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.

But how does one make one’s country good? Is it in the way we dress, talk or in our traditions and customs? And do we let the eyes of the world judge us as they please? I find myself constantly asking these questions. I am sure many of you ask yourselves the same too. So, where do we start?

In my experience as a communication professional, writing has always been a means to deliver good about this country I love so much. As with many other communicators and writers, I believe that we also pledge allegiance to be held responsible for the image we portray to the public and the world. Our media, print or electronic, mainstream or independent play such a big hand in shaping the young Malaysian minds who are the driving force for developing countries like ours. I feel like I am obliged to put it out there for them the right and proper way.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that as the messengers, we tell people what they want to hear. We feed them with stories and that keeps them going. We find ourselves in familiar territory and tell ourselves that it’s ok in our business. But then what we disregard for is far graver. We manipulate them and head them in the wrong direction. Our pens are mightier than any sword and what we put out to the public can very well serve our nation or cause complete anarchy.

I believe that instead of calling for a revolution, it’s time we come to our senses and start to evolve. The world has evolved as have civilizations become more and more modern. In light of this month, celebrating 54 years of independence, let’s be modern, civilized and evolved. Let’s put behind the differences and be open for change. Like the great JFK himself put it, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”. He could not have said it better.

Happy Independence day Malaysia. I’m so proud we have come this far.

Green technology has always been this idea of saving the environment. At the very least, we’d expect to have and keep our environment as we know it- trees, plants and animals galore. But what we are doing to the environment is not guaranteeing that fact, not even for the next 20 years (10 if we are lucky). Thankfully, with the aid of scientific research and advancement, we have been able to develop so many ways of being “Green” and how to put “Green” in our technology. Being “Green” only means having to recycle reuse and reduce our resources efficiently. Efficiently meaning; we don’t end up with waste we can’t manage.

Waste management is almost 1^st nature to green technology, that without it Green technology would be useless. To make Green technology possible and eventually save the environment, we have first got to figure out where to dump all of our waste. And since we’re filling up the landfills at such an alarmingly ferocious rate already, we‘d have to think of using up that waste for something useful. This would probably explain why the waste-to-energy or WTE business is getting a lot of attention these days. It’s efficient and reliable and causes almost zero pollution, unlike coal and fossil fuel combustion.

Russ Consulting is now already in talks with a Green Power company from China about the possible set up of a WTE plant right here in Malaysia. Having set up several plants in the Jinjiang, Anxi Province and Huangshi, Hubei Province since 2004, the Chinese Company is confident in spreading its wings over to the ASEAN region in collaboration with Russ Consulting. Their fundamentals in WTE plant investment, construction and maintenance are what Russ Consulting holds dearly on to which makes their business, our business too.

We wish to go as far as our partnership with the company shall take us and explore new, undiscovered territories in the global market. WTE is still quite foreign to our local markets which mean that there is so much untapped potential. We hope to become an industry and market leader to bring forward this innovative approach to saving the environment as well as creating business opportunities. It is without doubt what the rest of the world is invested in and only rightfully so should Russ Consulting jump on in the band wagon. We want to be able to look at our partnership in retrospect and know that we have done our bit for the environment.

There are so many ways one can think of to help promote and maintain good practice at the workplace. In fact, it’s even easier in this day and age given the highly digital nature of how we communicate and transfer information. There is much less need to keep records on hardcopy and occupy space which often times is very scarce. The virtual space is much more convenient and reliable and should be fully utilized for optimum performance. It’s becoming more and more easily accessible to the masses and every workplace must make it available for employees to make full use of.

Plastic waste in the workplace is all too common. Packaging, documentation and food products almost always come with plastic wrappings. However, when we take a minute to rethink our actions, what we could do to reduce or replace our addiction to plastic, the impact on our change in attitude is huge. When waste is a matter of concern, the only modus operandi to execute is to reuse, reduce and recycle. If we decide to make that extra effort of packing up our meals in reusable containers, it would make all the difference. If we decide to invest in good plastic files and folders, then there would be no need to keep on purchasing disposable paper or plastic pocket files that end up in the trash and not recycled. Plastic in particular is not biodegradable which pollute our environment and waters and end up floating in the middle of the ocean for thousands of years, forming the South Pacific Garbage Path. Progress may be slow at first, but with sheer determination and persistence, we can affect change for the better.

Management of the organization is perhaps the most vital aspect in achieving any task at the workplace. It works both top-bottom as well as bottom-up where it requires a team effort, respect and understanding in totality. Precise and effective delegation of assignments from top managerial posts helps increase employee performance and productivity. In return, subordinates should always maintain good communication with superiors and keep check of the status quo. It’s a simple symbiotic relationship which when nurtured, results in optimum performance for the organization. Unquestionably, this is the single base for any success within an organization and for the sake of the environment and its preservation, management needs to be in place.

What Russ Consulting realizes as being a responsible member of the community is that for any good to happen, there must be an attempt, however small, to affect change. We build our experience thorough existing and new partnerships with people from all walks of life. Our experiences are always rewarding and never fail to offer something new to the table. Simultaneously, in the process we must allow ourselves to keep on learning and be open to new perspectives. Likewise, we try to direct our discussions with keeping the well being of the environment in mind and avoid having to confront ourselves with issues that may put us in a dilemma against our crusade (if I may) for the environment. The environment is suffering as it is and despite our small boutique operation, Russ Consulting is always willing to put the environment as our priority. What we practice will show in our performance and would in turn provide for a shift of paradigm in our development as an environmental conscious organization.

Have you ever felt sick while working at the office? Or do you have any colleagues at work who seem to be sick often? Or maybe there are those who kept on having MC’s every other week? Well, if there are such cases, do you ever wonder what causes them? Instinctively you will look at the environment when talking about health; checking the condition of your surroundings. Now, do you know of the term “Sick Building Syndrome”? It might just be the cause of sickness of the people surrounding you, and even you yourself.

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a combination of ailments that is associated to an individual’s residence or workplace. It is related to the indoor air quality within and around buildings and structures, as well as the health and comfort of building occupants. How would you know if the building that you are residing in is a ‘sick building’? Well, all you have to do is to watch out for the following symptoms; sensory irritation, skin irritation and hypersensitive reactions. Those are some of the symptoms that have been reported; there might be others that we do not know of.

Malaysia, while enjoying remarkable growth over the decades in the aspects of industrialisation, agriculture and tourism, faces no exception in having buildings and residences with SBS. Are there any ways in preventing more of these ‘sick’ buildings? Well, of course! With green technology, that is. Green technology encompasses a continuously evolving group of methods, from techniques for generating energy to non-toxic cleaning products. Energy, green building, environmentally-preferred purchases, green chemistry and green nanotechnology are some of the subject areas of the green technology.

In order to prevent SBS, Malaysia is now inching towards a greener mindset, though I’d have to admit it is still at a very humble level compared to countries such as the UK, Denmark or Japan. Inspired by the green buildings in the above-mentioned countries, Malaysia introduced its very own Green Building Index (GBI) in 2009 and has since progressing to have its own green buildings. What exactly is a green building?

Wikipedia defines green building as the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle; from sitting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction. I define it in a simpler way; buildings designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment, which will help in preventing buildings from SBS as well as improving our health.

So far, there are several green buildings in Malaysia such as the Mesiniaga Tower in Subang Jaya, the Securities Commission building in Bukit Kiara, the Low Energy Office (LEO) building in Putrajaya, the Zero Energy Office (ZEO) building in Bandar Baru Bangi, and the latest being the Diamond Building in Putrajaya. I’m hoping that there would be more to come in the near future.

I have always been supportive of the government’s effort in going green, and it was good news to me when I heard the government decided that all new government buildings must incorporate the features of GBI. This country needs all the ‘green’ it can get, and with political wills, Malaysia can progress much more significantly than ever before in the development of green buildings.

Sincerely,

Rasila.