Sir Richard Branson, the renowned British industrialist is coming to KL next month for the Dawn of the New Decade – Alternative Investments in Asia forum.

Here’s the press release on the event, thanks to Elya of GoComm.com.my on the note.

KL TO WELCOME SIR RICHARD BRANSON FOR LANDMARK FORUM
Kuala Lumpur, Monday, 9 August 2010- Richard Branson, founder and Chairman of the Virgin Group, requires little introduction – few people are as internationally well known, fewer still as universally liked and respected. The entrepreneur’s entrepreneur, inspiring business leader and fearless adventurer Branson is an ambassador for the “can do” attitude.

The famously goatee-ed Englishman comes to Kuala Lumpur in September to participate in the Dawn of the New Decade – Alternative Investments in Asia forum. This event is being staged by the venerable International Herald Tribune in association with the London Speaker Bureau. The forum is the first of its kind to be staged in Asia and it will feature more than 15 leading luminaries in the field of finance and investment. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak will be giving the official key note speech at the event which takes place on 27 and 28 September in the Renaissance Hotel.

Branson will be giving his eagerly anticipated special keynote speech on the opening day of the forum. The billionaire is expected to outline his thoughts on the current investment landscape and on the growing importance of Asia. As the head of Virgin Atlantic Airways he has a particularly relevant perspective on the airline industry, however, as the owner of 360 other companies the depth and breadth of his experience is virtually peerless.

Recently turned 60 Branson began his life in business at the tender age of 16 launching a magazine called Student. By 22 he had a chain of successful record stores. There followed the airline, the mobile phone operator, a railway, a healthcare company and even a space tourism company. He is now worth an estimated US$4 billion. His philanthropy is as famed as his trans-continental balloon voyages.

Attending the two-day forum will be over 1,000 delegates from across the region including some leading bankers, investors and fund managers. They will be hearing not just from Richard Branson but also from Mary Buffet, daughter in law of Warren Buffet, arguably the world’s most successful investor. The other speakers will include Anil Gupta, renowned expert on Strategy and Globalisation; Dr Fang Gang one of China’s most influential economists and Augusto Lopez-Claros, Chief Economist with the World Economic Forum.

Invaluable opinions, predictions, advice and speculation will be shared at this seminal event. It will be extremely informative and, of course, a gilt-edged networking opportunity. It is to be noted that this is a regional event that will be heavily publicised throughout the IHT and worthy of further note is that Malaysia was selected as host above some strong competition.

For more information about the forum including a full list of the speakers, the programme and details of how to book tickets please visit www.invest2010.asia

-END-

Issued on behalf of the London Speakers Bureau by: GO Communications Sdn Bhd. For further information kindly contact:

Lizayati Damit
Brand Director
Mobile: +6016 971 1580 / 03 7710- 3288
E-mail: liza@gocomm.com.my

Elya Eusoff
Brand Manager
Mobile: +6017 366 2277 / 03 7710- 3288
E-mail: elya@gocomm.com.my

Choo Hen
Brand Executive
Mobile: +6017 433 8189/ 03 7710- 3288
E-mail: choo@gocomm.com.my

Via Expatypus.com

Part I

Part II

Part III

Here’s a table on Malaysia’s petrol and diesel prices for the past 3 decades.

Malaysia Price for RON97, RON95, RON92 and Diesel since 1984. Source: OSK188.com

Moving from A to B is only going to get more expensive if we are to continue our reliance on oil.

We need national policies that can reduce the cost of owning electric vehicles and also to encourage private sector to venture in sustainable logistics. There is so much upside for everyone if we can just stop our addiction to oil and take the leap.

In countries like China, Denmark and Japan, where the transformation is already underway, the government has made electrification a national priority. China has set a goal of becoming the global leader in the manufacture and deployment of electric vehicles, providing rebates of almost $9,000 for the purchase of each vehicle. Denmark has adopted a tax structure that strongly favors electric vehicles over gasoline models. And today in Japan, fully electric taxi cabs already take passengers to and from their destinations in Tokyo, as part of a project by Tokyo’s largest taxi operator, Better Place LLC – a leading provider of electric vehicle networks and services, and the Japanese government. 



Read the full story “The Beginning of the End of Our Oil Addiction”.

Twenty inspirational leaders, read more at BusinessWeek.com.

Stop whatever you’re doing. This is worth your time.

What Matters Now

From the total of 193 fined, I am sure many cases went unreported.

Via www.kwsp.gov.my

In its effort to protect members??savings, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has continued to take action against employers for defaulting on their employees??EPF contributions with a total of 193 employers slapped with fines by the courts totalling RM278,970 during the third quarter of 2009 (Q3).

??he rate of defaulting employers during this quarter has registered a drop in which only 1.75 per cent employers had defaulted compared to 1.91 per cent in the previous quarter. While this suggests that increasingly more employers are aware of their role in their employees??retirement wellbeing, the EPF will still persevere with its efforts to ensure that employers continue to comply with the law,??said Nik Affendi Jaafar, EPF General Manager for Public Relations.

Click here for full story.

Is this an issue with education? Are business owners in Malaysia that ignorant about basic labor laws? Or the risk and consequences of getting caught is far lesser than the penalty that would be imposed on these fly by night business owners?

From the above report, the EPF’s General Manager seems to have missed the point. 1.75% of employees who defaulted this quarter and 1.91% of employees who defaulted of previous quarter should not be labeled as a drop, unless both quarters has the same number of employers. This is when statistics are mistakenly used in the wrong context. It certainly does not suggest an increment of awareness as mentioned by the EPF’s GM.

This reminds me how politicians used the very same tactic to confuse the public.

On another EPF-related story, only about 23% of EPF members have nominated beneficiaries.

Via TheEdgeMalaysia.com

Only about 23% of the Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) 12.4 million members have nominated their beneficiaries, said its general manager for public relations Nik Affendi Jaafar.

In a statement today, he said: “As your nomination determines who will receive your EPF savings, it can offer some financial protection to your family should death suddenly occur. Nomination will not only ensure speedy payment to your family, but will also help to spare your loved ones from unnecessary suffering.”

The EPF is launching an awareness drive to remind members on the importance of nominating beneficiaries for their EPF savings. It will be running an advertising campaign from today until Dec 21 through the radio and newspapers.

The next key question is, of this 23% nominated beneficiaries, how many percentage are up-to-date? The last time I logged into my KWSP’s i-Akaun, I do not remember seeing my nomination details. No, I am not even thinking of asking KWSP to allow me to change my nomination online, because I think that would be a bit too much. Just let me know my latest nomination details would be good enough, because I would think that nomination details is definitely no more important than displaying the balance of my EPF amount.

Or why not simply just use some ‘default settings’, like what they did with The Distribution (Amendment) Act 1997? If you are not married, the default nomination setting would be Father and Mother, then to your siblings and then to your grandparents. If you are married, then it would be your legal spouse, then your legal issues, and then your parents, your siblings, your grandparents and so on. This ‘default setting” would definitely be better than letting the money go Amanah Raya Berhad.

And I’ve recently received an email from a friend, Jodie, with some KWSP nomination tips and it goes like this:

If ONE (1) of your Nominees in the EPF Nominees list dies, automatically the whole arrangement (EPF Nominees list) is VOID .. Meaning if, you only put in One (1) name & unfortunately he/she dies before you ??automatically EPF will channel your EPF money to trustee of AMANAH RAYA upon your death.

Even though if you have few names in the EPF Nominees list, – the whole arrangement is VOID & none of the individual names left in the EPF Nominees list will get their portion & automatically EPF will channel your EPF money to trustee of AMANAH RAYA upon your death.

Piece of advice – if any of the your Nominees in the EPF Nominees list dies, please do immediately approach the nearest EPF counter & present the Death Certificate of the individual & register your NEW / LATEST Nominee in the EPF Nominees list + NEW / LATEST percentage .

If, you & the other party (maybe spouse) involved in the same misfortune (accident / illness) that caused death to both yourself / spouse please, please, please alert your siblings / relatives / parents to immediately approach the nearest EPF counter & share the information within 3 days to AVOID all EPF money to be surrendered to trustee of AMANAH RAYA .

Upon surrender to trustee of AMANAH RAYA, your children will have to battle the money thru 3 channels;

Majlis Agama
Pejabat Tanah
Mahkamah

The normal period via above 3 channels usually takes 2-3 years (except if you have inside/tip top connection) at Amanah Raya.

I’ve always thought that in the event of the death of one of the nominated beneficiary, the remaining beneficiaries who are still alive and kicking will automatically inherit the entire EPF fund, with the percentage of the fund’s value adjusted according to their initial ’shareholding’. I need to give KWSP a call tomorrow morning. Some things are just not that obvious.