With the theme, “Halal Market Potential- A Regional Force”, the forum will be held at The Hague, Netherlands, and is expected to attract about 300 delegates from over 40 countries.

In a statement KasehDia said Europe’s domestic halal food market was big at 47 euros billion annually, with 52 million Muslims currently living there.

It said the Muslim population is expected to double within the next 20 years, making the European halal market extremely attractive.

The forum will gather high-level participants.These include Islamic scholars,industry experts, regulatory bodies, academia and certification bodies, who will bring fresh insights into the halal industry from around the world.

Source: Bernama

Sarawak

Sarawak will enhance the expertise of its human resources in the tourism sector and halal hub to further stimulate the state’s economy.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the halal hub that would be established in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) needed more expertise in biotechnology, and therefore more locals should be trained to become experts in the field.

For the tourism sector that comprised three main aspects, namely culture, adventure and nature, he said the three resources in the state had yet to be fully explored.

“I often think what would we do after plantation, and of course what I see is the tourism sector and halal industry becoming among high-potential industries in the future,”

he said after opening the excellence centre to support the development of Score at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

Taib said the development of several sectors like information communcation technology and capacity building through skilled manpower resources in various industries that were needed under Score should start from now.

In the globalisation era, a policy to close opportunities for outsiders was not the best way to move forward but at the same time we should provide the best training and expertise to the locals through a policy of sharing knowledge and success.

Under Score, he said, the next 20 years was expected to see an inflow of investments totalling RM70 billion for infrastucture development and this was expected to attract another RM330 billion.

He said that previously, the three main sectors in the Sarawak economy were timber, petroleum and plantation.

Source: Bernama

Berjaya University College of Hospitality

The deal was cemented with a memorandum of understanding (MoU), which was signed by Tan Sri Prof Emeritus Dr Abu Hassan Othman, vice-chancellor and chief executive officer of Berjaya UCH, and Ha Kim Vong, principal of Khoi Viet at a ceremony at the Berjaya UCH campus in Kuala Lumpur. Freddie Pang, executive director of Berjaya Corporation, Mae Ho, chief operating officer of Berjaya UCH, and Mrs Vong from Khoi Viet were present to witness the event.

The collaboration is also a part of Berjaya UCH’s mission to promote excellence in the hospitality industry internationally.

This relationship also fosters educational ties and industry-related cooperation between Malaysia and Vietnam.

Earlier in the day, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Berjaya Group of companies presented 30 scholarships to Khoi Viet to be given to their students and other deserving candidates to study at Berjaya UCH.

The MoU with Khoi Viet establishes a framework for collaboration in the form of student articulation (Khoi Viet students will receive academic credit for Berjaya UCH’s programmes) and in the areas of curriculum development, franchise of academic programmes, staff-student exchanges and research opportunities. Students can experience Berjaya UCH’s immersion methodology in hospitality education. This teaching methodology is based on the “Learning by Doing” principle – which allows students to think critically, communicate effectively, work productively and manage professionally.

Local and other foreign Berjaya UCH students will also benefit from this by being exposed to a different culture. Discovering and understanding cultures from around the world is a critical component of the hospitality, tourism and service management industries.

The Berjaya Group of Companies, which also owns InterContinental Hanoi Westlake Hotel and Sheraton Hanoi Hotel and Towers in Hanoi, Vietnam, has hotels operating under the Berjaya brand around the world in countries such as the UK, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Seychelles as well as the island resorts in Malaysia.

“We strongly encourage work placement for our graduates in Berjaya’s many resorts, hotels and residences globally as well as at our various family recreational clubs and food retail outlets such as Starbucks, Kenny Rogers Roasters Restaurants, Krispy Kreme, Wendy’s and Papa John’s Pizza. Berjaya UCH believes in providing quality education that will allow our graduates to perform well in their future careers and in this regard, we will give preference to our own students should there be employment opportunities within the Group after they graduate,” said Pang.

Khoi Viet’s principal Vong said, “On behalf of Khoi Viet, we are honoured to have established this collaborative relationship with Berjaya UCH. I agree with Berjaya’s motto, ‘Inspiring Lives, Widening Horizons’ because Khoi Viet believes in giving our students the best opportunity and exposure to discover their career path in life. With this commitment with Berjaya UCH, our students can expand their horizons and studies in hospitality, tourism and services through the leading niche hospitality University College in Malaysia.”

Berjaya UCH had its inaugural intake of students in January this year. It offers programmes related to hospitality, tourism, and services management, from foundation to postgraduate levels through the School of Culinary Arts, School of Hospitality Management, School of Tourism, Arts and Culture Management and School of Services Management. The cosmopolitan city campus, situated in the golden triangle on the 11th and 14th floors of Berjaya Times Square, was conceptually designed with a five-star hotel ambience, equipped with the most comprehensive and advanced facilities.

Khoi Viet Junior Vocational School of Tourism and Hospitality (Khoi Viet), previously known as Khoi Viet Tourism and Language School, was established in 1997 and is one of the leading education providers for tourism and hospitality in Vietnam. Khoi Viet established international educational support with institutions in Singapore and Switzerland to enable students to further their studies in degree programmes. In 2008, Khoi Viet submitted their application to upgrade itself as an International Professional College.

Source: The Sun Daily

A total of 50,000 first year degree students from the Public Institutions of Higher Learning (IPTA), who had signed up during the mid year registration session this year, have been given 100 units of the Amanah Saham 1Malaysia (AS 1Malaysia) shares for free.

The shares worth RM100 were given as an incentive for them to invest in the share unit.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who announced this today, said the contribution was made by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB) agents namely Malayan Banking Bhd, CIMB Bank Bhd, RHB Bank Bhd and Pos Malaysia Bhd.

“We are not forgetting the importance of the young generation in the development of the nation in future. As the country’s heir, we want to see the youth group getting at least their degree so that they would be progressive citizens with vision.

“They must be smart in making decisions especially in the investment and financial planning field,” he said when launching the AS 1Malaysia share scheme which is an extension of the 1Malaysia vision which has become the strength of Najib’s administration.

AS 1Malaysia is a fixed price equity fund priced at RM1 per unit with a size of 10 billion units, making it the biggest fund offered by PNB todate and it will be opened for public subscription beginning this coming Wednesday.

The minimum initial investment for AS 1Malaysia is 100 units while the additional investment is a minimum of one unit.

Najib said the launch of the fund, as promised by him in his speech in conjunction with his 100 days of administration on July 11, was a reflection of the commitment the government had in wanting to make a reality of whatever it promises.

“When I took the helm of leadership, I promised on the 100th day the launch of a special fund. Today marks exactly 128 days of my administration and Alhamdulillah the promise has been fulfilled,” he said.

In synch with the tagline of 1Malaysia – People First, Performance Now – Najib said Malaysians irrespective of race and religion must move together in making their contribution to the country as the impact will be certainly greater.

“The people being made first reminds us of the existence of various institutions including PNB for the betterment of the people. Performance now is stressed as when there is something we want to do, we need to do it as fast as we can so that the people can feel the impact at the right time,” he said.

He said the launch of the fund today was also significant as it coincided with the Warriors Day which is celebrated on July 31 every year.

“There are two pillars in the development of the country, which is peace and freedom,” he said.

Source: Bernama

Honda Malaysia is steadfastly pushing sales of its cars at full prices, even in the face of the current economic challenges.

“The fact is, we do not give discounts because we believe our products are worth the price, and our customers always know the true value and benefit of buying a Honda,”  managing director and CEO Toru Takahashi said.

“Thus, even if the market is bad,  you will not see us advertising on discounts because we don’t believe in giving discounts.

“We will, however, continue to advertise our brand and products to maintain our branding position and market presence.”

Toru Takahashi

Takahashi, who took the helm of Honda Malaysia last April, said although the general auto industry market outlook is not too bright, he was confident that his company will not be badly affected.

He said the Malaysia Automotive Association forecasts that total new vehicle sales in the country will fall to 480,000 units this year – a drop of 12.4% from 548,115 units sold last year.

“We forecast that total national sales will be lower than that, just about 440,000 units. But we are targeting to sell 35,000 units of that, which will translate to an 8% increase of our sales last year.”

Judging from its performance, it looks like Honda is on its way to achieve its target.

“From January to May, we have sold about 17,000 units and achieved 29% year-on-year growth, or about 50% of our target,” Takahashi said.

Although the economy is in a difficult position and some companies are slashing their advertising budgets, Honda Malaysia is not scaling back on its budget.

“We will continue to advertise to maintain our brand and to guide our customers to make the right decision in selecting the right models,”  Takahashi said.

“But we don’t have any new models coming up this year so our advertising campaign will be a bit different from our previous ones,” he said, adding that it is in the midst of preparing for its campaigns for the second half of the year.

Honda will still focus on traditional media although it has also ventured into the new media in the last few years.

Takahashi said the company relies on three pillars- corporate and product PR and advertising – to maintain its brand presence in the market.

“We relay our messages to our customers through PR and we establish our brand and presence in the market through advertising, therefore both of these functions blend together.

“We put emphasis on motorsports which shows our challenging spirit, as well as on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and advanced technology.

For example, the company gained public relations mileage through its CSR programmes such as the Honda Dreams Fund and its Save the Rhino project.

The  Honda Dreams Fund is a community project developed in 2007 to help underprivileged youths by providing them with the opportunity to pursue higher education and skills training in local institutions of higher learning.

The scholarships are awarded to promising students who fit the selection criteria set by Honda and United Nations Development Programme.

The Save the Rhino project was initiated by Honda together with World Wildlife Fund to protect Sumatran rhinos in the country.

Takahashi, who was previously a manager in the automobile department at Honda Motors in Tokyo, said during challenging times, it is vital for business managers to be “on the ball” and actively monitor the market, so they are able to make more agile and flexible decisions based on market changes.

“Companies must adapt to changes in the market situation, but the answer always lies in the customers, so we have to monitor the changes in them,” he said, adding the company regularly conducts surveys to understand its customers’ behaviour.

“However, surveys have their limitations, so we must also take into account feedback from our dealerships, associates and sales service representatives to give us the feedback.”

Source: The Sun Daily

Meridian Biz Management has been officially launched in the month June 2009 and it offers a range of Six Sigma, Lean, Quality and Soft Skills Training and Consultancy Programmes. Meridian Biz Management is also called MBizM Malaysia. Managing Directors of MBizM, Dr. Satnam Singh and Mr. Harbans Singh are both Master Black Belts (MBB) and they have vast industrial experience in deploying, implementing, training and consulting in Six Sigma both in Malaysia and overseas.

MBizM’s mission is to help their customers to design strategies, approaches and breakthrough processes through the execution of Lean, Six Sigma and Quality Methodology, and thus turn the customer’s organization into a leader in its field. Furthermore the vision of MBizM is to be known as an innovative and creative centre for delivering effective Business Process Improvement training courses and consultancy service.

MBIZM was founded to improve the competitive position of its customers by promoting the implementation of Business Process Improvement Methodologies such as Six Sigma and Lean whilst equipping the participants with a range of quality management tools and soft skills. MBIZM is a young and dynamic company where the company was founded by individuals that were actively involved in a wide range of projects in organizations from the industrial, service and public sectors.

MBIZM provides expertise in practical tools, techniques and methodologies for attaining and maintaining competitive position and quality leadership. MBizM provides tailored solutions to meet specific customer needs while delivering world-class services in areas of Lean Six Sigma. MBizM’s trainers have decades of experience in delivering these courses in various industries in Malaysia and Overseas. Courses are delivered by certified consultants who have spent years in industry, solving real-life problems in organizations. MBizM’s courses are designed to be dynamic that are combined with theory, lectures, case studies, exercises, games and workshops.

Dr. Satnam’s vision is that all Six Sigma Green and Black Belts must be fully equipped not only with technical and statistical tools but also with a range of soft skills such as project management, leadership skills, communication skills, presentation skills etc. so that they can become more confident in handling large scale projects on a global scale. Thus, MBizM’s SiX Sigma training courses are tailor made for industries incorporating a range of Lean, Quality and Soft Skills subjects.

Kelantan Islamic Development, Education and Dakwah Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the upgrading was approved by the National Accreditation Board (LAN).

Kias campus in Nilam Puri is being upgraded at the cost of RM5 million to cater for increasing number of students, he told reporters after attending the state executive council meeting here Wednesday.

Besides local students, Kias, which boasts about 700 students, has attracted students from China, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand.

Meanwhile, Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat launched a tourism, culture and heritage magazine, Gerbang Kelantan.

State Local Government, Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan said the magazine, which would be produced thrice yearly by his committee, would be distributed at the airports, hotels and tourism destinations.

Source: Bernama

Concorde Hotel

The Selangor State Government through SSIC Bhd will be organising a “Seminar on Science, Technology and Innovation for Selangor Wealth Creation” at the Hotel Concorde in Shah Alam, Selangor this June 10.

The event, held in conjunction with the 2009 Selangor Science, Technology and Innovation Festival, will run from June 12 till June 14.

In a statement here Tuesday, SSIC said the seminar, with its theme of bringing science, technology and innovation to the people, is expected to expose the people to the policies and direction of the state government in the development of the sector.

It said three main areas will be featured during the presentation sessions, namely technology in the area of biotechnology, telecommunications and the development in solar technology.

Among the companies expected to present their working papers in the seminar are Sirim Bhd, Malaysia Biotechnology Corp, TM Bhd and Mimos Bhd.

SSIC expects 200 to 250 participants for the seminar.

A fee of RM388 will be charged for each participant while students will enjoy a rate of RM194.

Further details can be obtained by calling the SSIC secretariat at 03-55102005/03-55102006 or Fesstis Sdn Bhd at 03-55130000.

Source: Bernama

 Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has joined forces with a US commercialisation specialist, SRI International (SRII), with the aim of commercialising the works of the university’s researchers at international level.

UPM Vice Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Dr. Nik Mustapha R. Abdullah said SRII will assess and speed up the commercialisation process before finding a company that would market the products involved.

“For the process, 25 potential projects will be chosen to undergo commercialisation training such as preparing the business plan and enhancing the products.

“At the final stage, SRI will select only three products for commercialisation and bring it to California for further and more finer assessment and for the identification of a commercialisation partner,” he said at the signing of a memorandum of agreement here with SRII.

UPM

Datuk Dr. Nik Mustapha signed for the university while SRII’s president, Dr. Curtis R. Carlson, signed for the latter.

Dr. Nik Mustapha hoped that at least one of the three UPM products will qualify for commercialisation at the global level and the selected product listed on the New York stock exchange before its value goes up.

He said the cost of the contract with SRII, to cover a period of at least one year, will involve a cost of US35,000.

“UPM is the first institution in Malaysia which is engaging the expertise of SRII. Although SRII’s assessment process is very stringent, they have the experience of matching the UPM product with an international venture capital,” he said.

He said SRII will help the UPM researchers to work with the suited technical and market experts from their office and speed up the commercialisation process and innovative marketing via technology licensing.

“The computer Mouse is one example of a successful research that was commercialised by SRII,” he said.

The California based company has commercialised 55,000 international research innovations in 60 years.

Source: Bernama

The agreement includes exchanging academic scholarships at the level of teaching cadres at both universities as well as granting mutual scholarships in Arabic, Islamic and Medicine majors, Yemen news agency (Saba) reported.

The rector of Sana’a University Khaled Tomim told Saba that the significance of this agreement would assist in activating the academic and scientific cooperation between the two universities, as well as to exchange experiences to develop the educational process in all academic majors.

Meanwhile, the IIUM rector and Vice Chancellor Datuk Dr. Syed Arabi Idid noted to the agreement’s outputs which will end up to fruitful cooperation, especially in the field of joint scientific research in different areas.

The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) is a private publicly-funded university in Malaysia. The main IIUM campus is located in Gombak, a district located in Selangor-state in Peninsular Malaysia.

IIUM is sponsored by eight different governments from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Although the university was founded on Islamic principles, it admits non-Muslim students as well.

It is completely distinct from the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Source: Bernama