DMT study tour 2 by Penerbit Wawasan

Penerbit Wawasan Nusa (M) Sdn Bhd Wisma Wawasan 19-1, Jalan PJS 8/12 Dataran Mentari, Bandar Sunway 46510 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Tel: 03-5630 1802 Fax: 03-5630 1803 Email: penerbitwawasan@gmail.com / info@pwn.com.my Publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal or other professional services. CopyrightÂŠ 2015 Penerbit Wawasan Nusa (M) Sdn Bhd Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the internet or any other means without the permission of publisher is illegal by law.

ISBN 978-967-5945-44-1

Cover & Layout Design by Nazir Tay Editorial by Daniel Goh Printed by BS Print (M) Sdn Bhd No 10 Jalan Indrahana 1, 58200 KL, Malaysia

CONTENTS 10

Captainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Log

Challenging The Norm

Learning From Experience

Right Place, Right Time

Sustainable Learning

Invested in People

The Happiness Pill

A Bruneian Abroad

Life is an Adventure

Wax On, Wax Off

A Diamond in the Rough

100

Love- The Only True Emotion on the Planet

108

Designing A Leader

Founding the Future with a Tradition of Excellence THE BEGINNING Located on Cottingham Road in Hull, the University of Hull began life as an outpost of the University of London and offered courses in the arts and pure sciences. Starting with just one main structure - now known as Venn Building â&#x20AC;&#x201C; University College Hull was established thanks to the efforts of local benefactors including Thomas Robinson Ferens (who gave the land and 250,000 pounds), GF Grant and the City Council. Following the laying of the foundation stone in 1928 by George VI, the Duke of York, the College opened in October with 39 students and 14 one-man departments. By 1931, this number had grown to 100 students.

CHALLENGES AND EXPANSION In the following decade, the College faced numerous challenges, from the great depression of the 1930s, followed by the outbreak of World War II, which led to falling student numbers, buildings being commandeered and books being evacuated for safekeeping. The first Principal, Arthur Morgan was succeeded in 1935 by John Nicholson who led the campaign to achieve the College’s independence. On 13 May 1954, a Royal Charter was granted. The University of Hull became a separate institution with the right to award its own degrees, making it Yorkshire’s third university and England’s 14th. The number of applications doubled within a year, and in 1956, the student population topped 1000 for the first time. A new library (later named after Sir Brynmor Jones, once the University’s Vice-Chancellor) was opened by the Queen Mother in 1960. The library tower extension opened in 1970. No new academic buildings were built from 1974 to 1996. During that time, student numbers more than doubled, and Hull became the most efficient user of space among British universities. The next big development was the University’s merger with University College Scarborough in 2000. Originally a teacher training institution, the College became University of Hull’s Scarborough Campus. This now represented a significant extension of the University’s geographical reach and academic portfolio. The University’s biggest ever single expansion occurred in September 2003 with the acquisition of the University of London’s Hull campus, next door to the main campus on Cottingham Road, increasing the size of the Hull campus by one third.

21ST CENTURY UNIVERSITY Today, the University of Hull is providing a cutting edge educational experience for over 18, 000 students a year. The academic portfolio contains 50 disciplines across the arts and humanities, business, education, health, the sciences and the social sciences. As a major player in the regeneration of Hull and Scarborough, the University has a significant impact on local, economic and social growth.

HULL ALUMNI The University of Hull has produced thousands of graduates who are not only successful in their chosen path, but remain deeply connected to their alma mater. Notable alumni include poet Philip Larkin, who served as the university librarian for 30 years. Anthony Minghella, who lectured there for seven years before winning an Oscar for directing The English Patient, often credited his days at the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drama department as the reason for his success. Egyptian-born millionaire Assem Allam donated 1.5 million pounds to the University in order for them to develop their bio-sciences department.

THE SHIP

Inspired by his alma mater, PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd CEO Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Michael Tio is building The Ship Campus in Malaysia, following the signing of a Memorandum of Intent with the University of Hull in October 2013. The Ship Campus will be managed by ALC College,

which was acquired by PKT as part of their expansion plan to venture into education. Encompassing a two-acre land in Batu Kawan allocated by the State Government of Penang, The Ship will be the first international university campus in Seberang Prai and the second of its kind in Penang. Expected to be operational by 2017, the campus will be built in the shape of a ship to mirror PKTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maritime bloodline. It will include four blocks of student accommodation named after their Hull siblings Thwaite Hall, Needler Hall, The Lawns and Taylor Court, which will be managed the same way as in the United Kingdom. With the objective of integrating teaching facilities within a real-world working environment, the university will constitute part of One Auto Hub, a site that encompasses automotive logistics facilities, a warehouse, a lighthouse hotel, pavilion, jetty and a mangrove walk as well, making The Ship a rare model of entrepreneurship and academia working in symbiosis.

DATOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; MICHAEL TIO UNIVERSITY OF HULL STUDY TOUR On 18-27th October 2014, Dato Michael - or DMT he is leading the second group of delegation of business leaders on a study tour to the United Kingdom, in which the highlight was a three-day programme where the participants interacted with academicians and students in the University of Hull. The response was beyond expectations, and DMT hopes to make it twice a year event.

Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Michael Tio

Group Chief Executive and Managing Director PKT Logistics Group 10

Captain’s Log

t all began with my management trips; back then there were only four of us and over the years it grew to a team of over 20 members. My personal KPI for my employees has always been this “You focus on working, I focus on making sure you see the world.” And so after visiting so many continents, these management trips have begun to gain fame in the industry. Even though each of these trips take about 6 months to plan, I get really excited during this process and so I started the DMT Study Tour 1 (the first HUBS Study Tour) because I wanted to be a tour guide and show people outside the company how I take my management guys for a Holiday.

DREAM OF IT, TALK ABOUT IT, PLAN FOR IT, WORK ON IT AND

GET IT.

Edmund Edward CEO ALC College

DATO’ MICHAEL TIO

One of the main reasons for the HUBS Study Tour was to promote the University of Hull. Back in the 90s they were in Malaysia doing their MBA program which was very popular but unfortunately they left during the Malaysian financial crisis. Now, I am collaborating with them, finally bringing their program back to Malaysia. The key is to get people talking about Hull and I think that you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really talk about it if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even been there. The HUBS Study Tour gives the participants an opportunity to experience the University of Hull with a three-day course and then continue on with a tour of the United Kindom.

I think that a lot of entrepreneurs and professionals from various industry have a very good command of the hard skills in their respective fields but when it comes to the soft skills most are a little bit lacking. When I was in university, I met a Hong Kong student which was very humble and liked to mingle around with the Malaysian group of Hull students. It was surprising to find out that his father was the Commissioner of the Hong Kong police at the time and so after graduating we kept in touch and on numerous occasions I had the privilege of having dinner with

very high profile entrepreneurs in Hong Kong. This is where I would observe how they would behave and socialise and this is where I gained a lot of confidence. Even when I started business at a young age, this experience helped me to create an impression that I i gained during my student days. This exposure was the exact reason for the seven days of carefully planned lunch and dinners. Here I subtly try to impart some soft skill knowledge during the trip, things like how you hold the door open for your peers, invite the others in, when to sit down at dinner, expose some to a fine dining environment and how to create conversation between the people that are around 14

you. Although most wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realise that it is happening, I hope they take this all they have learned with them even after HUBS 2.0. This is why I say, the trip is not just about studying but rather it is a lot of mentoring and sharing from the entrepreneurs and also having insightful discussions during the trip. To create this effect, I have to carefully and meticulously put together a group of people with individuals that can contribute something towards the enlightenment of everybody else. Besides inviting people from a diverse range of industries and all holding various levels of position, I ask myself whether that particular participant needs this trip, how can he benefit from it once he comes back; if you are here just to look for business then I think you are not in the right fit. Again, they must be able to contribute because, not all the answers will come from me, most times I am there just to moderate, just like in a forum, I simply moderate while the rest of them foster a discussion. I picked the Lake District as the setting for HUBS 2.0 because most time when people visit the United Kingdom they stop at London and it is only if you take a self-drive tour within the Lake District will you experience the fresh, crisp air and the traditional British landscape. Whether it is my management trip or HUBS 2.0 I like to end trips on a high note and so just before we boarded the flight back home, I personally led the HUBS 2.0 team on a three hour walking tour around London; we covered Westminster, St. Jamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Park, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, and the London Eye! Three hours to cover a 5 km route.

At the end of the day I always walk the talk and I think the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour is partly a reflection of my philosophy in business:

THOU SHALL NOT BE JEALOUS OF OTHER’S SUCCESS; THOU SHALL LEARN FROM THEM AND BE APPRECIATIVE; THOU SHALL GIVE BACK TO SOCIETY WHEN THOU ART SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT ASKING FOR ANYTHING IN RETURN.

Both a practical guide and an inspiring travel gift book, Drives of a Lifetime highlights 500 of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best car trips. The eclectic list takes readers across stunning natural landscapes of mountain, coastline, glen, and dale; into charming towns and out-of-the-way hamlets; to palatial estates, lovely gardens, and intriguing historic sites; and through bustling, thriving cities all over the world map.

DRIVES OF A LIFETIME

500 OF THE WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MOST SPECTACULAR TRIPS By National Geographic

Professor Dr. Zaini Bin Abdullah Dean Faculty of Business & Management MARA University of Technology

Professor Dr. Zaini Bin Abdullah has been the dean for the Faculty of Business and Management in the MARA University of Technology on two accounts almost 10 years apart. The first stint started around 2009 where he was eventually moved into the higher management strata of the university. After taking a sabbatical in Singapore, Professor Dr. Zaini was once again headhunted as the dean because the vice chancellor felt that he was the perfect man to lead the faculty in a new direction.

Challenging The Norm

love the faculty or school of business and management simply because I was originally from this very faculty. Even back then, I tried to do things differently, I tried to move away from the mundane things that were being done in business studies to change the ideology behind this field. To this effect my participation in the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour solidified my beliefs on the direction business studies should take and also thought me a thing or two about leadership. I had previously met Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Micheal Tio a few times and found his leadership style to be pretty unique. Apart from being an unconventional leader so full of energy he also a CEO that looks at the company not only from 21

What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is,

IN THE END, OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE.

The only consequence is

Edmund Edward

WHAT WE DO.

CEO ALC College

John Ruskin

the top down but also from the bottom up. So when an invitation came my way to join the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour, I was more than happy to accept it. Spending more than 10 days with complete strangers was something of an adventure for me, I had previously gone overseas many times but this was the first time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going with a group of unknown individuals. In addition to this, I have been to other universities in the UK but Hull was special because of their relationship with PKT, it was something I thought I could evaluate while I was there. One of the main differences I noticed between Hull University and those we have in the country would undoubtedly be their relationships with industry players. In addition to this, Universities not only in UK but also in other countries can easily attract funding whereas for us, we are dictated by so many policies and the process can be very tedious at times. However with that being said, one quick

way to bring the different industry players on board universities like UiTM is not so much in terms of finance but rather adoption â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the adoption of our classroom or some of the student projects for that matter. Learning from the Hull University experience, they provided me with a dimension of how local universities could move ahead in terms of corporate relationships. The best experience I had was the conversations with Ms. Chan, the Director of Westport during the trip. I think because I was an academic she kept asking very critical questions on numerous occasions to see where I stood on certain issues. It is no secret that the industry people always see the academics as too bookish and focus too much on theory. But for me, I am different I maintain the point that besides a classroom environment it is equally important for the lecturers, heads of department and students to meet up with people from the industry to see for themselves how different things are when comparing theory to application. If you want to create students at the graduate or at the masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level which have the ability to think critically and do things which are NOT business as usual, then you have to be creative and innovative in your approach to teaching. Ms. Chan put a very good challenge for me and I thoroughly enjoyed all my conversations with her. Another fun aspect of the trip came in the form of a football match. I am a huge Liverpool fan and I have often dreamed of watching a football match on their home ground. The good news was I actually did make it to the Anfield stadium but never would I have imagined that I would be watching a Liverpool match from the Hull City AFC side! With three quarter of the stadium filled with Liverpool fans I had to wear a jacket to cover up the jersey! Be that as it may, it was still quite the experience for me and to this day, I still keep the ticket stub of that game. 25

After the trip I have been working closely with PKT to be part and parcel of the faculty not only in teaching and learning but also in research and consultancy. All the theory in the world means nothing without experience. This is the Faculty of Business and I think that if we really want to create graduates that are able to fit into the industry and really know the profile of the industry we have to mean business and move with the times. To sum up the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour, I have derived a formula to encapsulate the experience.

EXPONENTIAL LEARNING = (WORK X DISCUSSION X ADVENTURE)FUN; fun is a very important aspect of learning which is why for the next tour i have already decided to recommend my head of department for logistics for the next trip to learn a thing or two from the hubs study tour. 26

In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of â&#x20AC;&#x153;outliersâ&#x20AC;?--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing.

OUTLIERS

THE STORY OF SUCCESS by Malcolm Gladwell

Tuan Haji Mohd Ghaus Bin Ab. Kadir Deputy Director General (Operation) Department of Polytechnic Education Ministry of Education Malaysia 28

Having graduated with an automotive and mechanical engineering degree from the University of Southampton and the Liverpool University respectively, Tuan Haji Mohd Ghaus Bin Ab. Kadir had his start as an engineering lecturer in the Ungku Omar Polytechnic back in 1980. Since then he has worked tirelessly and eventually made his way up to be the Senior Director of Academics for Malaysiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Polytechnic schools. He was recently promoted to become the Deputy Director General of Operations within the Department of Polytechnic Education in the Ministry of Education Malaysia.

Learning From Experience

eing involved in shaping the Polytechnic Education of Malaysia, I find that I have to be accustomed to a lot of different industries and fields relevant to the wide variety of programmes that we offer. One of these industries undoubtedly would be the logistics industry and since the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour journey was going to be to Hull University focusing on their logistics department, I thought it was a good opportunity to suggest they also bring my assistant director, Norfaizah Binti Abas along as she was the curriculum developer for that particular program.

‘ THE BEST AMONG YOU

in character is the one who treated his best to his wife.’ Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 628 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

When you talk about logistics, people tend to think of somebody driving a lorry, transporting goods from one place to another but in actual fact, the industry has evolved to much more than that. Up until now, we were getting a lot of different information from a wide variety of sources; as you can imagine that this was pretty much like the story of the group of blind men describing the elephant. The story goes that each of these men touched a different part of the animal and thus came up with incredibly

different descriptions of what an elephant is. So in order to develop a curriculum that is an accurate representation of the industry itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good to go to a university like Hull and see it first-hand.

Currently we have four polytechnic institutions that sort of focus on logistics and from what I learned during HUBS 2.0, I am convinced that we have to re-evaluate the curriculum of our programs to include some form of technology in them. I was thoroughly impressed by the RFID and mechatronics being applied at the Hull University and coming back home, I realised that we have departments for automation in the polytechnic, we have mechatronics and mechanisation departments as well and I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to see how we can foster some synergy between these technical fields and logistics.

You know, joining this trip, I found myself questioning why Dato’ Michael Tio wanted someone like myself (from academics) to be a part of a trip that consists mostly of entrepreneurs and top management; but after the first few days of HUB 2.0 I realised that the educational value of the trip came not only from the time spent in Hull but throughout the trip when you mingle and learn from seeing all the different perspectives of all the participants. One story that I found particularly interesting was from Benson Wong who helped someone start a business operating burger stands. That’s the difference, I look at a burger stall and I see a temporary job before you go to college but Benson saw the growth aspect of it, one stall can eventually become 10 stalls; that’s where the entrepreneurial spirit comes in. Speaking of entrepreneurial qualities, when I look at DMT I see a graduate from a UK university; I was a graduate of a UK University as well but why did he manage to set up a car trading business? I even had a Masters in automotive and never thought to go down that route. I think that’s what being an entrepreneur is all about, seeing opportunities where other people don’t. DMT also inspired me to change my management style after I came back. Even though he was a CEO of a big company he was mingling freely with us and at one point he even helped to carry my bags to my room. I think this kind of leadership by example was something different to me.

One thing I remember clearly from the trip was the time we stopped by Mumtaz on the way to the Lake District. On the surface it looked like any other meal we had during the trip, I asked myself what was so special about this place. Why deviate to Bradford just to eat at this place? But when DMT announced that this place had a very rich history and had even served the Queen of England, it hit me. If we from Malaysia could eat the same food as the Queen of England did, there is pretty much nothing we can’t do! I think all of us unknowingly set restrictions and limitations for ourselves but if you can undo that limitation, you’ll be successful.

THE TRICK IS HOWEVER, TO REALLY OVERCOME THAT PERSONAL LIMITATION, YOU NEED SOMEONE TO MAKE YOU THINK YOU CAN DO IT, TO INSPIRE YOU TO GO THE DISTANCE.

ONE YOU ALWAYS WANT TO READ AND REFER AGAIN. I FIRST READ THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS SEVEN AND STILL READING IT.

IT HAS TO BE THE ‘HOLY AL-QURAN.’

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘Among the Muslims the most perfect, as regards his faith, is the one whose character is excellent, and the best among you are those who treat their wives well.’

Dr. Sharon Tong

General Manager of Research & Development Logistics & Education PKT Logistics Group 36

Having spent more than 20 years in the Logistics industry, Dr. Sharon Tong reached the position of Managing Director before she took a sabbatical. During which, she led ADRF Malaysia, a non-profit organisation that brought education to less fortunate children. Through a chance meeting with Dato’ Michael Tio she is now the General Manager for Research & Development in the Logistics and Education department of the PKT Logistics Group. She currently holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration focused on training and human resource development and has plans to pursue a PhD from the University of Hull.

Right Place, Right Time

s the relatively newly appointed general manager of research and development for PKT’s logistics and education department, Dato’ Michael Tio requested that I join the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour so that I could see and experience what the University of Hull had to offer before pursuing a PhD. In addition to this, I thought this was a good opportunity to get to know DMT better to understand how he has managed to garner a sort of ‘idol’ status in the industry based on his leadership philosophies.

The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve,

TO SERVE FIRST.

Edmund Edward

Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.

CEO ALC College

Robert K. Greenleaf

Having gone through the full list of participants for this trip, I was questioning why all these top leaders from their various fields would pay to go on a trip like this; and with them being so busy, 10 days was a long time to be away from your day-to-day activities. But as I got to know them individually I realised that all of them wanted to learn new ideas from everybody else. As the saying goes, no man is an island and so no matter how powerful and successful you are, at times you will still need other people. For me the learning process was drawn out throughout the entire trip from breakfast to the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey to dinner, each time I talked to the other participants I learnt something new. I think that communication or interpersonal skills are something that is very important no matter what you do and once you have mastered these skills itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy for you to interact with anybody. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to communicate with individuals from academics to corporate leaders and people from all walks of life. Going into the trip, a majority of participants started as strangers but through mingling and communicating with each other, they got to be friends. To create a good conversation, you must be able to clearly express your point of view but also take the time to be silent and listen to others as well.

The two people that impressed me the most was TJ Ng; at the beginning they he was very quiet so it was very hard for me to understand his character and what he was thinking but finally during the last few nights of the trip, he opened up and I saw him asking so many insightful questions. It was really inspiring to see how a silent person could open up like that once he got acquainted with the other members of HUBS 2.0. And even Tuan Haji Ghaus seemed like a quiet guy at first but the times when I approached and talked to him I could see that he was absorbing everything around him and had some really interesting opinions. I think people will excel when you give them a conducive environment and a perfect instance of this is when everyone is in a relaxed mode. It was really good that DMT provided us with ample chances to really relax and let our guard down. Every dinner was really an incubator for the sharing and discussion of ideas. DMT always had us start out with pre-dinner cocktails which got people to start talking because when they started to relax, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when they started sharing their experience, no holds barred. Generally when most people go for a holiday abroad itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s touch and go for a lot of places because you want to cover as much as you can on your trip but with HUBS 2.0 the self-drive really gave us the opportunity to stay in one place longer and since I had never been to the Lake District I really enjoyed taking the time to admire and experience the scenery. Even for someone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a football fan, I thought the Hull City AFC match was fantastic. Sitting behind the goalpost in the stadium, I saw the excitement and enthusiasm of the fans which created this brilliant atmosphere.

After coming back I feel like I now understand DMT’s vision clearer making it easy to see his goals for the education segment at PKT. In addition he is the perfect example of a servant-leader as Robert K. Greenleaf described, serving the needs of everyone on the trip first before his own and in the process showed the makings of a great leader.

I WOULDN’T SAY THAT I GAINED A LOT OF NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES IN THAT SENSE BUT RATHER I HAVE BUILT A LOT OF NEW RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE THAT I NOW CALL FRIENDS.

Aliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Caroll

Dr. Suhaila Binti Abdul Hanan

Coordinator of BBA in Logistics & Transportation Programme, School of Technology Management & Logistics (STML), UUM College of Business Universiti Utara Malaysia 44

Dr. Suhaila Binti Abdul Hanan has already had more than 10 years of experience in the academic joining University Utara Malaysia (UUM) in 2004 as a lecturer in logistics department. After returning from Australia in 2013 following the completion of her PhD from the Queensland University of Technology in Road Safety Management she is currently a coordinator of the BBA Logistics and Transportation program at UUM.

Sustainable Learning

f it wasn’t for the Dean of the Technology Management & Logistics School at the time, I would never have gone for the HUBS 2.0 study tour; You see, it was he who encouraged me to go for this trip with Dato’ Michael Tio. And I am thankful that he did because if not, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet so many key players in the industry and learn quite a few new things about logistics in the process. Although DMT is an adjunct professor at Universiti Utara Malaysia, I must confess, I knew little about him and PKT seeing as how I had just returned from Australia in 2013; I have heard the management team at UUM talk about him but it wasn’t until I did my research that I found out about his stature in the Logistics industry.

“AND WALK

NOT WITH

ARROGANCE.

Indeed, you can never tear the earth a part nor can you surpass the mountains in height.” Q 17:37

I think being a leader is not easy; and even though you can train people to be leaders, being a good one is not that simple. Having been to a symposium organized by PKT and participating in a few Labs by DMT, I managed to learn much about leadership, but spending so much time with DMT during the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour really showed me that in order to be a good leader, you have to have the right attitude and you need to be able to put yourself in the shoes of others and see their point of view.

The HUBS 2.0 Study Tour could not have come at a better time because this year (2015) UUM wants to do a mass revision of our programme curriculum and the trip to the University of Hull really gave me some great insights on the direction Malaysian higher education institutions should be heading towards. Logistics has evolved and has a very different landscape compared to 10 years ago and so we need to improve the curriculum to keep up with this pace. I belief that good cooperation and relationship between higher education and the industry may bring advantage to the graduate especially the graduate employability.

Talking to all the other industry leaders during the trip, their consensus was all the same; I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to say that good grades are not the only thing employers look for these days. Excellent soft skills, honesty, hard working and good attitude, all play an important role for the graduate and so I am doing what I can with the curriculum to help the students of UUM to be a valuable employee to organizations after graduation. In terms of teaching and learning facilities, the simulation lab and the quality of lecturers really stood out to me during my visit there, but I have to say, the Library was the one that left the greatest impression on me. Not only do they have a very advanced system (for borrowing books, organising them, etc.) but they also had a system for you to borrow a laptop which I think most students in Malaysia could benefit from. Speaking of relaxing, the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour was my first trip to the UK and although I have been to beautiful places like Australia, New Zealand, Holland and Paris the scenery at the Lake District really took my breath away, it was something else altogether. It was also my first time entering a football stadium when we went to watch Hull City AFC match against Liverpool. It was astounding to see so many Policemen on horses around and the way the huge crowd sang and shouted in the fan section behind the goal posts.

After learning so many things from the trip and meeting so many interesting people, I am currently in talks with Professor Zaini from UiTM and Dr. Sharon from PKT to see how we can collaborate and improve the quality of the students.

THE YOUTH IS OUR FUTURE AND I WILL DEFINITELY DO EVERYTHING IN MY CAPACITY TO HELP MY STUDENTS GET MORE EXPOSURE AND GRADUATE WITH A MUCH BROADER SET OF SKILLS WHICH WILL WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THEY GAIN FROM THE UNIVERSITY. 50

Pride and Prejudice is a novel of manners by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of the British Regency. Elizabeth is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman living near the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, near London.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen

Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Kelvin Kwek

Chief Executive Officer Nexstream

Jumping straight into the telecommunications industry after graduating with an Electronic Engineering degree, in 2005 Dato’ Kelvin Kwek came out to start Infinido with Nicky Wong and Nexstream on his own. After initiating a corporate restructuring last year, he now holds the title of CEO for Nexstream which has been turned into a holding company for five subsidiaries. He predicts that the future will be driven by mobile and data and hopes to get an early start in creating business opportunity in a wide range of industries.

Invested in People

hroughout my years in the industry, I have always asked the question – what makes a good leader? Prior to the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour, I had managed to visit Dato’ Michael Tio’s office a couple of times and also listen to a few of his public speeches. Always sceptical, I wondered whether these kinds of public speeches were an accurate representation of the speaker or was it slightly biased to feature only the good points. Learning about the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to observe the ‘captain’ of the ship – DMT – in a more casual environment to see if he does indeed walk the talk. Another reason I chose to join this trip was to learn more about Hull University because I already have my MBA from MMU and I’m looking for a suitable place to get a PhD. 53

PLAY TO

WIN LEAD TO

SUCCESS 54

Leaving my company for more than a week was quite easy on my part. You see, it is my personal belief that a company should not be run by a single person but rather it should be a team effort. So for the past two years, I worked to set up a senior management team to basically run the daily operations. Throughout the past three years, I have been doing a lot of self-learning and self-development and the one thing that had always fascinated me was the personality of people or personal behaviour. So you can imagine that the prospect of meeting this big group of diverse people in a casual setting really piqued my curiosity. Seeing as how a lot of the participants were entrepreneurs or top management of big companies, by interacting with them I was able to learn a great deal about leadership without having to directly ask them about it. Using the DiSC personal assessment tool every employer or employee is broken down into four different quadrants including Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientioness (DiSC). Normally people fall into one or two of these quadrants but I have found that successful leaders like some of the people I met during the trip rate above average for each of the four quadrants.

Dispelling all my doubts about DMT I saw first-hand how during the trip he showed off his ‘influence’ trait during the fun times but suddenly asserted ‘dominance’ qualities when he was needed as a leader. He also thought me to see that everybody has a positive point; in his mind, everyone has a good trait and it’s just a matter of how you train and coach that person to draw out his strength. This is incredibly different from the old school style of bosses which think that people need to be pushed in order to perform, they don’t believe that sometimes influence may work better. These are the kinds of lessons I learn along the way and in turn bring it back to my management team back home. During this self-drive tour, I was one of the four appointed drivers of the journey. Driving on the really narrow roads and seeing the awesome scenery of the Lake District was really exciting for me and so even though we were on the road for long periods of time, I 56

never felt tired. Also, because my passengers kept changing, I had a chance to really get to know many of them like Professor Zaini who was a modern and open minded Malay individual and Benson Wong whose dreams drive him to work hard sometimes even without much sleep! Another interesting person I met during the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour was Ms. Chan, the Director of Westport and more importantly, a mentor to Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Michael Tio. This solidified my belief, which I shared with DMT that everyone, even successful entrepreneurs need continuous learning, they need a mentor and coach in their life. Entrepreneurship is just one part of life and to lead a successful life, there are many other elements involved including family and friendship. 57

AS AN ENTREPRENEUR IT’S GOOD TO KEEP LEARNING NEW THINGS AND APPLYING THEM TO YOUR ORGANISATION AND THE BEST PART IS THAT THIS PROCESS IS A NEVER ENDING ONE AS THERE ARE ALMOST AN INFINITE NUMBER OF THINGS STILL YET TO BE DISCOVERED.

After learning that DMT is the real deal during this trip, I have brought many entrepreneurs from different business associations to listen to him speak as part of my ‘Personal Social Responsibility.’ People management has always been a big agenda to discuss in these associations and I am honoured to show them a different perspective on this issue.

Playing to Win, a noted Wall Street Journal and Washington Post bestseller, outlines the strategic approach Lafley, in close partnership with strategic adviser Roger Martin, used to double P&Gâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sales, quadruple its profits, and increase its market value by more than $100 billion when Lafley was first CEO (he led the company from 2000 to 2009). The audiobook shows leaders in any type of organization how to guide everyday actions with larger strategic goals built around the clear, essential elements that determine business success - where to play and how to win.

PLAYING TO WIN by A.G. Lafley

Mr. Lim Tooi Heng Senior Manager, Capital Financing Auto Finance, AmBank

Lim Tooi Heng has more than 35 years of experience in the Malaysian banking industry. Starting in the Accounting Department at the Head Office of Malayan Banking he soon became Head of the Accounting unit in the credit card department and later a Senior Dealer in the Foreign Exchange & Money Market Division. In 1994 he was the Chief Dealer for the Treasury Division at Phileo Allied Bank and two years later he became the Senior Manager, Treasury & Capital Markets Division, Head Office at MBF Finance. Today he holds the title of Senior Manager, Auto Finance Division at AmBank and has even conducted multiple seminars and lectures regarding the finance industry.

The Happiness Pill

eing a holder of a Hull University Masters in Business Administration (Finance), you might think that I have little reason to visit England following a tour that takes me back to the university campus; but you see I actually enrolled for the Hull University MBA program in Malaysia years ago where every Friday, Saturday and Sunday they would fly the original lecturers down from the United Kingdom. Usually once you graduate, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get a chance to go to England for the convocation but having finished the course around the time of the financial crisis, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to visit the

THE BETTER

PART OF ONE’S LIFE CONSISTS OF HIS

FRIENDSHIPS Abraham Lincoln

University at that time, so when DMT told me about this tour during one of the Hull University Alumni meetings, I was the first volunteer. Having done some part-time lecturing for HELP University teaching economics, marketing, commercial banking and international finance, I can see myself going into academics as an end goal in my life. Either as a lecturer or a professor, I want to use my experience in this industry and give back to the community and to do this, I think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need at least a PHD. Before the HUBS 2 Study Tour, I was doing a Doctorate in Business Administration at another university but after visiting Hull University, I was so impressed with the lecturers that I met there that I am switching to a PhD with them. Being one of the oldest participants on the trip, I believe that age is not a barrier; instead your determination will decide whether you succeed or fail. 63

At first, I thought the tour was going to be the most interesting part of this trip but once I got to know my colleagues, I knew that this was no ordinary tour. Unlike tours to Ivy League universities like Harvard for example, HUBS was not just about a formal education but also it was about the interaction between the participants and teamwork because everyone was from such diverse industries. Seeing as how I was one of the few ‘employees’ there and the rest were either business owners or entrepreneurs this really changed the way I think, motivating me to move into more entrepreneurial projects. I have to really commend Dato’ Michael Tio one, for the intricate planning that went into this tour and two, for encouraging the sharing of knowledge and opinion between everyone on the trip – the floor, as he says, is always open. I have met with so many people over the years and I have never come across someone like DMT. He shares his knowledge so willingly without any monetary purpose that at times it seems like he wants you to do better than him. The entire journey through the Lake District was really memorable, a self-drive tour really gave me a great opportunity to see the beautiful landscape this place had to offer. As a passenger I didn’t feel tired but I must take my hats off to the four drivers who made sure we made it to each destination safely. After a long day of driving, I usually like to create an atmosphere of happiness to share with my new friends but being Asian, we are usually a little louder than the westerners so I had to create a softer way to do the Hokkien toast “Yum Seng, heng ah, ong ah, huat ah!” I called this the fine dining toast. After a normal trip, it’s usually sayonara, goodbye and farewell but because of the quality of people you’ll met at a HUBS Study Tour, I still keep in touch with most of them. In fact most of my other business partners have noticed that I now gravitate towards the HUBS associates. 65

I feel that after this trip, I have learned how to apply a structure to everything I do and previously whenever I had prospects for projects, I usually throw out the ideas for other people but after mixing with so many entrepreneurs, now I want to take on these projects and see it to fruition. The sequence starts with a dream; no matter big or small you have to see whether it is feasible, after that comes the planning and finally you have to work to achieve your goals.

I ALWAYS WAS AND STILL AM A HAPPY-GOLUCKY GUY BUT I THINK NOW I WANT TO FIND A WAY TO TURN THIS HAPPINESS INTO MORE OPPORTUNITIES.

A black swan is an event, positive or negative, that is deemed improbable yet causes massive consequences. In this groundbreaking and prophetic book, Taleb shows in a playful way that Black Swan events explain almost everything about our world, and yet weâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially the expertsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;are blind to them. In this second edition, Taleb has added a new essay, On Robustness and Fragility, which offers tools to navigate and exploit a Black Swan world.

THE BLACK SWAN

The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Nicky Wong

Serial Entrepreneur Founder of Pan & Wok, Founder of 365eStore.com, Gong Cha Brunei Master Franchise Holder 68

Nicky is a Bruneian-born serial entrepreneur who has started various businesses in and outside Brunei in the field of I.T. and F&B. He successfully founded Brunei largest E-Commerce website 365eStore.com, and currently he is the master franchise owner for Gong Cha Brunei as well as owner of a few other localized brand. Nicky is in the process of creating its own franchise brand and have the vision to bring the brand globally.

A Bruneian Abroad

hen I was invited to join the Hull Univesirty Business Studies (HUBS) tour in England, I had literally no intention for any educational course like MBA but purely join the trip to explore the world and to meet Dato’ Michael Tio as I have heard a lot about this “unsual” entrepreneur. Seeing also that it had been quite a while since my last visit to the United Kingdom, 20 years to be precise, I thought it would be a good chance to re-visit the country and with Dato’ Michael Tio (DMT) as the tour leader, I am confidence that I can learn something out of the trip. Going on this trip with zero expectations and treat it as an entrepreneurial tour, I was definitely pleasantly surprised at all the things I picked up along the way.

YOUR TIME IS LIMITED,

so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

DON’T BE TRAPPED BY DOGMA which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.

AND MOST IMPORTANT, HAVE THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW YOUR HEART AND INTUITION. Steve Jobs

Having done business mainly in Brunei, it was a brand new experience for me to be able to meet and fraternize with other entrepreneurs from Malaysia and also from a diverse range of industries. It really astounded me to see how DMT could bring together many highly successful individuals to create a team of entrepreneurs that not only are humble and friendly, but are also willing to share their vast knowledge without expecting anything in return. This redefined my concept of teamwork, teaching me that sometimes itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all about teamwork between members of an organization but on a broader scale, teamwork with other entrepreneurs, selflessly sharing the knowledge that you have, and in the process learning from them as well. Of course as this trip was a mix of business and pleasure, we spent a couple of days at the Hull University, my first visit to this popular UK university.

During this time, for the very first time, I start to understand what is MBA and what is eMBA. There was a lot of information about the beauty of an eMBA from Hull but again, as I have been doing business for many years, I was unsure of how this accreditation would be able to help me at this level, or do I need it at all. When I brought the question up to DMT, however, his answer was short and simple. He said “if you really want to take your business to the next level, get an eMBA.” Basically the key takeaway, for me, was that even though you are already running a successful business, the knowledge and theory from a Master’s course will be crucial if you want to take your establishment to its next phase. The whole trip is really all about DMT for me. Someone that did truly change my mindset after the trip. The way I run business, the way I work with people and the way we think and act everyday. Learning and mentor by DMT throughout the trip, I am convinced that he was the perfect choice as the tour leader, not only for the awesome accommodation and food he arranged, but for the valuable sharing and mentor sessions. The way he exudes this incredibly positive energy for those around him made the trip an incredibly memorable one. This optimistic environment and energy he creates has proven to be a powerful motivator and I intend to start bringing this philosophy to my businesses back home. With all the memories that I have garnered with the HUBS tour, one in particular I would like to share is with Mr. Lim Tooi Heng, the Senior Manager of AmBank. Every night during dinner a few of us would share our thoughts and I remember that Mr. Lim always had loads of valuable insights and feedback

“GOING ON THIS TRIP WITH ZERO EXPECTATIONS AND TREAT IT AS AN ENTREPRENEURIAL TOUR, I WAS DEFINITELY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT ALL THE THINGS I PICKED UP ALONG THE WAY.”

which was useful for other entrepreneurs and even though I have yet to reach his stage, his shared experience helps me to understand what I needed to do. I even managed to find a new business opportunity with Benson Wong, another great and humble entrepreneur who are the expert in the world of publishing, bringing his unique publishing business model concept to Brunei. The last person I truly learn from is Miss Chan who is the director of Westport and simply in summary “make things simple and do what you need to do ” and keep in mind that “a full pot has no space to fill additional water”.

At the end of the trip, I have formed Brunei Business Club (BBC) as well as continue to learn and study how can one company becomes “Facebook compulsory company” and how to build an impressive company culture and ongoing innnovation in order to be a leader.

I started the HUBS tour with no expectations whatsoever but emerged with a handful of good friends and valuable knowledge which I can apply to my future endeavours. On the subject of an MBA, let’s just say that I am starting to see the beauty of it and am not ready yet due to various commitment on the business ventures. 74

“Here is the story behind one of the most remarkable Internet successes of our time. Based on scrupulous research and extraordinary access to Google, the book takes you inside the creation and growth of a company whose name is a favorite brand and a standard verb recognized around the world. Its stock is worth more than General Motors’ and Ford’s combined, its staff eats for free in a dining room that used to be run by the Grateful Dead’s former chef, and its employees traverse the firm’s colorful Silicon Valley campus on scooters and inline skates.

THE GOOGLE STORY By David A. Vise

P.H. CHAN

Show Design Director & Chief Tactical Officer, Switchbox Productions Regional Director Asia, Out Boxed Ideas Labs Sdn Bhd

P. H. Chan currently runs two companies; the first of which is Switchbox Productions, an event planning company, with big brand clients like H&M, DiGi, MAS, Standard Charted, Maybank, Alliance Bank and Volkswagen. Concentrating on large scale events, Switchbox focuses a lot on branding, showcasing how unique their client’s brand can be. O.B.i Labs on the other hand is a 10 year old company which dabbles in future technologies and gadgets incorporating them into the advertising, event management and banking sectors.

Life is an Adventure

have always enjoyed a good adventure and when I heard that Dato’ Michael Tio was organising a second round of the Hull University Business School (HUBS) study tour, I made sure that my name was on that list. You see, for me it wasn’t so much of joining this trip to learn more about the eMBA course but rather, I know DMT to be an incredible trip planner, always doing things that are different, fun, and unconventional compared to normal tours of England; and so this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I missed the first HUBS tour due to time constrains and even though I was pretty busy this time around, I forced myself to make the time to join this journey.

WORK SMART, WORK HARD,

PAHTAY

HARD HAVE A & GOOD HEART P.H. CHAN

I graduated a long time ago with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Management and while I’m not planning to pursue an MBA or eMBA course, as my time is extremely limited, I still think that it is especially useful for small to medium business owners. In a typical SME, the boss has to be a jack of all trades and usually in meetings we verbally discuss and resolve pending issues. An MBA on the other hand forces the participant to put all of this knowledge onto paper for a thesis so essentially after you have completed it, you’ll have a manual you can use to run your company. Anybody who has the time, I think, should invest in an MBA. With the HUBS tour happening just three short days after a personal trip to Tokyo with my family, I was pretty much out of the office for almost a month making it the longest that I have ever been away from the office in 12 years. However, this served as a good opportunity to see whether my team could function without me, which they did brilliantly. Right from the get-go I knew the trip was going to be a fun one; imagine a group of 27 people all with the same sponsored luggage bags getting onto a plane. By the time we landed in Heathrow, we were already friends.

From there we had four MPVs to traverse across the country sort of like in a National Geographic style. Going through the Lake District, the scenery was just gorgeous and coupled with the perfect weather, there’s nothing else I could have asked for. I have a little confession; even though we went to see Hull City’s football match, I am actually a 2nd generation Spurs fan and so as I was sitting in the Hull City AFC fans section, the name at the back of my jersey read COYS which is actually an acronym for Come On You Spurs! Most people think it’s easy to plan a trip; book the flights and hotels then makan, makan, makan. But in reality I think DMT and his team really put a lot of effort into organising every detailed aspect of the journey from the cool itinerary booklet to how he fosters interaction amongst the participants (he shuffles the travel seating between stops and also set up sharing session every night). Even coming from an event planning industry, I managed to pick up a few new pointers from this. Speaking of interaction, for me, I learnt the most from just mingling with my new friends on the trip. Meeting so many talented people from such a diverse range of industries in a closer, more intimate setting really let me see the different character of each individual for example the dynamic spirit of Benson Wong, the observant nature of Dato’ Kelvin Kwek and the energy of Lim Tooi Heng. Meeting these people, I subconsciously pick up the best bits and pieces of each personality, combine it and suddenly without even realising it, I see and do things a bit differently.

“MEETING SO MANY TALENTED PEOPLE FROM SUCH A DIVERSE RANGE OF INDUSTRIES IN A CLOSER, MORE INTIMATE SETTING REALLY LET ME SEE THE DIFFERENT CHARACTER OF EACH INDIVIDUAL...”

Camaraderie is the correct word for the relationship you form with other members of the HUBS study tour. I wasn’t looking out explicitly for new business or networking opportunities but after just one trip I felt a very close bond being born and I am very happy to have my new found HUBS brothers and sisters. And long after the trip, there will still be many gatherings sometimes joining up with the previous HUBS batch giving everyone ample opportunities for networking with the correct people.

Mandela’s Way is a distillation of countless hours of conversation between Rick Stengel and Nelson Mandela’s into what Stengel sees as fifteen core truths of Mandela’s life - truths we would all be wise to live by. Each truth is expanded upon and brought to life with examples of its application in Mandela’s own life.

MANDELA’S WAY

LESSONS ON LIFE, LOVE & COURAGE by Richard Stengel

Roger Chew Business Manager JCCA Development

Having graduated from the University of Hull with a Law Degree, Roger Chew returned to the United Kingdom once again to take the Bar Professional Training Course. Having completed it, Roger made the jump to the property development industry. Now a Business Manager at JCCA Development Sdn. Bhd., Roger has also set up a company of his own, Roseo Group Sdn. Bhd. and already has plans to pursue a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Business Administration.

Wax On, Wax Off

rowing up, I have always been in awe watching my father build his company from the ground up. Even when I was very young, I wanted to be like him. The respect he commands. The pressure he takes on his shoulders. He is not just a role model; he is the role model. He takes very good care of his family. He gives back to society any way he can. He does everything the right way; the way that glorifies God. I have always thought to myself I want to do this and more. I am a proud alumnus of the University of Hull. I obtained my Law Degree after 3 years there and spent another year completing the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) in the Manchester Metropolitan University. However, I never really saw Law as what I wanted to do in life. I did not have the passion for it. I treated it as merely a means to live and be a part of society. Thus, after completing the BPTC, I decided to 85

WHEN SEAGULLS FOLLOW THE TRAWLER, it is because they think Edmund sardines will be thrown into Edward the sea. CEO ALC College

Eric Cantona

spread my wings. After talking to my family, I made the bold decision to go out into the world and find my passion in life instead of venturing into a career in law. Since July 2014, I have been working in JCA (Joint Concept Activities) Group of Companies, particularly it’s property division, JCCA Development Sdn. Bhd. which is based in Semenyih. I will not lie; it has been a struggle learning something entirely new from scratch. It has been, however, extremely exciting and enjoyable. I first came into contact with Dato’ Michael Tio in 2011. I was the Vice President of the Malaysian Student’s Association (MSA) in the University of Hull and Dato’, who himself had also held the position of Vice President of the MSA in the past, offered to be a sponsor for the society’s annual member hoodies. We graciously accepted his offer and that summer, the society’s committee members made it a point to visit the PKT office (The Ship) and personally thank Dato’ for his contributions. Through this, the society had formed a close relationship with Dato’ and have kept in touch with him ever since. Personally, I am extremely close friends with Dato’s cousin and this enabled me to also keep a good relationship with Dato’ himself. To be honest, I knew that Dato’ was conducting HUBS trips but I had absolutely no interest in it. I had studied in the United Kingdom for four years and knew most of the major cities like the back of my hand. One day however, out of the blue, I received a life-changing phone call from my friend/Dato’s cousin. He simply said “Dato’ has told me to inform you to join HUBS 2.0”. And you know what? I immediately said yes. There were thousands of applicants for HUBS 2.0. Not everyone is given a chance like this. Simply put, if someone like Dato’ asks you to go, you go! 87

To be totally honest, I was really nervous about the trip. I did not know a single person apart from Dato’ and I was the youngest person in the group of 27 people. I had also just graduated from University while the rest were mostly CEOs or Directors of big companies. It felt awkward at times as I did not know how to start a conversation with all these big personalities. However, after we had landed in Heathrow, Dato’ stepped in. Dato’ pulled me aside and said “Roger, on this trip, all you have to do is carry people’s bags.” He explained it in the Karate Kid way where Mr. Miyagi had asked Daniel to apply wax on the car. “Wax on, wax off” he said. Like I said earlier, when Dato’ asks you to do something, you do it! I didn’t question this further and proceeded to carry everyone’s bags from the cars into hotel lobbies, from the lobbies to the hotel rooms, and vice versa. It wasn’t until a couple of days later that I realised what Dato’ had done for me. By this simple act of getting me to carry everyone’s bags, he had opened up a pathway 88

for me to interact with each and every person in the group. He gave me purpose for being there and because of this I managed to have a close relationship with every single person on the trip. This enabled me to learn a great deal of life lessons from everyone. Every person on the trip was so willing to share their experiences; how they started out, how they built their success and most importantly, they also told me about the times that they had failed. Even these great people have had failures but they told me that most the important thing was the lesson that came with their mistakes. They also spoke of the importance of an MBA but I will elaborate on that later. One of my favourite parts of the trip was every night after dinner when everyone gathered together for Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s informal talks. He would tell us about his experiences and also answer all of our questions. One thing that stood out for me was his three commandments for running a business. First, thou shalt not be jealous of other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success. Second, thou shalt learn from them and be appreciative. Third, thou shalt give back to society when thou are successful without asking for anything in return. An invaluable philosophy that I have been using ever since. A huge highlight for me during the trip was being able to go back to Old Trafford. I had been a Manchester United season ticket holder during my time as a student and I felt that I had returned back home. For many of the other HUBS members, it was their first time visiting Old Trafford so I was happy to show them around the stadium and help them with their shopping in the Megastore. I stated earlier that before HUBS 2.0, I had absolutely no interest in it. However, after experiencing it for myself, I gladly hold my hands high and admit that I was wrong. Spending 10 days with these people has provided me with a lifetime of lessons. I am proud to say that I will also be participating in HUBS 3.0. Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has once again allowed me to follow him to the United Kingdom and acquire more life lessons and for that, I am forever grateful. 89

society. To achieve this, I have to stand out in society. I have to elevate myself further. This, coupled with the fact that I have just set up a company of my own, Roseo Group Sdn. Bhd., has enabled me to come to the very clear realization that the MBA course is definitely the right step for me. I am expecting a difficult road ahead; one that is filled with challenges. I am still extremely green. I have yet to establish myself in society. That being said, I have many great people around me and I am learning from them everyday.

Now, about the MBA. Before I had participated in HUBS 2.0, my dad had actually talked to me about pursuing an MBA. After HUBS 2.0, I am proud to say that I was the first applicant for the University of Hullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MBA programme that will be held in the new Lighthouse campus in Shah Alam. All the great figures surrounding me - my dad and all the HUBS members are successful in their own right and what all of them have in common is that they are always giving back to society. This has deeply inspired me do so the exact same thing. Thus, I believe that I am at that stage in my life where I have to take things to the next level. My greatest goal to give back, firstly to my family who have sacrificed so much for me, and secondly to

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO OTHER THAN PUT MY HEAD DOWN, CONTINUE WORKING HARD AND CONTINUE LEARNING FROM OTHERS AND IMPROVING MYSELF RIGHT? 90

Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography is the second autobiography of Alex Ferguson, the former football manager and player. It was released on 30 October 2013,[1] and covers the period from 2000 to 2013.

ALEX FERGUSON: MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY by Alex Ferguson

Ryan Kan

Project Manager Fairs & Events Management

After working for three years in Citibank, Ryan Kan was given the opportunity to manage a team in Alliance Bank. Now Ryan has joined his father in Fairs & Events Management, a company which has earned the reputation as one of the most respected, reliable and result oriented exhibition organizers in Malaysia. To date they have organized and/or managed more than 300 international exhibitions and events including Woodtech Malaysia, Metaltech Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show, Machinetool, Buildex, Aquafair Malaysia, Intrade, Petworld Malaysia, the ASEAN Logistics and Transportation Show and more. Fairs & Events Managementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team has a combined equivalent of 50 years of experience in the industry. They are dedicated, passionate, and employ the most innovative marketing tools and ideas to help their clients grow their businesses.

A Diamond In The Rough

s someone who isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anybody famous, I am eternally grateful to DMT for giving me the opportunity to participate in the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour spending more than 10 days in the United Kingdom. Right off the bat, on the connecting flight from Frankfurt to London, I was walking by the cockpit and noticed the door was open. Peeking in, the pilot actually asked me whether I would like to sit in the cockpit, he even took a photo for me and from then on I knew that this trip was going to be a spectacular one. 93

OUR GREATEST WEAKNESS lies in giving up.

The most certain way to succeed is always to

TRY JUST ONE MORE TIME.

Edmund Edward CEO ALC College

Thomas A. Edison.

After 3 years in the banking industry, my dad felt that it was time for me to join the family business - Fairs & Events Management. Not wanting the staff there to treat me different being the bossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; son, I decided to start at the bottom and work my way up. It is my belief that an MBA will gradually come in handy and give me the tools I need to eventually be able to successfully run the family business. I have always been a very ambitious person and I think that being mildly dyslexic that this MBA is a hurdle that I have to overcome if I want to be somebody successful in the next 10 to 15 years.

Partly to learn more about the MBA course, the other reason I chose to join HUBS 2.0 was the logistics factor. Since 2013 my dad has been running the ASEAN Logistics & Transportation show to create awareness and build the local brands so that Malaysia will be on par 96

with Singapore as an Asian hub. Having heard many good things about DMT in the logistics circle, the trip was also a good opportunity to learn more about the industry from him which wouldn’t be possible under normal circumstances. Apart from learning about logistics, I think I can relate to DMT in the sense that he too joined his father’s company and eventually led it to become what it is today. In order to do this, he was humble and always took the advice of his peers. In addition to this, he showed respect to everybody he worked with and invested a lot in his staff. Another person that really inspired me was Benson Wong; hearing about how he went from selling guppy fishes to selling cars all while he was in University was really interesting to me because I like to dabble in trading myself. However unlike him I always limit myself because I didn’t have much money but his story taught me that money is not a factor, you can start off even with something like guppies, rare them at home and still turn a good profit. The HUBS 2.0 Trip really let me experience a lot of firsts! It was the first time I visited the United Kingdom, the first time I set foot into a university, and the first time I lost my baggage while travelling. The thing that really got me excited however was the visit to Manchester United’s home stadium Old Trafford. I

like a pea and these guys were all giants of their respective industries. I never expected to see so many successful people in one place and not only get inspired but also to learn from them and apply it to my life so that one day I too can become like them. After the trip, I feel that my life has improved in so many ways. In just 10 days, I have learned so many valuable lessons that helped me improve my analytical thinking skills and critical decision making.

am a huge Manchester United fan and I had initially told myself that in five years I will save enough money to make a trip there but little did I know I was able to fast-forward this plan thanks to HUBS 2.0. I had always wanted to go to New Zealand and the Lake District was pretty similar in terms of beauty and I managed to cover pretty much all of London seeing Big Ben, the Royal Palace and more all within three hours before we left England.

THE HUBS 2.0 GROUP REALLY INSPIRED ME AND THEY HAVE BECOME MORE THAN JUST FRIENDS TO ME, THEY ARE MY FAMILY.

I was actually really excited for the trip and was literally counting down the days until it arrived. Beforehand, I reminded myself that I have no track record, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989, is a business and self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey. Covey presents an approach to being effective in attaining goals by aligning oneself to what he calls â&#x20AC;&#x153;true northâ&#x20AC;? principles of a character ethic that he presents as universal and timeless.

THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE. by Stephen Covey

Steve Lim

Director Yen Universe Consultancy

100

Steve Lim is the Director of Yen Universe Consultancy which specialises in helping corporate organizations to elevate the EQ of their employees. Being a certified hypnotherapist, Steve mainly focuses on Neuro-Linguistic programming (NLP) and Hypnosis during his training sessions. With his degree in Biochemistry Steve set up his company in 2010 after a 10-year stint in multi-level marketing.

LOVE – The Only True Emotion on The Planet

ut of all the other participants at the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour, I think I can safely say that I had the most memorable experience in the UK not because it was my first time in the country but because of the fact that I went there with a girlfriend and came home with a fiancé. But before that, let’s start from the beginning.

I first found out about DMT in a magazine article I read awhile back and the thing that struck me first was how this innovative Malaysian entrepreneur used Facebook as a management tool for his company. After reading 101

YOUR THOUGHT

CREATES YOUR

REALITY 102

about so many successful entrepreneurs from Taiwan, China, and the United States of America, I was pretty impressed that it was a Malaysian entrepreneur who was doing something so different and so I decided that I wanted to learn more from this individual. Although I really didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know in detail what this Executive Study Tour was like, I decided to join anyway because I trust DMT and I was pretty sure that whatever he organised would be a valuable experience for me. I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned from successful entrepreneurs and some of these lessons canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be taught. I believe that they themselves may not be aware that they are doing things a certain way and by spending 10 days in such close proximity, I would have a chance to observe and pick up more things during this trip.

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So to sum it up, I joined HUBS 2.0 first to have fun, secondly because I had never been to the UK and third and most importantly, was because I wanted to learn from successful people. It was funny because during the trip I was the only one who went as a couple. My girlfriend at the time, Alice, and I were so used to doing everything together and so it became a habit for us to sit together and talk to each other. However, on the first day of the trip, DMT came up to me and said â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have to ban you two from sitting together.â&#x20AC;? Knowing that DMT always has a

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good reason of doing the things he does, we complied without question and sat apart during the meals and in different vans while travelling and after this, we found that it was so much easier to mingle with the other participants of the group. I think the constant theme that I observed during the trip and one that I can bring back to my organisation is love; the love you have to show to each of your employees, handling them with care, that is the hallmark of a good leader. This really helped re-inforce my perspective because my Neuro-Linguistic Programming training also revolves around positivity in the workplace. I try to educate my clients to never pin-point the weakness of their employees but rather focus on their strengths; it’s like hanging a carrot in front of a person rather than pushing them from the back for motivation. In addition to this, I learned a lot from TJ Ng in terms of compassion and with his vast knowledge in Buddhism, I regard him as sort of a spiritual teacher to me. Nicky Wong on the other hand taught me humility because even though he is such a successful entrepreneur in Brunei he kept a really low profile. Now on the subject of my engagement; before the trip I was sent a photo of the dinner venue in Cave Castle and when I saw it I said yes, this is the place I want to make my memory. Going on the trip, I never told anyone except for Roger Chew and DMT because Alice is too smart, if too many people knew and even one of them was acting fishy, she’d be able to tell something is up right away. Up until reaching the venue, I had no idea of how to pop the question but this was when DMT told me that he would help me out by hand-picking a few “random” participants to ask them about the trip and Alice would be one of them. He said he would ask her some general questions which would lead to personal questions and then I would take over and ask her my very important question.

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I think it was a big surprise for everyone else as well and after that a few others pitched in and we had an impromptu skit where we played out our wedding there in Cave Castle! I am glad I was able to create this unique memory with Alice and I just want to say that it would not have been possible if not for DMT’s help. Sharing this type of experience with a group of people really creates an unbreakable bond.

EVEN LONG AFTER HUBS 2.0 WE STILL GET TOGETHER REGULARLY AND EVEN DURING THE DINNERS THERE IS NO AWKWARDNESS AND WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH EACH OTHER WITHOUT THE NEED FOR SMALL TALK. IT’S LIKE HAVING ONE BIG EXTENDED FAMILY.

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In this volume, You Were Born Rich, Bob Proctor has done it again, this time taking you step by step to the surprising discovery that success is not always reaching out for something that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have but rather only reaching over and rearranging the pieces already there. I read with fascination as Bob carefully built his case and then found myself instantly applying his conclusions to ongoing projects and relationships. Therein lies the great value of this book. You can instantly apply the conclusions to your own life. It will begin to impact you long before you reach the last chapter.

YOU WERE BORN RICH

NOW YOU CAN DISCOVER AND DEVELOP THOSE RICHES by Bob Proctor

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TJ Ng

Managing Director & Design Principal Profound Axis

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Having always been interested in Art, TJ Ng went on to study at the Malaysian Institute of Art after his Secondary education. After obtaining his diploma, TJ branched out to Advertising for a couple of months before realising that it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t his cup of tea. Eventually he made his way to the world of interior design and in 1994 TJ started Profound Axis. Today, 21 years later, Profound Axis is a company employing a team of more than 20 designers, managers and support professionals with TJ at the helm.

Designing A Leader

ver since I am a young boy, I had always been interested in art and I knew that one day , my career would be related to this field. Fast forward many years later, I now run an Interior design company which I could contribute my knowledge to create and transform the interior and architecture space into a user friendly living or working environment to suit all needs. But as I am from art and design background with different character and philosophy compared to other successful Enterpreneur, and therefore I feel that I am somehow lacking in terms of management skills.

Currently I run my company using a very loose and relaxed formula meaning I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really control my staff much. 109

THE ONLY WAY TO DO GREAT WORK IS TO

LOVE

WHAT YOU DO.

If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.

DON’T SETTLE. Steve Jobs

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In general people who work in the creative industry tend to have a different sort of personality and so our working style in Profound Axis is centred on freedom and space for each of my employees to work individually. This management style tends to work best in smaller groups, say about three to five employees, but as the company grew to a size of 20 strong, I am starting to find that it is a bit of a challenge to keep this philosophy. In addition to this, currently I am the only one handling marketing and resolving the issues in addition to planning the design which keeps me very busy. I am trying to groom some of my staff to my level so that they can gradually take over some responsibilities which frees me up to do other things. I really needed more knowledge in terms of leadership 111

and management which was why I decided to join the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour. Having known Dato’ Michael Tio for some time now, I felt that his charisma and leadership was something I wanted to emulate but as I am quite a shy person I didn’t quite know how to approach him to ask for advice. Luckily for me, taking a tour around the UK would prove to be the best way to learn more. Humility was one of the key points I picked up from the trip; watching DMT treat everybody, from top management to younger guys, in the same way brings to mind a key principal in Buddhism – all sentient beings and all of humanity are equal. Being quite a spiritual

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person I practise this equality in my company as well, encouraging the idea that everyone in the team has a worthy contribution; but where I do this on a smaller scale, DMT takes it to a whole new level. Besides the wonderful scenery in England, the one thing that I really enjoyed during the HUBS 2.0 Study Tour were all the insightful conversations during the trip. Just after the flight from London to Manchester on the first day, we had to take a three hour drive towards Whitby. There I was paired with Ms. Chan, Professor Zaini, and DMT and for the entire duration of the trip I was thrilled by the conversation between Ms. Chan and Professor Zaini. We discussed everything from politics, natural policies to religion and sensitive issues; the questions from Ms. Chan were sharp while each of the professorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responds were backed up with facts. It was really one of my favourite moment of the trip and this was only day one! On the second day they changed the seating arrangement and again I got to meet new people and participate in meaningful conversations.

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in the next 6 or 7 years; I had always joked with my eldest son who is 10, I said by the time you are old enough go to university, I would probably join you. But with support from DMT and Dr. Sharon, I have already enrolled for the eMBA program and even though my time is rather limited at the moment due to work and family, I have decided not to waste this opportunity. Even though I am older than DMT I have learned a great deal from him; being a good leader is not so much about how intelligent you are or how good your networking skills are but rather it is your character and how you support the people you are leading.

Seeing as how I have never studied in a university before it has always been my dream to study in one and the visit to Hull University exposed me to what campus life would be like. Based on my original plan, I was going to take an MBA

YOU MAY HAVE ALL THE TALENT IN THE WORLD BUT IF YOU HAVE A BAD CHARACTER, YOU WONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T BE ABLE TO LEAD EFFECTIVELY. 114

With an infectious joy and insatiable curiosity, Yongey Mingyur weaves together the principles of Tibetan Buddhism, neuroscience, and quantum physics in a way that will forever change the way we understand the human experience. Using the basic meditation practices he provides, we can discover paths through everyday problems, transforming obstacles into opportunities to recognize the unlimited potential of our own minds. With a foreword by bestselling author Daniel Goleman, The Joy of Living is a stunning breakthrough, an illuminating vision of the science of Buddhism and a handbook for transforming our minds, bodies, and lives.

THE JOY OF LIVING

UNLOCKING THE SECRET & SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Foreword by Daniel Goleman

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