Vol 2 2011: June PP 8307/12/2011 (029603)

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HIGHTLIGHTS OF MAJOR PROGRAMMES - 1ST HALF 2011

Premier of China HE Wen Jiabao and Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib arriving at the Malaysia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum accompanied by ASLI CEO Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh.

ASLI Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah and Directors Dato’ Razman Hashim and Tan Sri Dr. Ramon Navaratnam accompanying Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to an ASLI lunch.

At the ASEAN Leadership Forum in Jakarta. From right: ASLI President Mr. Mirzan Mahathir, Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato’ Seri Anifah Aman, AXIATA CEO Dato’ Seri Jamaluddin Ibrahim, Mr Aburizal Bakrie, ASEAN Secretary General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Indonesia’s Vice President Dr. Boediono, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib, Cambodian Senior Minister Cham Prasidh, Maybank President & CEO Dato’ Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and ASLI CEO Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh.

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ASLI CO-ORGANISES WITH MITI & MIDA MALAYSIA-CHINA ECONOMIC & TRADE COOPERATION

FORUM FOR PREMIER WEN

The Malaysia China Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum co-organised by MITI, MATRADE and ASLI. From left: China’s Commerce Minister Chen Deming, Premier of China Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak and MITI Minister Dato’ Seri Mustapa Mohamad.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Dept Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, China’s Premier Wen Jiabao and ASLI CEO Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh arriving at the Forum.

Premier Wen Jiabao, MITI Minister Datuk Sri Mustapa Mohamad, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib, MIDA Director General Dato’ Jalilah Baba and ASLI CEO Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh.

From right: GOLDIS Executive Chairman Ms Tan Lei Cheng, INTI University Founder Mr. Tan Yew Sing and VIP Guests at the Forum.

PK Resources Bhd Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Gan Kong Seng and Tan Sri Michael Chen former Housing Minister.

During the official visit to Malaysia by the Premier of the People’s Republic of China in April 2011, ASLI joined MIDA and CCCME in co-organising the Malaysia-China Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum which had Premier Wen delivering the Keynote Address.

The Forum was attended by over 1000 delegates from China and Malaysia. Many top Corporate Leaders were in the audience to hear the Premier’s Address. The Forum was hosted by the Ministry of International Trade & Industry Malaysia and China’s Ministry of Commerce.

Premier Wen made several specific proposals to further strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation. He called for an expansion of bilateral trade and said China needs more palm oil, rubber and electronic products from Malaysia. He also announced that China will import frozen durians from Malaysia. He said China can offer Malaysia quality electronic and machinery products as well as biotech and medical products. China also welcomes Malaysia participation in trade

fairs in China. Premier Wen also hope Malaysia will import more halal products from China.

Premier Wen also called for deepening of two-way investment cooperation as well as reinforcing cooperation in infrastructure development. He said the Chinese Government will support the participation of Chinese companies in Malaysia’s infrastructure development especially in building roads, rail, dams and bridges. The Premier expressed China’s continued support for Malaysian companies investing in China. Premier Wen also supported the establishment of a Malaysia China Industrial Park in China and promised to encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Malaysia whilst welcoming Malaysian investment in China. He also spoke about China’s 12th five-year Development Plan which seeks to open China more to the outside world.

Premier Wen also stressed the need to scale up financial cooperation as well as cooperation in education where he called for more exchanges between Malaysian and Chinese scholars and researchers as well as increased cooperation in science and

IOI Executive Chairman Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng with MITI Secretary General Datuk Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria.

Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, Ms Dianna Lee and Ms Jean Wong.

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ASLI‘s Ms Jean Wong having a word with PNB CEO Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah whilst Rimbunan Hijau Chairman Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King looks on.

Datuk Lew Sip Hon, Tan Sri Ramli Kushairi, Puan Sri Susan Cheah, Azran Osman Rani, Mrs. Yvonne Chia and Tan Sri Kishu Tirathrai.

Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik, Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat and Tan Sri Yap Yong Seong.

ASLI Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah with MIDA Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Sulaiman Mahbob.

Health Minister Dato’ Seri Liow Tiong Lai arriving at the Forum accompanied by ASLI CEO Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh.

MAS Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Munir Majid at the Forum.

ASLI Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah with MATRADE Chairman Dato’ Mah Siew Keong and MIDA Director General Dato’ Jalilah Baba.

technology. He announced that the Chinese Government has approved the establishment of a Bank Negara Representative Office in Beijing. The Premier is confident that the growing bilateral ties will embrace an even better future. In his response Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib stressed that Malaysia views China as a friend not an adversary, a colleague not a competitor, a partner not a rival. He also said that China is now Malaysia’s largest trading partner globally. Yet Malaysia still want to double trade with China over the next 5 years. China is now Malaysia’s largest trading partner globally whilst Malaysia is China’s largest trading partner in ASEAN and 8th largest globally.

Earlier China’s Minister of Commerce Mr. Chen Deming and Minister of International Trade and Industry Dato’ Seri Mustapa Mohamed also addressed the conference. Dato’ Mustapa said to implement quickly the new Agreement signed between the two countries to deepen and expand bilateral ties a new Task Force will be set up. Minister Datuk Mustapa said that Malaysian companies

invested over USD2 billion in China but Chinese investments in Malaysia only amounted to USD250 million. He also said both countries have agreed to close this gap by getting more Chinese companies to invest in Malaysia, pointing out that there is keen interest from Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in Sarawak.

Several Ministers from both countries attended the Forum. They included China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Minister of National Development and Reform Commission Mr. Zhang Ping, Minister of Policy Planning of the State Council Mr. Xie Fuzhan. From Malaysian side, Ministers who participated included Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, Transport Minister Dato’ Seri Kong Cho Ha and Health Minister Dato’ Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

This is the 2nd time that ASLI has been given the honour to host a Business Forum for Premier Wen Jiabao in Kuala Lumpur, the 1st time in 2005 when Premier Wen addressed the Asean Business & Investment Summit co-organised by ASLI and the East Asia Business Council and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council.

ASLI CO-ORGANISES WITH MITI & MIDA MALAYSIA-CHINA ECONOMIC & TRADE COOPERATIONFORUM FOR PREMIER WEN

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8TH ASEAN LEADERSHIP FORUM

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib receiving a memento from Forum Chairman Aburizal Bakrie with Indonesia’s Vice President Dr. Boediono, ASLI CEO Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh and President of KADIN Suryo Sulisto.

ASLI’s President Mirzan Mahathir greeting the Vice President of Indonesia Dr. Boediono whilst Aburizal Bakrie looks on.

ASLI President Mr. Mirzan Mahathir greeting Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib at the ASEAN Leadership Forum organised by ASLI whilst Forum Chairman Aburizal Bakrie looks on.

The 8th Axiata ASEAN Leadership Forum organised annually by ASLI was held in Jakarta in May 2011 in conjunction with the 18th ASEAN Summit hosted by Indonesia. Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib and Indonesian Vice President Dr. Boediono were among the keynote speakers. Other distinguished speakers include Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Senior Minister and Minister of Commerce Cambodia Cham Prasidh, Indonesia’s Vice Minister of Trade Mahendra Siregar, Vice Minister of Transport Bambang Susantono, Former ASEAN Secretary-General and Singapore Ambassador-at-Large Ong Keng Yong, Ambassador Pradap Pibulsonggram, Member of the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee, Mr. Hidetoshi Nishimura, Executive Director Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, Mr. Aburizal Bakrie, Dato’ Seri Jamaluddin Ibrahim, Mr. Suryo Sulisto Chairman of KADIN, Tunku Abidin President IDEAS, Mr. Darwin Silalahi Chairman of Shell Indonesia and Mr. Tanri Abeng Chairman of Globe Media Group.

In his Opening Keynote Address Vice President Dr. Boediono spoke about the centrality of ASEAN and the need to develop a Post 2015 vision. He stressed that how we deal with global challenges will be a test of ASEAN solidarity. He also emphasised that ASEAN must be people centric in all its initiatives. ASEAN

community needs all stakeholders - government, business, civil society and academia. He argued that we need a more inclusive ASEAN.

The Vice President also commented on Indonesia’s priorities as Chair for ASEAN. Under Indonesia’s chairmanship, ASEAN will narrow development gaps and be more inclusive. ASEAN also needs to focus on Food and Energy Security. He also commented on the ASEAN Action Plan on Energy Cooperation. ASEAN also needs to step up engagement with civil society.

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib in his Special Keynote Address said he is incredibly proud of ASEAN. He said to drive change across ASEAN we would need transformational Leadership. He explained that genuine transformation means taking something good and making it into something better. He reiterated the need to embrace change and drive change to build a better future for all our people.

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib stressed that ASEAN must show the way and be able to set aside our differences and work towards peace and harmony.

Former ASEAN Secretary General Ambassador Ong Keng Yong moderating a session with ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Pushpananthan and Indonesia’s Vice Minister of Trade Mahendra Siregar.

Speakers at the ASEAN Connectivity Session moderated by Dato’ Mohd Iqbal, Vice President ASEAN Business Forum (centre). On his right is Indonesia’s Vice Minister of Transport Bambang Susantono and Thailand’s Ambassador Pradap.

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Indonesian MP Mr. Hartarto, IDEAS President Tunku Abidin and Thailand’s Chulalangkorn University Professor Chayodom.

Dato’ Sri Najib said that ASEAN should focus on 3 key areas. Firstly, ASEAN must make social progress and develop stronger ASEAN consciousness. Secondly, ASEAN must continue to drive economic growth and opening up of markets. Thirdly, ASEAN must ensure growth is driven by good governance, accountability and transparency.

The ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan said ASEAN will build a community within a Global Community of Nations. ASEAN is a threat to none. We can accommodate everyone. When speaking about the ASEAN Charter, he said ASEAN means what we say. ASEAN has benefited from a centrality of goodwill but we need to focus this year on a centrality of substance.

The Secretary-General spoke about one of ASEAN’s strengths which is its diversity but also managing diversity is also one of ASEAN’s major challenges. He also said ASEAN needs free movement of skilled workers. ASEAN must think of its 560 million population and its combined GDP in PPP terms of USD 2.9 trillion is a huge amount.

In a Luncheon Address, Mr. Ernest Bower, Senior Adviser and Director Southeast Asia Program, Centre for Strategic & International Studies, Washington DC told the Forum that the Obama Administration is more engaged with Southeast Asia. US investments in ASEAN is 3 times more than US investments in China and 10 times more than its investments in India.

The ASEAN Leadership Forum was attended by 300 participants from government, business and civil society. Among the topics discussed at the Forum are Looking Towards 2015, Enhancing ASEAN Connectivity, Promoting Green Growth and Sustainable development, and a session Engaging with Younger Leaders.

Maybank hosted the Opening Banquet and Axiata was the Title Sponsor. Other corporate sponsors include Sime Darby Berhad, Permodalan Nasional Berhad, Farlim Holding Sdn Bhd, PT. Proton Edar Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad, Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd, Strait of Malacca Partners.

Maybank President & CEO Dato’ Seri Abdul Wahid Omar greeting the Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib at the ASEAN Leadership Forum organised by ASLI in Jakarta, whilst the Vice President of Indonesia HE Dr. Boediono and ASLI CEO Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh look on.

President of ASLI Mr. Mirzan Mahathir presenting a memento to the ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. Looking on are Cambodia’s Senior Minister Cham Prasidh and Axiata Group CEO Dato’ Seri Jamaluddin Ibrahim.

CEO of Axiata Group Dato’ Seri Jamaluddin Ibrahim greeting the senior minister of Cambodia Cham Prasidh.

From left: Mr. Suryo Sulisto President of KADIN, Mr. Tanri Abeng, Mr. Darwin Silalahi of Shell Indonesia, Mrs. Pipah Mohd Nasir of Setia Haruman and Mr. Azli Mohamad.

8TH ASEAN LEADERSHIP FORUM

Mr. Ernie Bowie Senior Adviser and Director, Southeast Asia Programme at Centre of Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC.

From right: Mr. Karim Raslan, Mr. John Pang of CIMB Asean Research Institute, Ms Imee Marcos Governor of Illocos Norte Province, Philipines and Ms Ng Yeen Seen of CPPS.

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15TH MALAYSIAN EDUCATION SUMMIT

Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor accompanied by Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah and Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh.

ASLI Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah greeting Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Prime Minister on her arrival to attend ASLI’s Malaysian Education Summit.

Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor receiving a memento from Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah after delivering the Luncheon Keynote Address at the summit.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah presenting a memento to Mr. Lee Weng Keng CEO, Sunway Education & Healthcare Division.

In the last several years, we have seen deliberate and gradual steps taken towards transitioning the education landscape in Malaysia. We witnessed the implementation of strategic masterplans such as the National Education Blueprint (2006 - 2010) and the National Higher Education Action Plan (2007 - 2010) that clearly defined success factors and challenges, outlined goals and milestones and identified key stakeholders and target groups. Indeed, a foundation has been laid and the education sector looks poised for further advancement as the transformation process moves into full swing.

Education continues to be one of the top priorities and key focus areas in the Government and Economic Transformation Programmes, with the government pro-actively engaging the education community in what is perhaps the most concerted effort in education todate. Bearing this in mind, ASLI’s 15th Malaysian Education Summit was organised with the objective to provide key insights into the major developments on-going in the Malaysian education space.

The summit was held on 11 - 12 April 2011 at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa and had attracted more than 200 delegates representing key industry players from private & public sector tertiary institutions, government bodies & policy makers, scholarship & education foundations, international & private schools, teachers’ councils & unions, parent-teacher associations, partner companies & organisations of universities and colleges, private sector & industry experts as well as foreign embassies & high commissions.

Themed “Transformation in Motion: Driving Dynamic Improvement towards a World-Class Education System”; the summit was officiated by Prof. Dr. Rujhan Mustafa, Director General, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education, on behalf of Minister of Higher Education, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

The summit also heard from keynote speaker, Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, Wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, who shared her thoughts on early childhood care and education in her speech entitled “Nurturing Young Minds - Building a Foundation for Lifelong Learning” during the Luncheon Keynote Address. Meanwhile, Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Higher Education II, delivered the summit’s closing address.

Over the course of the 2-day summit, discussions covered the full spectrum of education from early childhood care & education, primary through tertiary education, as well as continuous education & professional development of the workforce. Pertinent topics included education and the New Economic Model, public-private partnership in education, school transformation, accessibility and quality of early childhood education, ICT in classroom delivery, technical education & vocational training and teacher training.

Among the panel of distinguished role-players at the summit were Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Wira Dr. Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin, Vice-Chancellor, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Ramon V. Navaratnam, Chairman, Centre for Public Policy Studies and Pro-Chancellor, Sunway University; Tan Sri Dato’ Asiah Abu Samah, Former

Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Higher Education II, presenting a souvenir to Prof. Dato’ Dr. Hassan Said, Vice Chancellor and President, Taylor’s University at the Closing Ceremony of the 15th Malaysian Education Summit.

Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, Chairman of ASLI, thanking Prof. Dr. Rujhan Mustafa, Director General, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education for his presence at the summit.

Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor exchanging greetings with Dato‘ Dr. Parmjit Singh, Executive Director of Asia Pacific University College of Technology & Innovation.

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Former Director-General, Ministry of Education, Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Asiah Abu Samah leading the panel on “Transforming Schools-Developing Excellence in Primary & Secondary Schools”. She is flanked by Dato’ Siva Subramaniam, Former Secretary General, NUTP and Advisor, CUEPACS and Mr. Keeran Sivarajah, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Teach for Malaysia.

Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd Saleh Jaafar, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation), Universiti Putra Malaysia and Prof. Datuk Dr. Khairuddin Ab Hamid, Vice Chancellor, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in a candid moment during the session on “ Education for Research and Innovation”.

Session moderator, Mr. Mark Disney, Chief Operating Officer-Asia, LCCI International Qualifications, making a point during a discussion on Technical Education & Vocational Training. He is joined by panellists, Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria, Secretary, Special Implementation Taskforce, Cabinet Committee on the Indian Community, Prime Minister’s Department and En. Zaliza bin Zulkipli, Executive Director, Pahang Skills Development Centre.

Distinguished panel members on “Merging Public & Private Best Practices in Creating a Premier Education Hub”: Prof. Helmut Lueckenhausen, Pro Vice-Chancellor/Chief Executive, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Ansary Ahmed, President/CEO, Asia e University, Datuk Prof. Dr. Roziah Omar, Director, Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Datin Prof. Ir. Dr. Siti Hamisah Tapsir, Deputy Director-General, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education and Prof. Robert Bignall, Vice-Chancellor, Executive Director, Sunway University.

Prof. Dr. Tai Shzee Yew, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Industry and Community Relations), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Prof. Datuk Dr. Md. Zabid Hj. Abd Rashid, President and Vice Chancellor, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNITAR), Dr. Geoffrey Willams, Head of Education Committee, EUMCCI and Prof. Dr. Saran Kaur Gill, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Industry and Community Partnerships), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in a session on Promoting University-Community-Industry Partnership.

Director-General, Ministry of Education; Prof. Datuk Dr. Chiam Heng Keng, Advisor, Association of Professional Early Childhood Educators, Malaysia (MAPECE); Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria, Secretary, Special Implementation Taskforce, Cabinet Committee on the Indian Community, Prime Minister’s Department; Prof. Dato’ Dr. Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid, Deputy President, INTI Education Group; Prof. Datuk Dr. Khairuddin Ab Hamid, Vice Chancellor, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak; Prof. Datuk Dr. Md. Zabid Hj. Abd Rashid, President & Vice-Chancellor, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNlTAR); Prof. Datuk Dr. Megat Burhainuddin bin Megat Abdul Rahman, Vice Chancellor, MAHSA; Datuk Prof. Mohd Yusof Kasim, Vice Chancellor, Asia Pacific University College of Technology & Innovation; Dato’ Azman Amin Bin Hassan, Director General, Department of National Unity and Integration (JPNIN); Dato’ Dr. Hassan Said, Vice Chancellor & President, Taylor’s University; Dato’ Prof. Dr. Nik Rahimah Nik Yacob, Vice Chancellor/Chief Executive, Masterskill University College of Health Sciences; Prof. Dato’ Omar Osman, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Student Affairs & Development Division), Universiti Sains Malaysia; Dato’Siva Subramaniam, Former Secretary General, NUTP and Advisor, CUEPACS; Tengku Nurul Azian Tengku Shahriman, Director - Education, Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU); Assoc. Prof.

Elajsolan Mohan, President, National Association of Private Educational Institutions (NAPEI); Ms. Elizabeth Lee, Executive Director, Sunway University; Dr. Geoffrey Williams, Head of Education Committee, EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EUMCCI); Prof. Dr. Ian Kerr, Pro Vice-Chancellor / Chief Executive, Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia; Mr. Keeran Sivarajah, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Teach for Malaysia; Dr. Khong Kim Hoong, Senior Vice Presldent, HELP University College; Prof. Dr. Kurunathan Ratnavelu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor/Head of Strategic Planning Unit, Universiti Malaya; Mr. Mark Disney, Chief Operationg Officer - Asia, LCCI International Qualifications; Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd Saleh Jaafar, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation), Universiti Putra Malaysia; Mr. Phoon Chong Chee, Executive Council Member, National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP); Prof. Dr. Saran Kaur Gill, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Industry and Community Partnerships), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; Dr. Stephen Jones, Dean of Clinical Affairs, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia; Prof. Dr. Tai Shzee Yew, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Industry and Community Relations), Universiti Putra Malaysia; and En. Zaliza bin Zulkipli, Executive Director, Pahang Skills Development Centre.

15TH MALAYSIAN EDUCATION SUMMIT

Distinguished panel members of the VC’s Roundtable: Prof. Dato’ Omar Osman, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Student Affairs & Development Division), Universiti Sains Malaysia; Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Ramon V. Navaratnam, Chairman Centre for Public Policy Studies and Pro-Chancellor, Sunway University; Prof. Dato’ Dr. Hassan Said, Vice Chancellor & President, Taylor’s University; Prof. Dr. Kurunathan Ratnavelu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor/Head of Strategic Planning Unit, Universiti Malaya; and Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd Saleh Jaafar, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation), Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Wira Dr. Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin, Vice-Chancellor of UKM, Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Ramon V. Navaratnam, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Hassan Said and Prof. Dr. Kurunathan Ratnavelu in a dialogue session with participants.

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Dato’ Seri Haji Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah, Minister of Finance II being greeted by ASLI Director, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam upon arrival at the 15th Malaysian Banking Summit as Ms Jean Wong of ASLI and En. Saiful Bahari Baharom of MOF look on.

Second Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Haji Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah receiving a memento from En. Mirzan Mahathir, President of ASLI.

The Minister with ASLI’s President, CEO and representatives of summit partners & sponsors (L-R): Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Berhad, SAP Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Maybank Berhad, Silverlake Axis Ltd, ING Insurance Berhad, Visa, Maxis Berhad, Affin Bank Berhad, Cisco Systems Malaysia Sdn Bhd, and Institut Bank-Bank Malaysia.

Second Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Ahmad Husni meeting the Managing Directors of Silverlake and SAP Malaysia.

Mr. Mukhtar Hussain looks on as fellow panellist, En. Abdul Farid Alias, Deputy President & Head of Global Wholesale Banking, Maybank shares his point of view.

Mr. Mukhtar Hussain, Global CEO, HSBC Amanah and Deputy Chairman & CEO, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad stresses on a point during the CEO’s Roundtable. To his left is session moderator, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam.

In a globalised post-crisis era, banks worldwide are faced with an increasingly volatile business and socio-political environment. Consequently, banks abroad and in Malaysia are managing profitability and growth under significantly higher capital, risk, liquidity and balance sheet constraint. In addition, competition has intensified for Malaysian banks stemming from liberalisation at home, expansion into regional markets and emerging players from BRIC countries riding on the strength of their domestic markets. To be successful, our players will need to redefine their business scope, bolster their core business, focus on specialised niche areas, and perhaps even find optimal exit strategies for risky and unprofitable ventures.

Entering into its 15th edition this year, ASLI’s Malaysian Banking Summit was themed “Banking for Growth - Fuelling Economic Transformation and Expanding Revenue Frontiers” and was held on 19 & 20 May 2011 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The Summit attracted about 220 delegates, representing various banks, financial institutions, government agencies and regulatory bodies as well as business and technology consultants specialising in the banking and finance industry.

During the opening keynote address Dato’ Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Minister of Finance II, said that the government is confident that the financial services industry will be one of the leading growth areas to propel the country towards a high income status economy. The Minister also shared that the Malaysian financial services industry is expected to contribute 10.0 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2020, offering 562,000 positions of employment or twice the total in 2010. Dato’ Seri further stressed that the government would like to see a future banking system that is inclusive, understands the needs of the average consumer, small and medium sized companies and low-income families, while attending to the needs of manufacturers, big corporations and rich families.

Following that, the summit progressed with engaging and thought-provoking discussions with panellists deliberating at length over potential new growth areas unlocked by the ETP as well as industry outlook in the high income economy. Over the course of the 2-day summit, discussions covered key banking and finance segments such as Islamic finance & takaful, core banking systems, consumer banking, risk management, mass affluent

15TH MALAYSIAN BANKING SUMMIT

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En. Mirzan Mahathir, Mrs. Yvonne Chia-Group Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Hong Leong Bank Berhad, Dato’ Seri Haji Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah and Mr. Stuart Tomlinson-Country Manager, Malaysia of Visa.

En. Badlisyah Abdul Ghani, Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad and Datuk Dr. Hamzah Kassim, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, The iA Group at the second session “Championing Islamic Finance & Takaful-Becoming the Premier Global Hub”.

Minister exchanging greetings with New Zealand High Commissioner David Pine and Melewar Deputy Chairman Mr. James Beltran.

“Advancing the Heart of Banking-Core Banking Systems” is the topic of discussion for Mr. Dan Hartman, Core Banking and Banking Modernisation Leader, IBM ASEAN, Mr. Chu Hong Keong, Chief Information Officer, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad and Mr. Goh Peng Ooi, Chairman, Silverlake.

Prof. Dato’ Dr. Mohd Azmi Omar, Pro Tem Chairman, Association for Islamic Finance Advancement (AIFA) and Mr. Tay Kay Luan, Chief Executive Officer, Institut Bank-Bank Malaysia speaking at the session “Human Capital Innovation-Leaping Ahead in the Race for Talent”.

Mr. Peter England, Head-Retail Banking, CIMB Bank Berhad moderates the session on “Engaging the Next Generation Consumer” with panellists En. Mohamed Akwal Sultan, Chief Executive Officer, Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) and Mr. Vince Au Yoong, Acting Director-Retail, RHB Bank Berhad.

market, payment eco-system and human capital innovation. The annual summit also served as a platform for meeting of like minds to exchange ideas, best practices and emerging industry trends.

Among the panel of distinguished role-players at the summit were Tan Sri Ramon V. Navaratnam, Chairman, Centre for Public Policy Studies and Former Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Finance; Mr. Mukhtar Hussain, Global CEO, HSBC Amanah and Deputy Chairman & CEO, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad; Ms. Yvonne Chia, Group Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hong Leong Bank Berhad; En. Badlisyah Abdul Ghani, Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad; Datuk Dr. Hamzah Kassim, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, The iA Group; Prof. Dato’ Dr. Mohd Azmi Omar, Pro Tem Chairman, Association for Islamic Finance Advancement (AIFA); En. Abdul Farid Alias, Deputy President, Head Global Wholesale Banking, Maybank; Mr. Andrew Kerr, Chief Risk Officer, AmBank Group Berhad; Mr. Andrew Lai, Head, Payment Market Infrastructures, Asia Pacific, SWIFT; Mr. Anthony Raja Devadoss, Senior Director, KellyOCG, APAC & Centre of Excellence; Mr. Arthur Calipo, Director, Booz & Co.; Mr. Chu Hong Keong, Chief Information

Officer, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad; Mr. Dan Hartman, Core Banking and Banking Modernisation Leader, IBM ASEAN; Mr. Goh Peng Ooi, Chairman, Silverlake; Dr. John Lee, Group Chief Risk Officer, Maybank; Mr. Justin Soong, Group Chief Risk Officer, EON Bank Group; Mr. Kenny Kim, Group Chief Financial Officer & Head of Group Strategy and Finance, CIMB Group; Ms. Lilian Long, General Manager - Wealth Management, Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Bhd; Mr. Luca Griseri, Associate Director, Finance Practice Group, Nielsen Malaysia; Mr. Manoj Purohit, Chief Solution Architect - FSI, Borderless Networks, Asia Pacific, Cisco Systems Inc.; En. Mohamed Akwal Sultan, Chief Executive Officer, Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK); En. Mohamed Ismail Mohamed Shariff, Partner, SKRINE; Mr. Peter England, Head - Retail Banking, CIMB Bank Berhad; Mr. Promod Dass, Head, Financial Institution Ratings, RAM Rating Services Berhad; Mr. T. Kugan, Head of Product Development and Infotainment Services, Maxis Communications Berhad; Mr. Tay Kay Luan, Chief Executive Officer, Institut Bank-Bank Malaysia; and Mr. Vince Au Yoong, Acting Director - Retail, RHB Bank Berhad.

15TH MALAYSIAN BANKING SUMMIT

The Second Finance Minister Speaking with Dato’ Maznah Jalil of Kenanga Investment Group.

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GREATER KL: SMART CITY OF THE FUTURE CONFERENCE

Federal Territories Minister Raja Dato’ Nong Chik presenting a memento to then IBM’s General Manager Mr. Nazeroll Nizam Kassim.

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, Chairman of ASLI presenting a memento to Senator Dato’ Raja Nong Chik Minister of the Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing after his Closing Keynote Address.

Datuk David Chua, Secretary-General, Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry Malaysia, Mr. David Jones, President of the EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Mr. Ahmad Suhaili, Head of Greater KLETP of PEMANDU.

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, Senator Dato’ Raja Nong Chik Minister and Datuk Eddy Chen at the Metrokajang Group booth.

The Public Roundtable on Making KL A More Liveable City - Role of the Public and Civil Society session with Puan Norliza Hashim, President of the Malaysian Institute of Planners, Datin Halimah Mohd Said, Chairperson of CORE Organising Committee, Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria, Secretary, Special Implementation Task Force, Cabinet Committee for Indian Community, Prime Minister’s Department and Ms Fui Soong, Executive Director, AmCHAM Malaysia.

Mr. Ho Chin Soon, Managing Director of Ho Chin Soon Research Sdn Bhd, Datuk Eddy Chen, Patron, REHDA / Managing Director, Metrokajang Group and Mr. Adnan Dato’ Dr. Mahmood Merican, Executive Director of MGIP Capital Sdn Bhd.

The inclusion of Greater KL as one of the 12 NKEA’s under the Economic Transformation Programme has created a lot of buzz and excitement. The recent announcement of Iconic projects in Kuala Lumpur such as the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka project and the new Kuala Lumpur International Financial District had generated interest but at the same time raised some concerns. To enable key stakeholders to have a better understanding of the Greater KL vision and also to promote dialogue and discussions among the key players involved in the development of Greater KL, ASLI organised the Greater KL: Smart City of the Future Conference on March 7, 2011 at the Prince Hotel and Residence Kuala Lumpur.

The Economic Transformation Programme envisages the transformation of Greater KL into one of global top 20 most liveable cities by 2020. It seeks to grow the population from 6 million to 10 million and to increase the Gross National Income contribution from RM258 billion to RM650 billion per year. It also envisages that growth in Greater KL economic activities will increase employment from 2.5 mill in 2010 to 4.2 mill by 2020. The transformational programmes for Greater KL calls for it to be a greater magnet for multi-national corporations, enhancing regional and inter-city connectivity and to identify new attractions to make Greater KL a more liveable city and to draw tourists and migrants from other parts of Malaysia. PEMANDU envisages that cumulative funding for the Greater KL economic entry point projects will be RM 172 billion from 2010 to 2020.

Dato’ Dr Michael Yeoh in his welcoming remarks stated that the projects planned were comprehensive but he hoped the Government would conduct more regular open dialogues with the stakeholders for transparency. “The stakeholders, the public and business community, must know the process of implementing these projects for greater transparency. People

should know what is in store for them arising from these projects as their input could help enhance the implementation of these projects,” he added on.

IBM Singapore Pte Ltd director (government & education, healthcare & life sciences and growth market unit) Mr. Madhav Ragam said the time was right for Malaysia to move towards Greater KL as it could learn from other’s knowledge and experiences in growing a city. “IBM has been part of this development elsewhere and is looking forward to its participation in Greater KL here,” he said.

In his Closing Keynote Address, The Hon. Senator Dato’ Raja Nong Chik, Minister of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing, said that, “While the task is daunting, we must be diligent in our journey to achieve this 21st -century metropolis. If we can solve the problems and implement the necessary actions to achieve our goals as mapped out by the ETP, the rewards will be enormous”. The Minister added that according to the ETP, the economic aspiration for Greater KL/KV is to grow its GNI contribution from approximately RM258 billion to RM650 billion per year. According to the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), this should move our GNI share from approximately 30 percent of the nation’s GNI to approximately 40 percent.

Senator Dato’ Raja Nong Chik ended his speech with a notion that is no one definitive answer to these questions, which require consultative and inclusive solutions. However, it is clear that we need cooperation and win-win partnerships, between public and private sector, government and society as well as other stakeholders in order to drive and accelerate the vision of Greater KL. Let us all work together hand-in-hand to truly recast KL as a utopia of the 21st century and a beacon for prosperity.

11

HUMAN RESOURCES SUMMIT

Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam receiving a memento from Puan Sri Susan Cheah at the opening ceremony of the 12th National Human Resources Summit.

The issue of talent has been one that is high on the agenda of most companies and organisations in Malaysia. A smart and forward-thinking organisation knows that its business model, people practices and quality of talent pool must change ahead of the high-income economy we aim to achieve. Hence, there need to be an underlying paradigm shift in the HR ecosystem encompassing the way we attract, groom, retain and lead talent, as well as the succession planning for a robust talent pipeline.

Entering into its 12th edition this year, ASLI’s National Human Resources Summit took on the theme “Fortifying the HR Infrastructure: Building Human Capital, Escalating Organisational Value” and was held on 29 March 2011 at The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur. The Summit attracted more than 180 delegates, representing various private and public corporations, SMEs, industrial associations, well as non-government organisations.

The summit delivers an impactful 1-day programme by providing local & global industry updates, hands-on knowledge via case studies and insights into winning HR practices by leading companies today. Summit discussions covers core HR functions such as strategies & organisational transformation, employee engagement, leadership, salary & rewards, talent management, succession & continuity planning as well as insights into prominent HR surveys & emerging trends.

Leading the distinguished panel of speakers at the Summit is the keynote speaker, Y.B. Dato’ Dr. S. Subramaniam, Minister of Human Resources who delivered a keynote address entitled Next Generation Workforce - Developing Quality Human Capital for the New Economy during the official opening of the Summit.

Among the highlights of the summit is a presentation from IBM featuring insights from its 2010 Global Chief Human Resource Officer Study. Based on input from more than 700 CHROs in 61 countries, the study reveals

how businesses and organizations can work beyond confining borders and infuse their operations with creativity, flexibility and speed necessary to seize opportunities when they arise. The summit also features an award presentation to 10 winners emerging from Aon Hewitt’s Best Employers in Malaysia 2011 Study. This study is part of Aon Hewitt’s largest flagship employee engagement study in the Asia region and seeks to research outstanding practices of leading organizations to engage employees and drive high performance.

The panel of speakers, panellists and moderators was made up of experienced HR consultants & practitioners from various industries. They were Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, President & Chief Executive Officer, S P Setia; Dato’ Mohd Shukri Hussin, Executive Director, CIMB Group; Mr. Anthony Raja Devadoss, Senior Director, KellyOCG, APAC & Centre of Excellence; Dr. Brent Ruge, Practice Director - Southeast Asia, Organisation Surveys & Insights, Towers Watson; Mr. David Wee, Director - Research and Curriculum, ICLIF Leadership & Governance Centre; Mr. George Aveling, Group CEO, TMI Malaysia & TACK Malaysia; Mr. Hari Abburi, Consulting Lead for Malaysia, Aon Hewitt; En. Johan Mahmood Merican, Chief Executive Officer, TalentCorp Malaysia; Dr. Kamarulzaman b. Mohamed Zin, Chief Executive Officer, Silterra Malaysia; Ms. Madvhi Pande, Solution Head, Broad Based Compensation SEA, Aon Hewitt; En. Mohd Taufik bin Haji Ismail, Chief Executive Officer, KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital Sdn Bhd; Pn. Nora Abd Manaf, Head, Group Human Capital, Maybank; Mr. Philip Thrush, Country Manager, Global Business Services, IBM Malaysia and Indonesia; Mr. Pun Tian Pouw, Client Partner, Korn/Ferry International; Mr. Ramesh Kumar Singam, Managing Director of Federal Express Services; Mr. Rohn Rajen, Managing Director, RRC Worldwide Sdn Bhd. Ms. Sarah Casanova, Managing Director, Golden Arches Restaurants; and Mr. Stephen A. Cokkinias, General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur.

Distinguished panel members on “Putting People Practices First - Key Insights and Lessons from the Best Employer in Malaysia 2011 Study”: Ms Sarah Casanova, Managing Director , Golden Arches Restaurants; Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, President & Chief Executive Officer, S P Setia; Mr. Hari Abburi, Consulting Lead for Malaysia, Aon Hewitt; Mr. Stephen A. Cokkinias, General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur; and Dato’ Mohd Shukri Hussin, Executive Director, CIMB Group.

Minister with representatives of ASLI, Aon Hewitt and IBM at the 12th National Human Resources Summit.

Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, Mr. Hari Abburi and Dato’ Mohd Shukri Hussin engaging in a lively discussion with delegates during a Q&A session.

Minister exchanging greetings with Mr. Johan Merican CEO Talent Corporation and Prof Dato’ Dr. Norma Mansor of NEAC.

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EVENTS ROUNDUP

ASLI CEO Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh and MITI Secretary General Dato’ Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria greeting the Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak whilst MITI Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad looks on.

Prof Saran Kaur, Deputy Vice Chancellor, UKM, Prof Dato’ Dr. Hassan Said President of Taylor’s University, Prof Tan Sri Sharifah Hapsah, Vice Chancellor of UKM and Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam.

Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah having a word with General Tan Sri Hashim Ali and Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew at the Malaysia-China Economic Coorperation Forum.

ASLI’s Ms Jean Wong with wife of the Prime Minister Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, Dato’ Razman Hashim, Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah and Mr. Max Say.

Dato’ Razman Hashim, Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor and Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh.

Deputy Minister of International Trade & Industry Dato’ Mukhriz Mahathir and CCPIT Vice Chairman Mr. Wang Jinzhen at the ASEAN-China SME Conference co-organized by ASLI.

Mr. N. V. Raman of Air Asia, Datuk Lim Sue Beng of Straits of Malacca Partners and Dr. Nishimura of ERIA.

At the ASEAN-China SME Conference. From left: Max Say, Dato’ Hafsah, Mr. Wang Jinzhen, Dato’ Michael Yeoh, Ambassador Chai Xi, Dato’ Mukhriz, Dato’ Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek and Dato’ Al’ Amin.

ASLI Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah and Director Tan Sri Dr. Ramon Navaratnam greeting Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Minister Raja Dato’ Nong Chik at ASLI’s Greater KL Conference.

13

EVENTS ROUNDUP

ASLI Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah arriving for an ASLI event with Ms Jean Wong and Ms. Nur Shaireen.

Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik, Ms Jean Wong, Dato’ Bill Ch’ng and Mr Charles Ch’ng.

Proton CEO Dato’ Seri Syed Zainal greeting the Cambodian Senior Minister Cham Prasiah at the Asean Leardership Forum.

Farlim Chairman Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong greeting Mr. Aburizal Bakrie, Chairman of Golkar Party, Indonesia.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the Opening of the SMI Innovation Showcase. The ASEAN China SME Conference co-organised by ASLI and SME Corp is part of the SMI Showcase event.

MCA President Dato’ Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek, CEO of SME Corp Dato’ Hafsah and MITI Secretary General Datuk Dr. Rebecca at the Asean-China SME Conference.

Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh, Tan Sri Ibrahim Zain, Dato’ Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, Tan Sri Albert Cheng and Mr Mirzan Mahathir.

Mr. Max Say, Chinese Ambassador Chai Xi, SME Corp CEO Dato’ Hafsah, former Ambassador to China Dato’ Majid Khan and Mr. Amin Abdullah from SME Corp.

Ambassador Pradap of Thailand, Ms. Ng Yeen Seen of CPPS, Governor Imee Marcos of the Phillippines and Tunku Abidin Tuanku Muhriz of IDEAS.

The ASLI team at the Asean Leadership Forum.

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MALAYSIA INDONESIA STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP DIALOGUE

Tun Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid presenting a memento to H.E. Mr Gita Wirjawan, Chairman of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board.

Tun Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid, Chairman of MIBC and PNB delivering his opening remarks at the forum.

From left Mr. Suryo Sulisto, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KADIN), Tun Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid, Mr. Tanri Abeng, Chairman, Globe Media Group / Founder, Tanri Abeng University and former Minister of State Owned Enterprises and Mr. Achmad Kurniadi, Deputy Chairman for Investment Cooperation, BKPM.

Tun Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid and Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry together with Dato’ Wahab Maskan, Group Chief Operating Officer of Sime Darby Berhad and Dato’ Sabri Ahmad, Group President & CEO of Felda Holdings Berhad at the forum.

Dato’ Sabri Ahmad, Tan Sri Radzi Mansor and a guest in a small discussion during Q&A.Dato’ Charon Mokhzani, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Corporate and Investment Banking, CIMB Group Holdings Berhad, Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Dato’ Wahab Maskan, Dato’ Sabri Ahmad, and Tan Sri Dato’ Ir Md Radzi Mansor, Chairman of Kumpulan Fima Berhad.

The leadership transition in Malaysia with Prime Minister Najib taking office provides an apt and timely opportunity to review the current bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia with a view towards further strengthening of our bilateral and economic ties. Malaysia and Indonesia share similar views on many issues.

Indonesia’s economic growth which has been relatively strong with its GDP in 2010 projected a total of 6% growth, with labour cost being quite low (which only a quarter from that of Malaysia’s), has made the country more attractive for Malaysian investors.

The sectors which can provide opportunities for investment from Malaysia include the infrastructure, energy, agricultural and financial sector among others. Similar cultural and language background has provided Malaysian businessmen with some advantages when making investment in Indonesia. Malaysian investors have strengthened on the inter-city business relations, such as that between Medan and Penang, Pekanbaru and Melaka, Balikpapan and Kinabalu Town, and not merely focusing on Jakarta.

Under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s government, investment has been relatively more open and supportive towards the business community and the establishment of BKPM as a “one stop solution” is

expected to minimise excessive bureaucracy and allow investors to easily invest in Indonesia.

On 6th May 2011 at the Nusantara Conference Hall at BKPM, Jakarta, Indonesia, ASLI and The Investment Coordinating Board Republic of Indonesia (BKPM) and in collaboration with the Malaysia-Indonesia Business Council (MIBC) organised the Malaysia-Indonesia Strategic Partnership Dialogue to explore new areas to deepen our ties and new frontiers in bilateral and economic cooperation. We were privileged to have both H.E. Gita Wirjawan, Chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board Republic of Indonesia and Tun Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid, Chairman of MIBC / PNB who delivered the joint opening remarks for the dialogue. The Closing Address was delivered by Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry Malaysia.

Among the panel of distinguished role-players at the dialogue were Dato’ Sabri Ahmad, Group President/ Chief Executive Officer of Felda Global Ventures Holdings & Felda Holdings Berhad, Mr Fritz H. Silalahi, Director of Investment Planning for Agriculture and Other Natural Resources of BKPM, Dato’ Abd Wahab Maskan, Group Chief Operating Officer of Sime Darby Berhad, Mr Indra Darmawan, Director of Investment Deregulation of BKPM and Dato’ Charon Mokhzani, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Corporate and Investment Banking of CIMB Group Holdings Berhad.

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Tan Sri Ramon Navaratham, Director of ASLI chairing a session with panel speakers Tan Sri Dr. Fong Chan Onn, Chairman INSAP / Former Minister of Human Resources and Datuk Nicholas Zefferys (with mike), President, American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce.

Puan Sri Susan Cheah, Director, ASLI presenting a memento to Dato’ Mukhriz Tun Mahathir.

Dato’ Mohamed Iqbal Rawther (with red tie), Chairman, MIM chairing a session with panel speakers - Mr. Stuart Dean (with mike), President, GE ASEAN, Mr Edward Clayton, Principal & Country Head Malaysia, Booz & Co and Mr. Philip Thrush, Partner, IBM Global Business Services.

Dato’ Michael Yeoh, CEO of ASLI chairing a session with panel speakers - Dato’ Lee Yeow Chor, Executive Director of IOI Corp (at rostrum), Product Marketing Manager, Rolls - Royce, Mr. Wei Chuan Beng, Chairman, PIKOM & CEO, Redtone Telecommunications and Prof. Dr. Rajah Rasiah, Khazanah Nasional Chair of Regulatory Studies, University of Malaya.

Ms. Ng Yeen Seen, Director ASLI’s CPPS chairing a session with panel speakers - Dato’ Kamarudin Jaffar, Chairman, Institute for Policy Research, Ms. Rita Sim, Co-Founder, CENSE and Ms. Tricia Yeoh, former Research Officer to Selangor Menteri Besar.

From right to left - Prof. James Chin, Head, School of Arts and Social Sciences, Monash University, Sunway Campus Malaysia, Mr. Ibrahim Suffian, Director Merdeka Centre and Dato’ Kamarudin Jaffar, Chairman, Institute for Policy Research / PAS MP.

The Malaysia Strategic Outlook Conference is an annual conference organised by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) at the beginning of each year to take stock of key challenges and issues facing the Malaysian economy in the coming year.

The 13th Malaysia Strategic Outlook Conference was held on 27th January 2011 at the Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur. It was officially closed by the Deputy Minister of International Trade & Industry Dato’ Mukhriz Tun Mahathir. In his Closing Address, the Deputy Minister commented that in 2010 the country saw a glimmer of hope and a rejoinder to the financial calamity. It was announced that Malaysia was the only emerging market to make it into the top 20 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Financial Development Index 2010, moving up five notches from 22nd to 17th place. Malaysia also ranked number 21 in the World Bank’s Doing Business Index for 2010, ahead of Germany (at number 22). Malaysia came in first for getting credit in the Doing Business Index. Trade among emerging markets, an obliging financing environment increases capital spending and stable commodity prices are also expected to keep the domestic economy robust into 2011, thought the first half of next year may see some slowing in growth.

In conclusion, Dato’ Mukhriz left one message with the investment community, it is that there should be no doubt that Malaysia welcomes foreign and local investors and participants. A high income society must be socially inclusive. It must provide incentives for those who “have a lot” and yet be fair to those who “have a little”. It must lead to high returns for companies and entrepreneurs who invest, better and higher incomes for those that are employed and greater capability for those who require assistance to help themselves or to get help from government. Above all, a high income society must be one where every Malaysian feel they have

a place and a promising future under the Malaysian sun. It is toward this ultimate goal that I dedicate the energies and efforts of this Government, said Dato’ Mukhriz in his Closing Address.

Among the distinguished speakers who spoke in the conference are Tan Sri Dr. Fong Chan Onn, Chairman, INSAP / Member, MCA Presidential Council and former Minister of Human Resources; Datuk Nicholas Zefferys, President, American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce; Dato’ Kamarudin Jaffar, Chairman, Institute for Policy Research / PAS MP; Ms. Rita Sim, Co-Founder, CENSE; Mr. Ibrahim Suffian, Director, Merdeka Centre; Ms. Tricia Yeoh, Research Officer to Selangor Menteri Besar; Prof. James Chin, Head, School of Arts & Social Sciences, Monash University, Sunway Campus Malaysia; Dato’ Lee Yeow Chor, Chairman, Malaysian Palm Oil Council / Executive Director, 101 Group; Mr. Previndran Singhe, CEO, Zerin Properties; Mr. Wei Chuan Beng, Chairman, PIKOM & CEO, Redtone Telecommunications; Prof. Dr. Rajah Rasiah, Khazanah Nasional Chair of Regulatory Studies, University of Malaya; Mr. Mark McIntosh, Product Marketing Manager, Rolls-Royce Pic; Mr. Stuart Dean, President, GE ASEAN; Mr. Philip Thrush, Partner, IBM Global Business Services; Mr. Edward Clayton, Principal & Country Head Malaysia, Booz & Co (M) Sdn Bhd; and Mr. Hari Abburi, Leadership Consulting Lead - SEA, Aon Hewitt.

Among the topics discussed were on Malaysia’s economic outlook and key challenges; What is the new normal in Malaysian politics; Sectoral and industry outlook: How will key economic sectors perform - unleashing economic potential; and Rethinking management strategies - corporate megatrends.

About 150 participants attended this 1-day conference which is sponsored by the Metro Kajang Holdings Berhad, Rolls-Royce, and Aon Hewitt.

THE 13TH MALAYSIA STRATEGIC OUTLOOK CONFERENCE 2011

16

CFO SUMMIT 2011

From left Mr. Ruban Murugesan, Executive Director, Forensic Services, KPMG Corporate Services Sdn Bhd, Mr. Philip Rao, Partner, Ernst & Young, Mr. Devanesan Evanson, President, ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee and Mr. Chris Fordham, Managing Partner, Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services, Asia Pacific, Ernst & Young.

CFOs in the Transformational Age: Managing Risks and Rewards session with Encik Kamarulzaman Ahmad, Regional Head of Strategy, Innovation & Customer Experience, AirAsia Berhad, Mr. Karamjit Singh, Editor, The Edge and Mr. Thomas Oestreich, Chief, EPM Strategist, Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Global Business Unit (GBU), Oracle Germany.

Growing business services is a key agenda under the ETP, according to Chapter 12. Currently, business services contribute roughly RM20 billion or 2.9% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In comparison, in a developed market like the UK, business services contribute about 20% to GDP and employment 14% of exports. Since accountants and CFOs are integral members of the business services sector, the success of Chapter 12 of the ETP pivots on improving the performance and caliber of these financial professionals. CFOs should leverage on smart digital tools and systems to understand the revolution of social media, which in turn will spur Malaysia to achieve its long-term goals of economic value-add and sustainability through the ETP.

While information technology (IT) is a vital enabler of organisation performance, CFOs are challenged to rethink traditional notions of risk and rewards, with enormous implications for CFOs on how they need to take the lead in overhauling their traditional business designs for digital business design while communicating to stakeholders the strategic investments are mitigated by the risks associated by IT.

With this in mind, ACCA & ASLI organised the CFO Summit 2011 on 24th May 2011 at The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur. The summit focused on the changing nature, perception, locus, and generators of risks and rewards and its implications for CFOs; specifically in relation to what CFOs need to know to keep up with the changing nature of risks associated with IT-enabled technologies. The clear message of this year’s Summit is that CFOs need to have a full appreciation of what technology can enable and the impact it can have on the success of any organisation as Malaysian businesses move in tandem with the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).

The summit was officiated by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Dato’ Ir. Donald Lim Siang Chai, who also delivered the summit keynote address. “Fresh ideas are needed in order for CFOs to meet challenges of a multifaceted and unpredictable business environment. The Deputy

Minister continued, as the business services sector is knowledge-intensive, access to high quality talent is fundamental to our success.

“One of these opportunities lies in capitalising on emerging technologies and understanding changing behaviour driven by these technologies. To fully leverage on IT, CFOs must fully consider the risks and rewards of the new and emerging technologies, and how these will support the future success of their organisations in this globalised world”, said Dato’ Donald Lim as he concluded his speech.

Among the panel of distinguished role-players at the summit were Ms Helen Brand, Chief Executive, of ACCA, Mr Karamjit Singh, Editor of The Edge, Mr Thomas Oestreich, Chief, EPM Strategist, Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Global Business Unit (GBU), Encik Kamarulzaman Ahmad, Regional Head of Strategy, Innovation & Customer Experience, AirAsia Berhad, Mr Devanesan Evanson, President, ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee, Mr Chris Fordham, Managing Partner, Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services, Asia Pacific, Ernst & Young, Mr Philip Rao, Partner, Ernst & Young, Mr Ruban Murugesan, Executive Director, Forensic Services, KPMG Corporate Services Sdn Bhd, YBhg Dato’ Syed Amin Aljeffri, President, Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce / Past Chairman, ASEAN Business Advisory Council, Mr N. Parameswaran, Senior Director, Services, Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA), Mr Christopher Tan, Director, NKEA (Electronic & Electrical), PEMANDU, Mr Soo Hoo Khoon Yean, Partner, Finance Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers / Member, ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee, Mr Gan Kok Kim, Senior Vice President & Head, Global Treasury, OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad, Puan Zaiton Mohd Hassan, Managing Director, Capital Intelligence Advisors Sdn Bhd / Member, ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee, YBhg Dato’ Lukman bin Ibrahim, Group Chief Financial Officer, DRB-Hicom Berhad / Member, ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee, Mr Jimmy Vong, Founder & Managing Director, EquitiesTracker.com and Mr Eric Sin, Senior Director, Business Analytics & Technology, South-East Asia, SAP.

Senator Dato’ Donald Lim being greeted by Ms. Shaireen Waris and Ms. Choo Wai Mon of ASLI and Ms. Vila of ACCA at the main lobby.

The CFO’s Role in Stakeholders Relations & Corporate Affairs session with Mr. Jimmy Vong, Founder & Managing Director, EquitiesTracker.com, Dato’ Lukman bin Ibrahim, Group Chief Financial Officer, DRB-Hicom Berhad / Member, ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee, Puan Zaiton Mohd Hassan, Managing Director, Capital Intelligence Advisors Sdn Bhd / Member, ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee and Mr. Eric Sin, Senior Director, Business Analytics & Technology, South-East Asia, SAP.

Ms. Helen Brand, Chief Executive of ACCA delivering her Special Address while Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh and The Hon. Senator Dato’ Donald Lim looks on.

Deputy Finance Minister Dato’ Donald Lim delivering his Opening Keynote Address at the Summit.

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On May 26, 2011 at the The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur, SIF organised three dialogue sessions with its members. The first being on the “Update on regional economic outlook and how it will affect Malaysia” with Mr Rajiv Biswas, Senior Director & Asia Pacific Chief Economist of IHS Global Insight, the second part on “Malaysian Political Outlook” with Dato’ Dr Michael Yeoh, CEO of ASLl, Encik Ibrahim Suffian, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research and Professor James Chin, Head, School of Arts and Social Sciences of Monash University and the third being “Conflict in Libya and its domino effect towards Middle East & Northern Africa” with Associate Professor DR Ishtiaq Hossain, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science from the International Islamic University and Mr Bunn Negara, Associate Editor of The Star Publications (M) Berhad.

Mr Rajiv Biswas in his opening remarks stated that companies generally are in stronger position to invest and cash-rich firms increasingly willing to do so to upgrade capacity and invest in IT to boost productivity and efficiency. Inventories still being rebuilt in some countries after being pared during 2008/9 recession. Even after the Japanese tsunami disaster, Japan is still a major trade partner for much of APAC, but its relative significance has declined due to its protracted economic malaise and the rise of China. With Japan’s GDP growth forecast in 2011 only moderately lower due to the anticipated -V shaped quarterly growth profile this year, the overall impact on the rest of APAC growth is expected to be low, but near-term transmission effects in HI’11 due to supply chain disruptions could be significant.

On the “Malaysian Political Outlook”, Professor James Chin stated that people may understandably be disappointed that Pakatan Rakyat could not deny Barisan Nasional’s (BN) two-thirds majority in the State Assembly but there are useful lessons to be learnt from the campaign.

First, it is clear that Sarawak and Sabah are no longer “fixed deposits” for BN as he continued. Pakatan Rakyat, once labelled as “outsiders”, have now well and truly established themselves in East Malaysia. BN used to win big in Sarawak and overall Pakatan has made inroads in most constituencies as he added on.

PKR fielded 49 candidates in the Sarawak election - the most out all PR and BN parties - but only managed to win three seats. DAP won 12 of the 15 seats it contested while the Islamist party PAS won none of the five seats it contested. BN was able to retain the two-thirds majority in the Sarawak state assembly when it won 55 seats. However, it only secured 54.5 per cent of the popular vote.

Ibrahim Suffian described PKR’s Sarawak campaign as “paradoxical” as it was organised and, at the same time, dysfunctional. PKR had the support of local non-governmental organisations to tap into widespread anger among Dayaks over ancestral land disputes. Yet when it came time to the actual campaign, the party was torn by factionalism and infighting between local influential figures over who gets to be a candidate, he said.

He added that, initially, PKR had only wanted to contest in 25 seats where it had established a presence and was confident of gaining support. But it was forced to contest in these 24 other seats because neither of its partners wanted to step up and “share the burden” of standing against the BN, Ibrahim said. PKR’s final decision to stand in these “unwinnable” areas crimped the party’s ability to pool its resources and focus on the 25 seats which it stood an even chance of winning. “There was a lot of co-operation between the leaders of each party in how they staged ceramah together. But there was no cooperation at the grassroots level” he said.

Mr. Zainal Amanshah, Group CEO of REDtone International Bhd, Mr. Lee Weng Seong Chairman Phillips Malaysia, Ir Dr. Azman Ahmad, Executive Vice Chairman of Syarikat Permodalan Kebangsaan Berhad and Philip Koh, Senior Partner of Mah-Kamariyah & Philip Koh.

HE Miles Kupa, High Commissioner of the Australian High Commission, Mr. James Stone, Counsellor of the Canadian High Commission, HE Dr. Guenter Gruber, Ambassador of the German Embassy, HE Tapio Saarela, Ambassador of the Finland Embassy and Tan Sri Kishu Tirathrai, Chairman of the Globe Silk Store.

Mr. Sanjeev Nanavati, CEO of Citibank Berhad, Mr. Richard Tankersley, MD of New Zealand Unlimited Sdn. Bhd., HE Vincent Piket, Ambassador - Head of Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia and Mr. Heikki Vandermander, Charge d’Affairs of the Embassy of Belgium.

HE Dr Rolf Lenz, Ambassador of the Embassy of Switzerland, Mr. Azlam Shah Idris, Government & Legal Affairs Director of Tesco Stores (M) Sdn Bhd , HE Miles Kupa, High Commissioner of the Australian High Commission and Mr. James Stone, Counsellor of the Canadian High Commission during Q & A session.

ASLI Director Mr. Lee Weng Keng greeting Canadian High Commissioner Randolph Mank.Professor James Chin, Head, School of Arts and Social Sciences of Monash University delivering his remarks while Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, Mr. Rajiv Biswas, Senior Director & Asia Pacific Chief Economist of IHS Global Insight and Encik Ibrahim Suffian, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research looks on.

STRATEGIC ISSUES FORUM (SIF)

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THE 3RD WORLD CHINESE ECONOMIC FORUM

Director Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Singapore Ambassador Kesavapany and CPPS Chairman Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam.

ASLI Director and Sunway Group President Dato’ Chew Chee Kin in a conversation with Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong, Chairman Farlim Group.

Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam discussing a point with Senator Dato’ Abdul Rahim and Dato’ Dahan Latiff.

Ambassador of Argentina, Prof Sieh Mei Ling, Ambassador Kesavapany, Dato’ Dr. Shanmughalingham, Dato’ Radhakrishnan and Mr. Max Say.

Mr. Kuok Wee Kiat Executive Director Inter Pacific Securities, Tan Sri Navaratnam and Dato’ Dr. Nungsari VP of Khazanah Nasional.

ASLI will be organising once again the 3rd World Chinese Economic Forum on 3rd and 4th November 2011 with the theme, “Linking East and West in a Globalised World: Learning from Each Other”. This Forum will bring together about 800 participants from China, Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia and other countries to discuss the emergence of China as the 2nd largest economy in the world and challenges and opportunities arising from China’s rise. It will also promote a new Economic Corridor or Growth Triangle linking China through Southeast Asia and India to the Middle East.

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak has kindly agreed to deliver the Opening Keynote Address at the Forum. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will grace the Forum’s Gala Dinner and deliver the Dinner Address as well as present Lifetime Achievement Awards to several recipients. This Forum will unite and bring together Chinese political leaders in Malaysia from both sides of the political divide - MCA President Dato’ Sri Dr. Chua Soi Lek; former Vice President and former Human Resources Minister Tan Sri Dr. Fong Chan Onn; Gerakan President and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon; and Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng.

UPDATE ON SINGAPORE ELECTIONS

Prominent speakers from overseas include Mr. Long Yong Tu, China’s former Vice Minister of Commerce and Chief Negotiator for WTO and now Head of G20 Research Centre; Mr. Simon Galpin, Director General, Invest Hong Kong; Mr. Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute for International Affairs; Mr. Jusuf Wanandi, Founder and Board of Trustees, Centre for Strategic & International Studies Jakarta; Mr. Nicholas Kwan, Chief Economist for Asia, Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong; Ambassador Zou Mingshong, Secretary General, China National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation; Prof. Han Feng, Deputy Director General China Academy for Social Sciences; Mr. William Lye, Past President, China Professionals and Businessmen Association, Victoria, Australia.

The Forum will provide opportunities for business networking as well as interchange of ideas, knowledge and best practices.

For further information, contact the Programme Director, Ms. Ng Yeen Seen, email: yeenseen@asli.com.my, tel: (603) 20935393 ext 204, (603) 20935326 (dl).

ASLI’s Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) and the Corporate Malaysia Roundtable (CMR) held a Roundtable Discussion on Singapore’s recent General Elections described as a Watershed Elections.

The speakers at the Forum were Ambassador Kesavapany, Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore and Dr. Terence Chong, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute.

Dr. Chong spoke on why this was regarded as a Watershed Elections. It was the 1st time the Opposition won a Group representation constituency. Dr. Terence also shared his analysis of why this was

a Watershed Elections for Singapore in the largest number of 1st time voters and the largest number of younger voters, as well as the highest number of MPs ever won by the Opposition. Dr. Terence analysed the election campaign and the issues raised.

Ambassador Kesavapany, in his remarks said that in other countries this would have been a spectacular result winning 82 out of 87 seats and obtaining 60% of the votes. Mr. Kesavapany argued that people in Singapore were looking for a new social contract and a new definition of success. He said ultimately PAP won and so did the Opposition but the real winners are Singapore and Singaporeans. He argued that PAP has what it takes to reform by getting more feedback from the ground.

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Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah having a word with Tan Sri Kishu Tirathrai and Dr. Peggy Wong.

Chairman SME Corp. Dato’ Al’Amin, Deputy MITI Minister Dato’ Mukhriz Mahathir and ASLI Director Tan Sri Navaratnam witnessing the exchange of MoU between SME Corp. CEO Dato’ Hafsah and ASLI CEO Dato’ Dr. Yeoh.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT

ASLI recently held an Entrepreneurial Development programme on the New Entrepreneurial Age based on the research and new book of Mr. Larry Farrell, Chairman of the Farrell Company.

The Deputy Minister of Higher Education Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah officiated the Opening of the Forum. In his presentation Mr. Farrell spoke about the entrepreneur development process. He emphasized the need for National Leadership involvement, inspiring and developing entrepreneurs and focussing on entrepreneurial basics like having a sense of mission, customer/product competitiveness and a national urgency to improve and a nation of self inspired people to develop entrepreneurial countries. He also shared his research and ideas on what’s required to create an entrepreneurial economy and the importance of having a entrepreneur friendly culture.

Mr. Farrell also spoke on the spirit of enterprise and how to create corporate entrepreneurship. He shared that entrepreneurial companies have to keep the sense of mission alive as the company grows, reinstill customer/product vision in every employee, foster high speed innovation and making self inspired behaviour the organisation standard. He emphasized that creating an enterprise strategy is a matter of survival and staying focused on customers and products. Customer strategy should focus on knowing your product, responding immediately, being courteous and competent, keeping current customers forever. Companies should also make their products better and faster. He also stressed the importance of creating high performance, developing an entrepreneurial culture and creating an entrepreneurial performance system.

ASLI CO-ORGANISE WITH MITI AND SME CORP ASEAN-CHINA SME CONFERENCE

ASLI and the SME Corporation and MITI joined hands to organise the ASEAN-China SME Conference which brought together entrepreneurs, SME owners, thought leaders, bankers and experts from the ASEAN countries and China to network and establish business linkages arising from the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The Conference also strengthened collaboration among SME’s in ASEAN and China.

Distinguished speakers at the Conference included Indonesia’s State Minister for Cooperatives and SME’s Dr. Syarifuddin Hasan; the Deputy Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce Mr. Rachane Potjanasunthorn; MITI Deputy Ministers Dato’ Mukhriz Mahathir and Dato’ Jacob Dungau Sagan; MITI Secretary-General Datuk Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria; the Vice Chairman of the China Council for Promotion of International Trade Mr. Wang Jinzhen; the Vice Director of the Institute of Economics in the China Academy of Social Sciences Prof, Feng Xingyuan; Shanghai-based Business Consultant Dr. Marcus Lee; Founder of INTI University Mr. Tan Yew Sing; SME Bank Managing Director Dato’ Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus; Mr. Suryo Sulisto, Chairman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN); Mr. Benjamin Quinones, President of Coalition of

Socially Responsible SME’s Philippines; Chairman of SME Corp Dato’ Mohd Amin and SME Corp CEO Dato’ Hafsah Hashim.

The Forum discussed a number of relevant and pertinent topics:-

• Maximising Trade Under CAFTA - How China and ASEAN can Benefit from the FTA. • Doing Business with China - Understanding Standards, Rules and Regulations. • Turning Crisis into Opportunities: Strategies for Entrepreneurs in the Current Economic Climate. • E-commerce Crossing the Border at the Click of a Mouse. • Logistics and the Value-chain System: Opportunities for SME’s. • Trade Financing - Trading Beyond Borders. • The Way Forward - Maximising Growth for SME’s in the China- ASEAN Economies.

Over 800 participants took part in the Conference.

MITI Secretary General Datuk Dr. Rebecca moderatives a session with ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Pushpanathan.

Deputy MITI Minister Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir with ASLI Director Tan Sri Navaratnam.

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AFRICA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA BUSINESS FORUM

Chairman of Tenaga Nasional Berhad Tan Sri Leo Moggie speaking with Ministers from Congo and Gabon.

The Secretary General of the African, Carribean and Pacific Group of States, HE Mohamed Ibn Chambas with the Minister of Energy and Hydraulics Congo, the Minister of Mining and Oil of Gabon, Datuk Nicholas Zeffreys President AMCHAM and other African speakers at the Business Forum.

Dato’ Syed Amin Al Jeffri, Dato’ Jegathesan and speakers from Africa.Datuk Nicholas Zeffreys President of AMCHAM and the African Ministers.

Following the success of the first ever Africa-Southeast Asia Business Forum held in Singapore in April 2010 which was attended by more than 200 delegates, the Africa & Southeast Asia Business Forum 2011 was recently held in Kuala Lumpur on 19 & 20 April 2011. The forum which was organised by the A&G Group was aptly themed ‘Bringing Africa to Southeast Asia’ and held at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur. The main objective of the business forum is to highlight vast business opportunities available in the continent with the clear message ‘Now is the time to invest’. It also aims to enlighten the delegates on the rapid transformation of Africa’s business and political environment, network and develop business relationships.

During the Official Opening Ceremony, both Mr Paulo Gomes, Managing Partner of A&G Group and Dato’ Dr Michael Yeoh of ASLI delivered their Introductory and Welcome Remarks and bid cordial welcome to the delegates, Thereafter, three special addresses were delivered by the African luminaries during the Opening Ceremony including The Hon. Dr Mohamed ibn Chambas, Secretary-General of the African, Caribbean & Pacific Group of States (ACP Group); The Hon. Bruno Jean Richard Itoua, Minister of Energy & Hydraulic, Congo and The Hon. Alexandre Barro Chambrier, Minister of Mining & Oil, Gabon.

The business forum saw delegates and speakers involved in intellectually stimulating and constructive brainstorming panel discussions on real opportunities in the banking & finance & consumer markets; energy & oil and gas; housing, real estate & infrastructure and agri-business. There were also special sessions on country and economic development updates. The forum provided a platform for fantastic business opportunities for participating companies to broaden their contact base and network with experts and delegates.

During the forum, delegates were introduced to myriad of investment opportunities. Africa is often portrayed as a high risk business venture. Africa is mentioned only in the light of the negative but there are a lot of positives. Nonetheless, leading African businesses participating in the forum acknowledged the risks pertaining to any high return opportunity, but highlighted the increasingly attractive investment environment across much of the continent and assured that ‘the challenges are diminishing by the day’. They also highlighted the speed at which the market is growing and stressed its long-term potential. In terms of economic growth, the explosion in the telecoms sector in Africa is a clear example of advancements that have made changes in people’s lives and in how business is done. In Nigeria, the banking consolidation reforms transformed the economy from 89 banks to 24 strong banks. Africa is now on the move, with economic growth at 5% to 6% over the last five years. With constant and vibrant change occurring in global businesses, Africa is making its way as a promising destination for investments. The African continent is still considered among the most difficult business environments in the world but offers a huge market of around 800 to 900 million consumers.

‘Most people think of Africa as a region rife with wars, disease and poverty, but that is not the Africa of today’, said Pineau, a journalist with more than a decade of experience, reporting on Africa for CNN and other major media. Today’s Africa is a continent with challenges. Investments may be the best means for addressing African challenges. Big investors especially from China have been investing in Africa for more than a decade but most have been tight-lipped about the astonishing returns projected.

The forum had a full support of the Ecobank, West African Development Bank, Afreximbank, BTCI, AAGO, Teylium International, Advanced Finance Investment Group (AFIG). Africa Capital, Atepa Group, Groupe Afrique Challenge, MASSA of Malaysia and MICCI, to name a few.

ASLI was appoined by Shell Malaysia to manage the Future Energy & Smarter Mobility Conference in July held in conjunction with the Shell Eco-Marathon. The Global CEO of Shell Mr. Peter Voser and Minister of Energy, Green Technology & Water Dato’ Seri Peter Chin will deliver special address.

The time now is an era of volatility, uncertainty and shifting perceptions of reality. The way we live our lives is inextricably intertwined with the energy we consume, and the energy we consume is, sadly, not infinite in its supply. This stark realization has hit us even harder in recent times due to the unrest in the Middle East, the rising demand for energy in China, and the nuclear situation in Japan. The global energy needs are growing faster than technology can provide. We have to ask ourselves, where is this heading? While it is clear that supplies of ‘easy oil’ will no longer be able to keep up with demand in the next 50 years, what are we doing to remedy this situation? The situation in the Middle East has put the already volatile oil and gas industry on even more shaky ground. This leads to questions of where our energy is coming from, how sustainable is it? For the long term, what can we do to address this and secure the sources of energy supply? These are questions we need to ask, explore and analyse, for they are imperative to our survival on this planet.

To narrow the scope of discussion, this Conference examines the future of energy in Asia specifically. What are the concerns facing Asian cities; how are they unique; and what is the way forward.

These are the primary issues we hope to cover during the Conference, and anticipate that these should lead to illuminating discussions and the exchange of ideas to bring about change in how future energy, and smarter mobility; leading towards building smarter cities is approached in Asia.

The Conference aims at addressing the complex set of questions that policy makers and all stakeholders are facing as they chart the course for the future of energy use in their countries. It also aims at compiling a baseline review of future energy and smarter mobility policies, and look towards the future by examining factors that may impact energy policies.

The Conference hopes to provide a framework of policy choices for industrial players, legislatures, policy makers and all stakeholders to consider as they set the direction for their countries’ future energy landscape.

The Conference will bring together the key stakeholders involved in delivering these changes to listen to the real concerns and issues of those at the forefront of service provision, and provide the opportunity to educate and share knowledge and expertise for the future.

FUTURE ENERGY, SMARTER MOBILITY CONFERENCE

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Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tan Sri Joseph Kurup arrriving to officiate the conference.

LOW CARBON TOWNSHIP SUMMIT

In line with Malaysian Prime Minister’s declaration of 40% carbon emission reduction during the 2009 COP15 Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, ASLI hosted the Low Carbon Township Summit on 28 February 2011 at the Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur, an event to create awareness and a sharing platform for corporates and professionals in the townplanning and property development industry. The summit was officiated by Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Kurup, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

As carbon awareness is still new in Malaysia, it is the objective of the summit to bring together experts to give advices and pave the way for a low carbon society. This summit was specifically planned to address down to earth issues. Going low-carbon is still in the early stages but without doubt this is an initiative that we must persevere.

In his opening keynote address, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup stated that it is very important to realise the attainment of low carbon or green economy must be done without ever abandoning poverty eradication and economic expansion. He added that the approach must be is one of cooperation and collaboration between all sectors of the country, be it the government, private firms, academia right down to children in kindergartens.

Tan Sri Joseph Kurup concluded that in order to take concerted actions with regard to climate change, The Ministry has also formulated the National Policy on Climate Change with a view to ensure climate-resilient development that fulfils national aspirations for sustainability. He added on, it is our hope that the policy will be able to provide the framework to mobilise and guide government agencies, industry, community as well as other stakeholders and major groups in addressing the challenges of climate change in a holistic manner.

The Green Building Index (GBI) certification process is indeed a challenge that calls for intense dedication and coordination by builders that believe in the benefit of going green as according to Prof. Dr. Ho Chin Siong from the Faculty of Design and Architecture of University Technology Malaysia, in his presentation on Low Carbon Town Planning- Public Participation. A Green building focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use - energy, water, and materials - while reducing building impact on human health and the environment during the building’s lifecycle, through better sitting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal. Green Buildings should be designed and operated to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on its surroundings as he added on. As we live in one world, we have a collective responsibility to work together to achieve change around the globe he added at the end of his presentation.

ASLI congratulates the Prime Minister and the Government of Malaysia on the successful and effective implementation of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) under the National Key Results Areas (NKRA) and the roll-out of the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). ASLI is confident that these Transformation Programmes will effectively transform the nation and make Malaysia a more competitive, resilient and liberal economy. It is our belief that the Transformation Programmes need effective and speedy implementation as well as close monitoring to track and review progress.

ASLI would like to suggest that the next stage of Malaysia’s transformational journey be social transformation. Social transformation will bring about socio-economic transformation of society and the nation and work towards a sustainable economy. Social transformation should be the next stage in our national transformation as it will focus on mind-set change and societal transformation and not just economic projects per se as in the ETP. Attitudinal or mindset change should be the primary target of any transformational journey. Social transformation will also result in better social harmony and strengthening of national unity and public confidence. Social transformation will also contribute towards a sustainable economy, a people centred economy. It will focus on nation-building through people building.

A focus on social transformation will build an economy centred on people and sustainability and not just people. It will build on a shared goal of uplifting the lives of all and contribute to the democratization of the economy based on the involvement of citizens at a local and global level. It is an economy with compassion; it gives priority to people’s welfare.

It is our belief that social enterprises can be vehicles to promote social inclusiveness and provide an alternative model of affirmative action which is market friendly. Social enterprises are vehicles for socio-economic transformation of communities. Social enterprises have been defined to be social mission organizations that uses business models to pursue its mission but doing so with a triple bottom line approach of People, Profits, Planet.

Social enterprises in the kampungs, estates and new villages can provide capacity for creation of business opportunities and generate employment. Social enterprises can also provide goods and services to the underserved segments of society both in urban and rural communities. Social enterprises can also help develop a green economy and spur social innovation.

It is proposed that Budget 2012 develop a Policy framework for the promotion and development of social enterprises and social entrepreneurs. Government support for social enterprises is essential to develop the social enterprise sector to be the 3rd leg of the economy to drive continued transformation. It is proposed that Budget 2012 provides the framework for a national strategy and concerted action by public, private and non-profit sector stakeholders to build a marketplace for social enterprises. An enabling tax and regulatory framework is necessary to grow the social enterprise sector. Social enterprises can be effective means to generate revenue for underserved segments of society and can have an effective connectivity impact. The Government should consider tax incentives for social enterprises and review existing legislation and regulations to remove barriers to social enterprise activities.

It is proposed that Budget 2012 provides a framework for social finance and for mobilising private capital for public good in what can be described as mission-related investment or impact investing. To channel private capital into effective social and environmental interventions, investors, intermediaries, social enterprises and policy makers should work together to develop new bond and bond like instruments such as community bonds and social impact bonds. This could require regulatory reforms to allow the issuing of these new instruments and incentives to kick start the flow of private capital into social enterprises and impact investing.

The growth of social enterprise in the West has fuelled the rise of a new type of investing aimed at meeting societal challenges. Global impact investing is a rapidly growing market. In the USA, with appropriate regulatory, tax and capacity building measures in place, it is estimated that impact investments could reach 1 % of all managed US assets. In the UK, social impact bonds are an innovative new approach to mobilising private capital and community expertise to tackle specific societal problems that generate high cost burdens for tax payers. It is proposed that the Ministry of Finance explore new hybrid corporate forms for social enterprises that can kick star the social transformation of the country. In many countries like Canada and USA, tax credit for social enterprise investors are provided. Tax-supported social enterprise debt instrument are also provided.

Investments in building the business capacity of social enterprises can significantly increase their social and environmental impact, enable them to create more jobs and give them the means to achieve financial stability and growth.

It is proposed that to better manage the transformational journey, a National Transformational Leadership Academy should be established. This Leadership Academy should focus on developing transformational leadership programmes as well as change management strategies for both the public and private sectors.

A ready pool of change agents and transformational leaders at all levels will be needed to expedite the transformational journey and lower resistance to change.

Budget 2012 should provide for the establishment of such a National Leadership Academy as a Public-Private Partnership. The leaders trained at this Academy will be able to drive forward the transformational agenda.

It is our belief that following success of the Government Transformation Programme and the Economic Transformation Programme, the next big focus should be on Social Transformation.

Social transformation will focus on People impact and People building as the key towards nation-building. It is the way forward for us to take to a next level the transformational journey of Malaysian. Social transformation and social enterprises will give greater emphasis to the triple bottom-line of People, Profits, Planet.

ASLI CALLS FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONIN BUDGET MEMORANDUM

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VIETNAM BUSINESS SUMMIT

Mr. Dang Huy Dong Vice Minister of Planning and Investment and Mr. Max Say.H.E. Mr. Hoang Trung Hai Deputy Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with ASLI’s Vice President Mr. Max Say.

1. Mr. Max Say 2. Mr. Lai Siew Wah - Group MD of Ireka Corporation Bhd 3. Mr. Lim Soon Seong - ED of Eduspec Holding Bhd. 4. Malaysia Ambassador to Vietnam Dato’ Lim Kim Eng 5. Jean Wong 6. Mr. Lim Een Hong - CEO of Eduspec Holding Bhd 7. Mr. David Yip Chong Kuan - The Representative Office of Ireka Corporation Bhd 8. Mr. Ten Thiam Chai - CEO of Ireka Engineering & Construction Sdn. Bhd.

Mr. Max Say with Prof. Merilyn Liddell - CEO of RMIT International University of Vietnam.

ASLI REPRESENTS INVEST HONG KONG

The Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) has the honour of collaborating with the Government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam in supporting the Vietnam Business Summit co-organised by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Asian Development and the State Bank of Vietnam on May 3rd 2011 in Hanoi. This conference event is in conjunction with the Asian Development Bank’s Annual Meeting held for the first time in Vietnam.

His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Mr Hoang Trung Hai officiated and delivered the Opening Keynote Address. Other Eminent Speakers include His Excellency Mr Haruhiko Kuroda, President, ADB who spoke on the “Vietnam as a Middle Income Country”.

From the Vietnam Government, notable speakers include Mr. Vo Hong Phuc, Minister of Planning and Investment, H.E Mr Vu van Ninh, Minister of Finance who deliver a special session on “Improving the Financial Institution and Regulation for Business and Investment in Vietnam”. Other panelists were H.e. Mr Nguyen Van Giau, Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam; Mr Tran Du Lich, Head of Economic Institute in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr Brett Krause, Managing Director of City Bank Vietnam; Mr Jose Isidro (Lito) N. Camacho, Managing Director of Credit Suisse and Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific.

For the Education and Training of Human Resources in Vietnam; H.E. Mr Tran Quang Quy, Deputy Minister of Education and Training was the Keynote Speaker and Prof Dr Merilyn Liddell, CEO of RMIT International University in Vietnam was the moderator.

The Public Private Partnership session was participated by H.E. Mr Dang Huy Dong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment; H.E. Mr Hoang Quoc Vuong, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr James Harris, Local Managing Partner of Hogan Lovells International LLP; H.E. Mr Truong Tan Vien, Deputy Minister of Transport; Mr Simon Andrews, regional Manager for Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand & Vietnam of International Finance Corporation.

Over 1000 delegates attended this Summit. Malaysian Companies are major investors in Vietnam; amongst which are Hong Leong Banking Group, Ireka Corporation and Eduspecs who are sponsors of Vietnam Business Summit. ASLI coordinated a delegation of ASEAN participants to attend the Summit included Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh, Chairman of Janakuasa; Mr Lai Siew Wah, Group Managing Director of Ireka Corporation, Mr Lim Een Hong, Chief Executive Officer of Eduspec; Mr Juan Gondokusumo from Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Indonesia, Vietnam Coordinating Committee; Ms Jean Wong, Chief Operating Officer of ASLI.

With effect from January 2011, Invest Hong Kong, the department of the HKSAR Government responsible for Foreign Direct Investment has appointed Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) as its consultant based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In these roles, the consultants will carry out Invest Hong Kong’s work in the ASEAN region to support ASEAN businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong.

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government established in July 2000 to take responsibility for Foreign Direct Investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kong’s vibrant economy. As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, Invest Hong Kong has completed over 2,100 investment projects creating over 26,000 new jobs in the first year of operation or expansion and HK$57 billion of investment.

In January 2011, InvestHK had an investment promotion roadshow to Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. It was led by Mr Simon Galpin, the Director General of InvestHK. ASLI, as the ASEAN consultant of InvestHK, help facilitated the investment promotion roadshow seminars

by working with relevant Chamber of Commerce and Business Councils, Business Associates, SME’s, entrepreneurs across the various economic sectors. ASLI also facilitated 1 on 1 meeting for Mr Simon Galpin during his visit to Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.

In May, InvestHk participated in the “Seminar on Hong Kong and Shanghai: Internationalisation of RMB Markets” in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Mr Charles Ng, the Associate Director 2 of InvestHK attended both Seminar in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. The Keynote Speakers are Prof K.C. Chan, the Secretary of Financial Services and Treasury Hong Kong and Dr Fang Xinghai, the Director General of Financial Services Office, Shanghai. Over 300 people participated in the Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur’s Seminar. In conjunction with the above Seminars, ASLI facilitated 1 on 1 meeting for Mr Charles Ng with the CEOs of targeted conglomerates and companies with interest to start up and expand businesses in Hong Kong and arranged briefing for the members of KADIN in Jakarta and members of Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC), members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor and members of PIKOM in Kuala Lumpur.

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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF KAZAKHSTANAND OTHER DIGNITARIES VISIT ASLI

ASLI CEO Dato’ Michael Yeoh presenting a memento to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, HE Yerbol Orynbaeu.

The Kazakstan Deputy Prime Minister and Senior members of his delegation with ASLI’s Senior Management Team.

HE Karel de Gucht European Union Trade Commissioner with ASLI CEO Dato’ Dr. Michael Yeoh and EU Ambassador Vincent Piket.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan H.E. Yerbol T. Orynbaev recently led a delegation from Kazakhstan to visit ASLI. The delegation included the Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Head of a Think Tank as well as the Ambassador of Kazakhstan. The Deputy Prime Minister was briefed on ASLI’s role and programmes. Later he exchanged views with ASLI’s CEO on global and regional economic challenges and developments. Later ASLI’s Senior Management team hosted the Kazakhstan delegation to lunch in the Bankers Club.

ASLI SET TO DRIVE GROWTH OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISEThe Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) announces the establishment of ASLI Centre for Social Enterprise (ASLI-CSE), a centre dedicated to promoting the growth of social enterprise in Malaysia, as well as advocating for the sector.

This initiative aims to combine the provision of business support to existing and emerging social enterprises with awareness raising activities as well as lobbying on behalf of social entrepreneurs.

To support the initiative, the Centre has also formed an Advisory Board consisting of: 1. Mr Mirzan Mahathir (President of ASLI) 2. Dato’ Dr Michael Yeoh (CEO of ASLI) 3. Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria (Binary University College) 4. Dash Balakrishnan (Warisan Global) 5. Kal Joffres (Tandem Fund)

The operations of ASLI-CSE is led by Mr Wan Saiful Wan Jan as Director.

Dato’ Dr Michael Yeoh, CEO of ASLI, says: “A social enterprise is a business with social objectives. It combines the noble purposes of the public sector with the efficiency of the private sector. There is a lot of potentials in this unique business model. Our ambition is to make this new ASLI Centre for Social for Enterprise as the umbrella body that will support social entrepreneurs grow their businesses, represent their interest to policy-makers, and help those who want to start new social enterprises.”

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in his keynote speech at the World Islamic Economic Forum on 18 May 2010 called for the creation of a Social Entrepreneurship Foundation.

In that speech, Tan Sri Muhyiddin said: “In my mind, a social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to create, and manage a venture to make social change. Whereas a business entrepreneur typically measures performance solely in profits and returns, a social entrepreneur focuses on creating social capital. Thus, the main aim of social entrepreneurship is to further social goals. However,

whilst social entrepreneurs are most commonly associated with the voluntary and not-for-profit sectors, this need is not necessarily be incompatible with making a profit. The path taken by Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus of Grameen Bank, clearly proved that profit and social objectives are not necessarily mutually exclusive.”

Tan Sri Muhyiddin also said: “The concept would allow the young to pursue a business venture of their choice based on their most preferred social aspirations. They could come up with a viable business model that addresses one aspect of social improvement. By doing so, we would not only be able to channel the energy of our women and our youth to a more socially positive and yet lucrative direction, but simultaneously give life to existing industries and creating new innovative ones.”

Commenting on this, Dato’ Dr Michael adds: “In a way ASLI-CSE is being set up as a response to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s call. We will be approaching the relevant ministries to discuss how best to ensure Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s vision on social entrepreneurship can be turned into reality.”

Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Director of ASLI-CSE says: “To start with, in 2011 ASLI-CSE will raise awareness among policy-makers and the public about both social enterprise and the Centre itself. In the long-term, we envision the Centre to be the “chamber of commerce” for social enterprises in Malaysia, providing training and business support, as well as advocating on behalf of the sector”.

The vision of ASLI-CSE is “Social enterprise and social entrepreneurship becoming one of the mainstream, competitive and thriving business models in Malaysia and the region”.

The mission of ASLI-CSE is “To act as the strategic agency that supports, represents, and advocates for social enterprises and social entrepreneurs”.

For further information, please contact Wan Saiful Wan Jan on wansaiful@asli.com.my or 013 278 6334

Website address: www.asli.com.my/cse.htm

Another Ministerial visitor to ASLI was Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment H.E. Dang Huy Dong. He also exchanged views with ASLI’s Senior Management team.

Other recent visitors to ASLI included the new High Commissioner of New Zealand H.E. David Pine and the British High Commissioner H.E. Simon Featherstone and the Head of the Southeast Asia Branch of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, Mr. Peter Wilson.

ASLI hosted a farewell lunch for the outgoing Japanese Ambassador Mr. Masahiko Horie and the new Japanese Ambassador H.E. Shigeru Nakamura.

ASLI Director and CPPS Chairman Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam with a visiting delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which called on ASLI recently.

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PRIME MINISTER APPOINTS ASLI CEOTO COMPETITION COMMISSSION

1ST FORUM ON COMPETITION ACT

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib has appointed ASLI CEO Dato’ Michael Yeoh to be a Commissioner in Malaysia’s new Competition Commission which was set up by an Act of Parliament. The appointment for a three-year term took effect on 1 st April 2011. The Commission is chaired by former Chief Judge Tan Sri Siti Norma. Other Commissioners include the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, Director-General of Economic Planning Unit Dato’ Nuriyah Ahmad, MITI Secretary-General Datuk Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria, Domestic Trade Secretary-General Datuk Mohd Zain Mohd Dom, former Bar Council President Ragunath Kesavan and several others. At the first meeting of the Commission Dato’ Yeoh was also appointed as the Chairman of the Commission’s Publicity and Communications Working Group.

Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade Consumerism and Cooperatives Dato’ Tan Lian Hoe with speakers at the conference.

Mr. Chew Seng Kok Managing Partner of ZICO (Zaid Ibrahim & Co.) and other speakers at the conference.

The Competition Commission was established to oversee the implementation of the Competition Act passed by Parliament in May 2010. The Competition Commission will investigate any potential anti competitive practises and is also empowered to impose financial penalties. It aims to create a more competitive, efficient and regulated market place and will control unhealthy competition and restrictive business practises.

Last year Dato’ Yeoh was appointed as Malaysia’s Representative to the ASEAN High Level Task Force on Connectivity which developed the Master Plan on Connectivity which was adopted by the ASEAN Heads of Government at the 17th ASEAN Summit. Earlier Dato’ Yeoh has also served as a Commissioner in the Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM).

The Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI), with the support of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives & Consumerism (KPDNKK) recently organised the inaugural 1st Forum on Competition Act 2010 on Monday, 28 March 2011 at the Putra World Trade Centre. It was aptly themed ‘Embracing New Constitution for the Business Sector: Towards a Competitive & Conducive Business Environment & Inclusive Growth”.

The Competition Act 2010 which will come into force on 1 January 2012 will promote a competitive business environment and give foreign investors more confidence in Malaysia’s business practices. It will also completely change the way business is conducted in Malaysia if fully implemented to help pave the way for greater innovation and service to customers at competitive prices.

The Act will also govern all companies, including Government-Linked Companies (GLCs), thus the perception that GLCs have always been protected by the Government will be erased. It will create a level playing field for all industry players including protecting the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by ensuring fair and healthy competition.

The Competition laws also bring many positive economic effects since consumers will benefit from lower prices, more choices and higher availability of goods and services. Increased competition and easier access to markets will force businesses to be more efficient and to innovate and invest in the R&D of new products and manufacturing techniques. It will also lead to positive welfare effects such as: cost savings; weeding out of inefficient businesses; larger market shares, to more cost-efficient companies and more entry into the market by new businesses.

Therefore, the main focus of this forum was to bring to light the main thrust of the Competition Act which is to promote a competitive market environment a provide a healthy and level playing field for all industry players in the market, which in the process, will squash anti-competitive practices such as cartels and collusions. The Government is also sending a strong signal to the business community that the Government is serious in educating the business fraternity on the law that will have two major prohibitions i.e. anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant positions, as well as insights and latest key issues affecting the Competition policy and its implications. Anti-competition agreements include price-fixing, import cartel, bid rigging, territorial allocation, limiting production and market-sharing. Meanwhile, the abuse of dominant position includes predatory pricing, price discrimination, excessive pricing and denying market access. Therefore, the law promotes the efficient functioning of the markets that eventually will benefit consumers in terms of lower prices and better choices. It will also ensure and safeguard against practices that could drive companies out of business, allow lower entry barriers to promote entrepreneurship and growth of SMEs, as well as the abuse of monopoly in the market and anti-cartel.

The new Competition Act 2010 is also in line with the global trends to promote healthy competition among businesses for the ultimate benefit of the Malaysian consumers. The Act was inter alia to promote competition among businesses, to revive the influx of private investors and to give due recognition to the importance of promoting healthy business environment in Malaysia, also known as ‘the new constitution for the business sector’.