Quotes to Live By - Yayasan Khazanah

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FROM THE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF’S DESK
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Dear Scholars,
There are a few instances in my life that have been the result of my
take on a very simple quote or slogan made famous by an international
brand Nike. Yes, you must have guessed it right, it’s ‘Just Do It’. To
me, these three words are punchy, powerful as they are also arduous
and addled.
June, 2015
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6
THEME
Quotes to Live By
Punchy – those forceful and impactful moment when I said yes and
decided to run for Half-Marathon and suffered some bruises and
muscle pulls, which left me with some permanent horrid- looking black
and bruised toenails. Never a runner before, I completed the run
feeling on top of the world and had a great story to share with my son
hoping that he would soon donning his running gear and run along with
me. That, I call ‘Hope’.
Powerful – the day I took up the challenge to be in a mission with
UNDP and travelled alone to 5 sub-Saharan countries under one of
their capacity building initiatives. It was THE loneliest trip I had ever
made and true enough, much was learnt from it. From getting sick and
hospitalized at Accra for dehydration, to surviving one of the harrowing
road trips in Lilongwe, experiencing heart-wrenching moments dealing
with the underprivileged in Addis Ababa and to feeling blessed and
thankful for having met individuals with warm hearts and pleasant
disposition in Harare and Nairobi that had made the journey a
memorable and life-changing experience for me. Africa, which I used to
have an adverse imagery of, now forms a grand and unparalleled
impression. This is ‘Inspirational’.
Arduous & addled – the time when I was 10 years old and shouted as
hard as I could calling out my younger brother’s name as I carelessly
let go of his hand in a busy Chow Kit Road market just because I
wanted to catch the glimpse of live catfish in a big grey tub. Being a
shy, tight-lipped kid, the overwhelming feeling of guilt, shocked and
terror just got me out to just do it and drop the reticent demeanour that
used to build within me. And this is what I claim as ‘Strength’.
Sometimes words depict just mere meanings but at times, they could
be as just as strong and compelling. They could be quotes, slogans or
sayings. But, what’s important is how you interpret them as those
words are guaranteed to challenge the way you think and perhaps
change the way you live.
Source: http://www.quotationof.com/word.html
QUOTE :
Truly,
Intan
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Source: http://www.businessinsider.in/7-People-Who-Were-Born-To-Inspire/
TEAM EDITORS:
Intan Zalila Mohd Yusof
Emilia Maizura Harun
Azlina Jaffar
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POWER OF QUOTES
During my A-Level studies, I remember putting up
posters and A4 sheets containing motivational words
of wisdom on the walls in my room. I thought it would
be a great idea since some of my friends did the same
with their rooms. I’m glad to say that they have been
quite helpful to me throughout A-Levels. I remember
the days when I had no motivation to do any work. I
remember the days when I felt like the world was
conspiring against me. I remember the days when all I
wanted to do was to give up. I remember looking up at
these posters, and being reminded that everything
I’ve done so far is worth much more than anything
bad that has ever happened to me, and that I should
continue striving even when I felt despair. Because
let’s face it, who doesn’t have hard moments and bad
days? It’s just a matter of being reminded about the
amazing things you have and how there’s so much in
life to fight for. For me, quotes have been a big help.
Amzar Muzani Bin
Ma'arof
Natural Sciences
Tripos (BA and Msci)
University of Cambridge
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Being a student, a lot of hard work and effort are required to succeed.
There were days during my academic life where all I did was just lied
on bed, doing nothing, wasting time as I had no energy to even pull a
book out of my shelf and browse through. I would leave my CV untouched on my desk for days, sitting idle and incomplete. I just didn’t
have the motivation.
So I looked at some quotes. Although they were not necessarily related
to any sort of academic pursuit, they helped to motivate me. Helped to
keep me going.
Even this quote from the movie Rocky Balboa pushed me to do more:
“The world is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your
knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody
is going to hit as hard as life. But it isn’t about how hard you hit; it’s
about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much
you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”
(Let’s admit it! Rocky is really an inspirational movie). Inspirational
quotes would always give me that little bit of energy to convince myself
that I can do this! I can get this done!
There were also times when I neglected my responsibilities as a leader
for clubs / societies. Whenever I have these kinds of days, I would look
at a poem by Rudyard J. Kipling entitled “If” (a bit too long to qualify as
a quote or to even include in this article but it was on my wall and inspired me a lot!). I would be reminded of the virtues a leader should
have, strive to improve myself and become better at whatever role I
had.
Whenever I face failures, I would always look at this quote by Winston
Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to
continue that counts.” Another one would be: “There is only one thing
that makes a dream impossible to achieve; the fear of failure.” – Paulo
Coelho, The Alchemist. These has helped me to realise that the most
important thing is not the outcome but my effort. It is my intent to see
improvement and to see through improvement without worrying so
much on the outcome.
These and many other powerful quotes have survived through the
generations. Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa,
Nelson Mandela. Leaders of their people. Strong-willed icons who have
experienced great difficulties and obtained immense wisdom from the
challenges they have faced. Their struggles make their quotes more
meaningful as they were also honest people, with a good cause in
which they put their lives into. These people epitomised a lot of good
qualities such as intelligence, compassion, perseverance and leadership. Their values resonate throughout generations of people, all striving to make the world a better place to live in. And their words have
done so as well. They have survived the test of time due to how strongly people feel about quotes.
So, never underestimate the power of a good quote. People generally
need affirmation of their beliefs or values in life from time to time so
that they are constantly aware of their situation and make the necessary changes towards improvement. Quotes are definitely a good way
to do this. My advice for
those who want to improve
themselves would be to
spend some times filling
their diaries with positive
quotes or putting up motivational posters on their
walls. Just a little quote a
day can serve as a powerful reminder for us to become a better person and
achieve more.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.in/7-People-Who-WereBorn-To-Inspire/
3 QUOTES TO LIVE BY
“Reading quotes is good, remembering the words is
even better; but among all that, applying and practicing it are the best.” We read well-written quotes
almost everyday, everywhere, in every hour of our
life. Thanks, not only to the books, but also to the
social media. Almost everyday, our friends post nice
quotes on Facebook. Some share it to express their
feelings while others might share it with the intention
to brighten up someone else’s day. It is so true that
inspirational quotes bring out the positive vibes, and
hence that’s the reason why most of us read and
Ana Ululiyatul Alcollect those quotes
Bab
I have one particular quote that has been my favor- Bachelor of Business Administration
ite since I found it 3 years back. I couldn’t recall the (Finance with Multioriginal source of the quote since I found it while
media)
watching a drama. However, it goes something like Multimedia University (Cyberjaya)
this: “All human beings are born equal. Why some
people have more wealth than others is because
the wealth is actually taken from someone else’s shares and given to
you. Simply because you can manage it better. Hence, your wealth is
not entirely yours. Therefore, if someday you are blessed with better
wealth, please keep in mind that you should share some portion of it
with those in need because there is someone else’s share in everything that you own.”
The quote above doesn’t only make me feel good, but it also reminds
me to be grateful. Without realizing it, we actually have a lot of things
that the rest of the population regard as luxury. Having a home to sleep
at, being able to eat 3 meals in a day, and pursuing a higher education
are some of the privileges we often forget to appreciate because we
think those are necessities – unaware the fact that there are some
people out there who have none of that at all.
During Ramadhan, I got a chance to participate in some volunteering
activities where I prepared and helped to distribute food for iftar and
Sahur, as well as clothes for Raya to those in need around the Klang
Valley vicinity. The experience itself was truly an eye-opener. While
distributing the items, I managed to observe the condition of the community around me.
As I was walking in the middle of the night, I felt really cold because I
forgot to bring my jacket along with me. Then I realised that there are
numerous people out there who spend the night sleeping on the street
with nothing other than their clothes, everyday. I also felt hungry because I skipped my sahur meals while fasting during Ramadhan. Yet,
there are some people out there who do not even know whether they
could get something to eat the next day. This incident is what I saw in
KL, but I believe that these things are also happening in the other part
of the world, and it’s our social-responsibility to work hand in hand to
address the issue and many other problems that are happening in our
society.
As of now, I might only be able to do that much to release their hardships with the capability that I have. However, I feel that I should learn
more and make the maximum use of the resources available within my
reach to improve myself. The quotes, as well as the situations I have
encountered, makes me want to be the best that I can be; not only for
the sake of me and family, but also to solve the problems and improve
the welfare of the community around me.
The quotes above may not inspire you the moment you read it, but
someday you will feel that it does make sense and get you reminded
when you come across the situation. Till then, I hope you will stay motivated to live the best of your life.
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THE QUOTE THAT I LIVE BY
A MINUTE VERSUS 60 SECONDS
“If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my
son!”
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the
great” -- JD Rockefeller
This is a quote that I live by.
~If, by Rudyard Kipling~
Three years ago, I was facing a dilemma. I have
been offered to study in a boarding school.
Initially, I was dithering on whether if I should
accept the offer or not.
Edward Chai Chuan
Jun
Being a human, we are inherently risk-averse,
Year 12,
we are afraid of threats, that sometimes are
Marlborough College
non-existent. We are afraid of failure, afraid of
Malaysia
people’s perception, afraid of being unconventional. For me, it’s the fear of stepping outside my comfortable world
with my tight-knit friends. I was so preoccupied with what I might lose,
to the extent that I overlooked what exploring into uncharted territories
might offer me for my life.
Hobbies are a funny thing. They keep people
interested and motivated with their lives. If anything, hobbies are a good way to pass time,
especially when we are bored and truly unoccupied.
Ranjetta a/p Poobathy,
PhD in Biotechnology,
Universiti Sains Malaysia
I conquer each day through running. Running is
not just a hobby for me; running has become my way of life, my identity, and my medicine to soothe frayed nerves and keep a sound health.
I try to make some time each day for running despite my packed
schedule, no matter how short the period. is
It wasn’t until I found this quote, that I changed my mindset. I became
more open-minded, I realised that great things come with great price;
more than often, this means forsaking good things in order to accomplish great feat.
Running was neither something that I had as a talent nor as an interest
in my childhood and teenage years. In fact, I picked up running quite
late, at the age of 26. Prior to my running days I would look at joggers
passing by and wonder, “Why would runners subject themselves to
such pain?”
I begin to accept, and to some extent, embrace having my comfort rug
snatched away from me. This led to my decision to accept the offer to
study in a boarding school.
It started off as a compulsion. The urge to start running was strong
throughout the year 2011, but I procrastinated for a while and finally
took my first step in March of 2012. I was initially discouraged by some
assumptions I had about myself: I was not a runner, I was overweight, I
was tired from all my laboratory work at school, and I had a cholesterol
problem to boot. One day I managed to push aside all my preconceived notions about running, and made a decision to take a slow, slow
jog around my housing area.
And indeed, cliché as it might sound, the experience of the period
when I studied in the boarding school in one of the best experience I
had ever had. Instead of losing friends, I gained new friends – friends
that I would have never known had I choose not to study in the boarding school.
At a risk of sounding like a Nike spokesperson, I realised that sometimes “just do it” is the right response to our doubts. And that’s what
exactly I did when I embraced abrupt changes to my life. And the quote
became the quote for me to live by.
Believe it or not, upholding to the quote has managed to bring me
some unexpected benefits as well. Life often steers us through all sorts
of unwelcomed, unwanted, and downright unexpected phases, often
pushing us into uncharted territory. What the quote does is that it
equips me with the ability to embrace changes. This adaptability has
helped me a lot in my life, without it, life would have been different for
me.
So that’s all for the quote that I live by. What’s yours?
The hardest step to take is always the first step. I still remember the
day I started running: I could not finish a 400m lap. I gave up after
about 300m, but strangely, I told myself, “Don’t worry, you can try again
tomorrow”. Each day thereafter was a celebration of how many laps I
completed during my runs. I could run 15 continuous laps, albeit at a
slow pace, within two months. I joined my first 10km race in November
2012, and manage to complete the run successfully in one hour and
seven minutes. I currently train for the half and full marathon, and I also
compete in middle distance races.
However, my earlier running days were filled with mindless and unstructured running. As with every discipline, the more time you spend
on a subject, the more you will learn on how to make the best of it,
while saving time and energy. I now follow a training schedule that
pushes me to work hard in order to maximise my gains, while allowing
me enough rest time to pursue my studies and prepare me for my next
training session. Glory is a tangible aspect of my hobby at the moment,
but what always keeps me going is the sense of personal satisfaction
and achievement I feel each time I take a step out of my room to run.
Besides, other notable achievements of my hobby include 10kg weight
loss, the complete elimination of my cholesterol problem and better
sleeping patterns at night. I usually use my running sessions to brainstorm ideas for my research. In short, running has helped to improve
every facet of my life, and I have no regrets picking up this “painful”
hobby.
I have both high and low points in my training and also in competitions.
When I feel low, I always think of the first day I started running, to remind myself of my roots. This thought has never failed to bring a smile
on my face every time.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Do_It
If I can run, anybody can run. All you have to do is to start.
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I also had to change my diet. Goodbye to the boarding school staple of
instant noodles and hello to muesli bars, vegetables, lean meat and
good carbs. Luckily, carbonated drinks were never on my menu while
growing up, so leaving them out was not an issue. My favourite hot and
spicy asam pedas and otak-otak were also scrapped. It was hard
adapting to this change, but “no pain, no gain”.
Another challenge was keeping up with my academics. Being in Form
2 is not too stressful, but since I am in Kolej Yayasan Saad (in Malacca) on a full Yayasan Khazanah scholarship, I have to maintain a certain number of A’s in every test and exam, and this is a very serious
commitment.
Edward Chai Chuan
Jun
Year 12,
Marlborough College
Malaysia
Photos: The author competing in the 3000m event at the Universiti
Sains Malaysia’s Annual Sports Games 2015 (left), and in the Penang
Urban Aquathlon (right), in May 2015. She obtained second placing in
both events.
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A few weeks into training, my Tri Team participated in a triathlon workshop organised by the Tadonamo group at Putrajaya Lake; it introduced me to open water (OW) swimming. The swim wasn’t bad but the
water was rather icky! I endured it as I knew how essential the experience was.
SCHOLARS’ ACTIVITIES
TEENAGE BOY CONQUERS THE KAPAS-MARANG
INTERNATIONAL SWIMATHON
On April 12, 2015, I swam 6.5km from Pulau
Kapas to Marang, Terengganu.
The day of reckoning soon came. At 5.30am on April 12, we headed off
to Pulau Kapas by boat from Marang. After we arrived, we had a light
breakfast and took our necessary supplements. The event was going
to start at 8am sharp.
This was my first time in such a big event. My heart was beating so
fast, my legs
were shaking,
and I felt like
there were not
only butterflies
but dragonflies,
bees and wasps
in my tummy!
Was I mad? Some people would have thought I
was. During the swim, I thought I was too.
It was about three months ago when I signed up
for the Kapas-Marang International Swimathon
2015, under my school’s Triathlon Team. When
I told my parents what I had done, they gave me
a strange look. I thought they would go berserk
and ground me from all co-curricular activities
from then on. Instead, I think I heard them say,
“Food, he’ll need proper food …”
So I had to plan my
schedule carefully, to
ensure that my training
did not disrupt my studies. Sometimes, after
training, I just wanted to
jump into bed and sleep
straight to the next
morning, but I didn’t
have that luxury; prep
study sessions were
compulsory from 810pm, and homework and revisions had to be done. In addition, sometimes, there are other co-curricular activities. My daily wake up call was
at 5.30am, and on weekends, I had to do laundry and chores.
Esfahan bin Rostam
Zulkhairi
Form 2,
Kolej Yayasan Saad
Then reality hit me: TRAINING. For the swimathon, our swim coaches
and teachers, Shaheran Mohd Yusuf and Farah Azwani Kamarulzaman, made sure we covered at least 1.5km every day in the 300m
pool. And that was just for the first few weeks.
After a month, we
started swimming
2km every day. A
few weeks nearing
the event, we had
to do 3km a day
within 1.5 hours.
The training was
grueling; the sun
was still scorching
in the afternoons,
and doing multiple
laps in that plain
300m pool wasn’t
actually what I would call fun. But it had to be done.
But my friends,
teammates,
coaches and
parents were all
there and I couldn’t have asked for greater support. I also remembered what my grandfather said: pray and ask God to give you courage and keep you safe.
I also experienced cramping. When it first hit me, I was seriously
scared. Then, I remembered mommy’s reminder: if you feel any cramping, don’t panic, turn onto your back, float, relax, keep your legs
straight, flex your feet upwards and paddle slowly with just your hands,
this will relieve your cramps.
Open water swimming might sound scary, but the organisers were
really big on safety. There were safety marshals on kayaks all along
the swim route. They could swiftly fish anyone in trouble out of the
water.
After hours of swimming and swallowing large amounts of salt water, I
finally saw the finish line! So, I hurriedly swam on, but I just wasn’t
reaching the end. The currents were too strong. I changed from freestyle to breaststroke, trying very hard to maintain a straight line towards
my goal. Thankfully, I began to get closer, and finally, I finished!
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The feeling was amazing! Although
the taste in my mouth wasn’t! I knew
my parents were waiting for me at the
finish line, I saw ayah (dad) taking my
photo, mummy waiting to hug me, my
coach clocking my time and my
friends (who had finished earlier)
there to cheer for me.
As I crossed the finish line, I was
given a T-shirt, cold drinks, and of
course, my medal! All those months
of training had paid off to earn me this
moment of sheer jubilation.
Note: This article was featured on
page 14 and 15 of Adventure section
in Star2 of 13th June 2015. Well done, Esfahan! Certainly a great swimmer and writer!
CHAMBER OCHESTRA TRIP PERFORMANCE TOUR
TO JAPAN
“Music brings people together, no matter where
you are from.” If you guys out there never heard of
the KYS Chamber Orchestra before, let me brief
you about it first. The KYS Chamber Orchestra
consists of selected musicians who are the crème
de la crème of the school’s orchestra. The musicians are chosen from the best of the best in the
school. It began its first tour to Kuching, Sarawak
in 2012. The success of the performance opened
new doors for the KYS Chamber Orchestra with
two opportunities to perform for the students of
Vajiravudh College, Bangkok, Thailand in 2013
and 2014. This year, the KYS Chamber Orchestra
has been given the wonderful opportunity to
spread their love of music, beyond borders, to the
land of the rising sun, Japan.
Muhammad Dalil
Amin Bin Shobri,
Form 5,
Kolej Yayasan Saad
From the 13th till the 18th of June 2015, I,
Muhammad Dalil Amin Bin Shobri along
with Ahmad Shazwan Bin Abdul Hamid
(YK scholar) were selected to join the
Kolej Yayasan Saad Chamber Orchestra
performance tour to Yokohama Science
Frontier High School (YSFH), Japan. We,
along with 28 orchestra members consists of selected musicians from the KYS
were accompanied by our two music
teachers, Miss Adrin Teo and Mr Ng Kim
Suai and also a staff member, Mr Zaharin
Bin Sidek. We were very proud to have
the opportunity to represent the school as
well as our nation, Malaysia to be able to
perform abroad and gain new experience
alongside. This would not be possible if it was not because of the kindness and generosity from the people of the Yayasan Khazanah (“YK”)
Management, who were willing to support us on this once of a life time
experience as well as sponsoring us for the tour.
We departed from KYS at 6 pm and after a 2-hour journey, arrived
safely at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and checked in. Our
flight departed at 11 pm and touched down at Narita International Airport at 7.30 am. There, we were greeted by a local guide who brought
us for a Tokyo city tour. We visited wonderful places such as The Tokyo Sky Tree which is the tallest tower in the world, the Imperial Palace, the National Diet Building, Yamashita Park and Yokohoma Chinatown. After that, we had our first lunch in Tokyo.
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After lunch, we checked into
Jal City Kannai Hotel,Yokohama where we
freshened up after a long,
tiring day. After a filling dinner, we went to Chinatown
for a short shopping stop
before heading back to the
hotel to rest for the night. On
the 15th of June, after having
breakfast at our hotel, we
quickly got on our bus to
Yokohama Science Frontier
High School which was about 1 hour away from our hotel. We were
eager to start our rehearsals and as soon as we arrived, we quickly
unloaded our instruments and were guided to the hall by a few teach03
ers from YSFH.
After months of hard work
and countless hours of
practice, it was time for
some hard earned rest.
The experience did not
stop there. We then went
sightseeing at Mt. Fuji
and shopping at Ginza
where we thoroughly
astounded by a 14-storey
Yamaha store where we
bought various equipment and scores for future use. We were also given the opportunity to visit Tokyo Disneyland
where everyone released their inner child. On the last night, before
our flight back to Malaysia, we decided to spend the night packing to
avoid any unwanted mishaps. We retired early that night as we had to
leave for Narita International Airport by 6:30am the following day to
catch our flight back home. We reached KLIA at 4:45pm and immediately headed back to KYS after retrieving our luggage.
It was truly an experience like no other. Shazwan and I fully used this
privilege that Yayasan Khazanah has given to learn more about their
culture and the daily life in Japan. To me, Japanese are very sensitive
people. Hence, we had to be careful
with the things we say. Japanese are
also very hardworking in their everyday life which explains how their
technology is far more modern than
ours back home. Even their high
schools have complete infrastructures and advanced learning made
to fulfill whatever the student needs
to gain knowledge and excellence.
For instance, at Yokohama Science
Frontier High School, the students
prefer to spend their time doing
something beneficial unlike some of
our generation of teenagers in our
country these days. They take cleanliness very seriously. That explains
why Japan is very clean.
Most of them cannot speak good English as they are very loyal to their
emperor and their country. We, as Malaysians should take them as a
very good example to fulfill our target and bring up our nation to its
utmost success. All in all It was truly a memorable experience for the
KYS Chamber Orchestra and for us. It is hoped that the relationship
between KYS and YSFH and also Malaysia and Japan will continue to
eternally bloom for the rest of the years to come.
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UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA THREE MINUTE THESIS
2015 COMPETITION
University of Malaya Three Minute Thesis
(UM3MT) 2015 Competition is a communication
competition designed for postgraduate students to
explain their theses in language that is comprehensible for a non-specialist audience within 3
minutes. Within three minutes, participants are
required to describe and explain their research
aims, findings and significance to the audience. It
is a great platform for outstanding researchers to
exercise their presentation and communication
skills while sharing a concise summary of their
research using only one PowerPoint slide.
For Faculty Engineering, the competition was
held on 27th May 2015. Fadi was the winner and
the prize was RM 500 + trophy + certificate.
Effizal Faiz Zulkifly (left) and Nurazeyan Khalis Binti Mohd Khalis
(right) on earning MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership)
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Fadi M. R. Albatsh
Form 5,
Dphil in Electrical Engineering
Universiti Malaya
Congratulations Fadi! Keep up the good work!
Suthen Thomas Paradatheth (Master in Public Policy, Harvard University) (on the left) and Ziad Hafiz Bin Abd Razak (Master in Public Administration Edward S. Mason Program, Harvard University) (on the
right).
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Our heartiest congratulations to the following
scholars on their graduation:
Aliah Hazmah Hawari, DPhil in Plant Sciences
from Oxford University.
Source: http://www.imgion.com/img/graduation/
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HAPPENINGS
16th June — Our Maiden Teh Tarik Session with The Yayasan Khazanah Scholarship Alumni Association (“YKSAA”) members. Thanks for
joining guys! Hope to see more of you in the sessions.
10th June — On boarding Session with our new family members. Welcome onboard boys and girls! 
23rd June — On boarding Session with those who missed the earlier
session.
13th June — UWC Send-off Programme. All the best!
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ALUMNI’S CORNER
not procrastinate. It should start you on a path of having a better grip
of your work and business.
Have a great second half to the year.
THE MID YEAR REVIEW
How time flies. We have now reached the midpoint of 2015. It is always important, whether it is in your personal or professional life, to
take stock on the progress of all the resolutions that you had set out to
achieve at the beginning of the year.
Late last year, I wrote about two resolutions to consider for 2015 in
your professional life. Here they are – one from the past and the other
from the current CEO of Malaysia Airlines.
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1. Embrace The Language of Business
“When you are brought into a problem, you should first ask what’s
wrong with the profit-and-loss statement. It’s crucially important to
frame the problem in the context of the P&L rather than something
nebulous, like culture, the structure, the processes and all these other
things. You must anchor everything on the profit and loss. I’m boringly
consistent on that point”.
Sekar Shanmugam,
Managing Consultant,
The Business GRID.
Dato’ Sri Idris Jala
Former CEO of Malaysia Airlines
The McKinsey Quarterly
November 2008
I believe what Dato’ Sri Idris Jala was trying to say was that it is quite
impossible to understand business if you do not understand its language. This does not mean that you should start enrolling in night classes to learn about double entry accounting and all that stuff about debits and credits.
However, you should be able to interpret financial statements and
make the linkages between the numbers with the operations of your
business. While you are at it, educate your employees on how their
actions (and in-actions) impact the financials. The revolutionary philosophy behind this is contained in a bestselling book called ‘The Great
Game of Business’. (Add that to your books to read collection for the
second half of 2015.)
2. Practise MBWA
“At the beginning of a business turnaround, I am down on the shop
floor first thing in the morning, talking to people. They know the most
about how bad the situation is – and they discover it faster too. They
are also more reliable about telling you the truth than those in the
boardroom. In fact, I think spending a lot of time on the shop floor is
important for any kind of leader.”
Christoph Mueller
CEO, Malaysia Airlines
Judge Business School, University of Cambridge
October 2014
Do not limit the practice only at the beginning of a business turnaround,
make it a must do at every opportunity. At HP, where I used to work,
we call it Managing by Wandering Around (MBWA). Get the unadulterated version of the real health your business by engaging with your
employees on the ground instead of just relying on information presented to you in spreadsheets and slides by your lieutenants.
GLOBAL
-Rose Asyiqah binti Mohd Hamdan
-Valerie Ngow Yingli
-Toh Marn Yee
-Tan Cheng Wen
-Muhammad Nashrun Bin Norkamarul Zaman
-Amir Raslan Bin Nor Hisham
-Nurul Ezzaty Binti Hasbullah
-Nurul Fatin Aqilah Bt Ibrahim
-Mohd Noor Ilham Mohamed Ramli
-Tan Hai Jie
-Ng Eu Gin
-June Mary Rubis
-Yue Jin Oh
WATAN
-Mohd Zulfadhli Rosli
-Ruevan Jude Ratnesh
-Yolande Lai Li Ching
-Adibah Amira Binti Nazarudin
-Mohammad Syazwi Bin Mohd Rafaee
-Moo Deqing
There seems to be so much uncertainty in the global economy moving
forward. If you have not embarked on any of the above resolutions, do
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ASIA
Previous Issue answer: Emilia Maizura Harun
-Muhammad Yuskahar Muharram
-Fadi M. R. Albatsh
BESTARI
-Fatimah Azzahrah binti Ab Hamid
-Najmi Aidil bin Mohamad Nasir
-Muhammad Zakwan bin Razali
-Nurul Aqilah Azahari
-Edward Chai Chuan Jun
YK
-Norhidayah Aslah
-Azlina Jaffar
YK STAFF CHILDHOOD PHOTO: GUESS WHO???
Congrats to the lucky winners i.e. Kristian Surya Dinata,
Mohammad Aqel and Firzanah Ahmad Firdaus
The YK team would like to wish all our Muslim scholars and
their family the blessings of Eid'il Fitr and may Allah (SWT)
accept our fast and ibadah and answer all our prayers.
May this Eid bring us joy, peace and taqwa and be blessed
with all Allah's rahmah upon all humanity around the World.
Ameen.
Taqabbal Allahu Minna Wa Minkum (May Allah accept it from
you and us).
Guess whose childhood
photo is this! The first to
email us with the correct
answer is the winner! 
.
A nice gift awaits the
lucky winner…
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