Pulau Pinang (Penang) is one of my favourite destinations locally. This is no means of complementing the city irrationally but its certain charm can’t be ignored. Born and raised in Perlis, Penang is a stone throw away which makes it easy for me and my family to make those frequent trips. Now that I have permanently resided in Kuala Lumpur, it takes a little longer to travel.

I had the opportunity to re-visit Penang as I had an opportunity to meet with a potential business partner and I couldn’t miss this opportunity. Me and my Chief Financial Officer made the trip to Penang on March 30^th which we flew on Malaysian Airlines subsidiary Firefly. Upon booking the flight, I was shocked that I had pay RM1375.80 for our tickets. This was something I did not expect to pay as the price is as almost the same if I were to fly on Malaysian Airlines.

Firefly classify themselves as a cheap and regional community airline, whereby their flights regionally would be at least a quarter or half the price of what we are expected to pay if we were to  fly on Malaysian Airlines. To be honest I’m not infuriated with the airline company but it is a big ask when I had planned to fly to Penang for the day.

With that slight grumble in mind, I didn’t mind flying with Firefly, as the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport is located in Subang Jaya. This is in a close proximity to my house compared to flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The Subang airport was the only airport back in the day for international and regional flights. Ever since KLIA was built, the airport was nearly abandoned which is a shame really but as a country moving forward it was time to think of the future instead of clinging to what we have.

The flight to Penang was rather interesting as coincidentally the day we flew on was when all flights to Penang were all booked. From 8:30am and beyond all I could see at the ticket counter was full. Thankfully it did not hamper my trip as I got on the 10am flight and it took us about an hour to land at the Bayan Lepeas International Airport. The plane that we took was another matter to contend with.

We flew on one those ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology. It seats up to 78 passengers in a single-class configuration and is operated by a two-pilot crew. It was one of those planes that had the propellers instead of those giant engines that made bee like noises. Annoyed? Perhaps but it wasn’t the worse experience that I had to encounter through my lifetime.

Penang as an island is beautiful, when the British took over Penang; they built colonial houses during the late 1800s. Most of those colonial houses today are now well maintained. The whole city is now buzzing with activity where there is greenery everywhere even when there is new development being built in the city.

The meeting was at the G-Hotel which is on Gurney Drive, it is closely located to the beach (which is actually not the vast sandy beaches that you would imagine) and also close to the bustling city centre where there are a wide variety of eatery and a shopping complex located close by. The drive to the hotel took about 45 minutes. Throughout the drive I was having this nostalgic feeling in my mind. Perhaps it was the reminiscence of my childhood spending a lot of time in the city back in the day and now witnessing the rapid growth that has turned Penang into one of the popular destinations for local and foreign tourists.

I can never forget back in 2004, when the Tsunami tragedy hit the Penang shores and lives were lost, communities destroyed and people’s livelihood were taken away from them. It is amazing to see that Penang has been rebuilt at an incredible rate with the incredible support the state and government development agencies.

The meeting ran later than expected, by my watch we finished about 4pm and needed to be at the airport by 5pm. In between we wanted to grab some Japanese food as we were feeling peckish and needed some well earned nourishment. By the time we got to the airport we were 20 minutes late. We were in a state of panic and not really knowing what to do as we thought we had missed our flight but I remember I checked in earlier in the morning and the staff at the counter were kind enough to let us through as we did not have any luggage to check in.

Like convicts, we were sprinting through the terminal to get to the gate. I felt like I was running a marathon but through the moment of panic we got there in the end. By 5:40pm we got to our seats and buckled up for the flight back to Kuala Lumpur. But alas there was a slight hiccup along the way. Midway through the flight the pilot had announced that there was a technical issue and we were forced to turn back.

Feeling slightly bemused and annoyed, I accepted the inevitability of the situation. I wanted to clap my hands in joy that the pilot was thinking of the safety of his passengers rather than riding through it. It’s a scary thought what would happen if we had continue on. As we reached the terminal, I was bracing for the worse knowing we may have to wait for hours to get airborne again.

Fortunately lady luck was on my side and the wait was merely 30 minutes as they had fixed the technical issue and we were on our way back home. We were about one and half hours late but I rather be safe than sorry. I do hope to go back to Penang for an extended period of time and re-experience the sights and sounds of the city.

As a consultancy like RUSS Consulting, I have always strived to build business relationships with my principals which are built upon trust and strong bond between both parties. It has aided my consultancy to reach greater heights. In 2007, RUSS Consulting started off as a small PR Consultancy after years of working in the corporate world where I have achieved a lot of business wisdom through trials and tribulations.

Over the years I had the opportunity to travel the world and which helped open my eyes to different ideas and working cultures. I had also attended many International conferences where I had the pleasure in meeting great minds and intellectuals who have work their entire careers to specialize in many areas in the public relations continuum that I may not be experienced in.

I have met many professionals who I have developed strong relationships with. Overtime when I had the idea of creating my own PR Consultancy, I was fortunate able to network and formed partnerships with companies who are specialized in certain specialized areas in Public Relations.

My first partnership is with Jim Truscott who founded Truscott Crisis Leaders. Founded after the Sydney Olympics, Truscott Crisis Practitioners are selected for their backgrounds in professional response agencies combined with commercial acumen. Jim Truscott spent 25 years in high-risk international engagements planning and controlling politically sensitive government operations for the successful resolution of international crises.

I was introduced to Jim back in 2003 by a friend who was working with Scott Parker when I was with Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN). Jim was promoting his crisis training services but he failed in convincing the board of directors. We soon became good friends. We decided to develop our partnership under the banner SpencerAzizul, a brand communications consultant when I joined SpencerAizizul in June 2005. We did a few assignments under SpencerAzizul. When I started RUSS Consulting in July 2007, Jim decided to partner with me and I represented Truscott Crisis Leaders until now

In 2007, my company organised the first International Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)/Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) conference in July 2007.  One of the key speakers that year was Paul Zaman who was the founder of Qualvin Advisory. Qualvin Advisory is a boutique boardroom consulting firm specializing in investor relations, equity market consulting, boardroom advisory, corporate social responsibility/opportunity and sustainability planning. I got to know Paul better 5 months after the conference and We decided to be partners in Investor Relations and have continued our partnership to this day.

In 2008, Graham Owens was one of the partners in Paia Consulting which is based in Singapore. Paia provides specialist and expert sustainability advice to organisations that wish to efficiently manage their environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and grasp the business opportunities that innovative risk management can provide.

Graham was impressed with Russ Consulting business model and agreed to start a partnership together. Our partnership was focused on Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We did several training programmes together and in August last year, he was offered a position Director of Sustainability of KPMG Singapore.

In 2009, One of RUSS Consulting clients Loo Cheng-Guan introduced me to John Brash who is founder of Brash Brands based in Dubai. Brash Brands consultancy helps its clients create and build stronger brands in order to drive commercial value. We soon started talks about creating a business partnership with RUSS Consulting. We are now the representative for Brash Brands in Malaysia.

In 2010, I met with Dr. Stellios Plainiotis who was working with IEN Consultants who offers green consulting services. He soon moved on to create his own company named NEA◦POLI NEA◦POLI is an international Green Building and Environmental Design & Engineering consultancy for the Built Environment, with offices in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and London, UK. The name NEA◦POLI is derived from the Greek words nea (new) and poli (city), inspired by their mission to optimise and design the next generation built environment.

We agreed on our partnership as I have government link to do green standards following the Green Building Index (GBI). On green matters, I am now pursuing a partnership with a major client with the possibility of creating a the first green hospital in Malaysia.

On March 17 this year, I met with a Singapore public listed company where they have business in China which specializes in energy solutions. Two days later on March 19 I  had a meeting German company who specializes in utility and energy solutions.

I always believe that developing new partners will help your company achieve greater heights. This aids greatly for SME companies who wish to expand their business globally. By building international partnerships, it opens many doors and opportunities for you and for your business to expand and develop.

Hello and my humble apologies that I have not kept my readers informed through my monthly reflections for the last two months. I have been running around pursuing a new opportunity which may help our community in the long run. I promise to reveal more of this opportunity in my future reflections. I do wish to reveal the first step of my plan in this month’s reflection.

As I sit here reflecting on the month of February, It gives me the opportunity to look back rather than looking forward into the near future. At the back end of last year, I created a new subsidiary called Sun Ra Industries Sdn Bhd. This is a joint venture with my new partners from Australia, Solar Naturally. What Solar Naturally specializes on is solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and L.E.D lights. You may say I have shifted my vision in creating a greener environment one step at the time.

We have recently exhibited at two events which were different experiences so to speak. The first exhibition was at Greenbuild Asia 2012 in conjunction with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) International Construction Week which was held at the KL Convention Centre on 14-16 February 2012. The other was at Putrajaya where they had the 2012 WOW Carnival on the 23^rd to 26 February 2012.

The office was bustling with activity leading up to the first exhibition at the KL Convention Centre; we were faced with several obstacles that were problematic. To give a better overall picture of our problems, the closest example would be “No acts, No show!”. I am pretty certain this has happened to a lot of us in the past.

Yet we managed to dust ourselves off and get it all sorted for the exhibition. Our booth was located in Hall 4 of the convention centre. Our partners were at the eleventh hour the day before setting up before the official launch. We were hoping and anticipating the arrival of our Malaysian Prime Minister Tan Sri Najib Abdul Razak to walk by our booth but alas this was not to be.

Throughout the three days of exhibiting, it was an interesting experience for me and my team. We were constantly on our toes being approached by potential clients who were very inquisitive and excited of our product range. To help understand further, Green Technology has not been accepted by the general public here. There seems to pre-judgemental factor that most people think acquiring Green Technology such as a Solar PV system or L.E.D based lightning will not be beneficial for them in the long run. We’ll come back to this subject matter shortly.

I did enjoy my experience being an exhibitor, especially for a cause that I have aspired to achieve long ago. There were various types of people who were looking at our products. Dealers, wholesalers, engineers and representatives from various parts of the world were inquiring on the products that were on show. For me, I feel a strong connection between all the people that I had the pleasure speaking to. At the end of the exhibition my whole body was aching from all the standing while my throat felt so dry from speaking with people the entire day.

As soon as the exhibition was done, we packed up and stowed it away our products for a few days before taking them out again for the upcoming exhibition at Putrajaya the following week. This experience was of a different kind. Before we pitch camp at the carnival, we had surveyed the area and it turned out where we were to exhibit was under a tent and in the hot sun. I was sincerely not looking forward to this experience.

I arrived early as our team were busy setting up the equipment that we would be displaying. I could see in all their faces that they were not enjoying being in the hot sun as they sweat away through their clothes. As you can see, the heat was that intense!

As the exhibition opened we were hoping to be welcomed by a bee line of potential clients. That did not materialize throughout the time we were there. The first two days of the carnival was on a weekday, there weren’t a lot people walking around. Coupled with the scorching heat, it did not help matters as we tried several ways to cool ourselves down. We were lucky as our immediate neighbour is Putrajaya Holdings itself. They were promoting green development in Putrajaya. As their booth was enclosed and fully air conditioned, we managed to escape the scorching heat when we visited their booth.

In continuation to what I have mentioned earlier in my reflection. On why people think it’s not beneficiary for consumers especially to take it seriously, is primarily they fear of the cost of the products and installation. Perhaps it can’t be helped, as Green Technology is still new in Malaysia and continue to grow. I believe the price drop as more people buy the products and services.

Though it was not all doom and gloom, I had the chance to spend my weekend while working with my children. I brought them to see their favourite cartoon characters “Upin & Ipin” which is a popular show here in Malaysia. As an adieu to this episode, I would like to end with hope that I am able to achieve my dream in taking care of Mother Nature in my own way.

Greetings and a Happy New Year to all, I hope everyone have renewed their enthusiasm on a positive note for the year ahead. As for myself, I have started the year on by ticking one of the many resolutions I have made for the upcoming year by spending some quality time with my two young children. Yud, my eldest has been asking me the past 8 months or so to ride the LRT (Light Rail Transit) that we often drive by while heading to Kelab Golf Negara Subang (KGNS). But due to my busy schedule I did not have the time to spare to fulfil his request until now.

My 2 children, Yud and Eli ages 4 and 2, my sister Ramjan, my niece Sara and my two nannies Suminah and Jeni to accompany us as we decided to have a leisurely wonder around. As it was a public holiday, my perception was there were no queues and no crowds and the perfect weather to be enjoying the day out. As we parked the car at Kelana Jaya station, to my surprise that the station was bustling with people. There goes the no queue and no crowd policy thrown out the window!

As we made our way to the ticketing office, I had previously bought these refillable tickets that have RM10 credit in each ticket. We headed towards the barrier and inserted the ticket to go through. After several failed attempts, I marched towards the ticketing counter to enquire why have the tickets been rejected. I was informed by the ticketing officer that the tickets are now invalid after 31^st December 2011. To my bemusement I asked if I was able to get a refund for the amount that was in the ticket.

The ticketing officer responded that it was not possible as they had given prior notice through newspapers, radio and notice boards informing that customers were able to reclaim their credit before the 31^st of December 2011. I feel it was unjust as it was only two days into the year and to me that were no leeway or proper notification by the authorities to give citizens like myself who do not use public transportation as often as others to be able to get a reclaim.

I decided not to attest to such trivial matters and paid for a new ticket but in my head I lost in total of RM20 for losing the credit and buying a new ticket. We finally made our way to through the barrier. Along the way we came across the new OneMalaysia outlet that sells various goods at a more affordable price for citizens. Normally for a bottle of water from a normal outlet or supermarket, we would be charged between RM1 to RM1.50 for a 500ml bottle of water. At the OneMalaysia outlet, I was able to purchase a 500ml bottle of water for a mere 35 cents which is a big price drop.

We planned to head towards Seremban where my two sons are able to enjoy the experience in riding in the LRT and the KTM (Keretaapi Tanah Melayu) which we needed to change at KL Sentral station to continue our journey to Seremban. During the train journey to KL Sentral, I could see a huge smile of the faces of my two sons. We sat at the last coach where there is a small ledge and window for children to sit on. Both Yud and Eli sat on the ledge as their eyes lighted up in wonderment. At each stop we passed through both of them would wave in excitement at commuters waiting on the platform.

It was short but sweet train journey to KL Sentral, we got off our stop and walked towards the KTM station and bought the tickets to Seremban. Unlike the LRT, there was quite a long wait period before we boarded the train. By my watch we waited for a good 45 minutes before the train came along. We decided instead of trying to cram our way through into the normal coach with two young children on tow, we had the privilege board the recently introduced “Pink Coach” which was meant for ladies only.

Normally, I would presume that public transports would not be as packed as normal working days, but to my surprise our one hour journey to Seremban was packed to the brim. We were fortunate that there were kind hearted citizens that gave up their seats for us. As we reached Seremban station, our plan was to head towards the shopping centre that was across the station but the station was a hotbed of activity and people were making their way back to Kuala Lumpur after a short visit home.

We decided against it as I had to bring my eldest son Yud to his first Islamic studies class which was at 6pm. We went ahead and bought return tickets back to Kuala Lumpur which mind you I only paid RM6 for a single journey ticket which in my opinion is an affordable price to pay for.  I asked one of the staff how long until the next train bound to Kuala Lumpur. He said it leaves in 5 minutes on the other side of the platform we got off from. This was the beginning of a dramatic and frustrating end to the day. The platform steps were steep and not friendly for a group consisting of four middle age woman and three kids. We were able to board the same pink coach in the nick of time.

I was looking around if there were any seats available. I moved as far as I could to the end but there were no seats available and this time around no one had the courtesy to give up their seats. Not to sound resentful to my own race and religion but the race composition in that train were mainly young woman, majority were Malays and there rest were Chinese and Indians.  None of them bothered to look at me in the eye  but instead they to looked away pretending to sleep or looking at their phones.

The challenge was further impounded as we reached to Nilai, my children were feeling the stress of the whole trip and it was time for their milk. We had nowhere to sit and none of them were giving up their seats. Suminah, one of my helpers had to sit down on the floor to feed my youngest Eli and both Yud and Sara followed suit. As we reached closer towards Kuala Lumpur, finally there were a few seats vacated as soon as we reached Bangi station. We quickly took the opportunity and race towards the seats while feeling relief after all that drama. My sister Ramjan was adamant and held her own deciding not to sit down until we reached KL Sentral.

I am appalled with the lack of moral value shown by these young women as I could see most of them were undergraduates or working professionals. In my time in the early 60’s we did not have these instances where I would gladly gave up my seat on the bus for an elderly or women with young children. I do wonder what will become of our future generation if moral values were not instilled into every individual. I felt that if I were to sit in the normal coach and not these special coaches, even labourers from Indonesia or Bangladesh would understand the core moral values that were taught by their parents.

It’s such as shame when Malaysia has recently reintroduced the important Islamic values of virtue and respect for the elderly family members. I feel that as a nation, there is a need to instil these moral values for the betterment of the individual and it would be beneficial to society. I do hope that this incident is a one off affair and I would not come across again, young adults with such low moral values.

It has been a harsh start to my new year but it certainly hasn’t ruin my fun experience fulfilling one of my resolutions this year. I hope everyone has a prosperous year ahead reminding ourselves that humanistic values matters with young children and the elderly.

I recently attended the “1^st Global Congress For Muslim Public Relations Practitioners” which was held at Hotel Istana here. RUSS Consulting was asked to assist in media relations during the conference. As mentioned in my November reflection, most conferences that we often attend or participate would end up as a disappointment. This conference is significantly different from others that I have attended.

This question often comes up when conversing with clients, friends and colleagues. “Why do you attend so many conferences? Haven’t you gained enough knowledge over the years?” This has never crossed my mind as in my eyes that there is much to gain and nothing to lose.

The conference aim is promoting and encouraging direct, face to face communication among Muslim Public relations practitioners and optimizing of the enormous capabilities within the world of Islam in the field of public relations.

As I see it, I am constantly learning. It is impossible to say that you have learned enough to know everything. International conferences such as this have often enough given me the opportunity to explore new business opportunities that may be formed during small conversations with new acquaintances.

The conference was attended by some old friends that I have not met for some time. It was nice to have these catch up sessions that I occasionally have at these conferences when often enough I do not have the opportunity to do so outside of my working hours and busy weekends.

At these conferences I often like to get involved and network. As mentioned earlier you may never know when that small opportunity may pop up. The heart warming thing was the conference was aimed for Muslim public relations practitioners from most of the Islamic countries. There were non-Muslims that were attending as a participant or a presenter at the conference. I feel it is pleasing to know that there are genuine people that are interested in knowing about the movement of the Muslim world and how it is portrayed today.

Many of the participants and speakers at the conference were public relations practitioners. Even so there were quite a number of distinguished professors and senior lecturers from United States of America, Canada, Europe, Middle East and Australia. It was interesting to hear their stories and insights as I feel that I may be able to utilise these new insights in my daily work and to have better relationships with colleagues and counterparts. I do hope in the near future you would be able to persuade yourself to attend one of these conferences in the near future.

On a related note, the word “Muslim” recently has struck fear into the gazing eyes of the western world. Ever since 9/11, the term Islamophobia has become frequently used by westerners to their disgust with the Muslim world. These were several topics that were discussed during the course of the conference. These discussions will assist in making necessary decisions on how to be more effective in the field of public relations in the Muslim world.

When I put it into perspective, I am able to empower myself more when conversing with others on a similar topic. These conversations are engaging and refreshing as I am acquiring their knowledge while imparting my past experiences to them. I feel that it is always a two-way communication at these conferences. But as earlier mentioned I am gaining so much from new insights, processes or technologies that are constantly being introduced or reinvented. It helps provide a better understanding and shed new light in all matters whether it would be academically, professionally or personally.

These international conferences are there for a purpose. The conference that I have recently attended has certainly been a rewarding and great experience. It gives a new meaning of the word “Muslim” and how public relations practitioners like me are trying to improve the image of Islam in a positive way.

I do wish to take this opportunity, to wish my Christian brothers and sisters across the world a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. May the upcoming year be blessed and prosperous as this year, if not better!

The purpose of my trip though was not merely for leisure as I had flew into the city to attend this year’s Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) organized by Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) in conjunction with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) where 16 head of countries were invited to speak on business issues. Both conferences (CBF and CHOGM) were spread across the week beginning of 24 October 2011.

At first I was rather sceptical about attending this conference as I felt that I would be re-learning things that I already knew. Yet to my pleasant surprise the conference has been an eye opener for me. I have been in the business for over 30 years; I have learned enough to know everything. That was not the case.

In almost all the sessions I have attended during the forum, I have learned so much in getting new ideas and fresh perspectives from knowledgeable and world class speakers. It is a nice feeling when you are able to learn something new through traditional means where in today’s society the internet is the bible in learning new things.

It was a near perfect experience for me; the only grumble I had was I wished scientists would invent a clone machine. I was split in two minds in making a decision to which sessions I wanted to attend while having that slight regret that I would had to miss out on the other sessions I was interested in attending sessions that were on the same timeslot. Yet I had no qualms as the sessions I had participated were engaging and informative.

Throughout the forum, I was rubbing shoulders with the crème de le crème of the global business world. One thousand and four hundred delegates from across the globe had congregated in a single place to exchange information and knowledge with one another. I took the opportunity to spread my wings meeting new people while extending my hand to new friends that I have enjoyed speaking with. I am currently pursuing new business opportunities which I can’t disclose as yet but will be providing further information in future reflections.

A part of me felt like a child again as in two different sessions during CBF, I was face to face with our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak which I would never dreamed of having the honour doing in my wildest dreams. Even if I did try to get up close and personal with him in Malaysia it would be an impossible feat! I had such a great time quizzing him with my questions. It was a great feeling and it would be one moment I would cherish for life.

I would like to take the opportunity in applauding the Perth Government Administration for the level of professionalism and commitment shown in making sure both conferences were running smoothly. Both conference venues had tight security with police stationed around the venue while some were patrolling the streets keeping a close eye on proceedings. I felt incredibly at ease knowing that I am able to venture into the city feeling safe. The police on duty at the venue were friendly and professional in performing their duties without any problems.

As mentioned earlier in my reflection that Malaysia has a strong community in Perth. I was hoping that there would be a strong showing and support by the Malaysian delegates flying to Perth for the forum. Unfortunately that wasn’t to be. The only Malaysians that participated in the forum was myself and Dato’ Dr Michael Yeoh, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI).

A deep part in me felt sad that Malaysia could have sent more representatives to this biennial forum which offers the chance for Malaysian business leaders and intellectuals to communicate, exchange views and opening new avenues to venture into. I have done the best on my part in marketing the forum. I have witnessed and listened to my colleagues who had an uphill struggle marketing the forum to companies and delegates.

Most of the feedback received was that it is too expensive, too far and out of their company’s budgets. To be frank the participation fee for me is reasonable at RM8000. When companies sit down and consider it, it is a little steep but it is an open avenue for future business among the 54 Commonwealth countries.

RUSS was also in charge finding Malaysian speakers to give a talk at the forum. It took several months of searching and planning. My colleague was able to find two. At the final moment one of two speakers pulled out and was reluctant to get a replacement which put us in a bit of a quandary.

Other nations that took part in the forum had many representatives. For example the South Asian and African region; they were able to convince thousands of their delegates to participate in the forum. I do sincerely hope, going forward, the Malaysian mentality “that it is expensive or not worth their trouble” would change. I do hope in 2013, in Sri Lanka where the next Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) will be held, there will be a significant representation from Malaysia.

Changing Media Currents

An upcoming seminar on communication in Kuala Lumpur will discuss the role of new media in the Arab world revolution, among other issues. NURJEHAN MOHAMED has the details

THE uprising in the Arab world has been dubbed by some the “Facebook revolution” because of the way the social networking site enabled activists to rally support for their cause and update the outside world on the latest developments.

Google executive turned activist Wael Ghonim, one of the key players of the “Arab Spring uprisings of 2011″ that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer how the revolt started on Facebook and the Internet.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, however, downplays his site’s role, stating at the recent E-G8 Forum, a meeting for Internet governance: “It would be extremely arrogant for any technology company to claim any meaningful role in those (popular uprisings in the Arab world).” (Underpinnings of the Internet Shift, New York Times, May 29).

While the Internet acted as a catalyst for the wave of protests in the Arab world, it was Qatar-based Al-Jazeera that kept the news in the limelight.

An April 9 report in The Telegraph stated that “the ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings of 2011 are being hailed in Washington as the ‘Al-Jazeera moment’, just as coverage of the 1991 Gulf war by an upstart cable channel is said to have been the ‘CNN moment’ that transformed American news”.

Indeed, Al-Jazeera’s role in the Arab world upheaval is something that Dr Ali Omidi, from the University of Isfahan, Iran, will be discussing at the upcoming 5th Global Communication Association (GCA) Conference, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 18-20.

The event, which is being held for the first time in Southeast Asia, is organised by Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation (UCTI) together with Universiti Teknologi MARA, Open University Malaysia, City University College of Science and Technology, International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), Multimedia University and RUSS Consulting.

The theme of the conference - Global Power Shifts: Impact on Economy, Politics, Culture and Media - reflects the myriad aspects of communication.

UCTI vice chancellor Professor Datuk Mohd Yusof Kasim says the theme is relevant to changes happening in the world today.

“Information dissemination used to be the domain of the so-called First World countries.

“Now, anyone with access to new technology and innovation can be principal players,” he says, citing the Arab unrest as an example.

The field of communication is also growing going by the number of institutions offering it today.

And the prospects for those entering the field are good because the courses tend to be multidisciplinary in nature.

“Using new media and technology, people can get instant simultaneous news of the latest trends in the marketplace or performance of a certain industry.”

While this rapid update of information could be good for consumers and business, it could also be “dangerous” in politics where news of the outcome of an election could be leaked out before the official announcement.

While media, particularly new and social media, is a dominant talking point at the conference, other issues such as economy and business; politics; culture; and technology and innovation will also be raised.

The organisers have already received some papers that discuss, among others, economic policy, foreign direct investment and the single Asean Plus Three currency plans.

There are also papers that highlight globalisation, the global image of Islam and intercultural communication.

A number of speakers have confirmed their participation including Malaysia Airlines managing director Tengku Datuk Azmil Zahruddin, IIUM rector Professor Datuk Seri Syed Arabi Idid, as well as GCA co-founder and Purdue University Center for Global Studies director Professor Yahya Kamalipour.

The GCA, which was established and inaugurated at the Shanghai Global Communication and Development Conference in 2007, aims to promote academic research in global studies and academic collaboration among major universities around the world besides exploring opportunities and challenges in the areas of teaching, learning, communication development, globalisation, mass media and international cooperation.

The conference is likely to attract about 200 participants from academia, the public and private sectors, media as well as non-governmental organisations.

The organisers are calling for submission of abstracts, especially from Malaysian delegates.

Mohd Yusof hopes that the conference will provide a good platform for the sharing of experiences and ideas and the creation of new ways of thinking about communication and policies.

While the conference is about more than just media, Mohd Yusof acknowledges its importance.

“Media is a pillar, an instrument that can be used to uplift economic and social conditions,” he says, alluding to current events in the Arab world.

The theme of the conference will be “Global Power Shifts: Impact on Economics, Politics, Culture and Media”. International and local guest speakers will be in attendance during the conference. Keynote speakers present are Dr. Yahya R. Kamalipour who is the Head of Department of Communication and Creative Arts and Director of the Center for Global Studies, Purdue University Calumet, Indiana, USA and Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Anuwar Ali who is the President and Vice-Chancellor, Open University Malaysia (OUM)

RUSS Consulting are one of the co-organizers. For more information on the conference and how you can participate. Download the PDF link below.

E-Brochure for Global Communication Association Conference (GCA)

Greetings and a belated Happy Eid(Salam Aidifitri) It has been a busy time here, It seems like it was yesterday that we were embracing the spiritual month of Ramadan. Ramadan this year felt like it has gone too quickly, yet we shouldn’t forget what the holy month means to the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. With such good numbers we should seriously ponder on all the positive actions that we do post Ramadan and make the world a better place.

I don’t want to be seen as to be preaching; lest of all me. However, I can’t help but reflect on the beauty and serenity of Ramadan. Every Ramadan, Muslims go through a test of hunger and thirst from dusk till dawn. This is to build and strengthen our inner self with continued perseverance and patience through these tribulations. Every day we are thankful to God Almighty through his grace to be alive and wake up each morning to embrace Ramadan in a peaceful and harmonious setting whilst empathising with others who are less fortunate.

Millions of other people around the world are suffering from lack of food, water and shelter especially in those from the third world countries and the war torn zones. Every day they are struggling to just provide simple essentials for themselves and their families. For that, we need not look too far. Even in Malaysia, some of us are still facing the hardship of putting on the table just some simple basic food.

Despite the sufferings that we see around us, not many of us here in Malaysia appreciate the bountiful and delicious food that is bestowed upon us by God Almighty. More often than not we tend to waste these necessities.

For me it is so important that we heed the teachings of Ramadan. When we break our fast, we should eat moderately and be thankful to every morsel of food that goes into our mouths. We should stop eating when we are 80% full. This should be applied to our everyday lives as a Muslim and as human beings.

Ramadan teaches us the spirit of giving and sharing. Often enough, not a lot of us practice these two acts on a regular basis. This act of kindness should be an act of willingness and not as something that is forced upon us. For Muslims in Malaysia, it is required that we give up a small part of our earnings to pay our “Zakat Fitrah”. This emolument will be given back to the community by providing the poor with their basic needs. I believe this act of giving and sharing should be practised on a regular basis. Even though Ramadan is gone, we should continue to contribute 20 cents or 50 cents every day. What this simple act would do to us is to give us a warm feeling of self-satisfaction that we are doing a “good deed” while helping the needy. It is not even a dent in our pockets.

Ramadan also teaches us the act of forgiving. Yet we do not forgive others enough, even if it was just a trivial matter. Forgiving is an act of freedom. By forgiving, we are freeing ourselves from the anger and rage that normally builds in our minds and hearts. The act of forgiving frees ourselves from all of the negativity and clears our thoughts. Forgiving also strengthens our bond with others and creates love all around which is contagious.

Happy Eid (Salam Aidilfitri) to Muslim Brothers and Sisters around the world.

Speaker H.E Dr Ali Soliman, who is a former CEO and General Manager of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) spoke to Astro Awani reporter after the talk entitled entitled “Egypt Today and Its Future Challenges and Prospects”, which was held on 28th July 201 at IDFR building and organised by Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs (IDFR) in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Alumni Malaysia and the University of Southern California (USC) Alumni of Malaysia.

RUSS is involved in the media relations and was responsible in bringing Astro Awani to the talk attended by more than 50 people including ambassadors, public officers and USC and IDB alumni members.