Year End 2010

Alhamdulillah, 2010 has been a very productive, prosperous, eventful and wonderful year for my family and personal achievements.
Wishing and praying for strength and energy in 2011 to work towards bringing success and progress for my beloved Family and Friends

Together, we can make a difference

As of today, you, together with almost 44,000 other Campaigners for Children have raised your hands to be counted in the effort to stop child abuse in Malaysia.

You make us very proud.

At the Get on Board campaign's official closing event held on the 15th of December, the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development made a pledge to work with UNICEF to undertake a study to better understand child abuse in Malaysia so our country's policies and programmes can be more efficiently adapted to address this crucial issue.

Your support has helped achieve this, and we could not have done it without you.
This is proof that, when people come together, spread the word and take action, anything is possible.

UNICEF will continue to keep www.uniteagainstabuse.my live as an ongoing resource for everyone. Please keep going back to it to learn more, and also share this knowledge with friends!

Violence against children is very real and the damage caused can impact children for a lifetime. Here are some real testimonies from children:

"Once I didn't know how to do my homework, so I asked my teacher for help.
But she didn't help me, she just pulled my ear. She always makes me feel useless."
Boy, 9, Malaysia.

"With these two hands my mother holds me, cares for me, this I love.
But with these two hands, my mother hits me - this I hate"
Girl, East Asia and the Pacific.

"I hate early marriage. I was married at an early age and my in-laws forced me to sleep with my husband and he made me suffer all night. After that whenever day becomes night, I get worried thinking that it will be like that. That is what I hate most."
Girl, 11, married at 5, Eastern and Southern Africa.

We cannot wait for more children to suffer and be scarred for life, some even having their lives cut short. UNICEF is working with the Government of Malaysia to ensure a protective environment for all children free from violence, abuse and exploitation.

Love for languages

HAVING grown up in an urban environment in Ipoh, orang asli Noor Azamira Long of the Semai tribe always sees herself as being luckier than most of her peers.

Not only did she attend boarding school SM Sains Sultan Mohamad Jiwa, Kelantan, for her secondary education, she also had a chance to pursue a degree in the German language at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

“I didn’t have to go to school on foot or by boat. I am quite lucky (compared to the rest of my peers) that I have opportunities to receive quality education,” said Noor Azamira who has been working as a counsellor at DAAD, or Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (German Academic Exchange Service).

With that in mind, Noor Azamira is determined to convey the importance of education to her community.


Noor Azamira sharing her joy with father Long Alang Chukas and mother Alang Manjid at the ceremony.
“Only with a good education and skills can we get out of poverty.

“Our attitude must change, and we must embrace knowledge as well as technology for the better,” she said.

Noor Azamira was among the 614 graduates who received their scrolls on the first day of UPM’s 34th convocation. Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was the guest-of-honour.

When asked why she wanted to learn German, Noor Azamira, 27, said, “German is a technology language that is highly useful”.

“It is not a difficult language for me to learn. When I was a beginner, I noticed that there are a lot of similarities between the German language and my mother tongue,” said Noor Azamira, who also speaks Cantonese.

RTM newscaster and host Jessica Ong Hai Liaw, 36, was spotted at the convocation. She graduated with a PhD in Bahasa Melayu.

Dr Ong said Bahasa Melayu was her favourite language.

“There’s something about the language that makes it so beautiful and special. I have a lot of Malay friends too,” said Dr Ong, who is also a teacher at a government school in Petaling Jaya.

Beaming with joy was another graduate Teng Wern Jyet, 22, who received the Chancellor Gold Medalist Award.

“This award has given me the confidence to carry out my plans to pursue a masters degree and, hopefully, a doctorate degree as well,” he said.
TS

Love for languages

HAVING grown up in an urban environment in Ipoh, orang asli Noor Azamira Long of the Semai tribe always sees herself as being luckier than most of her peers.

Not only did she attend boarding school SM Sains Sultan Mohamad Jiwa, Kelantan, for her secondary education, she also had a chance to pursue a degree in the German language at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

“I didn’t have to go to school on foot or by boat. I am quite lucky (compared to the rest of my peers) that I have opportunities to receive quality education,” said Noor Azamira who has been working as a counsellor at DAAD, or Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (German Academic Exchange Service).

With that in mind, Noor Azamira is determined to convey the importance of education to her community.


Noor Azamira sharing her joy with father Long Alang Chukas and mother Alang Manjid at the ceremony.
“Only with a good education and skills can we get out of poverty.

“Our attitude must change, and we must embrace knowledge as well as technology for the better,” she said.

Noor Azamira was among the 614 graduates who received their scrolls on the first day of UPM’s 34th convocation. Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was the guest-of-honour.

When asked why she wanted to learn German, Noor Azamira, 27, said, “German is a technology language that is highly useful”.

“It is not a difficult language for me to learn. When I was a beginner, I noticed that there are a lot of similarities between the German language and my mother tongue,” said Noor Azamira, who also speaks Cantonese.

RTM newscaster and host Jessica Ong Hai Liaw, 36, was spotted at the convocation. She graduated with a PhD in Bahasa Melayu.

Dr Ong said Bahasa Melayu was her favourite language.

“There’s something about the language that makes it so beautiful and special. I have a lot of Malay friends too,” said Dr Ong, who is also a teacher at a government school in Petaling Jaya.

Beaming with joy was another graduate Teng Wern Jyet, 22, who received the Chancellor Gold Medalist Award.

“This award has given me the confidence to carry out my plans to pursue a masters degree and, hopefully, a doctorate degree as well,” he said.
TS

Why, how, what?

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. And what you do serves as the proof of what you believe.” – Simon Sinek

A COUPLE of years ago, I was perplexed by an issue: Why are some people and organisations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others, even though they may be less funded, less equipped, and possibly far inferior? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike?

Everywhere, small start-ups’ were outwitting big giants, and little “people” like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Sam Walton were out-muscling far more advanced and illustrious opponents.

Why is Apple considered more innovative than Samsung, even though Samsung wins more innovation awards?

Mozilla is a small foundation with less than 60 employees but their Firefox products is far superior to mighty Microsoft’s Internet Explorer; Microsoft has more resources, talent and funding.

Last week, I interviewed Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales on the Leaderonomics Show. Wikipedia has one employee yet eliminated heavy-weights Encyclopaedia Britannia and Microsoft’s Encarta to become the world’s largest encyclopaedia.

This question kept bugging me until I met Simon Sinek via a TED Talk, who similarly grappled with this issue.

He studied the lives of Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers, who did not have as much funding or expertise as Samuel Langley in the aviation wars, yet won against the odds.

Sinek found that successful people think and act completely opposite from the others who ended up “losing”. He used three words – why, how and what – in a concept he named “the golden circle”.

The outermost circle, labelled “what” represents, for example, a company’s product. The next circle, “how”, would be the technology behind this product, and the innermost circle represents “why” the company makes the product.

With successful individuals, everything started with “why” followed by “how” and finally “what”. Sinek discovered that the “losers” communicate in the exact opposite manner.

He adds: “Any organisation can explain what it does; some can explain how they do it; but very few can clearly articulate why.”

Success can easily be replicated if we all start practicing “inside-out” instead of “outside-in” leadership.

The why-how-what model is actually grounded in biology. Our brain is split into the neo-cortex and the limbic brain. The neo-cortex (how and what) is responsible for all our rational, analytical thought and language.

Our limbic brain (why) is responsible for feelings, trust and all human behaviour and decision making with no capacity for language.

When we communicate from the inside-out, we are speaking directly to the parts of the human brain that control behaviour.

The neo-cortex will then follow, rationalising that behaviour. When we communicate from the outside-in, people may understand vast amounts of complicated information, but may not trigger behaviour.

This is why you can give someone all the benefits of your product but they still don’t buy your products, while in some cases (as with Apple’s iPhone 4 with receptor problems), people would still flock to the product.

Why

Steve Jobs once said: “Innovation has nothing to do with how many research and development (R&D) dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about how you’re led.” Jobs understood clearly how to lead and it meant starting with the “why”.

The crux of Sinek’s idea lies within this centre “why” circle. The “why” represents an entrepreneur’s beliefs and passion. Why does your organisation exist? This is probably the most important strategic question your business needs to answer yet most people answer this question with “making money”.

Making money is necessary for survival but cannot be your sole purpose; we all need good health to live but that doesn’t make good health the purpose of living.

Your “why” should be enduring, and involve a social contribution and be worthy – bringing a sense of purpose.

Here are some examples – Google (let’s organise the world’s information), Mozilla (let’s kill Microsoft), Apple (let’s reinvent the status quo), Wikipedia (let’s all contribute knowledge and create a true depository of global information), AirAsia (enabling everyone to fly) and Leaderonomics (let’s transform the nation).

Neurologist Aron Buchman claims people who understand their “why” in life, actually live longer and have lower risk of Alzheimer’s. He adds: “People with high purpose in life have a lower risk of dying and developing disability. We found that people with high purpose in life at the beginning of the study had a two-and-half times lower risk of developing dementia.”

Knowing your “why” gives you direction. You tend to have more opportunities than you could possibly pursue. Knowing why you exist helps you decide what you will do and what you will intentionally choose not to do.

How

After your “why” is formulated, you can then figure out “how” it is going to accomplish the “why”. Take Walmart, the world’s largest retailer.

It started with a simple “why” – everyday low prices. Sam Walton wanted to create a store where customers didn’t need to cut coupons, compare prices or engage in non-value added activities to obtain the lowest price.

Then, he went about the “how”. Walton built an entire infrastructure to support his “why”, including the world’s best supply chain, an EDI system that ensured cost efficiency, hiring of “lower cost” retired folks, establishing stores in remote locations where rental was lower, completely cutting out advertising and keeping his corporate team as lean as possible.

Most organisations benchmark Walmart and try to “copy” their “how”. However, the “how” at Walmart has its foundation on its “why”, thus making copying immaterial.

AirAsia’s “why” was to ensure “everybody can fly”. Their “how” was to build an entire infrastructure to support this “why”.

To enable everyone to fly, they needed to manage costs and price tickets from zero (for those with no money) to full price (for those who can afford to pay). If their “why” was to be the “best low-cost airline”, all their tickets would be priced low.

Essentially, the “how” are ways the “why” gets accomplished – your value system, processes and structures, infrastructure, the talent in your organisation and the eco-system you create to support your “why”.

Wikipedia’s “why” enabled them to build an entire web eco-system (how) with a global volunteer and policing organisation.

What

Amazon.com is a business that defies logic – an online retailer that has become the biggest bookstore in the world. Jeff Bezos, its CEO and founder, knew his “what” – to open an online book store. But unlike others, he didn’t start with “what”.

He spent countless hours in traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores trying to figure out “why”. As Bezos visited bookstores, he realised there was an “experience” people went through buying books. People read parts of the books, compared books, browsed the best-seller lists and got frustrated when a book they wanted was out of stock.

Bezos quickly understood his “why” – to become “earth’s biggest bookstore.” He later refined his “why” to “We seek to offer earth’s biggest selection and to be earth’s most customer centric company.”

His “how” was to ensure the “experience” in a traditional bookstore was replicated while the frustrations (ie. lack of book titles) was addressed.

This infrastructure that he built costs millions but guaranteed Amazon provided a truly unique customer experience (his “why”).

Finally, after this entire infrastructure was built, he focused on the “what” – the actual products and services that Amazon offered – books, music and videos. The “what” may have started out as a bookstore, but once he understood his “why”, it progressed into much more.

Likewise, Apple started out as a computer company, but their “why” was to make a dent in the universe. Apple believed that “everything we do, we do differently”.

They believed in challenging the status quo. That was their “why”. And “how” they challenged the status quo was by hiring talented people and making beautiful products with great designs.

And finally, “what” Apple does is make computers, MP3 players, phones or anything that supports their “why”. We often communicate starting from the “what”. Companies communicate “what” they’re selling. But the truth is, people don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.

Final thoughts

There is a difference between giving direction and giving directions. Direction is the end destination (your “why”) to which you are headed, while directions (your “how” and “what”) is the plan to get you there. Leaders often give directions when they should be setting direction.

Martin Luther King inspired many to make a difference on racism. Interestingly, his speech began with “I have a dream” and not “I have a plan”.

We think a great business begins with a solid business plan. But numerous businesses built on solid business plans don’t last either. Instead, start with “why” and you may just end up inspiring millions.

>Roshan Thiran is CEO of Leaderonomics, a social enterprise passionate about transforming the nation through leadership development. To sign up your kids for leadership camps this school holidays, email yasir.osman@leaderonomics.com, or login to www.leaderonomics.com.

Fun in numbers

Teenager Koong Zhe Xian admits he was a restless child who got bored of repetitive tasks. Today, he is all praise for a Japanese method of studying, which he credited for his passing the O-Level Mathematics at the age of 16.

The SMK Chan Wa, Seremban student – who is now proficient in pre-university level Maths syllabus such as algebra, calculus and statistics – was trained for 34 months under the Kumon Method.

“My marks in school (for Mathematics) have always been okay, scoring above 90%. But the method encouraged me to be more disciplined in my work,” said a visibly excited Zhe Xian when met in Kuala Lumpur recently.

The Science stream student added that he had learned to be independent in his thoughts.

TS

Zhe Xian says the study method encouraged him to be more disciplined in his work.

Zhe Xian, who scored straight As in his PMR last year, aspires to be either a physics researcher or a teacher.

His mother Wu Swee Leng commented that many students failed to score in Mathematics due to lack of practice.

“To enjoy doing Mathematics, students need to get the basic skill correct. Then, they will enjoy the fun in the numbers. Otherwise, the subject will become stressful because they feel they can never get it right,” said Wu, who together with her husband, are both lecturers in tertiary level Mathematics.

The Kumon Method was developed by Japanese Mathematics teacher Toru Kumon in 1954.

There are about 200 Kumon centres spread out nationwide, providing training in Mathematics and English.

Much to gain from speakers’ experience

BEING talkative as a child turned out to be a good thing for senior industrial relations lawyer Datuk Thavalingam C. Thavarajah.

The personality trait, he says, has led him to pursue a challenging yet rewarding career in law.

“My teachers always complained that I talked too much. So, I thought I should make use of my ‘talent’ and decided to read law,” he says.

He says lawyers have to invest in the latest technology to keep abreast with the rapid changes in the industry.

Thavalingam says lawyers must keep abreast with the rapid changes in the industry.

“Time is of the essence in most transactions. The courts are also moving very fast so we have to be able to meet their requirements,” says Thavalingam, who was admitted to the Malaysian Bar two decades ago.

Thavalingam will be speaking on his life as a lawyer to aspiring students at the Star Education Fair, to be held on Jan 8 and 9 next year at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The session Law and Architecture will see experts share their views with visitors on Jan 9.

For those who want to pursue a course in architecture, Taylor’s University dean of the School of Architecture, Building and Design Tony Liew says: “Students must ensure that the programme is accredited by the professional board governing architectural licensure.”

In Malaysia, he says, the architecture programmes are accredited by the Board of Architects Malaysia, not by the institution itself.

“Some schools are design oriented while others are technically oriented. Choose programmes that suit your ideas about architecture,” he says.

Joining Liew is Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) president Boon Che Wee.

Boon says the career prospects for architecture graduates are very promising in the age of design economy.

The 23rd Star Education Fair will have a new line-up of experts speaking about career trends and study options in medicine, engineering, architecture and law.

Other highlights include talks on selecting the right pre-university programmes and funding for tertiary education.

The fair will also feature many educational institutions, professional bodies, higher education agencies and education centres which will provide students and their parents with information on a wide range of courses and options, both locally and abroad.

TS

Inspiring exchange programme

Four young professionals take in the spectacular views, food and culture of Switzerland in an exchange programme to promote understanding and peace.

KEVITPAL Singh was in for a shock when he found out that his Swiss host father Alain Choisy, whom he would be staying with for a week in Geneva, Switzerland, could not speak a word of English.

The Malaysian, however, did not let the language barrier dampen his spirit – or his sense of humour, for that matter.

“Alain’s English is as good as my French, but we somehow managed to get by without any serious injuries,” he quipped.

Scenic mountains: Kevitpal posing at the picturesque town near Brig.

One of the funny incidents, as he recalled, was when he had to phone Choisy to pick him up after his activities.

“What I did was that I kept the phone calls as simple and short as possible which usually involved three steps only - identify myself on the phone, tell him the pick up point and end the call with ‘merci’,” he laughed.

Despite the occasional cross-cultural blunders, the experience of staying with the Swiss family had been a good start to the five-week exchange programme for the 30-year-old assistant customer service manager.

Kevitpal was one of the five Malaysian participants who took part in the Group Study Exchange (GSE) or Echange de Groupes d’Etudes by The Rotary Foundation (TRF) to Switzerland in May.

Led by scientist and Rotarian Dr Joy Varughese, the team comprised four young professionals who had been selected to represent District 3300 Malaysia in the exchange programme to District 1990 Western Switzerland.

Say cheese!: Team leader Dr Joy enjoying Swiss cheese fondue during a farewell dinner in Geneva.

Other members were Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia senior lecturer Dr Mashitoh Yaacob, Petronas investment analyst Marliana Abas and this writer.

They were sponsored by Rotary Club (RC) Kampung Baharu, RC Damansara West and RC Klang, while Kevitpal was sponsored by the Rotaract Club of Gombak.

All applicants had to go through a stringent selection process before the final selection was made.

The four successful applicants were chosen based on, among others, their knowledge on Rotary, their sponsor clubs, District 3300, communication skills and professional goals.

The GSE programme involved vocational visits, cultural learning and plenty of opportunities for networking.

As preparation, the team members were also given intensive French lessons four months prior to the start of the programme.

One for the album: Team members Dr Mashitoh (left), the writer and Marliana (right) dressed up in traditional costumes with host family members Françoise and Hermance Schaerlig in Geneva.

Calling it a flagship programme by TRF, immediate past district governor Leslie Salehuddin 2009/10 of District 3300 said the programme had grown and attracted participation from almost every district globally since its inception in 1965.

“The exchange programme connects people from different parts of the world to promote international understanding and world peace,” he said.

District GSE Chairman Mohd Odzman Abdul Kadir described the programme as unique, saying that the organising committee strived to match the background and expertise of the participants to that of the companies for their professional day visits.

“If you are a doctor, for example, we will take you to hospitals and specialist centres for your vocational visit so that you can interact and exchange ideas with your counterparts,” he said.

Spanning across more than five cities and towns, the programme saw the team travel to Zurich, Geneva, Neuchâtel, Freiburg, Zermatt, Brig and, lastly, Bern, before boarding their Kuala Lumpur-bound flight in Zurich.

The magnificent view of the Alps wasn’t the only thing that would make a trip to Switzerland worthwhile. What made the exchange programme special was the gracious hospitality of the hosts.

From the savoury cheese fondue to milky Swiss chocolates, the participants were treated to almost every iconic Swiss food by the host families as well as the Rotarians.

While in Geneva, the team had a chance to meet confiseur Michel Rapp, who has been making chocolates for more than three decades in Nyon.

While people may be eating less chocolate these days for fear of consuming too much sugar in their diet, said Rapp, they are after chocolates that are of higher and better quality. In fact, he said, a study has shown that cocoa is rich in antioxidants.

Dr Joy said it was a life-changing experience for those involved in the programme.

“We learnt that no matter which country, what level of development and living standard, people face problems, joys and sorrows. One has to understand this and move forward to build a better world for all humanity,” he said.

Specialising in environmental ethics and education, Dr Mashitoh said it was great to learn about the professions in Switzerland and that the Swiss were not so different after all.

“One thing that I took back with me is the ‘Swiss precision’ (punctuality) – it is a good practice.

“If I could use one word to summarise my experience, it would be ‘beautiful’.

“This explains why we have taken more than 7,000 photos!” she said.

Among the excursions that the team took part in were visits to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Patek Philippe Museum, the Saut-du-Doubs waterfall, the historical town of Murten, popular ski holiday spot Belalp and the Grimsel Dam.

They also visited rotary clubs where they made presentations to promote Malaysia and its cultures.

The 2011/12 GSE programme is to RI District 5110 Southern Oregon and Northern California, the United States. For more information, visit
www.rotary.org.

Malaysian student in Australia gets the Rhodes for Oxford

University of Adelaide final-year medical student Christopher Wong, whose parents are Malaysian, has been named the 2011 Rhodes Scholar for South Australia.

Wong, 24, of Toorak Gardens, Adelaide, is the son of Dr Charles Wong Chun-Hing, who hails from Alor Setar, Kedah, and Tan Siew Jee, from Jasin, Melaka.

"I believe this is the first time someone of Asian background, let alone Malaysian descent, has won a Rhodes Scholarship in South Australia," Wong said.

"It's great to see Malaysians kicking goals wherever in the world they now are," he said.

Wong said the Rhodes Scholarship was a wonderful opportunity to not only study at one of the most prestigious universities in the world but also spend time with the best and brightest students from many different backgrounds.

"It is incredibly surreal to receive such a coveted scholarship, and I'm very excited about my time in Oxford," the student said.

Wong will study for a Masters of Global Health Science at Oxford.

"I chose this course because it offers graduates the opportunity to develop skills in a wide range of medical areas, including public health, health economics and management, epidemiology and statistics," he said.

The scholarship is the latest honour for the former Pembroke School (Adelaide) student who has been lauded by some of Australia's most respected medical researchers for his achievements to date.

Wong graduated as Dux of Pembroke School in 2004, matriculating with eight perfect scores. In 2008, while in the 4th year of his medical degree, Wong was awarded one of Australia's top cardiovascular prizes for his research into atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder in the world.

He was the first undergraduate student in Australia to win the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand's Affiliate Prize for Scientific Excellence, chosen ahead of 2,000 other delegates, most of whom were established post-doctoral scientists with years of experience behind them.

Earlier this year, he was a guest presenter at the European Society of Cardiology's Scientific Congress in Stockholm, providing results of a study on Australian heart disease.

Wong is a former president of the Adelaide Medical Students' Society, an accomplished violinist who has played with the Adelaide University Medical Orchestra and the Australian Doctors Orchestra, a keen marathon runner, taking part in the London Marathon in 2009, and a fund-raiser for both the National Heart Foundation and Oxfam.

He is described by one of Australia's leading cardiologists, Professor Prash Sanders, as "the most outstanding student" he has ever supervised.

Nine Rhodes Scholars are chosen in Australia each year - one for each state, plus three for Australia at large. They are chosen on their academic achievements, as well as community work, leadership and sporting activities.