Issue #231 - 14 Dec 2020
Dear Subscriber, |
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2020: A Year In Review
As the infamous 2020 comes to its end, the BMCC glances back on some of it's highlights in a year of change and more change. In spite of the of uncertainty that has plagued this year, the Chamber, like many other organisations around the world, has managed to adapt and embrace the 'new normal' by migrating online. Organising 7 physical events and 41 virtual events in the form of webinars, digital roundtables, and virtual conferences, the Chamber would like to thank the various Ministries, esteemed organisations and countless numbers of members and participants for supporting us throughout the year.
Before the Movement Control Order (MCO) halted any and all face-to-face engagement with our members in March, we had the privilege of hosting the BMCC Energy Outlook. The evening forum brought major players and likeminded attendees together to exchange views on the current and future trajectory of the oil, gas and energy sector in Malaysia, and featured speeches by representatives from the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC), PETRONAS and Petrofac Malaysia. The forum, attended by nearly 120 guests was an initiative of the BMCC Energy Committee and was sponsored by Fulkrum and Wood.
In August, the BMCC bid farewell to our former Chairman of five years, Andrew Sill MBE, and welcomed our current Chairman, Abrar Anwar. His appointment was decided upon following the BMCC’s 2nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Intercontinental Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Abrar has served on the BMCC Board since 2017, having assumed previous roles as the Chamber’s Treasurer and most recently Co-Deputy Chairman. Despite stepping down, Andrew still remains on the Board and will continue to be involved in the overall direction and growth of the BMCC. Andrew Diamond, CEO of IsItUp Dotcom Sdn Bhd, was elected as the new Deputy Chairman, stepping in for David Ng, Managing Director of International SOS (M) Sdn Bhd, who also remain on the Board after serving as Deputy Chairman since 2015.
The BMCC has remained active in its industry advocacy role throughout the year 2020 by representing its members of large multinational companies (MNCs) as well as small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and serving as the collective voice on matters that are impacting the BMCC members or the business community at large. Notable initiatives this year include: - Published a survey on the “Impact of COVID-19 on Towards Businesses” during MCO and shared the summary report to MITI and MIDA
- Roundtables with the Minister of Finance and the Secretary General of Ministry of Works
- Co-organised the Joint Tax Policy Working Group with other international chambers for the 2021 National Budget Memorandum
- Engagement with investment agencies such as MIDA, MATRADE, InvestKL, Invest Selangor, Invest Penang and IRDA
- Regular updates on SOP for businesses & immigration matters during MCO
- Assisted members for exemption application to operate during MCO from MITI
- Shared feedback on challenges in the construction sectors by members to CIDB
The BMCC Sector Committees; namely the Energy Committee, Higher Education Committee and the Education Committee (3-18 Years) which are part of the advocacy initiatives in BMCC, have become an active platform for our members to provide cross-sectional views, develop collective recommendations to resolve the sector-wide concerns and channel the feedback to relevant key stakeholders in the government, especially during the unprecedented challenges that arise due to the current pandemic. Some of the key activities for the Sector Committees in 2020 are quarterly meetings with members, organised series of webinars such as “The Changing Face Of Higher Education Post COVID-19”, “Return to School Readiness” and “Decommissioning (Oil & Gas)“.
In addition, the Sector Committees have also managed to engage with the Ministry of Education and PETRONAS including submitted recommendation letters to the Prime Minister and Senior Minister of Education on current challenges faced by the education sector. The BMCC greatly appreciates the continued active participation of its members of the industry and will seek to continue strengthening its advocacy role to facilitate business-to-government relations in the year 2021.
In October, the BMCC hosted its very first Chairman's Virtual Town Hall, aimed for the Chairman, Abrar Anwar, to meet and dialogue with BMCC members. Two sessions were held; one with Large and Sterling members and another one exclusively for SME members. In his speech, the Chairman emphasised the chamber's key focus during these unprecedented times to stay engaged and continue to deliver the right value to our members. The Chairman also took the opportunity to share areas that the Chamber would be focusing on, such as digital markets, sustainability and green efforts as well as support for SMEs in 2021. The Chairman also reiterated the importance for members to provide feedback to ensure initiatives taken by the Chamber remain relevant to members.
The pinnacle event hosted by the Chamber this year was the BMCC Green Conference 2020 with the theme "Sustainable Finance: A Blueprint for Green Recovery". The virtual conference drew nearly 300 participants from diverse sectors of the industry who convened to hear insights and discussions on sustainable financing, green investment and recovery from experts and key industry players. Organised in collaboration with Standard Chartered Malaysia and supported by the British High Commission, Kuala Lumpur, the conference featured two industry panels, with speakers from Shell Global, Standard Chartered and Ernst & Young, among others. The Conference also included a special session with the Minister of Finance Malaysia and British High Commissioner to Malaysia, HE Charles Hay, where they addressed key concerns regarding the state and future of the green economy.
Indeed, 2020 has been a year of not business as usual. However, in order to kick off 2021 to a great start, we would like to invite you to toast to the new year at our annual BMCC New Year's Drinks on 27 January 2021. We hope to see both familiar and fresh faces, and look forward to welcoming back our old and new members alike. Stay tuned for the lineup of exciting events and initiatives we have in store for our members in 2021, be it virtual or physical. Thank you to all our sponsors, partners, patrons and loyal members that have supported us this year. We look forward to seeing you next year! All of us at the BMCC Executive Office would like to wish all our sponsors, partners and members a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! |
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*kindly note that our office will be taking a break next week, therefore this will be the last newsletter issue for the year 2020* |
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BMCC New Year's Drinks 2021
Join us in toasting to the new year with the British High Commissioner to Malaysia, our Board of Directors, and members at our customary New Year's Drinks 2021! We look forward to welcoming you back.
Date: 27 January 2021 Time: 6.00pm - 9.00pm Venue: Royal Selangor Visitor Centre
BMCC Member: RM80 Non-Member: RM160
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BMCC Johor Chapter New Year's Drinks 2021
The British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce is back in Johor! Gear up to meet and expand your business contacts with fellow BMCC members, stakeholders, potential investors or prospective partners from across the region. Join us at our inaugural Johor Chapter New Year's Drinks 2021 to welcome the new year!
Date: 14 January 2021 Time: 7.00pm - 9.00pm Venue: George & Dragon Café
BMCC Johor Member: Complimentary BMCC Member: RM80 Non-Member: RM160
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BMCC In Conversation With His Excellency Charles Hay MVO, British High Commissioner To Malaysia
Join us for an exclusive digital conversation with HE Charles Hay MVO, British High Commissioner to Malaysia. Topics of conversation will include: - EU Exit update
- Bilateral relations with Malaysia
- Update on UK Government priorities for 2021
The webinar will include a Q&A session. Participants are encouraged to forward questions to events@bmcc.org.my prior to the webinar.
Date: 25 January 2021 Time: 4pm - 5pm (MYT)
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Final Call for 0% Sales Tax!
Usher in the new year with a brand new Mercedes-Benz from Cycle & Carriage. Enjoy savings of up to RM100,000 and other exceptional offers. Last call to enjoy the 0% Sales Tax Holiday. |
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Direct English Online Placement Test
Looking to improve your English for career or personal development? Our free online placement test will give an indicative assessment of your English language level, helping us identify the course that is right for you. The test was developed by the Linguaphone Group, a global education provider with over 115 years of experience in language training worldwide. So you can be confident that from the moment you take the test you are in safe hands. Register for our FREE English Placement Test here. Early birds get an Early Bird Registration Bonus! For more info on Direct English Malaysia and/or other courses, please call +603 20224128, WhatsApp +6017-7740117 or email info@directenglish.com.my |
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A Grand Multi-Sensory Dining Affair Has Landed
Travel around the world through a 360° virtual experience featuring a full-course culinary wonderment that will heighten your senses
Exclusively by Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur |
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HYdeout by Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
Like every other child, a hideout is always the safe space we look to when it comes to expressing ourselves in secret or out of fun. Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur enlivens one's childhood with a grand and exciting concept called "HYdeout by Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur", specially designed to celebrate every child's creativity and imagination with scrumptious delicacies to indulge in on the side.
In collaboration with the esteemed event management company, La Memoria, HYdeout invited families to the Poolside Residence to revel in its transformation from a versatile venue into a haven of fun that is suited for the whole family. Dressed in whimsical themed decor with numerous entertaining yet educational activities lined up for both adults and children to partake to their hearts' content, HYdeout is the next go-to for a fulfilling family-outing experience!
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Talent & Business Connectivity in Challenging Times
The current COVID 19 is posing numerous challenges to international companies and Expats based in Malaysia. Short term economic pressure is to reduce employment opportunities and specifically to cut back if not eliminate all learning or internship type programs.
However, as gaining access and nurturing talents provides the core competitive edge of business, neglecting them will make recovery more difficult. Meanwhile, restriction in local mobility and international travel is constraining normal business engagements, hampering the bottom line.
Learn about our “International Internship Program” which is part of our larger project “Talent & Business Connectivity for Career Development” which serves to enhance talent and business connectivity in time of mobility restrictions as well as to promote academia-industry co-operation for human resource development in a sustainable way. We work with specially selected local universities to identify candidates of high caliber and positive mindset and provide you with value added services to meet your needs at this challenging time.
Please feel free to contact wee@sciencecareer.asia / call +6016-6361734 (Ms Wee) for more information or register your interest here. |
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ILM report: Leading Through Challenging Times
Leaders and managers need to be equipped better to lead through times of crisis new report finds. Clearly 2020 has been an incredibly difficult time for many businesses thanks to COVID-19 and many businesses have fought for their very survival.
Leaders and managers have truly been put to the test and, in some cases, their skills have found to be deficient in areas that could have enabled them to navigate this difficult period more effectively. That’s according to new research from ILM – a City & Guilds Group business and the UK’s leading provider of leadership qualifications – which finds that nearly three quarters of employees surveyed (73%) believe that some part of the company’s leadership has been lacking during the pandemic.
Read the full report here. |
Upcoming Leadership Webinar: What Is Impactful Leadership In A Virtual World
With a shift to virtual working and change becoming a constant, what does impactful leadership look like? When Covid hit the globe, the working culture businesses once had disappeared over night, with staff working at home and customer transactions largely being remote.
Businesses across the world have had to adapt the way they lead and their strategies for workforce skills development. In many cases, this has meant empowering and trusting staff to take more control of their daily schedule and to meet their performance targets in a more flexible working culture. How is this working in practice and what challenges are businesses facing?
Our upcoming ILM webinar will share views and experiences on how businesses and leaders are supporting the wellbeing of their workforce, ensuring performance is maintained and that their customer experience is not impacted.
Date: Wednesday, 27 January 2021 Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM CST
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Human Resources & Legal Dilemma: Employees Tested Positive for Covid-19 Malaysia reported a record high of 2,188 new Covid-19 cases on 24 November 2020, bringing the total number of cases in the country to a whopping 58,847. As Malaysians observe the constant escalating number of Covid-19 cases, the likelihood of employees being exposed to Covid-19 virus will also increase. Read the full article brought to you by Tay & Partners here. |
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Download our Risk Outlook 2021 Predictions Paper
For the fifth year in a row, we are proud to have developed the Risk Outlook report alongside Ipsos MORI. 2020 has shown that, on its own, the past is a poor guide to the future. But armed with this expert analysis and insight, leaders will be better equipped to navigate the uncertain times ahead.
Download our brochure here. |
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Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur Annual Charity Project - "Embrace The Gift of Life"
"Embrace The Gift of Life" is an annual charity project initiated by Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur since 1985 to support children with severe heart ailments and other serious medical conditions. To date, Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur has raised over RM4 million and helped hundreds of critically ill children through this charity project.
We would like to invite you and your organisation to support this annual fund-raising charity project by sponsoring one or more ornaments with a minimum donation of RM1000 per set. The donor's name or company logo will be displayed below each set of ornaments.
Download the donation form here. |
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UKCA marking with BSI - The new product marking for Great Britain From 1/1/21, the UK will update its laws that regulate product safety and performance. The same standards as now will enable conformity with these laws, from PPE to machinery, electrical equipment to construction products. This new regime will bring some changes to the way in which regulations reference standards.
Download the brochure here. |
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BSI Training Academy: ISO training and business improvement courses
Because we help shape international standards, there’s no one better to help train you and your staff on how to implement management systems to make your business more secure, more successful and more resilient. We don’t just train you to meet standards – we help you to understand how to embed them into your organisation.
View 2021 training courses here. |
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JLL's Occupancy Benchmarking Guide
Pre pandemic, flexible work and mobility program trends were upending everything we knew about occupancy planning and space design, transforming traditional workplaces into agile and collaborative spaces. Then, COVID-19 hit and launched the world’s largest “work-from-home pilot” ever imagined and forced a reversal of trends.
JLL's annual benchmarking reports uncover trends based on data from more than 100 organisations across the world . View and compare global and regional data on a wide range of workplace planning topics.
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British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Berhad 201801018075 (1280091-P) E04C0, 4th Floor East Block, Wisma Golden Eagle Realty, 142-B Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur Copyright © BMCC 2020 |
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