The Board of HEINEKEN Malaysia announces that Roland Bala has been nominated as the successor for Hans Essaadi who will be taking up the position of Managing Director of HEINEKEN Egypt effective 1 September 2018. Essaadi will also relinquish his directorships in all subsidiary companies of HEINEKEN Malaysia with effect from the same day.
Essaadi has been Managing Director of HEINEKEN Malaysia since March 2013. In this role, he has steered the Company to deliver year-on-year improved financial performance through driving commercial excellence, focusing on innovation, optimising cost efficiencies, uplifting sustainability initiatives and ensuring more structured people development plans are in place. He has dealt with major change initiatives including the implementation of an end-to-end automation system and the integration of the Company, then known as Guinness Anchor Berhad, into HEINEKEN in 2016.
Roland Bala, a Malaysian, is currently the Managing Director of Cambodia Brewery Ltd (CBL), HEINEKEN’s operating company in Cambodia. Since February 2012, he has led CBL to increase its market share by more than double, establishing CBL as the market leader in Cambodia. Roland joined Asia Pacific Brewery (APB) as Special Assistant to the Regional Director from February 2008 until February 2009. He was then appointed as General Manager for Danang in the central region of Vietnam from 2009 to February 2012.
Roland started his career with British Petroleum where he spent 16 years working in sales, logistics, operations and planning roles in retail, gas and lubes businesses, Roland was the GM for BP Vietnam from 2003 to 2005 and then as the Sales Director for the lubes business for Malaysia and Singapore from 2005 to 2007. Roland Bala will succeed Hans Essaadi who will continue to serve the Company until he hands over his position as the Managing Director of HEINEKEN Malaysia on 1 September 2018.
Visa Malaysia and I-Berhad will see the digitisation of payment systems across i-City. The collaboration is a first in terms of scale and a major milestone as the modernisation of electronic payment spans 72 acres of the property development.
The strategic partnership agreement underscores Visa’s support of i-City’s digitization initiative through its digital capabilities and Visa as the preferred partner in the new payment solutions project which is in line with Malaysia’s National e-Commerce Strategic Roadmap. The introduction of digitalization experience in Leisure Park @ i-City theme park is also aimed to improve the international tourist arrivals in line with Ministry of Tourism and Culture’s target of having 36 million tourist arrivals by year 2020.
In line with its Smart City vision, i-City was licensed by the Malaysian Multimedia and Communications Commission to provide connectivity services to the residents in i-City. With these fibre optics network and high speed connectivity, i-City is a showcase of smart living in the country. The current partnership with Visa is another dimension in i-City’s Smart City plan.
The implementation of the digital payment systems via the i-City Mobile app will take place in stages with the first stage involving the theme parks and car park already in operation. Mobile app payment for Central i-City shopping centre, retail outlets and Best Western i-City Hotel is targeted to be launched by next year.
Datuk Eu Hong Chew, Deputy Chairman of I-Berhad says the strategic partnership with Visa would add value and improve the quality of services offered to both the local and international community in i-City. This is also in line with i-Berhad’s strategic digitalization programme which is critical towards nurturing a smart community within the development of i-City, a Smart City.
Visa Country Manager for Malaysia, Ng Kong Boon says, “Visa is excited to embark on this new chapter with i-City and implement contactless payments for the car park gantries and top-up kiosks at Leisure Park @ i-City. Contactless payments have grown significantly in Malaysia, where we are seeing more than three million Visa contactless transactions a month, and strong double digit year-on-year growth. With the digitalisation of payment systems at i-City properties in the next couple of years, we believe it will further encourage the adoption of electronic payments in Malaysia. In addition, tourists who visit i-City will be able to use their Visa payment cards at the car park gantries, theme park, malls and hotel. This will reduce the hassle of them having to carry cash and provide even greater convenience making their experience at i-City a memorable one.”
Hong Leong Bank Berhad launches an integrated creative and digital campaign for Hari Raya Aidilfitri to drive awareness on responsible financial planning through engaging and interactive platforms.
The Bank’s Hari Raya theme of Menyemai Impian or Sowing Dreams was brought to life through various creative and engaging initiatives. These include a heartwarming three-minute story of a young girl learning the value of savings from her father in a most peculiar way, an interactive Raya-themed mobile game called Jom Raya, e-Duit Raya via the Hong Leong Connect mobile banking platform, and a series of colourful and attractive Raya packets.
Domenic Fuda, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HLB says, “The tradition of saving and spending wisely is familiar for many of us, but much of its essence may have been lost in this age of heightened consumerism, especially during the festive season where people are more inclined to spend. The devotion of parents regardless of generation towards their children’s futures had inspired us at Hong Leong Bank in developing our Hari Raya campaign theme ‘Menyemai Impian’ or Sowing Dreams’. It is a demonstration of our understanding and commitment towards our customers’ financial management and wealth building opportunities, helping them to build their futures and achieve their dreams.”
HLB’s YouTube video named Abah Tak Bagi, tapped on the emotional aspects of the parent-child relationship, focusing on a father’s sincere, but quirky efforts to educate his young child on the importance of cultivating a savings habit.
“Our video focuses on hidden things that parents do out of love for their children, and in this case, it is to help them learn to save for their own futures. This is no different from what we want for our customers – for them to be equipped with the right financial tools to support their aspirations,” says Zalman Zainal, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of HLB.
Malaysia Airports in collaboration with Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University College creates temporary mural depicting the beauty and uniqueness of Langkawi. Carried out in conjunction with the upgrading works at Langkawi International Airport, the project is part of Malaysia Airports’ ongoing initiative towards providing a pleasant total airport experience and instilling a sense of place among travellers.
Located inside the airport at the landside terminal, the 170m long mural bears the artistic expression created by students from the Faculty of Creative Arts, Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University College (KLMUC). Taking several weeks to complete, the mural serves as a platform for the students to apply their talents and showcase their creativity for travellers from all over to see.
Malaysia Airports senior general manager for commercial services Nazli Aziz says the idea to create the temporary mural was mooted following the realization on the need to create a pleasant experience for travellers the moment they enter the airport, while the air terminal undergoes upgrading works. The mural is set to minimize any inconvenience due to construction works and is designed to provide a façade which is pleasing to the eyes, he added.
“This effort is yet another example of a successful collaboration between the private industry and the academia. “The Langkawi International Airport is an ideal location for the students to showcase their artwork due to the island’s popularity as a holiday destination among tourists from all over the world,” Nazli says.
KLMUC Acting Vice Chancellor, Sharina Puteh says “Our students and lecturers are grateful to be given this opportunity to create a welcoming atmosphere at one of the nation’s busiest airports, the Langkawi International Airport. The students showcased their talent by creating a vibrant design concept on this temporary mural, portraying excitement, energy and engagement. The design concept also reveals a vector illustration of Langkawi’s attractions with other design elements such as typography, doodles, patterns and graphic illustration along the mural. Audience will be able to interact with the design that could be Instagram-worthy, which will also contribute to the island’s promotional platform and image.”
On the upgrading works at Langkawi International Airport, Nazli says this involved significant refurbishing and upgrading of facilities at the landside terminal. When completed by end of August, the landside terminal will feature a contemporary design that will also enhance ease of movement for travellers. Travellers can also look forward to better retail offerings as there will be a diverse range of international and local brands.
Nazli says, “Each year, we have an average of 230,637 tourist arrivals at the Langkawi International Airport per month, with the highest achieved in the months of August and December. This translates to about RM54.15 million in sales for Year 2017 at the airport. With the retail facilities upgraded, we expect this to help facilitate better sales in the future.”
BMW Group Malaysia releases #SafetyStartsWithYou series, directed by BMW Shorties Finalist Mallory Lee as part of the premium automaker’s annual BMW Safety 360º Program. Featuring children between the ages of 4 to 9 years old, the series serves as a reminder to adults to be safer on the roads, especially this Hari Raya when the Balik Kampung season starts, highlighting some of the most basic road rules, etiquette and practices to stay safe on the road. The series includes five 30-second videos promoting the use of seat belts and child car seats, signal indicators, as well as adhering to the traffic light, speed limit and not using phones while driving.
Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director and CEO of BMW Group Malaysia says, “Road safety and responsibility on the road should be approached from the complete view of technology, behaviour and action. While we as a premium automaker continuously design and introduce new safety technology to significantly enhance road safety for all road users, it is also important for us to be reminded that safety starts with you. Your behaviour and action on the road can significantly reduce you and your children’s risks for road accidents. With this video series, we hope parents and adults in general will see that if our children understand basic road rules and sign, as well as safe driving behaviour, we as adults should reflect on our own actions which impact road safety.”
Harald adds that the World Health Organization for 2013 reported that Malaysia ranked the third highest globally for road-related deaths. He says, “These staggering facts should not be viewed as just figures. We should reflect on these findings and ask ourselves whether we contribute to these statistics, consider what we’re doing wrong on the road, and consciously remind ourselves every day to be better drivers, passengers and pedestrians.”
#SafetyStartsWithYou highlights some of the most common causes of road accidents including Distracted driving, Non-observance of speed limit and traffic lights, Changing lanes and signal indicators and the importance of Child car seats. The #SafetyStartsWithYou series was directed by Mallory Lee who directed the winning short film for BMW Shorties 2017 People’s Choice Award, Gold! There’s Gold in the River. Mallory was also a BMW Shorties Finalist in 2014 with A Gift and a nominee for several BMW Shorties 2014 supporting awards with the short film Hello Angel.
Grab Holdings Inc., Southeast Asia’s leading Online to Offline (O2O) mobile platform, reaches an agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) under which Toyota will invest US$1 billion in Grab, as a lead investor in the company’s ongoing financing round. As part of the agreement, Grab and Toyota will strengthen and expand their existing collaboration in the area of connected cars, to drive the adoption of new mobility solutions across Southeast Asia. The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions.
This investment by Toyota is the largest-ever by an automotive manufacturer in the global ride-hailing sector, and brings Grab closer to achieving its vision of becoming a one-stop mobility platform in Southeast Asia. Grab plans to work with partners to create a more efficient transport network that will ease traffic congestion in Southeast Asia’s megacities, make mobility accessible for all and provide driver-partners with increased income opportunities for them to move up the economic ladder.
As the leading mobile Online to Offline platform in Southeast Asia, this investment allows Grab to further expand its range of O2O services, such as GrabFood and GrabPay, deeper into the region. Grab operates in 217 cities across eight Southeast Asian countries and offers users safe and affordable transport, food and package delivery, mobile payments and financial services through its Grab mobile app.
Ming Maa, President of Grab, says, “As a global leader in the automotive industry, Toyota’s investment in Grab is based on their conviction in our leadership in driving the adoption of new mobility solutions and expanding O2O mobile services, such as GrabFood and GrabPay, in the region. Grab is the first Southeast Asian technology startup to have achieved run rate revenues of over US$1 billion across an installed mobile base of over 100 million users. Our rapid user and revenue growth is a testament to our ability to hyper-localise, efficiently execute and provide the highest efficiency platform in a region as diverse as Southeast Asia. We are honored to be supported by industry leaders including Toyota, Uber, Didi and SoftBank.”
Shigeki Tomoyama, Toyota Executive Vice President and President of Toyota’s in-house Connected Car Company says, “I am delighted that we are strengthening our collaboration, which utilizes Toyota’s connected technologies, with Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing company. Going forward, together with Grab, we will develop services that are more attractive, safe and secure for our customers in Southeast Asia.”
Grab will work with Toyota on how connected car services on the Toyota Mobility Service Platform (MSPF), such as user-based insurance, financing program and predictive maintenance, could enrich the Grab experience for drivers on the Grab platform. Grab and Toyota will roll-out connected car services, such as telematics-based insurance, which may reduce the cost of insurance premiums for safer Grab drivers.
CIMB Foundation recently successfully concludes its Mobile Ramadhan Bazaar Programme. Two mobile food trucks were deployed around the Klang Valley to promote and sell products by 50 home-based producers. The initiative which is part of the Foundation’s community development programme aims to boost the earnings of the homebased producers while at the same time serving as a mobile platform to promote their products.
Dato’ Hamidah Naziadin, CEO of CIMB Foundation says, “CIMB Foundation is pleased to be able to assist these home-based entrepreneurs who are unable to market their products widely due to limited resources and capacity. Our mobile bazaar bridges the gap between them and a wider base of customers. The month of Ramadhan was a good opportunity to enable these entrepreneurs, as consumers stocked up on cookies and other goodies for Aidilfitri. We hope to extend the use of this mobile bazaar to other festive seasons in Malaysia.”
All of the producers are CIMB Foundation’s beneficiaries ranging from single mothers and those from the lower income group.
CIMB Foundation is a non-profit organisation set up to implement CIMB Group’s corporate social responsibility and philanthropic initiatives. The Foundation believes in long-term sustainable growth and giving back to society. Its initiatives are aimed at empowering communities in a transparent, measurable and accountable way to enable them to be independent and enhance development. The Foundation focuses on three specific areas: Community Development, Sports and Education. In the past 10 years, CIMB Foundation has disbursed about RM120 million through 962 projects benefiting 700,000 people in the communities served by CIMB Group, making CIMB Foundation one of ASEAN’s leading CSR champions.
CVC Capital Partners Asia Fund IV (CVC) has acquired a 100% stake in Munchy Food Industries Sdn Bhd (MFI) and its Malaysian subsidiary Munchworld Marketing Sdn Bhd. Prior to the completion of the 8 June 2018 acquisition, MFI was 70% held by Double-V Series Sdn Bhd, the holding company owned by the founders of MFI, while fund investor TAP Crunch Sdn Bhd held the remaining 30% stake.
Following the change in ownership, the management team, personnel and business operating system have been fully retained, and are led by Chief Executive Officer Rodney Wong, who has been with the Group since 2014, together with Chief Operating Officer Rajan Pillai, who joined the Group in 2012. The board of directors for MFI will comprise of representatives appointed by CVC Asia IV, the CEO and COO. Founded in 1991, MFI has a distribution reach of over 50 countries and comes with over 25 years history in the biscuits and confectionery business. Its products include Munchy’s, Oat Krunch, Lexus, Muzic and Choc-O. According to Nielsen, Munchy’s had a 21.5% share of Peninsular Malaysia’s RM1.044 billion biscuit market in 2017.
LK Tan, co-founder of MFI, says “As a homegrown Malaysian brand, the Munchy team is proud that our hard work and product innovation over 25 years has enabled us to grow into the regional business we are today. There were many offers from potential investors in the past, but CVC’s vision for the brand aligned extremely well with our identity. Their global network and experience will be invaluable in growing the Munchy’s brand into a global name – with new markets, new technology and new innovations. We are excited to see CVC take the Munchy story into the next phase, becoming a global powerhouse.”
Alvin Lim, Managing Director at CVC Capital Partners, adds “This is an exciting opportunity to invest in a leading player with a consistent track record of growth and a highly cash-generative business. Over the years, MFI has built an exceptional platform with proven scalability to meet the demands of the company’s growing consumer base. We look forward to working with MFI’s management team to help them achieve their strategic plan of driving value over the next few years to further grow the company.”
Whitman Independent Advisors launches iWealth, Malaysia’s first advisor-driven online wealth management mobile application. Presented as a mobile application, iWealth seamlessly integrates bespoke advisory services with fintech innovation to deliver personalised wealth management solutions capable of helping Malaysians achieve financial freedom.
“Holistic wealth management was traditionally offered as a premium offline service to high net worth clients and the upper middle-class. iWealth’s arrival will democratise the wealth management industry and make it possible for every Malaysian to achieve financial freedom,” says Yap Ming Hui, Managing Director, Whitman Independent Advisors.
Yap adds, “iWealth’s low entry cost makes it more affordable and appealing to Millennials, as it supports them build their personalised roadmap to financial freedom. In the past, they may not have had the opportunity to do so due to the high advisory fees charged and higher minimum asset requirement. Riding on technology, iWealth will deliver holistic financial solutions in a manner that suits the new generation of consumers, whose demand for greater convenience, accessibility and affordability is insatiable. Until now, there hasn’t been any fintech innovation in the market quite like iWealth which can proudly claim to help Malaysians grow their wealth in a holistic and affordable manner.”
iWealth addresses the lack of empowerment and financial foresight of today’s younger generation. Take for example, purchasing financial products such as life insurances, shares, unit trusts funds or properties. Due to limited financial resources, Millennials cannot afford to make mistakes when purchasing financial products that are not best aligned to their financial goals, nor products that would deplete their hard-earned money. Financial service providers who choose to sell products to unknowing consumers without first referring to their client’s roadmap to financial freedom further compound the situation.
iWealth seamlessly integrates offline holistic wealth management disciplines with a whole new online user experience. It aggregates, analyses, and organises financial information such as assets, liabilities, income, and expenses conveniently on the mobile app. Based on the user’s financial profile, iWealth highlights gaps and opportunities to improve one’s financial position as well as provide personalised strategies to achieve financial freedom. iWealth will even help users understand the impact of life events on personal finances (making a home purchase, starting a family and investments), by providing tangible step by step solutions to navigate these important decisions. Meanwhile, an annual report card is generated to help users’ gauge and measure their wealth management progress against the original recommendations.
Yap foresees more enhancements being made to iWealth’s functionality to ensure that the app continues to capture evolving needs and solve consumer pain points. He says, “The digitisation of advice is inevitable and we are excited to be at the forefront of that journey. The future of wealth management is about empowering people to have full visibility of their financial position. In addition, our technology can advise people on what to do, therefore removing the uncertainty that exists in day-to-day financial decision-making.”
iWealth is FREE to download on iOS and Android. For a small and affordable fee of RM480 a year, users can subscribe to the iWealth+ package and enjoy step by step guide and holistic wealth management strategies developed by professional wealth managers anytime, anywhere.
Cathay Pacific is underscoring its strong commitment to eco-efficiency by planning to use a blend of alternative jet fuel to fly its new fleet of Airbus A350-1000 aircraft home to Hong Kong. With 20 of these technologically-advanced aircraft on order for delivery over the next four years, the first A350-1000 will depart Airbus headquarters in Toulouse on 19 June. A further seven aircraft are due for delivery by the end of 2018.
Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Officer Rupert Hogg says, “We have been at the forefront of many initiatives to reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving carbon neutral growth from 2020 is an important target that we take seriously and using alternative fuels is one of the key strategies in helping us to do so. We will continue to support the development and usage of biofuel to reach mainstream commercial viability.”
Cathay Pacific operated the longest biofuel delivery flight at the time when taking delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 aircraft in 2016. Twenty-two aircraft of this type have so far been delivered with a 10% blend of alternative jet fuel in their tanks. Compared to traditional jet fuel, biofuel can reduce life cycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%.
Cathay Pacific’s A350-1000 delivery flights using blended biofuel are supported by its partners, Airbus and Total. Frederic Evchenne, Head of New Energies at Airbus, says “Through the use of the A350-1000 and low carbon fuels, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to support the aviation sector and our customers to reduce their carbon footprint.”
Cathay Pacific is the world’s first airline to invest in an aviation biofuel company. In 2014, it became an equity investor in US-based Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc., which focuses on turning municipal solid waste into sustainable aviation fuel. In May 2018, Fulcrum broke ground on its first commercial-scale plant in Nevada. When the plant begins operations in 2020, it will produce over 10 million gallons of fuel per year. Cathay Pacific will be one of the first airlines to fly on fuel produced from this facility.
Loob Holding Sdn Bhd, the creator of Malaysia’s Tealive bubble tea brand, announces a joint-venture with two Chinese companies, Zhejiang Boduo International Trade Co. Ltd and Shanghai Panfei International Trade Co. Ltd to bring 500 Tealivestores to China within three years.
CEO Bryan Loo signed for Loob Holding which will take a 51% majority stake in the joint-venture which will be known as Shanghai Loob Boduo Food and Beverage Co. Ltd, subject to company registration approval by the relevant authorities in China.
Signing for the China partners were their Executive Directors, Yu Tong for Zhejiang Boduo International Trade and Pan Junfei, for Shanghai Panfei International Trade.
Loo says the joint-venture would see the first Tealive outlet opening in Shanghai this September before more stores being opened in other selected cities. He expressed confidence that the joint-venture would be able to achieve the targeted 500 stores in three years.
“Barely six months after the birth of Tealive, we took the brand to Vietnam and we now have five outlets. We have penetrated the Australian market with our first store there next month. Just last month, we appointed our Master Franchisee in India and we are targeting 140 outlets within five years. Once again, Loob has achieved a breakthrough being the first Malaysian bubble tea brand to enter India,” Loo says.
Noting that China, the world’s largest tea market, will be the fourth overseas market for Tealive, Loo said this augured well for the progress of Loob’s Breakthrough campaign where the brand encouraged Tealive lovers to always push the boundaries and achieve breakthrough results in all their endeavours.
Loo said Tealive serves 2.5 million consumers each month in its 175 outlets and the brand was still expanding every week. On prospects in China, Loo said latest indicators were that the market for tea in China had now exceeded US$21 billion per year.
Standard Chartered Malaysia is on track to fulfilling its strategy to become a digital, agile and lean bank. According to a 2018 study by McKinsey & Company on Asian banking in the age of the digital customer, the banking landscape is changing rapidly with digitally active customers doubling in Emerging Asia and growing 1.2 times in Developed Asia.
Digital adoption rates of the Bank’s online and mobile banking platforms have consistently increased over the years, with close to half of the Bank’s clients performing their common banking transactions online. The Bank aims to grow its digital adoption rate to 65% by 2022. The company also noted that the percentage of digitally active customers (those who use digital banking at least every fortnight and have made e-commerce purchases in the last six months) has grown significantly since 2014, doubling in Emerging Asia (to 25% of the population) and growing 1.2 times in Developed Asia (to 85% of the population).
Aaron Loo, Country Head of Retail Banking, at Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia says, “Technology is at the heart of the Bank’s strategy – driving efficiencies, increasing automation, reducing manual errors and strengthening how we combat financial crime. This is driven by the desire to serve our clients more effectively and efficiently by giving them more convenience, choice and security. Clients can now perform their transactions in an instant with digital banking, transforming the entire client experience. Yet, when they need a helping hand they can also reach out to any of our branches for a more personalised experience. Our goal is to become a Digital Bank with a Human Touch.”
In 2015, the Bank announced an investment of about USD 3 billion over three years in technology and systems across the Group. This investment was placed towards refreshing the Bank’s products and services for ease-of-use on digital platforms, developing intuitive solutions based on client feedback and simplifying processes to make things simpler, faster and better. The Bank has recently launched a suite of digital banking services including Live Chat with the Bank’s consultants anywhere, Touch ID login, Online service requests and Update of personal details online.
RHB Banking Group introduces a revolutionary online platform, RHB SME Financing, targeted at Malaysia’s small and medium enterprises. This first-of-its-kind SME Financing online platform will position RHB as a forerunner in the digital banking space for SMEs in the country.
It is a simple, fast and seamless loan application experience with a user-friendly interface which enables customers to apply for SME term loans online within 10 minutes with minimal data inputs, and obtain financing within 5 working days. Only two documents are required to be uploaded to start the loan application. An online loan simulator is also available to assist customers to calculate their affordability. In addition, tracking of the application can be done through the status dashboard on the RHB SME Financing platform. The online platform offers SME term loans with a minimum tenure of 6 months, up to 24 months for disbursements of between RM50,000 and RM300,000. SMEs with an annual turnover of less than RM35 million are eligible to apply for the term loan online with minimal documents required. Customers can now apply forterm loans without having to meet the Relationship Manager face-to-face at the application stage. Today, RHB launched its pilot run for the Klang Valley and will subsequently roll this out nationwide by the third quarter of this year.
Malaysia has approximately 900,000 SMEs in the country out of which close to 20% are customers of RHB, giving RHB an SME market share of 9% in 2017.
Jeffrey Ng Eow Oo, Head of Group Business & Transaction Banking, RHB Banking Group says, “RHB SME Financing online platform provides SMEs with simple and fast term loans at competitive rates, with no collateral required, in an effort to empower SMEs to manage and grow their businesses as well as fund their working capital needs. SMEs now have an avenue to obtain working capital financing at their fingertips. Our aim is to drive the growth of RHB’s SME business to contribute 20% of the bank’s domestic financing by 2020. Through this online platform, we target to approve RM100 million in SME loans over the course of one year.”
RHB Bank offers SMEs a robust payment eco-system that include a range of versatile products such as Corporate MyDebit Card, JomPAY, SME e-Retail Solution including ePOS – electronic point of sales; MPOS – a merchant card terminal; as well as the REFLEX Online Cash Management system. In addition to this, the RHB SME Banking online portal provides SME clients with quick access to information and products that are relevant to their businesses.
Naza TTDI maintains the RM20 billion KL Metropolis, a 75.5-acre mixed-use development, as its masterpiece in the Klang Valley. In anticipation of the sluggish property market in the first half of 2018, the property arm of Naza Group has put in place remedial strategies that are heavily supported by its continued development of the largest trade and exhibition destination in Malaysia.
Datuk Idzham Mohd Hashim, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Naza TTDI Sdn Bhd says, “KL Metropolis remains a key focus development area. Sales from Met 1 Residences have been experiencing incremental pick up. We are confident that this trend will accelerate further into the second half of the year when we launch another product here very soon.”
Met 1 Residences was recently awarded Best Condo Development in Klang Valley by PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards 2018 (APA), Malaysia. Meanwhile, KL Metropolis received the award for Best Sustainable Community Development by Property Insight Prestigious Developer Award 2018 (PIPDA) in June 2018. The company’s optimism is backed by its upcoming launch of a product targeted at property investors. With a gross development value of more than RM350 million, this investment opportunity is intended to capture a niche property market segment that has not been fully addressed to its optimum potential. The unique offering takes over from the launch of TTDI Ayana that was announced earlier.
The second half of 2018 will also see the local private developer launching a retail component of MET1 at KL Metropolis. Alfresco dining, an upscale food court, luxury showrooms and relevant amenities targeted at the immediate catchment around Jalan Dutamas area characterise the retail component. Two other developments that are in the construction stage at KL Metropolis include The MET Corporate Office Towers by Triterra Metropolis Sdn Bhd and Arte Mont Kiara by Nusmetro Sdn Bhd. The MET is the first Grade A stratified corporate office towers in KL Metropolis, with two towers standing at 30 and 42 floors respectively. Arte Mont Kiara has a total of 1,706 serviced residences with built up from 422sqft to 1,142sqft. Both Triterra and Nusmetro are Naza TTDI’s joint-venture partners for KL Metropolis.
Idzham adds that as a local developer in tuned with local demand, Naza TTDI is intent on going to market with developments that have the right location, right value proposition and innovative design for its customers. However, the company is interested to venture overseas in the near future when the right opportunity presents itself.
SuperCharger FinTech Accelerator and Standard Chartereddemonstrated the success of its programme for a third year running. Through the 12-week programme, the cohort companies have achieved 47 commercial deals, US$ 14.4 million funds raised, received 17 awards and formed a network of 372 mentors, partners, regulators and business stakeholders.
Standard Chartered has newly launched a proof-of-concept with vPhrase, one of the finalists of the current cohort, whose artificial intelligence technology can help the Compliance function automate the generation of insights and commentary, and make the report writing process more efficient. The analysis and commentary will include trends on regions, business and functions to help inform the senior management and assist them in making better business decisions using data.
This year’s programme has taken one step further to guide Supercharger’s search for the best fintechs, with Standard Chartered first defining a set of real problems to solve. This rigorous process has helped increase the value of this collaboration to both the fintechs, as well as the Bank.
Janos Barberis, Founder of SuperCharger says, “Reflecting on what was achieved in the last three years is humbling. We can now confidently say that being a SuperCharger alumni is a sign of quality for clients and investors, as confirmed by the number of deals closed and the amount raised to date. In addition, we were able to give back to our community with the launch of Asia’s first Fintech Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) with the University of Hong Kong, which enrolled over 20,000 students to date, including the employees of Standard Chartered.”
Carol Hung, Chief Information Officer of Standard Chartered Hong Kong, says, “We are looking for greater collaboration with fintechs to help us solve real business problems and improve the client experience. Supercharger is one of our key initiatives to source the most innovative solutions across the fintech ecosystem and to nurture the next generation of FinTech entrepreneurs that could potentially shape banking trends.”
In April, Standard Chartered officially opened its Hong Kong innovation lab, the eXellerator. This will further accelerate co-creation opportunities for businesses, clients, technology companies and industry partners in Hong Kong and the region, to come together and explore new ways to solve business problems and create new value propositions.
The Bank also launched SC Ventures this year. This is a new business unit set up with the vision to “rewire the DNA in banking”. It aims to build on the eXellerator success, and create a platform to identify and develop multiple innovative ideas across the Bank, supported by a bank-wide intrapreneurship programme to embed innovation into the way the Bank works. SC ventures will also make strategic investments in promising fintech start-ups which we are working with, and set up new ventures to explore new business models.
Microsoft Corp. underscores its commitment to the partner ecosystem and announces new programs and a new category of intelligent devices, designed to take advantage of a digitally connected world and drive new growth and opportunity for the industry.
Nick Parker, corporate vice president, Consumer and Device Sales, showcased how Microsoft is bringing the industry together to build the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge, delivering new experiences and solutions not previously possible. He says, “For Microsoft, it’s more than just screens and devices; it’s about creating services and experiences with technology that support ambitions and aspirations,” Parker said. Imagine the devices and experiences we can create with ubiquitous computing, infused with AI and connected to the cloud. This is such an incredible time for the industry.”
Parker was joined on stage by Roanne Sones, corporate vice president, Platforms, who announces a new partner community for the intelligent edge, a new category of Windows 10 devices called Windows Collaboration Displays and a new offering with Windows 10 IoT Core Services. The intelligent cloud and intelligent edge will offer a new world of possibilities for the industry to deliver more flexible and custom experiences for everyone, whether a thermostat in a smart home or an interactive display in a smart office. In addition to modern devices from leading partners, Sones shared news and momentum in areas.
To accelerate innovation in this new era we invite all our partners to join our intelligent edge partner community. The community will help partners connect with one another to identify opportunities to collaborate on technology innovation and achieve shared business goals. In addition, community members will be able to participate in training and community events and can participate in early adopter programs that provide access to documentation, specs, OS builds and certification details. Microsoft revealed a new service offering that will enable partners to commercialize a secure IoT device, backed by industry-leading support. The service offering helps make it easier to manage updates for the OS, apps, settings and OEM-specific files; includes Device Health Attestation (DHA); and is backed with 10 years of support.
Microsoft 365 brings together, Office 365, Windows 10 and Enterprise Mobility + Security that delivers a complete, intelligent and secure solution to empower employees. It’s a global productivity platform that enables multisense, multidevice experiences that put people at the center for both work and life. People around the world already use the power of Microsoft 365 across PCs, tablets, phones and other devices from our partners to work how, when and where they want.
Masjid Al-Falah USJ 9 is the first mosque to start going digital with accepting donations under RHB’s Kempen SyuQR, an initiative to bring a digital lifestyle to the concept of ‘Giving’ and/or ‘Sadaqah’, through Boost, a homegrown e-wallet app operated by Axiata Digital.
Datuk Adissadikin Ali, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, RHB Islamic Bank Berhad says, “This is RHB Islamic’s first collaborative effort with Axiata Digital to start digital sadaqah (donation) in conjunction with Ramadhan. RHB Islamic is honoured to be a partner in this effort to reach out to the underprivileged by encouraging Muslims to make digital donations towards Kempen SyuQR.”
Boost provides a platform where donations are made via the simple step of scanning the QR code displayed at the mosque. All donations will then be transferred directly to Masjid Al-Falah’s RHB Bank account avoiding the risk of loose cash and theft.
Christopher Tiffin, CEO of Boost says, “When we stepped into this collaboration with RHB Islamic, we had one goal – to make it easier for users to give back to and share their generosity with the society. More importantly, these contributions are done via a social institution.”
Boost and RHB Islamic’s new digital and cashless initiative at Masjid Al-Falah is inline with Bank Negara’s Financial Sector Blueprint and is a contribution towards the country’s goal of becoming a cashless nation by 2050.
Siemens New HL Class Gas Turbine Breaks Record in Power Efficiency
The list of megacities in the world is growing. As of 2017, there are 47 cities with more than 10 million inhabitants, where an estimated 70% of the population will live in by 2050. This would mean the need for more power to sustain these cities.
In tandem with this global trend, worldwide power consumption is also predicted to grow at about 2.3% per year – from 25.1 thousand TWh (terawatt hours) in 2017 to 42.5 thousand TWh in 2040 – with Asia Pacific being the consumption hotbed. As these cities continue to expand, the demand for power to sustain growth seemingly becomes more complex and managing the grid, tedious.
To solve this, stake holders build power plants using fossil fuel, nuclear or renewal energy, depending on the individual country policy. However, to build one of these plants requires years of study and proper planning with the municipality and regulators.
So, what does go into this planning process? Among the considerations the consortium of planners need to forecast energy consumption for the next 5 to 10 years are based on: population increase; industrial needs and technological advancement; as well as a calculation methodology that has little to no room for error – after all, investment into a power plant goes into the billions and should last for the next 25 years or so.
There are currently 62,500 power plants operational in the world today – from coal, gas, nuclear, hydro and wind – with the demand growing exponentially every year. China alone has about 140 power plants generating 1.777 Gigawatt of electricity to feed a population that consumes 6.31 trillion kilowatt (kWh) annually.
In contrast, Malaysians consumed 156 thousand GWh of electricity in 2016 and has 32 operational power plants with a capacity of 22.9 thousand MV, as published by the Energy Commission.
Now that we have establish the fact that for cities to grow and countries to flourish, we need energy and lots of it. Yet, before embarking on an energy plant project, factors like environment, safety, capital and operational expenditure (CAPEX and OPEX) and most importantly, efficiency must be considered and made priority.
At the Core
We understand there are various ways in generating energy that requires some sort of natural resource to fuel the power plants to convert them to electricity. The idea now is to get the most out of the process with minimum wastage.
Companies like Siemens have been developing electricity generating turbines for decades and leads the field of innovation and efficiency. Having already more than 1,800 gas turbines already deployed worldwide and over 66 million operating hours, the company constantly works on pushing its boundaries and improvements in making its systems more efficient. The culmination of this drive for product excellence resulted in the introduction of the HL class next generation air-cooled gas turbines.
By using the latest in 3D printing technology or additive manufacturing, Siemens is able to derive maximum optimisation from the engines. So much so, the new HL class turbine broke the record for highest level of efficiency in combined gas turbines.
Modelled after its predecessor, the extremely successful H class jumbo frame HL turbines, which is also well known for its high level of competency, can reach 63% efficiency.
Built using sophisticated equipment and high-tech components, the single shaft engine is capable of handling 100 degree Celsius more than the H Class, giving it the extra output compared to previous versions.
There will be three variants available for its customers with the SGT5-8000HL, SGT5-9000HL and the SGT6-9000HL delivering up to 1,682 MW in combined cycle operation. The turbine components were tested at the company’s high-pressure test facility with real site testing to take place in Duke Lincoln, USA in 2020.
Just to give a perspective of its capability, an HL class SGT-9000HL generates a power equivalent to 1,800 Porsche 911 Turbo or 597 MV of power – enough to supply energy to a town with 3.3 million population.
Future Trends
Report by Bloomberg’s New Energy Finance outlook predicts that gas will overtake coal in 2020 and oil by 2030 in global energy mix across all industries. Fossil fuel is currently the preferred source, with cities looking at more efficient, cost-friendly options for their next scheduled energy supply.
Trends are also seen to head towards heavy-duty gas turbines with higher capacity that can generate maximum output, which gives the HL class the perfect fit when the demand arises.
Siemens is also weaving digital technology around its products, which includes the intricacies of running a power plant with its Digital Transformation initiative. These new processes will help meet sustainability challenges with measures implemented – from utilisation of fossil resources for power generation and transportation, to improvements in consumption.
Future demand targets for energy will continue to grow and the industry will find it difficult to keep up. In fact, the energy of tomorrow will need to emit lesser greenhouse gas than the one we have today.
The challenge is to meet these requirements, as efficiently as possible and to better utilise fossil and renewal resources to generate power. With Digitalisation and the new HL class turbines, Siemens has the necessary ingredients in running a stable and sustainable energy system that is well suited to address growing energy concerns.
During a recent press trip to Germany, Siemens invited the Malaysian media for a visit to a working power plant in Dusseldorf.
Situated in Lauswald near the city’s port, the Fortuna (it’s not called Fortune) – run by public utility company Stadwerke Dusseldorf, is an architectural wonder of a power plant. Built on 32-hectare land area, the modern looking structure, which can easily be mistaken for a museum or an art gallery, has already broken three world records since operation.
Powered by the current generation Siemens H Class turbine the SGT5-8000H, Fortuna holds the record for being the most efficient power plant in the world at 61.5% efficiency with a maximum electrical net output of 603 megawatts, as well as being able to deliver 300 megawatts for the district heating system of the city of Dusseldorf.
Amazingly, the plant is next to houses and commercial buildings, yet you can’t hear any noise emitting. Apart from such an environment friendly advantage, the plant saves 2.5 tons of CO2 each year, which is equivalent to the amount emitted by 1.25 million passenger cars.
There are currently 76 H Class turbines operational and amid being installed across the world are four (4) turbines at the Pengerang refinery, operated by Petronas.
BBazaar Malaysia’s website bbazaar.my is fully live and ready for all the consumers financial services need. Utilising the best expertise and technology, BBazaar Malaysia is a platform where a user can look for a financial product, get a personalised offer, apply and get an approval, all in one go, a smooth end-to-end journey, starting from researching and comparing to selecting, applying and getting approval.
BankBazaar, BBazaar Malaysia’s parent company, has seen tremendous success in India, its home base. In India, the company has had over 300 million visitors to its site and has facilitated over 1.5 million transactions in the last 12 months on its platform. BankBazaar does the best in matching the right financial product to the right consumer. Through the website, consumers can search for, customise and find the most appropriate product based on their needs and profile. Consumers will find that the application process in BBazaar Malaysia complements the bank’s application process. This guarantees a smooth and hassle-free journey.
Vipin Kalra, CEO of BankBazaar International says, “We have a unique offering in Malaysia. We see that there are a lot of comparison websites that offer information and allow consumers to compare various financial products, but no one does what we do, which is to provide a complete end-to-end journey of comparison, providing consumers the best offers based on their eligibility and preferences, and then matching them to the right product.”
Through BBazaar Malaysia, banks are now able to reach out to a broader customer base and offer services that are more suited to a consumer. Banks are also able to retain existing customers and more importantly reach out to the underserved. The partnership between BBazaar Malaysia and the banks is an example of how to drive financial inclusion in a market like Malaysia where a large proportion of population is still underserved.
With over 76.9% active internet users, coupled with the Malaysian Government’s commitment to digitise the financial ecosystem, there has been a huge adoption of advanced financial technologies to equip customers for the shift towards digital transactions. Through the BBazaar platform, banks can gain access to customers who are shopping around and enable a seamless end-to-end customer journey from search to approval, all under one roof.
Schneider Electric introduces the latest APC by Schneider Electric Easy UPS 1 Ph On-Line and UPS 3 series to the local market. The Easy UPS line is a new category of UPS designed for essential power protection needs even in the most unstable power conditions.
Business continuity is increasingly dependent on regulating power outages, surges and spikes with greater digitisation by SMEs. Power incidents can impact anything from customer service to critical business processes. Many SMEs are unprepared for this are often unaware of the costs and impact it will have.
Astri R Dharmavan, IT Division Vice President for Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, Schneider Electric IT says, “Easy UPS line addresses a market need as we see a solution that offers best in class power availability, reliability, manageability, quality and convenience for SMEs, data centers, manufacturing facilities and even home users. We expect our UPS portfolio to offer SMEs a high quality, cost competitive alternative for power protection for the most unstable and unpredictable power conditions.”
The Easy UPS 3 is a combination of an optimised footprint designed and advanced product feature, protecting critical equipment in many environments from damage due to power outages, surges and spikes. It delivers up to 96% efficiency in double conversion mode and up to 99% efficiency in energy saving EcoMode, taking the industry standards for the 10 to 40kvA UPS to a new level.
The innovative and user friendly Easy UPS 1 Ph On-Line is perfect for SMEs as well as home users. It provides essential power protection for unstable power conditions, ensuring consistent and reliable connectivity at the most critical moments. The wide input voltage range aims to protect against high fluctuations.
