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SEPTEMBER<br />

2019<br />

FOR EMPLOYEES ONLY<br />

CAPACITY<br />

CAPABILITY<br />

COMPETITIVENESS<br />

Providing Clean Water for Orang Asli | Going the Distance with <strong>Gamuda</strong> Land, Digital IBS and BIM<br />

| What SAP ARIBA is All About | GET Scored for Innovation in English Assesment | Teh Tarik with Sudevan


SUSTAINABILITY IS MORE THAN SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT<br />

FROM THE GROUP<br />

PROCUREMENT OFFICE<br />

Ir Chan Kong Wah<br />

Group Director<br />

I<br />

n <strong>Gamuda</strong>, we strive towards strategic<br />

procurement where the returns and savings<br />

can be maximised through the process of<br />

planned purchasing. It is very structured with<br />

the primary objective of improving transparency,<br />

driving the culture of procurement planning and<br />

good corporate governance. The benefits include<br />

having traceable audit trails and leveraging on bulk<br />

purchases. This is opposed to buying on an ad hoc basis<br />

or as when necessary.<br />

For the purpose of clarity, “procurement” is the process of<br />

acquiring goods or services on agreed terms and conditions,<br />

via tendering, competitive bidding and negotiation.<br />

It facilitates business entities in obtaining the best possible<br />

prices and promotes fair competition, while minimising the<br />

risks of fraud and collusion under conditions of scarcity and<br />

price fluctuations. Therefore, buying from the correct source<br />

at the right price and at the right time is crucial.<br />

The SAP Ariba e-procurement system was implemented<br />

in October 2018, as part of our 3Cs (Capacity building;<br />

Capability development; Competitiveness) business<br />

strategy to move up the value chain. Planning ahead<br />

with technology for the construction industry is the next<br />

big step, where technology will have a huge impact on<br />

how contracts can be negotiated fairly and efficiently.<br />

With good governance in the e-Procurement processes,<br />

we can pre-plan and drive transparency. Our initial outlay<br />

of approximately RM7.2 million is fully recouped in less than<br />

three months since Ariba went “live” on 1 October 2018.<br />

To date, over 700 auction events have been conducted with<br />

savings exceeding RM140 million. More foreseeable savings<br />

will be realised with upcoming auction events for bigger<br />

contracts.<br />

Going into the next phase, we are expecting 100% adoption<br />

of all our e-Procurement through Ariba and BuildSpace by<br />

the end of January 2020. This strategy aims to reposition<br />

<strong>Gamuda</strong> towards achieving sustainable competitive<br />

advantage. The next target under this digital platform<br />

is enabling cost data analysis and reporting in a faster,<br />

more efficient manner. Hence, we can expand our base<br />

of suppliers, increase effectiveness and strengthen our<br />

market presence.<br />

Moving forward, our procurement strategy is focused<br />

on building strategic partnerships with key suppliers,<br />

contractors and consultants. This will ensure that for a<br />

particular work package tender, we can secure the contract;<br />

produce added value; and deliver the project on time and<br />

within budget. As a Group, we must continue with a<br />

transparent, digital procurement system as we attract<br />

more suppliers into the supply chain and collaborate<br />

with strategic partners to increase our margins, as well<br />

as effectively manage risks. We can gain market confidence<br />

by attracting more local and overseas suppliers into the<br />

supply chain.<br />

I<br />

t has been two good years since we, collectively<br />

as a Group, set sail on a journey of sustainability –<br />

progressively documenting and reporting our<br />

green efforts, and learning along the way. You<br />

may not realise, but the sustainability values<br />

are already embedded in our DNA given that<br />

consideration of the environmental and social<br />

aspects have always been mandated in the Group’s business<br />

plan, beyond its economic growth – this is fundamentally<br />

the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework.<br />

Popular buzzwords like climate change, carbon footprint,<br />

greenhouse gas (GHG), single use plastics, and renewable<br />

energy are constantly talked about and flashed all over the<br />

place, but how much do we understand about these terms?<br />

And the biggest question remains, why should we be<br />

concerned? To answer the latter question, we have to look<br />

at what we do.<br />

Our business cuts across infrastructure and property<br />

development. At every life cycle of a project – from<br />

its planning, designing, construction, operation to<br />

decommissioning – the impacts are inter-related and<br />

cumulative. With sustainability in mind, the whole process<br />

can be optimised in its economic (e.g. cost), environmental<br />

(carbon footprint) and social (stakeholder management)<br />

matters.<br />

Significant improvements can be made especially at the<br />

beginning stages of planning and designing. This is where<br />

we, as Gamudians, have an important role in shaping the<br />

policies and processes with our thinking and particularly<br />

consciousness in maintaining sustainability. Such influence<br />

also applies in the operational stages and in dealings with the<br />

wider supply chain which eventually determines our impact<br />

to the societies that we are building and living in.<br />

Most importantly, we must recognise that every action we do<br />

today, will have implications to the world and subsequently,<br />

impact our children’s generations too. As we expand our<br />

Group’s businesses regionally and globally, it must be<br />

complemented with increased efforts towards climate<br />

action, to strengthen climate resilience into the planning<br />

of our projects.<br />

While the Group has been aligning its agendas to all 17 of<br />

the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG),<br />

we will remain focused on delivering SDG 9 (Industry,<br />

Innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities<br />

and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). These three<br />

goals are substantial and most relevant to us because our<br />

Gamudian core value stems from driving innovation in<br />

construction technologies and customer solutions.<br />

We are poised in the right direction, and will surely intensify<br />

efforts in sustainability moving forward. For this, we need<br />

concerted and coordinated actions from every member<br />

of the Group to be on board. Stay tuned for workshops,<br />

educational and policy formulation sessions related<br />

to sustainability as we prepare to equip our talents with<br />

the right mindset.<br />

Let us embrace sustainability as part of our lifestyle and<br />

workstyle, together.<br />

| SEPT 2019 | 02<br />

| SEPT 2019 | 03


Finding the Sweet Spot amongst Various Business Demands<br />

Providing Clean Water for Orang Asli<br />

Having joined <strong>Gamuda</strong> Land around 13<br />

years ago, Tang Meng Loon, who is the<br />

Director of Club, Township and Property<br />

Management, has expanded beyond his<br />

role of managing <strong>Gamuda</strong>’s golf and<br />

recreational clubs to include property<br />

and facility management. He now<br />

oversees three major divisions comprising Club Operation<br />

for Kota Permai Golf and Country Club, Horizon Hills GCC,<br />

Botanic Resort Club and Jade Hills Resort Club; Property<br />

Management for up to 11 townships; as well as Facility<br />

Management for <strong>Gamuda</strong> Walk, Quayside Mall, Q Tower,<br />

and Water Front Village.<br />

In juggling with so many portfolios, Tang revealed recently<br />

some of the challenges faced in his current role of managing<br />

the varied expectations of club members, residents, tenants<br />

and the public at large.<br />

Besides upgrading structures and maintaining the pristine<br />

greens in the golf courses, he has to keep up with the high<br />

expectations of the club members in providing top-notch<br />

facilities. At times, it takes dedication and extraordinary<br />

service levels attending to the needs of guests, coupled<br />

with balancing between hosting corporate golf tournaments<br />

and ensuring course availability for its members’ privilege.<br />

Tang and his KPGCC club management team<br />

Tang and his township management team<br />

Interestingly, in managing expectations of buyers and<br />

residents in townships, as well as tenants and visitors at<br />

commercial buildings, the safety and security of these<br />

groups must be prioritised. This is in addition to ensuring<br />

the smooth operation of gated and guarded townships,<br />

as well as residential and commercial high-rise buildings.<br />

“For instance, the advent of Airbnb has made our job<br />

even more challenging. We find ourselves having to<br />

deal with conflicting expectations from different groups<br />

of buyers – those who purchased their units for investment<br />

versus those who use for own stay. But all this must be<br />

handled tactfully,” Tang shared during an interview at<br />

his office.<br />

With much on his shoulder, Tang has managed to<br />

overcome these expectations with his committed team.<br />

His management style can be described as inspirational<br />

and charismatic, striving to build team work and a sense<br />

of belonging among those under him. The many prestigious<br />

international awards won by GL clubs and townships have<br />

also been a great source of motivation for him to continue<br />

striving for excellence.<br />

Valencia Clubhouse<br />

Valencia offers a private residents-only golf course<br />

and clubhouse in a luxurious resort setting.<br />

With the focus on Smart Cities, he is taking a step further and<br />

envisions leading a transformative and exciting Smart Club<br />

in the country that will cater for a broader array of health,<br />

recreational and wellness offerings. This can be seen in the<br />

development of a Wellness Centre in <strong>Gamuda</strong> Gardens. It will<br />

have a full range of facilities similar to a recreational club, but<br />

with the addition of fitness equipment.<br />

Moving forward, Tang will be fostering collaboration to host<br />

more engaging activities that appeal to a younger audience.<br />

He is also riding the wave of digitalisation by introducing<br />

e-newsletters and mobile applications. The latter is expected<br />

to add value and provide convenience to residents in<br />

managing bookings of the various amenities, as well as<br />

enhancing community living.<br />

T<br />

he frequent water supply disruptions in<br />

Selangor, particularly in the Klang Valley<br />

seem to be a perpetual problem for<br />

Malaysians residing in the state. Apparently<br />

clean water is something we need but take<br />

for granted.<br />

In the district of Gombak, there are people from around 12<br />

Orang Asli villages who are still living remotely without<br />

treated water supply. These indigenous communities have<br />

no choice but to pipe water from rivers or wells and risk<br />

suffering from water-borne diseases. The villagers’ hardship in<br />

having access to a basic amenity such as clean water haunted<br />

Teng Yu Mein, a winner of the Star Golden Hearts Award 2018.<br />

It was a lightbulb moment when Teng designed a simple yet<br />

practical pump that connects to a ceramic filter, as a portable<br />

solution to filter water for these marginalised communities.<br />

She later established the Efinity Social Enterprise to sustain<br />

efforts of distributing the water cap filters to those in need.<br />

As part of Yayasan <strong>Gamuda</strong>’s Corporate Social Responsibility<br />

(CSR) initiative of improving the living standards of local<br />

communities, the foundation is sponsoring the installation<br />

of Efinity EZ Water Cap filters for the Orang Asli settlements<br />

in Gombak. It is in tandem with the United Nations’ Sixth<br />

Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG 6) of ensuring<br />

everyone has access to clean water and sanitation. We<br />

spoke to three <strong>Gamuda</strong> volunteers who were there to help.<br />

“It was meaningful as I realise that there are still people who<br />

have no access to this fundamental necessity which all of us<br />

take for granted. It is also upsetting to know that there are<br />

certain groups of people being left out due to rapid<br />

development, despite living so close to the capital city of<br />

Kuala Lumpur.”<br />

James Ong<br />

Executive, Internal Audit<br />

“I just feel great to see happy faces. The act of giving is a great<br />

way to make people happy because it means we care for them.<br />

I think the provision of the water filter will be very helpful for the<br />

Orang Asli as I can see it will improve their quality of life. Now,<br />

they can have clean water for drinking, cooking and washing<br />

without compromising their physical health.”<br />

Nurul Syuhadah<br />

Secretary, Business Development<br />

“Anyone can be in a position to help those in need, to alleviate<br />

the struggles of the less fortunate in a civil society. For <strong>Gamuda</strong><br />

to initiate this and other charitable efforts, it shows commitment<br />

to giving back to our society, with a focused plan to ensure<br />

continued, sustainable and empowering assistance.”<br />

Arief Fauzy<br />

Coordinator, Yayasan <strong>Gamuda</strong><br />

Yayasan <strong>Gamuda</strong> is privileged to support an invention that<br />

will have a positive and long-lasting impact in improving<br />

the lives of rural communities. As a nation builder, it will<br />

continue to drive efforts on providing educational aid<br />

and community enhancement.<br />

| SEPT 2019 | 04<br />

| SEPT 2019 | 05


GOING THE DISTANCE WITH GAMUDA LAND, DIGITAL IBS and BIM<br />

According to Aw, Malaysia is relying a lot on foreign labour<br />

which is not sustainable and seems to have protected<br />

industries from moving into more effective machine<br />

technology. <strong>Gamuda</strong> is upskilling the local graduates and<br />

skilled workers with better qualifications and the technology<br />

it has to improve productivity. Therefore, the company is<br />

helping the government’s cause of moving towards a<br />

high-income nation by improving productivity, which can<br />

only happen by embracing technology.<br />

He added that <strong>Gamuda</strong> is making inroads with its smart city<br />

initiative, having signed up with Maxis as its first 5G partner.<br />

The company will be at the forefront in terms of virtual<br />

connectivity to realise its projects in Malaysia and being a<br />

differentiator itself.<br />

Learning from Mark Bew, the UK leading expert on BIM<br />

Devendran shared that <strong>Gamuda</strong> can learn from Mark’s<br />

intrinsic wealth of knowledge and experience in how<br />

technology and data-driven design can effectively achieve<br />

sustainable growth, increase value and reduce costs in<br />

construction. Compared to the UK, the BIM maturity level in<br />

Malaysia, its adoption rate amongst builders, consultants,<br />

authorities and effective use still have a long way to go.<br />

Through lessons learnt from its application in the UK, the<br />

problems they faced and the solutions adopted, there is an<br />

opportunity for us to learn and adopt best practices to<br />

mitigate the same issues here. Undertaking such an<br />

endeavour requires a holistic change, and in some cases, a<br />

complete revamp in the way we work, collaborate, share and<br />

utilise information, with a keen understanding on how this<br />

impacts the future of the built environment we live in.<br />

Digitalisation of property development<br />

Synergy between <strong>Gamuda</strong> Land and <strong>Gamuda</strong> Engineering:<br />

Tan Ek Khai, General Manager of <strong>Gamuda</strong> Engineering with Devendran (left), Aw (second from right) and Ngan (right).<br />

Having already adopted the Building<br />

Information Modelling (BIM) and digital<br />

Industrialised Building Systems (IBS) in<br />

its development projects, <strong>Gamuda</strong> Land<br />

is positioning itself in the property market<br />

as a future forward developer. During a<br />

candid interview, the Chief Executive<br />

Officer of <strong>Gamuda</strong> Land - Ngan Chee Meng, Chief Operating<br />

Officer of <strong>Gamuda</strong> Land - Aw Sei Cheh and General Manager<br />

Product Management Unit - Devendran Krishnamoorthy,<br />

shared their views on the company’s BIM and IBS initiatives<br />

and how these technologies are being applied to meet the<br />

housing needs of Malaysians.<br />

“We are providing end-to-end solutions for the housing<br />

industry, having been tasked by the Malaysian government<br />

to play a major role in providing affordable housing in<br />

Malaysia because of our advancement in technology.<br />

This is an important step to help the country in the future,<br />

in line with the Government’s National Housing Policy. It will<br />

put us at the forefront leadership position in the industry. As<br />

to our local projects with digital IBS, we account for a small<br />

percentage of the total overall housing demand in the<br />

country. Almost all our high-rise buildings are using digital<br />

IBS technology,” said Ngan.<br />

Plans in the pipeline for developments using the digital<br />

IBS system<br />

The BIM digital ecosystem allows us to be more rigorous<br />

throughout the whole planning, design to delivery phases,<br />

and utilising the digital tools at our disposal. Information<br />

generated from these processes facilitates more informed<br />

design decisions at a very early stage throughout the various<br />

departments. This provides better speed-to-market<br />

advantages, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality housing<br />

to future home buyers with thoughtful placemaking. The key<br />

focus is on people, process and technology.<br />

The use of digital IBS and BIM for <strong>Gamuda</strong> Land’s<br />

projects on affordable housing<br />

<strong>Gamuda</strong> has the most advanced digital IBS in the country<br />

in our robotics factories. As you know, BIM generates the<br />

3D designs from computer images, which will be used in<br />

the prefabrication of panels and components for our landed<br />

properties and high-rises. We have experimented on this and<br />

actually done that for our high-rise building projects. More of<br />

these models will be rolled out in the next couple of months<br />

which will also include landed units.<br />

<strong>Gamuda</strong> Land is capable of building prefabricated landed<br />

properties. The challenges deterring this adoption are firstly,<br />

it is knowledge- and skill-based in nature. Secondly, it is not<br />

common to find graduates who are trained with the BIM<br />

modules and they only entered the industry about five years<br />

ago. Our end-to-end robotics solutions from the design<br />

stage to assembling at the production site will easily cut<br />

down more than 70% of the labour requirement. We have<br />

proven that it can be done. We are looking at how much<br />

we can help to provide housing for Malaysians in a more<br />

effective manner. The cost of housing per unit will come<br />

down if the scale is big enough. It is how ready the industry<br />

players are.<br />

| SEPT 2019 | 06 | SEPT 2019 | 07


WHAT SAP ARIBA IS ALL ABOUT<br />

GET Scored for Innovation in English Assessment<br />

Mastering English with (from left to right) Gan Ching Ling, Manager of Software Development; Dr Wong Bee Eng, ELU Consultant; Dr Ho Sook Wah, Head of ELU; Professor Barry O’Sullivan,<br />

Head of Assessment Research and Development, English and Exams at British Council; Chang Jian Weng, Assistant Manager of Software Development; and Wong Lye Ling,<br />

Senior General Manager of Group Human Resources and Admin.<br />

T<br />

he advent of Industry 4.0 and the Internet<br />

of Things (IoT) have resulted in the<br />

creation of a global data economy.<br />

Business data have immense value to<br />

corporations and allow faster business<br />

decisions and process automations.<br />

In <strong>Gamuda</strong>, there are four modules under the SAP Ariba<br />

procurement system that were successfully implemented<br />

between October 2018 to April 2019. These are namely,<br />

strategic sourcing; contract management; supplier lifecycle<br />

performance management (SLPM); Procure-to-Pay (P2P).<br />

Strategic Sourcing<br />

Known as e-sourcing, this module handles the Request<br />

For Proposals (RFP), quotation and tender processes. Its<br />

electronic templates support faster requests for information<br />

and quotation, facilitate technical and commercial scoring,<br />

and come with robust e-auction capabilities.<br />

According to Lim Wei Ling, Head of Digital Transformation for<br />

Information Services, the e-sourcing and e-auction functions<br />

will bring about changes of work tasks among employees.<br />

“We use the Ariba system to reduce repetitive work and at<br />

the same time, achieve good governance and transparency<br />

in the procurement processes,” she explains.<br />

Procure-to-Pay (P2P)<br />

P2P is currently used by <strong>Gamuda</strong> Land to support the process<br />

of requisitioning, purchasing, receiving, paying and<br />

accounting for indirect goods and services. With these four<br />

modules in SAP Ariba, the entire Group will comprehensively<br />

deploy this overtime, as digital procurement results in greater<br />

efficiency, savings and transparency.<br />

Contract Management<br />

This component manages commercial and business<br />

transaction contracts in a centralised manner. At a glance,<br />

the company needs to know what are the active contracts<br />

on hand, what are the values, what are the services type in a<br />

more holistic manner. It also needs to monitor and manage<br />

the commitment as well as performance of the company’s<br />

suppliers stated in these contracts.<br />

The online collaboration between suppliers and tenderers<br />

allows them to respond faster and reduce paper work.<br />

<strong>Gamuda</strong> is also changing its procurement approach,<br />

gradually moving away from buying when it needs to plan<br />

and negotiates ahead in the contract, and draws down from<br />

the contract over time. This module comes with templates<br />

and legal clause libraries for the company to build and mature<br />

its commercial contract library, and empower employees to<br />

execute contract without consuming too much time on<br />

hiring legal expertise.<br />

Supplier Lifecycle Performance Management (SLPM)<br />

Here, supplier information is being consolidated centrally,<br />

where suppliers are allowed to self-serve in updating their<br />

company and compliance information in line with <strong>Gamuda</strong>’s<br />

aspiration to achieve higher level of compliance and<br />

sustainability targets. Periodic supplier performance<br />

evaluation can be facilitated and computed by the system in a<br />

much more automated level. Once the company digitalises its<br />

supply chain, it will derive better business intelligence as a<br />

new competitive advantage.<br />

Do you pay attention to using correct and appropriate<br />

sentences and words when you write an email or a<br />

formal document in order to communicate your<br />

message effectively?<br />

English language test for the workplace<br />

needs to match the gaps between the<br />

employees’ language ability and the<br />

required language needs for their job<br />

functions, and also to inform the<br />

development of training syllabus. This is<br />

why a four-person team, led by Dr Ho Sook<br />

Wah, was set up to deliver the in-house <strong>Gamuda</strong> English Test<br />

(GET) from scratch.<br />

For a year plus, Dr Ho worked closely with Dr Wong Bee Eng<br />

from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), who is a linguistic<br />

expert and also the English Language Unit (ELU) consultant,<br />

in analysing work documents and conducting needs analysis<br />

interviews with key stakeholders to design a set of four tests<br />

for the executive (GET-E) and managerial (GET-M (GE/GL/C))<br />

levels. Test questions with a localised flavour to match the<br />

group’s business needs for English were developed after<br />

comprehensive rounds of analysis and research.<br />

Gan Ching Ling and Chang Jian Weng, from our Information<br />

Services department, developed the interactive online<br />

platform for the English assessments. The six-band tests were<br />

designed to provide instant results and personalised<br />

diagnostic reports. The diagnostic reports are an insightful<br />

tool to identify gaps for targeted English training modules,<br />

and to help hiring managers make informed decisions of<br />

prospective employees’ language ability.<br />

For this, <strong>Gamuda</strong> has emerged as the first construction<br />

company in the corporate sector in Malaysia to be awarded<br />

the British Council 2019 Innovation in Assessment<br />

Award. Since its inception in 2013, this global Award<br />

complements the prestigious ELTons Awards in the UK<br />

which celebrates innovation in English teaching.<br />

This award validates <strong>Gamuda</strong>’s effort in setting our<br />

benchmark towards a more English-proficient workforce.<br />

Mooted by Group Managing Director Dato’ Lin who wants<br />

to provide an avenue for employees to improve their English<br />

and make further progress in their career, the ELU offers<br />

sustained and targeted language development training for<br />

staff members.<br />

“The diagnostic report indicates our language strengths and<br />

gaps. With self-awareness of our gaps, we are able to strive to<br />

improve our knowledge on more effective language use. It is<br />

also exciting to receive feedback from some managers that<br />

they have seen improvement in their subordinates’ writing as<br />

a result of the targeted English training,” said Dr Ho.<br />

Conducting diagnostic testing and customised language<br />

training have posed some challenges, but working with the<br />

right team, led by strong leadership and sponsorship from<br />

the top management has made all the difference. A<br />

workforce with the competency to write and communicate<br />

effectively can enhance the company’s brand image.<br />

| SEPT 2019 | 08<br />

| SEPT 2019 | 09


with Sudevan<br />

We as Malaysians and as a nation, have come a long way since independence in 1957. In celebration of our 62nd National<br />

Day on 31 August, <strong>Rise</strong> spoke to Gamudians who see themselves as being part of nation building, to learn about their<br />

aspirations for a better Malaysia! Check out more stories in Workplace.<br />

Abbey Fahmi<br />

(Contracts Manager)<br />

Jasmin Bin Kasim<br />

(General Coordinator)<br />

PMP (Project Management Professional) Project Manager<br />

Sudevan Valyetham, who is involved in the digitisation efforts<br />

for the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), shares his passion<br />

for biking and interest in mapping out blueprints for IT systems.<br />

The turmoil in some parts of the<br />

world reminds me of how lucky<br />

we are today. I really hope that as<br />

Malaysians, we get to understand<br />

and value our differences in<br />

opinion and celebrate our<br />

freedom of speech. Let’s uphold<br />

the peace and stability in our<br />

country!<br />

Aloysies Arrokiam<br />

Nathan<br />

(BIM Manager)<br />

Every decade since 31 August<br />

1957 has been a step forward,<br />

and I am a proud Malaysian for<br />

the boundaries we have pushed<br />

to get to where we are today.<br />

But there is always room for<br />

betterment. As builders who<br />

are often seen as the physical<br />

machinery for development and<br />

progress, we must equate this<br />

with sustainability so that in the<br />

future, we leave behind for our<br />

kids a place where they can live<br />

and thrive.<br />

| SEPT 2019 | 10<br />

What<br />

Do You<br />

Hope<br />

to see this<br />

?<br />

We are widely viewed as a multicultural,<br />

multi-religious society.<br />

Malaysians have been facing long<br />

standing issues relating to social<br />

challenges and of co-existence.<br />

Regardless of the differences in our<br />

cultures and languages spoken, our<br />

diversity is always a blessing and we<br />

must stand united in diversity.<br />

Emelyn Lee Sian Mey<br />

(Document Controller)<br />

Phoster Sageh Anak<br />

George Pandong<br />

(Advertising &<br />

Promotions Manager)<br />

I wish for the next generation to<br />

have access to holistic education,<br />

which focuses on critical thinking<br />

and creativity, and with STEM<br />

subjects conducted in English again.<br />

I also hope to change the negative<br />

perception of most Malaysians<br />

towards mental health and people<br />

with disabilities. We must embrace<br />

inclusivity and celebrate our<br />

diversity.<br />

This Merdeka, I am wishing for<br />

greater connectivity – whether<br />

through interstate travels or moving<br />

about within the city. As someone<br />

born and bred in Selangor, I have<br />

had enough of traffic congestion.<br />

I really hope my children would get<br />

to experience a different Malaysia<br />

where they can rely on MRT and<br />

other public transportation to get<br />

around efficiently.<br />

Commander<br />

Ong Lam Seng<br />

(Head of<br />

Construction<br />

Training)<br />

I envision, for our children, to<br />

see a truly happy and united<br />

Malaysia – where everyone<br />

lives a comfortable life with<br />

employment; where education<br />

and healthcare needs are met.<br />

The government is on the right<br />

track to create more jobs, but I<br />

hope to see more dialogues with<br />

industry players to address the<br />

gaps in driving the nation’s<br />

growth. When the people’s basic<br />

necessities are fulfilled, we will be<br />

on the way to become a united<br />

and progressive country.<br />

Y<br />

ou might be scratching your head,<br />

pondering about what motorcycling<br />

and plotting out information technology<br />

(IT) systems have in common. Actually,<br />

they do. The high-adrenaline sport of<br />

motorcycle racing requires riders to be<br />

extremely focused as they are riding<br />

high-performance motorbikes, continuously adjusting to<br />

different speeds while managing throttle control, controlled<br />

braking, body weight distribution and positioning when<br />

navigating sharp or swooping corners. Designing systems<br />

architecture and implementing software solutions also need<br />

a high level of detail and focus, not to mention the elements<br />

of being technical and methodical.<br />

I can absolutely relate to motorbike racing, even though my<br />

work revolves around developing IT solutions, having studied<br />

Computer Science (majoring in Data Communications) at the<br />

Multimedia University (MMU) in the Melaka campus. The<br />

intrigue with motorcycles began as a child when I was six<br />

years old. I could remember vividly, travelling with my parents<br />

from Kuala Lumpur to my mother’s hometown in Taiping.<br />

A big, loud motorcycle passed our car. Its angular, menacing<br />

looks and noise (resembling the roar of a wild animal)<br />

triggered my fascination for motorcycles since then.<br />

Possessing the curiosity and urge to know what it is like to<br />

ride a motorcycle, the very first bike I rode was a borrowed<br />

Honda C70 “underbone” (better known as “kapchai” in South<br />

East Asia) when I was 16 years old. In less than 100 meters,<br />

I rode it into a drain! Few years later in my early 20s, I took<br />

lessons and learned to ride properly. Nowadays, when I am<br />

not busy running after my two-year old son, I will be riding<br />

my 1000cc ZX10R motorcycle on occasional weekends with<br />

a few friends. I also ride in the Sepang International Circuit<br />

every 2-3 months, which is a much safer and controlled<br />

environment. While riding motorcycles is immensely exciting<br />

and fun, it is not without risks and danger. Safety is always of<br />

paramount importance and thus, it is a must to invest in<br />

appropriate equipment. Proper discipline and road ethics<br />

are equally important to ensure personal safety.<br />

Similarly, when it comes to my work, I have to establish clear<br />

understanding of the business requirements and need for a<br />

particular solution, define the architecture as well as lead the<br />

implementation (project management) of these systems. In<br />

the case of our PTMP project, much thought and planning<br />

have been put into transforming management practices<br />

through the use of digital platforms and technology. Due to<br />

our lean structure, it is important to digitalise, automate and<br />

integrate processes so we continue to keep ourselves<br />

efficient. The project team has to consider existing processes,<br />

limitations, and determine how digital systems can address<br />

these gaps. In terms of implementation, we manage and<br />

ensure that the project is delivered on time, within budget<br />

and scope specifications.<br />

Project management is more people-oriented, interfacing<br />

with the staff and people throughout the various stages. In<br />

my biking leisure activity, I have had the opportunity to meet<br />

people from different walks of life, sharing experiences with<br />

my fellow bikers.<br />

| SEPT 2019 | 11


MRT 2 BREAKTHROUGH: TITIWANGSA TO HKL DRIVE<br />

Photo by Norayu Ishak<br />

True teamwork - senior managers of MMC <strong>Gamuda</strong>, tunnel operations and MRTC get together for a celebratory picture after the TBM<br />

breakthrough at HKL Crossover shaft.<br />

Editorial Team<br />

ADVISORS<br />

Dato’ Ubull Din Om<br />

Ngan Chee Meng<br />

CHIEF EDITORS<br />

Dr. Bhavani Krishna Iyer<br />

Ong Jee Lian<br />

COPY EDITORS<br />

Lee Yu Tang<br />

Sheena Wong Sin-Yee<br />

Joyce Shamini<br />

DESIGNER<br />

Rafy Hamid<br />

Ridzwan Sakamat<br />

CONTRIBUTORS<br />

Abbey Fahmi<br />

Aloysies Arrokiam Nathan<br />

Arief Fauzy<br />

Aw Sei Cheh<br />

Commander Ong Lam Seng<br />

Devendran Krishnamoorthy<br />

Dr Ho Sook Wah<br />

Emelyn Lee Sian Mey<br />

Ir Chan Kong Wah<br />

James Ong<br />

Jasmin Bin Kasim<br />

Lim Wei Ling<br />

Nurul Syuhadah<br />

Phoster Sageh Anak George Pandong<br />

Sudevan Valyetham<br />

Tan Ek Khai<br />

Tang Meng Loon<br />

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