Puasa

Bulan Puasa....
Can you imagine if you were to wake up at 5:00 am and prepare food, take it and then go on with a full working day of emptying stomach til 7:20pm? This is something I think many can't, do not even need to talk about the whole one month! My utmost respect to my Muslim friends and wish you and your family a very Selamat Hari Raya Aidifitri.

During Ramadan, I am particularly excited for some reasons. One being the fact that everyday at 4:00pm onwards, there would be lots of stalls which sell superb Malay food.... One gets to enjoy variety of food at reasonable price. Another thing is that during evening time between 7:00 to 8:00pm, in particular a working day, the traffic is way lesser and driving is really stress free..... How we all wish daily city traffic is like that. Then we have hotels and restaurant's dishing out Buffet Dining promotions.... Yes... expensive but in many instances you get good and variety of food. Golfing during this month is superb with cheaper Green Fees and free flow playing time as golf courses are usually quiet.

Meeting with Tun M

1. On 5 May 2009, on a bright sunny day, my MD, GM and myself, met with Tun M at his office on the 86th Floor of the Petronas Twin Towers. All these years, I have never visited the Twin Towers nor the Sky Bridge.

2. After checking in with the counter at Ground Zero, we were first brought up to the 83rd floor by an officer, had a wait until time, we were then invited up to the 86th floor.

3. We were brought to a big conference room with simple interiors filled with a long table guarded by at least 20 chairs surrounding it. Not too big of a room considering that the 86th floor is almost the tip of the Twin Towers.

4. 5 minutes later, we were invited by Tun's secretary/ assistant to Tun's office, walking passed an oval shaped-like room with sofa chairs on both sides. I can't remember much of this oval room as my eyes were on the 2 nearing figures.

5. Tan Sri Rashid H, the man who unconditionally helped to set up this meeting, introduced us to Tun. Looking cheerful, Tun was smiling during the introduction and invited us to sit at his working desk.

6. There were only 3 chairs in front of Tun's desk insufficient for 4 persons. Hence, I was requested to sit at the rear of the office room. Upon hearing that, Tun said no and directed the Sec to slot in another chair right in front of his desk. I was very moved by his gesture, from an ever charismatic leader.

7. Tun is still very much in great shape for his age at 84. Contrary to what we see on TV or the Powers he holds, Tun has a small physical presence. He speaks slow but I feel that it is not due to his age but his calmness when addressing people.

8. On his desk, to his right, is filled with documents and a copy of the Star newspaper. I was sitting to his left, where the computer monitor and the Astro remote control were right in front of me. At the back of Tun is the skyline of KL and the sight of the other tower - the view of his achievements since 1981.

9. Meeting lasted about 25 minutes. Tun M said he will see what he can do to help us. My GM and I failed to achieve our personal objective - to take a picture with Tun M. But, at least, we got to meet Tun in-person at his beloved Twin Towers.

10. One of the highlights in my life.

Team Malaysia

1. When I saw the list of new Ministers (M) and Deputy Ministers (DM) announced by PM Najib, I was relieved and in fact pleased with his picks. Well, if he could, he would have selected the best but being a politician, a technocrat, a leader of a multi-cultured nation and a human, he has many factors to consider.

2. To me, when choosing his 29 Ms (including himself) and 40 DMs, PM Najib was picking his best 'players' for a football team. All managers or coaches would love to have a Dream Team but that is never the case. Just look at Real Madrid of Spain, having all eleven Super-Stars on the field DID NOT make them the best in the World. Hence, I believe this is PM Najib's best possible Team Malaysia.

3. One thing for sure, based my observation of the new Ms and compared to those in the previous few administrations, this is by far the best group of Ms that Malaysia has ever have. I feel that there are more Ms now who are capable enough and who really willing to roll-up their sleeves and work for you and me. Topping that, we can see that there are more Ms and DMs who are with good educational background and experience. After all, this Cabinet is crucial for PM Najib politically as he has only less than 4 years before the next general election. The performance of these Ms and DMs will affect his premiership and the rulling Gov.

4. DPM Muhyiddin has got strong support within his party due to his previous post of Chief Minister (CM) of Johor. If he can administrate a big state like Johor (state development, agriculture, royal family & relationship with Singapore), I am sure he will do well as DPM and Education M. I foresee he will maintain Science & Maths in English. And perhaps, he will overhaul the current education system in the country, an issue that has been up in the air for many years. We need a powerful man with a strong will, sitting in this Ministry to make this happen.

5. MCA President Ong was the only winning Member of Parliament (MP) of Barisan Nasional rulling Gov in the whole of Kuala Lumpur area during Mac 8 election. I attended one MCA function where he, as the President of MCA, spoke openly about the weaknesses of his party and critically reminded his party members to buck up, be humble and work much harder to win the hearts of the Chinese. Based on his speech, I think this man is sincere in trying to change things in MCA. How many of our leaders have the balls to voice out for the better? This man has always been gutsy and still is. To me, MCA still has hope as long as he is the President and in Gov.

6. Gerakan Chief Koh, despite the many criticism he received when he was the CM of Penang, I still believe he is a capable man for the job. He was gracious with his defeat in Batu Kawan and like Ong, he was the few who openly talked about the reasons for BN's failures. He has always been tipped for Federal post and now he gets it. I am sure he would not want to screw this up. And he has to work hard to show the PM that Gerakan can contribute and is still relevant in Gov.

7. EPU M, Nor Yakcop may not be the best speaker in public forums and was claimed to have caused Malaysia to lose billions in forex management. However, he was one of the few key men who contributed to the Malaysian Recovery from the 1997 financial crisis. His previous mistakes, if true and if learned, coupled with his 1997 experience and finance expertise, can be beneficial to Malaysia at this time.

8. Hishammuddin, our Home M, will definitely be a better man for the job compared to his predecessor. I once saw him in KLIA walking towards the departure gates with his wife and his assistants. Both he and his wife were dressed casually but not luxury. To me, he is one of least arrogant leaders we have. The Keris was just one that he had to do or forced to do politically. In the end, his movement has chose not to raise the Keris again, which I think it was a 'sacrifice' well-appreciated by others. Apart from that, his political track record does not come with controversy. Being the new VP of UMNO and entrusted with this powerful Ministry, he has the motivation to perform better in Gov.

9. Info, Comm, Cul and Arts M Rais Yatim fits the bill as he did good in his previous Cul and Arts portfolio as well as he is one of the better orator in both English and BM, and is a very knowledgeable man. Just watch some of his interviews and speeches, you will definitely agree with me. Importantly, he was also another one who criticised his previous boss. I bet there will be lots of changes at RTM, our poor National TV Station. One thing for sure, he will definitely fare way better compared to his predecessor in Public Debate (Remember Shabery vs Anwar?).

10. Kelantan Man, MITI M Mustapha Mohamed, posses one of the best educational background among his colleagues in the Cabinet. He was a graduate of Uni of Melbourne with a first class degree in Economics, Masters in Economic Development from Uni of Boston in the US, and is a Honorary Doctorate of Commerce from University of Melbourne. At work, he is known to be a smart workaholic, a common trait among my Kelantanese friends. He had the highest number of votes for the UMNO Supreme Council and is a low profile politician. His economic expertise, having served the Cabinet in many occasions, will be valuable to the administration.

11. Ng Yen Yen always smile when appearing in public. She carries herself well in public and is fluent in English. I believe these are important criteria which a Tourism M must have in marketing our country to the world. These were the missing criteria in our previous Tourism Ms. Looking back at her past 3 predecessors, I believe she will outperform all of them easily. I am sure there must be a good reason why the members in a male dominated MCA has chosen her as one the VPs in the party.

12. Peter Chin, Nazri, Bernard Dompok and Anifah Aman are still in Gov mainly because of political reasons. The rest of the Ms has lots to prove as many are still relatively new Ms. Same goes for the DMs. I agree with a report in The Star that this group of DMs are pushed to the front line now as they are tipped to be successors of future administrations. Just look at the whole list and if you follow Malaysian politics, only a handful of the 40 DMs you and I actually recognise.

13. PM Najib has been in the Gov for more than 30 years and I am sure his selections, if ever wrong, will not go wrong too far. He is familiar with Gov administration and he wants to try running the Gov like a business corporation with performance indicators and evaluation.

14. Historically, there were many promises for change but these must come with strong will to execute efficiently. Follow Up must be Followed Through.

Political Warfare in Times of Turbulence

1. It is really amazing how SOME Human would do anything to safeguard self-interest and power than spending time figuring how to minimise the impact of the economic crisis EVERYONE is facing now;

2. Traders, businesses, hawkers, lorry drivers, retailers, contractors, manufacturers, you name it, are all very worried of what's gonna happen in the next 12 months. Foreign companies are leaving the country, cutting jobs, downsizing and contributing to the rise of un-employment. Local SMEs are struggling to keep bizz afloat and retaining employees. In longer run, we'll hear more crimes. Consumer confidence is definitely eroding and has been eroding since general election 2008. People on the streets, with all these, are spending conservatively and I believe many, do not have enough to spend!

3. And yet, we saw all sorts of acquisitions, bribery cases, scandals, hoppings, re-hoppings, cows, cars, royals, death threats, finger pointing, bribery proof claims, 100s of police reports and private photos taking center stage in local media these days. And even the foreign press are taking strong interest of what's happening in this country. Surely, we are a laughing stock among those who read about us. Worse, the country becomes vulnerable and lost its focus to fix the economy, confidence level and shallow-ing pockets of its People;

4. Leaders of this country should be deliberating about the economy and livelihood of the People in Parliament or in the Media, rather than telling you and me about who should be the Gov, why the Gov should rule a state, evidence of bribes on CCTV, why the MACC should take action, suspending of MBs and variety of other useless debates about Politics, Self-Interest and Power. The people of this country become more knowledgeable about the details of a scandal than being aware of how Malaysia can sail past this 'economic storm';

5. The Govs must discuss and form strategies to quickly defuse the growing economic concerns in the Country or States. Put these on Headlines and Reports of whatsoever to reach the People. Lift consumer confidence as the country's saving rates is relatively high among many nations. Mobilise 'quickly-est' in providing funds, grants and assistance to SMEs and accelerating the pace of releasing 'stimulus' to pump prime the economy. Gov officials should spend more of their energy to figure out ways to retain foreign companies and attract more foreign investments. Remind these 'big bucks' corporations that investing in Malaysia is for long term when the current global economic situation is a temporary cycle. Economists and Fund Managers would tell you that what's low now will be high in times to come. Annual Budgets should be Semi-Annual Budgets where reviving strategies should be implemented and reviewed within a short time frame to cater for a volatile market;

6. Political Warfare-s are depriving those not in power struggle the chance to survive thru' this economic turbulence. The 'interest' to stay in power and to come into power is actually draining the energy and resources of this dear country;

7. Perhaps, like what we witnessed in many historical wars, a 'Ceasefire' in Malaysian politics should be called.

Welcome to "Air Crisis"

1. Over the past 7 days have been the most stressful and exhausting time in my career since I first started work in 1999. I always thought that my Audit years in Ernst & Young were the most 'tiring' and 'burning' but a crisis last week proved me wrong.

2. A multi-billion contract was cancelled by a client in the Gulf States and caused confusions among stakeholders of my company. Shareholders, Analysts, Fund Managers, Bankers, Rating Agencies, Bondholders, Media, Gov Authorities, Other Clients. You name it. Everyone was on board the 'Air Crisis", destination - Shah Alam Glenmarie.

3. The problem with human is that when one hears a bad news, panic starts to flow followed by speculations, then rumours and ultimately wrong facts. And may I add that these usually travel really fast, faster than flying from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.

4. The company shares were traded last at RM1.26, a limit down (30% of reference price) in the first 12 minutes of trading on 6 Jan 2009 and was suspended for the rest of the day. It was the first ever limit down by the Company's counter and for the first time, we made 2 public announcements to the stock exchange in one day, one in the morning and another in late afternoon, providing details to the public on the whole issue.

5. We decided that we shall not shy away as we believe the Company is not at fault. None of us avoided the issue but we all stayed focused to explain and clarify the true facts. Hence, a few of us, with respective roles, dealt with each stakeholders in the fastest and best possible manner to allay fear/ deny that the Company is in great trouble. We were racing against unwanted romours, speculations and wrongful facts.

6. On 6 Jan 2009 itself, I spoke on the phone from 7:00am to 10:00pm, only to break for lunch and water. In the washroom, I was still on phone conversations. I received 130 SMS and among these, 120 of these were messages with Missed Calls which many of the numbers are from Analysts, Fund Managers and the Media. Face-to-face Meetings and Call Conferences were common requests. We were open and had accepted all requests that reached us on the same day. Or else we scheduled these to the following days.

7. At these meetings, we answered each and every questions thrown at us. Some were nasty, illogical and baseless. But overall, those were fair and good questions.

8. On 7 to 9 Jan 2009, the next wave of crisis management was to clarify with the Press, Gov officials and all my friends who cared. I also arranged an exclusive interview with a Malaysian press for my boss to explain that it is business as usual at the Company and we will work even harder in the Gulf region. We have a bigger pie among other Malaysian counterparts in the region. The cancellation only took away 20% of the pie. The Company has moved on.

9. The events past week made me truly believe that in every crisis, there are opportunities and benefits. One can only see a crisis as positive if he or she thinks long term on these:-

- More of the global world knows the Company now. As and when the outcome is favourble to the Company, we would have spent zero cents for publicity;
- Chance to taste the worst (if not the worst) and is equiped to face other crisis along the byways;
- Learn more about people, bosses, colleagues and business associates - their leadership, character and composure when handling challenges;
- Strengthen unity among people within an organisation as everyone is now on board the same 'aircraft' facing common external problem/ enemy; and
- (More for me) I get to know that my Sony Ericsson P1i battery will die twice if used non-stop for 15 hours.

Thank you for flying Air Crisis.