#NST180years: NST published my first management article
This milestone was not just a personal achievement, but also a testament to NST's enduring role as a platform that nurtures voices, inspires growth and shapes thought leadership in Malaysia.
For years, I had been a regular contributor to NST's Letters to the Editor section.
Yet, it was the management articles, especially the insightful series by Felix Abisheganaden, the revered public relations guru and journalist of the 1980s, that truly ignited my passion for writing.
Abisheganaden's weekly column on Wednesday was more than an article, it was also a masterclass in leadership, communication and organisational excellence.
So inspired was I that I created my very own scrapbook of all his articles. Every single one made me want to be like him even more.
Such a treasured volume this was, a trove which I still refer to, cherishing the wisdom of a man I have never met but deeply respect.
Motivated by Abisheganaden's example, I ventured into writing management articles myself.
To see my work published alongside Malaysia's great management thinkers, namely Heera Singh, Benedict Morais, Josef Eby Ruin, Ang Seng Chai and Ranjit Singh Malhi, was both humbling and exhilarating.
My articles, "Meeting Interview Requirement" and "Fostering Employee Relations" appeared in that 2001 collection, marking my formal entry into the realm of management discourse.
This achievement was more than a personal triumph. It was a reflection of NST's commitment to nurturing talent and providing a platform for meaningful dialogue on organisational and personal development.
The newspaper's polished editorial standards and dedication to quality journalism created fertile ground for writers like me to flourish.
But NST's influence on my life went far beyond the printed page. The confidence and recognition I gained from that first published article propelled me into wider arenas.
I have since represented Malaysia at numerous United Nations forums and international conferences, visiting countries such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.
These engagements focused on critical themes like public relations, crisis communications, environmental, social and governance issues and youth empowerment.
One of the most rewarding chapters has been my role with the World Youth Foundation, which had consultative status at the UN Economic and Social Council.
I served as the foundation's special adviser and international forum chairman for over 20 conferences held in Melaka.
These forums united youth leaders and policymakers from around the world, fostering dialogues on sustainable development, peacebuilding and human rights.
Reflecting on this journey, I see a clear thread linking my humble beginnings as a letter writer to a recognised voice in Malaysia's management and public relations landscape.
NST transformed my potential into achievement, dreams into reality.
I am deeply grateful for the role it has played, not only in my life but also in the lives of countless Malaysians. I invite you to reflect on how NST has shaped your stories and inspired your dreams.
For me, the journey from a passionate reader and letter writer to a published author and international representative began with the pages of the NST, and it remains a journey I cherish every day.
Here's to 180 years of excellence, inspiration and the power of storytelling. May the NST continue to be a beacon for generations to come.
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New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
Iconic Penang school uniform shop to close
GEORGE TOWN: AFTER more than five decades of serving generations of students, Kimnovak, once a beloved institution in the school uniform industry, will close its doors for good at the end of this month. It will be a bittersweet farewell for many who remember the humble beginnings of the shop on Jalan Magazine here, and the effort that went into growing it into a trusted name for school uniforms, bags, shoes, socks and stationery for families. The closure has been in the works for years, with the Movement Control Order and its subsequent challenges accelerating the inevitable. The family business has struggled with mounting difficulties, such as a lack of an heir to take over, an increasingly tough operating environment and evolving market demands. K.H. Lim now runs the business that his mother founded 56 years ago, building Kimnovak's iconic guitar logo into a symbol of quality and trust over the years. It grew from a modest venture into one of the most recognisable suppliers of school essentials. Lim, 73, runs the shop with wife Lillian Lim, who has been by his side throughout the journey. Lillian, 70, had watched the business grow, but also saw how hard it was to keep up with the changes. Her children, both adults, showed little interest in carrying on the family business. Kimnovak began by only selling school uniforms, and expanded into offering bags, shoes, socks and stationery. Despite this diversification, the business could not escape the larger trends affecting the retail sector. By the early 2000s, the workforce at the company's factory had dwindled. What once was a bustling operation with over 20 workers, mostly women, gradually shrank as many of them retired. The younger generation, no longer interested in sewing or working with textiles, only added to the decline. The company tried outsourcing work and relying on imported materials, but rising textiles costs, difficulties with imports and substandard overseas workmanship just added to the burden. "Sometimes, it would take up to six months to get everything in place, from ordering materials to getting the uniforms stitched and shipped," Lillian said. "It is a lot of hard work." Lillian, who had helped her mother-in-law grow the business, found it heartbreaking to see the steady decline. "I still have regular customers asking for school uniforms or reminiscing about the good old days. "It is so hard to let go," she told the New Straits Times (NST). Despite a steady flow of customers, especially during school holiday seasons, the complexities of the business became too overwhelming. The store also became a "second home" to many who visited from all walks of life. It was not uncommon to see generations of families — grandparents, parents and now their children — walking through the doors, year after year, to stock up on school supplies. The NST managed to catch up with Leong Kian Loon, 48, a tour guide, and Low Boon Jin, 43, who were buying school uniforms for their daughters. Leong, who grew up just a few streets away on Lebuh Tye Sin, recalled how his parents would take him to Kimnovak to buy school supplies when he was in primary school. "It is like a piece of history for me. Now, as a father of two girls, I bring them here too. "I am not buying uniforms because they need them right now. I just want to make sure we have enough for the future. It is that feeling of nostalgia," he added. Low, who was buying uniforms for his 8-year-old daughter, shared similar sentiments. "I usually send my wife to shop here, but today, I had to come myself. Ever since I heard it is closing down, I felt this inexplicable sadness," he said. "Kimnovak has been a part of my life, and now my daughter's. I have no idea where to turn next," he said. Lillian acknowledged the impact of the closure on customers. "I guess it is finally sinking in for everyone. Just like it is hard for us to let go, it is difficult for them too. "This shop has been a part of their lives." As Kimnovak prepares for its final chapter, the Lims leave behind a legacy of hard work, dedication and an unwavering commitment to the community. The memories of bustling days, the laughter of children trying on uniforms and the sight of the company's iconic guitar logo on every bag will remain etched in the hearts of all those who walked through Kimnovak's doors. On the difficult decision to retire, Lillian said: "Everything must come to an end."
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
ESG reforms key to restoring trust in sustainable finance — Nahrizul Adib Kadri
JULY 26 — The global sustainable finance market has reached an inflection point. With the United Nations estimating that $4 trillion annually is required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing has moved from the periphery to the centre of financial decision-making. Yet fundamental challenges threaten to undermine its credibility and effectiveness. The evolution from socially responsible investing in the 1990s through Corporate Social Responsibility in the 2000s to today's ESG framework reflects a growing recognition that non-financial factors materially affect long-term returns. However, this progression has exposed critical structural weaknesses in how we measure and verify sustainability claims. The most pressing issue facing sustainable finance is the absence of standardised ESG metrics. Different rating agencies routinely assign contradictory scores to the same company, creating confusion for investors and opportunities for manipulation. While quantifiable factors like carbon emissions can be measured with reasonable accuracy, subjective elements such as governance quality remain poorly defined. This inconsistency enables 'rating shopping', where companies selectively engage with agencies likely to provide favourable assessments. The reliance on self-reported data compounds these problems. Without mandatory third-party verification, companies face few barriers to exaggerating their sustainability credentials. This has given rise to various forms of misrepresentation: greenwashing (inflated environmental claims), brownwashing (concealing harmful practices), and greenhushing (deliberately understating sustainability efforts to avoid litigation). Each undermines market integrity and investor confidence. As an example of the perverse incentives created by ESG frameworks, consider Malaysia's used cooking oil (UCO) market. European regulations favour sustainable aviation fuel made from waste products like UCO over virgin palm oil, creating a premium for supposedly 'used' oil. The result: fresh cooking oil in Malaysia sells for approximately $0.60 per kilogram while UCO commands $1.00. This price differential has spawned an entire fraudulent ecosystem where fresh oil is passed off as used, defeating the environmental purpose while enriching intermediaries. Criminal syndicates have emerged to exploit this arbitrage, mixing subsidised fresh oil with UCO shipments. The environmental impact is precisely opposite to what regulators intended — instead of reducing waste, the system creates additional demand for palm oil production and associated deforestation. This cooking oil fraud exemplifies a broader pattern in sustainable finance: well-intentioned regulations creating unintended consequences. When the market values the appearance of sustainability more than actual environmental impact, rational actors will supply that appearance. The UCO case demonstrates how ESG metrics, divorced from rigorous verification, become vehicles for fraud rather than instruments of change. Current regulatory frameworks remain inadequate to address such systemic failures. The UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment, while well-intentioned, lack enforcement mechanisms. Signatories can claim adherence without meaningful implementation, reducing these principles to symbolic gestures. The European Union's binding regulations offer a more promising model, yet as the UCO example shows, even mandatory frameworks can be subverted without proper verification systems. Recent empirical evidence raises additional troubling questions about ESG implementation. Research on board diversity reveals that companies with female directors experience greater IPO underpricing — approximately $13 million more left unclaimed. This suggests that markets may value the appearance of ESG compliance over substantive impact, indicating that much ESG adoption remains performative rather than transformative. The tension between fiduciary duty and sustainability goals has become increasingly apparent. BlackRock's legal challenges exemplify this conflict, with the asset manager facing lawsuits from both ESG advocates and critics. This highlights the fundamental question: can investment strategies prioritise sustainability while maintaining competitive returns? The financial sector's response to this question will shape the future of sustainable investing. These challenges occur against a backdrop of declining public trust in financial institutions. Survey data indicates that confidence in finance professionals has deteriorated more rapidly than in other sectors since the mid-1990s. This erosion of trust creates additional obstacles for ESG adoption, as sceptical stakeholders question whether financial institutions can credibly champion sustainability. Proposed technological solutions present their own paradoxes. Blockchain technology could enhance transparency in ESG reporting, but its significant energy consumption contradicts environmental objectives. Such contradictions illustrate the complexity of implementing sustainable finance solutions. For Malaysian financial markets, these global trends carry important implications. The UCO fraud case demonstrates how local markets can be distorted by international ESG requirements. As international investors increasingly integrate ESG factors into allocation decisions, local companies and financial institutions must navigate between genuine sustainability commitments and performative compliance. The choice of regulatory approach — voluntary guidelines versus mandatory standards with robust verification — will significantly influence market development. The path forward requires addressing fundamental weaknesses in the ESG ecosystem. Standardised metrics must replace the current patchwork of rating methodologies. Independent verification should become mandatory, not optional. Regulatory frameworks need enforcement mechanisms that ensure accountability. Companies must move beyond symbolic gestures to substantive changes in business practices. Financial institutions face a credibility test. After decades of prioritising short-term profits, they must demonstrate that their commitment to sustainability extends beyond marketing rhetoric. This requires acknowledging trade-offs between immediate returns and long-term sustainability, rather than perpetuating the fiction that all ESG investments automatically enhance profits. The sustainable finance sector stands at a critical juncture. The gap between its promise and current practice threatens to undermine legitimate efforts to align financial markets with environmental and social objectives. As the Malaysian UCO case illustrates, without rigorous verification and enforcement, ESG frameworks can create perverse incentives that worsen the very problems they aim to solve. Closing this gap demands rigorous standards, authentic leadership, and regulatory frameworks that distinguish genuine sustainability from performative compliance. The $4 trillion question is not whether sustainable finance can work, but whether market participants will implement the reforms necessary to make it work. For emerging markets like Malaysia, the decisions made today will determine whether sustainable finance becomes a driver of meaningful change or another chapter in the long history of financial sector disappointments.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
Op Metal probe: MACC now targets law enforcers, port staff
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