loh Yuen Tuck, Mr Ricky Thye, Mr. Lee Hwa Cheng, Mr. Kenneth Lee, Dato’ Tay Sim Kim, Datin Eva Ho, Ms. Valerie Choo, Ms. Shirley Tay, Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang & Dato’ Garry Chua.

5. From Left: Datin Nancy Liew, Dato’ Lawrence Liew, Mr. Henry Yip & Mr. Lai Sia Ling.

6. From Left: Ms. Valerie Choo, Mr. Tan Kai Hee , Dato’ Nelson Kwok.

7. From Left: Mr. Brian Tham, Mr. Kelwin Lim , Datin Cynthia Cheong, Dato’ Vincent Choo, Mr. Roys Tan, Mr. Lim See Tat & Mr. Loh Yuen Tuck.

8. Dato' Nelson Kwok, Dato' Voon Tin Yew, Tan Sri Dato' Sri Liew Kee Sin and Mr Henry Yip.

6

1

Glitz and Glamour at the

MRCA CEO Night 2013: leaders get together for an exclusive night out 3

1. Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Liew Kee Sin. 2. From Left: Dato’ Nelson Kwok, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Liew Kee Sin & Mr. Henry Yip. 3. Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Liew Kee Sin, Dato’ Nelson Kwok & Mr. Andy Goh.

58 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

2

7

H

eld at the Setia City Convention Centre in Setia Alam, Shah Alam on the 27 June 2013, this prestigious event was graced by over 900 guests.

A popular yearly event, the keynote speaker this year was Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Liew Kee Sin, President & CEO of SP Setia Bhd. Tan Sri Liew spoke about ‘Reaching The Top and Staying There – SP Setia’s Strategies Towards This.’ A charismatic speaker, the crowd were all ears as he brought them through SP Setia’s beginnings and the struggles they faced as an up and coming developer. He also spoke about perseverance and the need to be able to rise above the ashes in times of adversity. Fueled by a strong team that had a strong presence on the floor that night, he attributes his success to his reliable team from SP Setia and stressed that a crucial ingredient to a successful business is a productive team. He shared with his fellow entrepreneurs the importance of incorporating charity work as part and parcel of any businesses’ corporate social responsibility and how doing things in kind will ultimately reflect the success of their business. He concluded the session with an interactive question and answer session with the audience. A delicious western meal was served and guests were entertained by various performances throughout the night. MN

8

9

9. From Left: Ms. Choi Wei Yee and Mr. Lawrence Ooi with guests at the predinner cocktails.

10. From Left: Dato’ Dr Jennifer Low, Ms. Valerie Cho, Dato’ Eddie Choon, Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang & Mr. Kenneth Lee. 11. Students from Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. 12. From Left: Mr. Seak Thean Pow, Mr. Henry Yip, Dato’ Garry Chua, Mr. Andy Goh & Mr. Roys Tan.

10 11

12 Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 59

Launch Pad І Franchise Training Programme

Launch Pad

Everything You Need To Know About Franchise Smart Franchise Partner’s 7 SERIES SPECIAL ‘FRANCHISE TRAINING PROGRAM’ gives participants an insight into the world of franchise.

S

MART FRANCHISE PARTNER conducted a 7 series Franchise Training Program exclusively for MRCA’s members from the 10 July 2013 right up to the 18 September 2013. The training has was held at the MRCA secretariat at Jaya One, Petaling Jaya.

The ultimate objective of this training was to educate and share with participating MRCA members real franchise experiences and case studies in the franchise business. Through this sessions it is hoped that participants walked away well-informed and truly understanding the elements of a good franchise system before they actually decide to venture into franchising.

The 7 topics delivered to the members were: No.

Topic

Programme Summary

Introduction to Franchising

The overview of the franchise model and its true philosophy, the industry & franchise regulations in Malaysia.

2

Converting Your Business into a Franchise

The 7 puzzles of a good franchise business model with guidelines on how to convert a business into a franchise-abled model.

3

Franchise Registration with the Registrar of Franchise (Malaysia)

Understanding the registration requirements, procedures and processes required by the Registrar of Franchise (ROF) as well as the common issue faced by the ROF to process the franchise registration application by prospective franchisors.

4

Franchise Recruitment Processes

Review of franchise philosophy application right up to franchise recruitment processes.

Establishing the recommended procedures and step-by-step process in franchise recruitment.

5

Franchisors and Franchisees Relationships in the Right Business Model

Fundamental understanding on the relationships, roles & responsibility of both franchisee and franchisor.

6

The Development of Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.P’s) and Manuals

Snippets on how to develop a program in developing Standard Operating Procedures and other related manuals within an organization.

7

The Development of the Training Manuals

Snippets on how to develop a program and conduct training programs and its related manuals within an organization.

1

It is believed that franchising is the fastest and most systematic way in business expansion. It can be very rewarding if only it is done right! The right understanding of franchise philosophy is very important before any decision to venture into this business expansion methodology.

Mr Sahar Sahad, the Principal Franchise Advisor of SFP stresses, “Franchisors are not supposed to make money from Franchisees. Franchisors are supposed to make money through Franchisees. Franchisor has to ensure that the business model that they are offering is well tested and proven financially and operationally. Ideas are not!”

For more information on how Smart Franchise Partner can help you with your franchise idea and execution, please visit: www.smartfranchise.com.my, www.facebook.com/ smartfranchisepartner. Hotline: 019-2233 544. Franchising: Do it right!

60 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Take control of your stress and anxiety

By Peter Terence D’Cruz

M

ost of us drift through life paying little attention to these words, not realising that the impact it makes can alter the quality of our life negatively if left unchecked. Sometimes we manage it, live with it or explain it away as part of life’s normal ups and downs. But scientific evidence in the study of the psychobiology of the mind proves that most diseases start right here – in the mind. Implicit in this study also, is the fact that stress leads to the death of neurons in parts of the brain associated with learning, memory; consequently, depression and a host of other psychological issues.

When we encounter a stressful situation, the body goes into a primitive, automatic and inborn -Fight, Flight, or Freeze (FFF) response; for self perseveration from the perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival. The thoughts that causes the stress nowadays is commonly irrational, fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) or a re-cycling of old thoughts and experiences that had impacted us earlier.

Of course there are stresses that are caused by relationships, religion, economics, education, timelines, community, society, politics etc.; however, if our job, business, reputation or family is under threat, our

FFF response remains until that threat is diminished to acceptable levels.

Here lies the problem; roughly 60 to 90% of doctor visits are for conditions related to stress, Over 90% of diseases are caused or complicated by stress. That highly stressful job we have could be doing more than just wearing us down each day. At a high state of stress we tend to express it through anxiety, anger, substance abuse, irrational behavior and negative thinking patterns. When stress remains for long periods of time our immune

system is suppressed; thus increasing our chances of having a variety of serious medical conditions later on in life like skin disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, hormonal imbalances and cancer.

To make matters worse, lack of sleep and unhealthy lifestyles exacerbate stress, anxiety and anger which puts us in a vicious downward spiral.

The good news; however, is that it can all be controlled by your mind. MN

The writer is a Speaker and Clinical Hypnotherapist. He can be contacted at my1healthymind@gmail.com Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 61

Launch Pad І Franchise Training Programme

Launch Pad

Everything You Need To Know About Franchise Smart Franchise Partner’s 7 SERIES SPECIAL ‘FRANCHISE TRAINING PROGRAM’ gives participants an insight into the world of franchise.

S

MART FRANCHISE PARTNER conducted a 7 series Franchise Training Program exclusively for MRCA’s members from the 10 July 2013 right up to the 18 September 2013. The training has was held at the MRCA secretariat at Jaya One, Petaling Jaya.

The ultimate objective of this training was to educate and share with participating MRCA members real franchise experiences and case studies in the franchise business. Through this sessions it is hoped that participants walked away well-informed and truly understanding the elements of a good franchise system before they actually decide to venture into franchising.

The 7 topics delivered to the members were: No.

Topic

Programme Summary

Introduction to Franchising

The overview of the franchise model and its true philosophy, the industry & franchise regulations in Malaysia.

2

Converting Your Business into a Franchise

The 7 puzzles of a good franchise business model with guidelines on how to convert a business into a franchise-abled model.

3

Franchise Registration with the Registrar of Franchise (Malaysia)

Understanding the registration requirements, procedures and processes required by the Registrar of Franchise (ROF) as well as the common issue faced by the ROF to process the franchise registration application by prospective franchisors.

4

Franchise Recruitment Processes

Review of franchise philosophy application right up to franchise recruitment processes.

Establishing the recommended procedures and step-by-step process in franchise recruitment.

5

Franchisors and Franchisees Relationships in the Right Business Model

Fundamental understanding on the relationships, roles & responsibility of both franchisee and franchisor.

6

The Development of Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.P’s) and Manuals

Snippets on how to develop a program in developing Standard Operating Procedures and other related manuals within an organization.

7

The Development of the Training Manuals

Snippets on how to develop a program and conduct training programs and its related manuals within an organization.

1

It is believed that franchising is the fastest and most systematic way in business expansion. It can be very rewarding if only it is done right! The right understanding of franchise philosophy is very important before any decision to venture into this business expansion methodology.

Mr Sahar Sahad, the Principal Franchise Advisor of SFP stresses, “Franchisors are not supposed to make money from Franchisees. Franchisors are supposed to make money through Franchisees. Franchisor has to ensure that the business model that they are offering is well tested and proven financially and operationally. Ideas are not!”

For more information on how Smart Franchise Partner can help you with your franchise idea and execution, please visit: www.smartfranchise.com.my, www.facebook.com/ smartfranchisepartner. Hotline: 019-2233 544. Franchising: Do it right!

60 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Take control of your stress and anxiety

By Peter Terence D’Cruz

M

ost of us drift through life paying little attention to these words, not realising that the impact it makes can alter the quality of our life negatively if left unchecked. Sometimes we manage it, live with it or explain it away as part of life’s normal ups and downs. But scientific evidence in the study of the psychobiology of the mind proves that most diseases start right here – in the mind. Implicit in this study also, is the fact that stress leads to the death of neurons in parts of the brain associated with learning, memory; consequently, depression and a host of other psychological issues.

When we encounter a stressful situation, the body goes into a primitive, automatic and inborn -Fight, Flight, or Freeze (FFF) response; for self perseveration from the perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival. The thoughts that causes the stress nowadays is commonly irrational, fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) or a re-cycling of old thoughts and experiences that had impacted us earlier.

Of course there are stresses that are caused by relationships, religion, economics, education, timelines, community, society, politics etc.; however, if our job, business, reputation or family is under threat, our

FFF response remains until that threat is diminished to acceptable levels.

Here lies the problem; roughly 60 to 90% of doctor visits are for conditions related to stress, Over 90% of diseases are caused or complicated by stress. That highly stressful job we have could be doing more than just wearing us down each day. At a high state of stress we tend to express it through anxiety, anger, substance abuse, irrational behavior and negative thinking patterns. When stress remains for long periods of time our immune

system is suppressed; thus increasing our chances of having a variety of serious medical conditions later on in life like skin disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, hormonal imbalances and cancer.

To make matters worse, lack of sleep and unhealthy lifestyles exacerbate stress, anxiety and anger which puts us in a vicious downward spiral.

The good news; however, is that it can all be controlled by your mind. MN

The writer is a Speaker and Clinical Hypnotherapist. He can be contacted at my1healthymind@gmail.com Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 61

Launch Pad

PDL Management Corporation І

Launch Pad

English still the Global Business Language? Yes! Is

By Andal Nara

T

here is no doubt with China’s business might, Mandarin is a language we need to learn. But that it will replace English, is unlikely to happen in the near future.

In fact, in China, the importance of English is being stressed to such an extent that Business English certifications have become an important item in resumes for job applicants.

Now that we have established that English is here to stay, how does one attain the proficiency required for retail and other sectors of business?

Take the Malaysian context. In spite of eleven years of compulsory English lessons in school, a large segment of school leavers are struggling with the language, both spoken and written. So the burden has been shifted to the employers to quickly increase their workforce’s level of English.

One has to only look around shopping malls, LRT stations and restaurants to see that we have indeed become a global hub. Foreign clients and customers have become intrinsic to our business success.

This means our spoken English should be intelligible to an international crowd.

“Manglish” in its raw form will not be understood and our fluency must have a large dose of accuracy.

So, is there a short cut to learning to speak and write English? Yes! There are a myriad of courses available such as online, face to face, course books and on one. The list goes on. Companies need to look at the course materials and training methodologies before engaging a trainer.

The course content has to be customised and delivered with the company’s culture in mind. Writing skills are imperative.

Emails sent cannot have errors that will embarrass the writer and the company he or she represents. When one speaks on the phone, with no body language to assist in the comprehension of the message, the right intonation and the correct choice of words are extremely important.

Miscommunication can mean huge losses.

T

he rapidly changing work environment poses an urgent and important need to upgrade and enhance the attitudes, traits and competencies of the workforce in order to be more productive at work.

After the successful ten sessions of the ‘Power Of Direct Relationship Selling’ training programme,PDL Management Corporation conducted a 2-day course - ‘Be An Outstanding Professional At Work’ for 80 participating MRCA members.

On the first day of sessions, Dato’ Lawrence Chan covered topics on changing your mindsets for continuous improvement; strategies to improve your mental attitudes and traits to be an outstanding professional and contributor. In the afternoon session, participants learnt to discover their compelling purpose, passion, joy and pride in their work, applying people’s skills and communicating effectively.

On the second day of sessions, they gained essential knowledge and useful tips on how to tap their sources for extra energy and

the ways to manage their daily activities productively with proper tools of time management and self-discipline. Besides, the “Caring and Sharing” sessions, they did group discussions and team activities and games to facilitate active learning, enhance understanding and to retain the main ideas, concepts and skills learnt.

The course ended with a very inspiring commitment session whereby all the participants pledged to apply what they have learnt to be outstanding professionals in their work. MN ________________________________ ‘Be an Outstanding Professional At Work’ was conducted by Y.Bhg. Dato’ Lawrence Chan, founder and executive chairman of Personal Development Leadership (P.D.L.) Management Corporation (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

Chinese Innovative Economy Forum І

Launchpad

Innovate, Create and Succeed Chinese Innovative Economy Forum Incoming Revolution in the Service Economy

O

What should be acknowledged is that the proficiency in English needs to be taken seriously by job seekers and employers may want to make communication skills in English a priority. Then the standard of English will improve by leaps and bounds in a short span of time.

n the 24 August 2013, MRCA were privileged to organise the Chinese Innovative Economy Forum held at the Federal Hotel.

The inspiring list of speakers included 洪明 洲教授 Prof. Hong Min-Chow, 盧明光 Lu Ming-Kuang, 陳鴻儀 Chen Hung-Yi, 林金 興 Lim Kim Heng, 戴勝益 Steve Day, 蘇木 卿 Su Mu-Ching, 王村煌 Wang. The speakers shared innovative ideas based on their own proven business models.

The writer is the Course Director at Comprehensive English Centre Sdn Bhd. You can contact her at andalnara@yahoo.com

iStone- Innovation At Its Best! i-Stone, manufacturer of semi-precious stone jewellery based in Taiwan have managed to infuse culture and creativity creating a whole

But let’s face it. Learning English is no rocket science! Everyone can master this language.

62 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Be an Outstanding Professional at Work

new industry by offering factory tours of their work space. Transforming their factory into Huadu Jewelry Town, a tourist attraction all on its own.

Lavender Cottage – Selling Happiness A place so serene and so beautiful it brings happiness to all who visit. Described as the ‘purple dream’ of two girls, these entrepreneurs have created a landscape of purple hues making Lavender Cottage a perfect getaway for those who want to relax and unwind. A unique and charming business concept, it is a business that brings an immense amount of bliss and happiness to its customers.

Wowprime Corp. – Simplicity wins customers With a chain of F&B outlets under their belt, Wowprime Corp. sells on its simplicity. These include set menus with one standard price and just a one- page menu keeping the choices simple and convenient for their customers. This business is a great example of when less is more! Steve Day, Chairman of Wowprime Corp. believes in health before anything else and it is incorporated in his business as well, making Wowrpime Corp. the No.1 healthy company awarded by the Bureau of National Health Insurance. MN

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 63

Launch Pad

PDL Management Corporation І

Launch Pad

English still the Global Business Language? Yes! Is

By Andal Nara

T

here is no doubt with China’s business might, Mandarin is a language we need to learn. But that it will replace English, is unlikely to happen in the near future.

In fact, in China, the importance of English is being stressed to such an extent that Business English certifications have become an important item in resumes for job applicants.

Now that we have established that English is here to stay, how does one attain the proficiency required for retail and other sectors of business?

Take the Malaysian context. In spite of eleven years of compulsory English lessons in school, a large segment of school leavers are struggling with the language, both spoken and written. So the burden has been shifted to the employers to quickly increase their workforce’s level of English.

One has to only look around shopping malls, LRT stations and restaurants to see that we have indeed become a global hub. Foreign clients and customers have become intrinsic to our business success.

This means our spoken English should be intelligible to an international crowd.

“Manglish” in its raw form will not be understood and our fluency must have a large dose of accuracy.

So, is there a short cut to learning to speak and write English? Yes! There are a myriad of courses available such as online, face to face, course books and on one. The list goes on. Companies need to look at the course materials and training methodologies before engaging a trainer.

The course content has to be customised and delivered with the company’s culture in mind. Writing skills are imperative.

Emails sent cannot have errors that will embarrass the writer and the company he or she represents. When one speaks on the phone, with no body language to assist in the comprehension of the message, the right intonation and the correct choice of words are extremely important.

Miscommunication can mean huge losses.

T

he rapidly changing work environment poses an urgent and important need to upgrade and enhance the attitudes, traits and competencies of the workforce in order to be more productive at work.

After the successful ten sessions of the ‘Power Of Direct Relationship Selling’ training programme,PDL Management Corporation conducted a 2-day course - ‘Be An Outstanding Professional At Work’ for 80 participating MRCA members.

On the first day of sessions, Dato’ Lawrence Chan covered topics on changing your mindsets for continuous improvement; strategies to improve your mental attitudes and traits to be an outstanding professional and contributor. In the afternoon session, participants learnt to discover their compelling purpose, passion, joy and pride in their work, applying people’s skills and communicating effectively.

On the second day of sessions, they gained essential knowledge and useful tips on how to tap their sources for extra energy and

the ways to manage their daily activities productively with proper tools of time management and self-discipline. Besides, the “Caring and Sharing” sessions, they did group discussions and team activities and games to facilitate active learning, enhance understanding and to retain the main ideas, concepts and skills learnt.

The course ended with a very inspiring commitment session whereby all the participants pledged to apply what they have learnt to be outstanding professionals in their work. MN ________________________________ ‘Be an Outstanding Professional At Work’ was conducted by Y.Bhg. Dato’ Lawrence Chan, founder and executive chairman of Personal Development Leadership (P.D.L.) Management Corporation (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

Chinese Innovative Economy Forum І

Launchpad

Innovate, Create and Succeed Chinese Innovative Economy Forum Incoming Revolution in the Service Economy

O

What should be acknowledged is that the proficiency in English needs to be taken seriously by job seekers and employers may want to make communication skills in English a priority. Then the standard of English will improve by leaps and bounds in a short span of time.

n the 24 August 2013, MRCA were privileged to organise the Chinese Innovative Economy Forum held at the Federal Hotel.

The inspiring list of speakers included 洪明 洲教授 Prof. Hong Min-Chow, 盧明光 Lu Ming-Kuang, 陳鴻儀 Chen Hung-Yi, 林金 興 Lim Kim Heng, 戴勝益 Steve Day, 蘇木 卿 Su Mu-Ching, 王村煌 Wang. The speakers shared innovative ideas based on their own proven business models.

The writer is the Course Director at Comprehensive English Centre Sdn Bhd. You can contact her at andalnara@yahoo.com

iStone- Innovation At Its Best! i-Stone, manufacturer of semi-precious stone jewellery based in Taiwan have managed to infuse culture and creativity creating a whole

But let’s face it. Learning English is no rocket science! Everyone can master this language.

62 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Be an Outstanding Professional at Work

new industry by offering factory tours of their work space. Transforming their factory into Huadu Jewelry Town, a tourist attraction all on its own.

Lavender Cottage – Selling Happiness A place so serene and so beautiful it brings happiness to all who visit. Described as the ‘purple dream’ of two girls, these entrepreneurs have created a landscape of purple hues making Lavender Cottage a perfect getaway for those who want to relax and unwind. A unique and charming business concept, it is a business that brings an immense amount of bliss and happiness to its customers.

Wowprime Corp. – Simplicity wins customers With a chain of F&B outlets under their belt, Wowprime Corp. sells on its simplicity. These include set menus with one standard price and just a one- page menu keeping the choices simple and convenient for their customers. This business is a great example of when less is more! Steve Day, Chairman of Wowprime Corp. believes in health before anything else and it is incorporated in his business as well, making Wowrpime Corp. the No.1 healthy company awarded by the Bureau of National Health Insurance. MN

Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 63

Reaching Out

І Gugusan Dedap

MRCA made wishes come true this Hari Raya

M

RCA fulfilled the Hari Raya wish list of families at the Gugusan Dedap Flats in Kota Damansara on 31 July 2013. More than 25 members of MRCA including the trustees of the Branding Education Charity Foundation – Dato’ Tay Sim Kim, Mr.Lee Hwa Cheng, and Dato’ Nelson Kwok, President of MRCA and MRCA Deputy President Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang visited Gugusan Dedap Flats bringing with them RM10,000 worth of goods and products.

This time, instead of a cash donation, MRCA fulfilled the wish list of 45 families that were in need of essentials. These families included old folks, single parent families, disabled and chronic patients. Members who supported the visit included 99speedmart, Econsave, Focus Point, Fella Design, I Synergy Universal and Maycare. They sponsored groceries, freshly baked bread, medical equipment, wheelchairs and much more.

Through this visit, MRCA hopes to raise public awareness on the everyday struggles of our fellow Malaysians and what we can do to help as a community. MN

64 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Reaching Out

І Gugusan Dedap

MRCA made wishes come true this Hari Raya

M

RCA fulfilled the Hari Raya wish list of families at the Gugusan Dedap Flats in Kota Damansara on 31 July 2013. More than 25 members of MRCA including the trustees of the Branding Education Charity Foundation – Dato’ Tay Sim Kim, Mr.Lee Hwa Cheng, and Dato’ Nelson Kwok, President of MRCA and MRCA Deputy President Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang visited Gugusan Dedap Flats bringing with them RM10,000 worth of goods and products.

This time, instead of a cash donation, MRCA fulfilled the wish list of 45 families that were in need of essentials. These families included old folks, single parent families, disabled and chronic patients. Members who supported the visit included 99speedmart, Econsave, Focus Point, Fella Design, I Synergy Universal and Maycare. They sponsored groceries, freshly baked bread, medical equipment, wheelchairs and much more.

Through this visit, MRCA hopes to raise public awareness on the everyday struggles of our fellow Malaysians and what we can do to help as a community. MN

64 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

Reaching Out І Branding Education Charity Fund

Fella Design І

MRCA rewards

students for a job well done

T

hrough the Encouragement Fund from the Branding Education Charity Foundation, students who performed well in the SPM and STPM 2012 examinations were given education assistance with a cash reward. The cheque was presented to students at the MRCA August monthly meeting held at Maxis Berhad on the 22 August 2013 by Dato’ Nelson Kwok.

The Encouragement Fund is exclusively for members and member’s employees’ children. However, the foundation also contributes to orphanages, old folk homes and the less fortunate.

Encouragemen Fund For SPM 2012 Company

MRCA Member

Relationship

Applicant Name

Bonia Corporation Bhd

Ms Lau Chai Yen

Mother

Mr Ng Zhong Tah

Result 9A

Bonia Corporation Bhd

Ms Mok Kok Peng

Mother

Mr Kam Chi Wai

8A 2B

Golden Scoop Sdn Bhd

Mr Cheah See Yeong

Father

Ms Cheah Wan Li

10A

Pineapple Computer System Sdn Bhd

Mr Bernard Chiang

Father

Mr Chiang Kah Chun

10A

Purple Cane Enterprise Sdn Bhd

Mr Koh Choon Hong

Father

Ms Koh Li Wei

10A

Purple Cane Enterprise Sdn Bhd

Ms Lee Ai Wen

Staff

Ms Lee Ai Wen

11A

Purple Cane Enterprise Sdn Bhd SEG International Berhad Shins Corporation Sdn Bhd Senheng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd Sinma Jewellery Center Sdn Bhd

Ms Tang Siam Cheng Mr Poravi A/L S.P.Sithambaram Pillay Ms Logarasi A/P Balakrishnan Ms Yong Lai Cheng Mr Lim Geok San

Mother Father Staff Mother Father

Ms Tan Ge Mr Reevanash A/L Poravi Ms Logarasi A/P Balakrishnan Ms Teong Bol Man Ms Lim Yong Qi

9A 10A 9A 10A 10A

Encouragemen Fund For STPM 2012 Company

MRCA Member

Relationship

Applicant Name

Result

SEG International Berhad

Ms Lai Yoke Mooi

Mother

Ms Yong Kai Xin

3A

Secondary Education- International School Company

MRCA Member

Relationship

Applicant Name

Result

Senheng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd

Mr Lim Kim Heng

Father

Mr Lim Yau Hui

7A

Updates І Announcement

A

nother winning furniture series by Fella Design, the GRANVILLE series covers 5 varied designs carrying a common design style that is everlasting yet remains refreshingly new. The GRANVILLE series or rather, the Cherry Series, is classic in style, reminiscent of the Regency or Victorian era where opulence and elegance were the stamp of the aristocrats.

The series carries a certain cachet of regality and elegance that will certainly add style, enhancing the beauty of your home.

oval-shaped table or the normal rectangular table. While the dining sets are pretty much a norm in offering dining pleasures, the bedroom sets on the other hand create havens that offer the utmost in personal space for peaceful downtimes and serenity. The beds are available in Queen or King sizes for a sleigh, four-poster or paneled design.

Designed to achieve timeless appeal, this GRANVILLE Series features a sophisticated combination of style periods that is refreshingly inspiring and will definitely enhance and beautify your home. MN

Each design in this series varies in design structure, crafted motifs and practicality.

Some designs feature architectural natureinspired moldings that are masterfully crafted to gracefully frame panels, creating a commanding sense of depth and character.

Several pieces have curvaceous bases, turned legs and UM pedestals that enhances the majestic style. Metal scrolled grill-work are featured in some occasional pieces for a stylish storage showcase. The dining room sets vary in seating formation and capacity. The dining sets seat from 4 up to 10 persons around an

Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse

H.E Dato’ Nelson Kwok JP, council members and members would like to congratulate MRCA Members who have recently been conferred with state awards for recognition of their contribution to the industry.

comes to Malaysia!

3. Dato’ Sharon Foong Poh Kin Managing Director, Ruyi Groups of Companies & ZELL-V Groups of Companies Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP)

1. Dato’ Sri Low Jee Keong President/Group Chief Executive of LJK Frozen Sdn Bhd Peringkat Pertama Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (SSAP)

The GRANVILLE series

by Fella Design

Secret Recipe І

Heartiest Congratulations

2. Dato’ Sri Lee Ee Hoe JP Group Managing Director, Apple Group of Companies Peringkat Pertama Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (SSAP)

66 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

4. Dato’ Lawrence Liew (DIMP) President/Group CEO Marrybrown Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP)

Updates

S

Updates

ecret Recipe and Darden Restaurants, Inc have officially signed a partnership agreement to develop and operate Darden’s restaurant brands of Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse.

“The signing of the agreement with Darden Restaurants, Inc. will be a very positive boost for Secret Recipe’s portfolio, in line with our expansion plans for the group. Back at the home front in Malaysia, we have just launched a modern vegetarian dining concept named Beyond Veggie with positive off takes from customers. With further injection of Darden’s Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, we will expand and scale up our group portfolio very quickly. Darden’s restaurant brands and values fit very well with our operating principles, which include fine-quality food and service”, commented Secret Recipe Group CEO, Dato’ Steven Sim during the announcement of the agreement at Darden Restaurants, Inc.’s headquarters in Orlando, Florida, United States of America.

Secret Recipe group will operate Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Long Horn Steakhouse in stages with an initial target of 13 outlets in Malaysia, starting off in the first half of 2014. MN Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 67

Reaching Out І Branding Education Charity Fund

Fella Design І

MRCA rewards

students for a job well done

T

hrough the Encouragement Fund from the Branding Education Charity Foundation, students who performed well in the SPM and STPM 2012 examinations were given education assistance with a cash reward. The cheque was presented to students at the MRCA August monthly meeting held at Maxis Berhad on the 22 August 2013 by Dato’ Nelson Kwok.

The Encouragement Fund is exclusively for members and member’s employees’ children. However, the foundation also contributes to orphanages, old folk homes and the less fortunate.

Encouragemen Fund For SPM 2012 Company

MRCA Member

Relationship

Applicant Name

Bonia Corporation Bhd

Ms Lau Chai Yen

Mother

Mr Ng Zhong Tah

Result 9A

Bonia Corporation Bhd

Ms Mok Kok Peng

Mother

Mr Kam Chi Wai

8A 2B

Golden Scoop Sdn Bhd

Mr Cheah See Yeong

Father

Ms Cheah Wan Li

10A

Pineapple Computer System Sdn Bhd

Mr Bernard Chiang

Father

Mr Chiang Kah Chun

10A

Purple Cane Enterprise Sdn Bhd

Mr Koh Choon Hong

Father

Ms Koh Li Wei

10A

Purple Cane Enterprise Sdn Bhd

Ms Lee Ai Wen

Staff

Ms Lee Ai Wen

11A

Purple Cane Enterprise Sdn Bhd SEG International Berhad Shins Corporation Sdn Bhd Senheng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd Sinma Jewellery Center Sdn Bhd

Ms Tang Siam Cheng Mr Poravi A/L S.P.Sithambaram Pillay Ms Logarasi A/P Balakrishnan Ms Yong Lai Cheng Mr Lim Geok San

Mother Father Staff Mother Father

Ms Tan Ge Mr Reevanash A/L Poravi Ms Logarasi A/P Balakrishnan Ms Teong Bol Man Ms Lim Yong Qi

9A 10A 9A 10A 10A

Encouragemen Fund For STPM 2012 Company

MRCA Member

Relationship

Applicant Name

Result

SEG International Berhad

Ms Lai Yoke Mooi

Mother

Ms Yong Kai Xin

3A

Secondary Education- International School Company

MRCA Member

Relationship

Applicant Name

Result

Senheng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd

Mr Lim Kim Heng

Father

Mr Lim Yau Hui

7A

Updates І Announcement

A

nother winning furniture series by Fella Design, the GRANVILLE series covers 5 varied designs carrying a common design style that is everlasting yet remains refreshingly new. The GRANVILLE series or rather, the Cherry Series, is classic in style, reminiscent of the Regency or Victorian era where opulence and elegance were the stamp of the aristocrats.

The series carries a certain cachet of regality and elegance that will certainly add style, enhancing the beauty of your home.

oval-shaped table or the normal rectangular table. While the dining sets are pretty much a norm in offering dining pleasures, the bedroom sets on the other hand create havens that offer the utmost in personal space for peaceful downtimes and serenity. The beds are available in Queen or King sizes for a sleigh, four-poster or paneled design.

Designed to achieve timeless appeal, this GRANVILLE Series features a sophisticated combination of style periods that is refreshingly inspiring and will definitely enhance and beautify your home. MN

Each design in this series varies in design structure, crafted motifs and practicality.

Some designs feature architectural natureinspired moldings that are masterfully crafted to gracefully frame panels, creating a commanding sense of depth and character.

Several pieces have curvaceous bases, turned legs and UM pedestals that enhances the majestic style. Metal scrolled grill-work are featured in some occasional pieces for a stylish storage showcase. The dining room sets vary in seating formation and capacity. The dining sets seat from 4 up to 10 persons around an

Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse

H.E Dato’ Nelson Kwok JP, council members and members would like to congratulate MRCA Members who have recently been conferred with state awards for recognition of their contribution to the industry.

comes to Malaysia!

3. Dato’ Sharon Foong Poh Kin Managing Director, Ruyi Groups of Companies & ZELL-V Groups of Companies Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP)

1. Dato’ Sri Low Jee Keong President/Group Chief Executive of LJK Frozen Sdn Bhd Peringkat Pertama Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (SSAP)

The GRANVILLE series

by Fella Design

Secret Recipe І

Heartiest Congratulations

2. Dato’ Sri Lee Ee Hoe JP Group Managing Director, Apple Group of Companies Peringkat Pertama Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (SSAP)

66 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

4. Dato’ Lawrence Liew (DIMP) President/Group CEO Marrybrown Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP)

Updates

S

Updates

ecret Recipe and Darden Restaurants, Inc have officially signed a partnership agreement to develop and operate Darden’s restaurant brands of Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse.

“The signing of the agreement with Darden Restaurants, Inc. will be a very positive boost for Secret Recipe’s portfolio, in line with our expansion plans for the group. Back at the home front in Malaysia, we have just launched a modern vegetarian dining concept named Beyond Veggie with positive off takes from customers. With further injection of Darden’s Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, we will expand and scale up our group portfolio very quickly. Darden’s restaurant brands and values fit very well with our operating principles, which include fine-quality food and service”, commented Secret Recipe Group CEO, Dato’ Steven Sim during the announcement of the agreement at Darden Restaurants, Inc.’s headquarters in Orlando, Florida, United States of America.

Secret Recipe group will operate Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Long Horn Steakhouse in stages with an initial target of 13 outlets in Malaysia, starting off in the first half of 2014. MN Vol 1 No 3∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣ 67

Talkingpoint

Has creating brand loyalty through social media worked for your brand?

Y

es and no. Social media has been a great medium in extending our company’s promotions, news updates, product education and new product features. However, given that our market are school going children, one common obstacle that we have is that they may not have any social media accounts.

Likewise with the older generation.

T.Y Ooi

Executive Manager PJ Uniform Sdn Bhd

D

efinitely, YES. Today, brands evoke a strong sense of emotion for the consumer. Social media helps us in closing the gap by effective communication between our brand users and potential users. Communication has to be fun in order to engage an interactive platform to gather feedback from consumers and at the same time channel that response to their network as well.

Y

es, social media is a powerful tool for creating brand awareness for the new market segment for our brand.

It has brought our brand image to a wider buyer group that might be difficult to access through conventional media channels, such as magazine and newspapers. I would say it’s worth the investment.

Megan Tan

Adli Wong

Managing Director The Sompoton Spa

Managing Director Coffeeland Sdn Bhd.

Inspiration for the

ENTREPRENEUR'S soul “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

- ALBERT EINSTEIN

“My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long University education that I never had — everyday I’m learning something new.”

- RICHARD BRANSON

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

- NAPOLEON HILL

68 ∣MRCA NEWSLETTER∣Vol 1 No 3

LETTER

LETTER

RETAILING | FRANCHISING | BRANDING VOL 1 NO 3∣ WM RM8 / EM RM10

“Today we have 173 Focus Point outlets and over 80 of those are franchisees…. I have made many millionaires in the last 13 years.”

--------------------------------------------------------------Dato’ C.L Liaw, President/CEO Focus Point Holdings Berhad

Vol 1 NO 3 RM8.00

FOCUS POINT

builds a successful retail chain ISSN:2289-3377 KDN NO:PP13818/02/2013(031900)

FOR THE LOVE OF TRAVEL

Dato’ Sri Lee Ee Hoe, Group Managing Director, Apple Group of Companies

KL GETS READY FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Sue Wang, General Manager, Avenue K

MRCA CELEBRATES 21 YEARS