Harish Jayaram Hariraj

The Edge: The Making of the Indian CEO

2012-01-18T21:50:00.001+08:00

You can read more in better format here:

http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/management/186811-the-making-of-the-indian-ceo.html

http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/management/186812-m-prakash-chandran-ceo-and-president-siemens-malaysia.html

HJH

2011- The Year That Defined Me

2011-12-30T02:58:00.003+08:00

The year finally draws to its end, and i find myself writing this post with less than 48 hours before officially ending my period of youth or young adulthood (as some countries define the age group between 18-25). Reality bites, with a quarter of a century gone in life- its time to reflect upon the achievements the past 12 months and as well highlight the turning points that truly made 2011, the year that defined me.

Happy New Year to Dear Family, Friends, Fans and New Friends. May 2012 bring prosperity and success in abundance to us all.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2011

Registered my first Non Profit Organization in Malaysia with Brewing Quality Youth Entrepreneur Association (BQe) in October 2011. What started out as a loose movement of entrepreneurs gathering once a month for inspirational talks became a official youth body that supports and accelerates entrepreneurship among the youths in Malaysia. BQe successfully had its first national scale youth entrepreneurship summit in November 2011 that gathered a record 250+ youths from the most major universities in Malaysia attending a one-day summit or crash course on entrepreneurship in Cyberjaya. (visit www.thebigbrew.bqe.my) Thanks to MSC Malaysia and MAKMUM (a unit under the Ministry of Higher Education), the event was a success.

(Image Courtesy of MSC Malaysia) View more photo's here.

After 24 months of venturing into multiple businesses, getting involve with over 3-4 different business ventures with 3-4 different sets of business partners to deal with, i managed to learn the trade of a variety of fields and the opportunity that lie within each business venture. Each venture was a steep learning curve for me, getting to know the opportunity of the business itself, as well as learning a lot about the character of the business partners that i was working with. Each venture gave me different insights on what truly was the best option for me, and i came out from a period of multitasking to kill off the weaker ventures to focus on only a single one.

The decision was to lead GLOC Light Weight Concrete Blocks with the technology vested into the company, and to secure funding to expand operations in the Klang Valley with the set up of a manufacturing plant. I am now in the midst of building a better modern plant to cater to the ever demanding construction sector in Malaysia and within the region.

GLOC - Light Weight Concrete Blocks

Being the Managing Director of H3 Frio which produces the GLOC blocks, i have a strong backing from a experienced and supporting board of directors and shareholders. This makes 2012 even more exciting for GLOC as we look in to tap the local market as well keep an eye overseas.

These are the major highlights that basically summed up 2011 for me. Although it may sound simple, yet i had to endure much hard work and hurdles to complete the year 2011 as where i am today. With a better vision ahead for what lies for me in 2012, i can now start executing and growing the brick making business and as well provide continued support to BQe.

Signing off in high spirits and very optimistic for what lies ahead in 2012. Thanks for spending the quick minute to read this update.

Cheers

HJH

Featured Alumni on UNITEN's Website

2011-10-10T22:31:00.001+08:00

It was a surprise to see the photo of myself taken at my convocation last year being used on the University Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) website's alumni page. Guess they must have taken this shot during my big day last August.

You can visit the Alumni page here.

HJH

An Initiative of BQe

2011-10-09T14:24:00.000+08:00

The Big Brew – BQe Summit 2011 is a one day summit held inconjunction with Global Entrepreneurship Week Malaysia campaign that gathers thebrilliant minds and established leaders in the local and global entrepreneurshipscene to impart their knowledge and also to provide sharing. The Big Brew strives to further inspireentrepreneurial minds from tertiary education level who want to further developtheir acumen in entrepreneurship in Malaysia with strategic collaboration withMultimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) for the annual MSC Malaysia-IHL BusinessPlan Competition (MIBPC) that will see the collaboration of MDeC and BQe fromthe month of September 2011 until May 2014.

Venue : Knowledge Development Center (KDC),Cyberjaya

Date : Saturday, 19^th November 2011

Time :9.00am – 5.30pm

Distinguished Speakers for the 7 Entrepreneurship Sessions


	Registration begins on the 14th of October 2011. Do visit www.bqe.my for more information HJH

BQe is Now A Registered NGO in Malaysia

2011-10-03T00:23:00.000+08:00

After 18 months of hard work and perseverance, starting off as a small movement of entrepreneurs in a backroom of an office space in Mont' Kiara, BQe is now officially registered as a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) under the Registrar of Youths as Brewing Quality Youth Entrepreneur Association (Reg; PPBM 7754/11).

Truly a milestone achieved especially in the year 2011 once we started to organize our monthly sessions at Plug & Play Technology Gardens in Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur which gave us the edge and exposure among the entrepreneurs in Malaysia. Growing from monthly sessions of 20 attendees to a strong 100 attendees has given BQe the support it needed as well as the sponsors that do come in to support the entrepreneurs.

We have a lot of execution to do now with the role as supporting partner to the MSC Malaysia IHL Business Plan Competition (MIBPC) which is organized by Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) in the majority of the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) in Malaysia.

Also we will be organizing The Big Brew -BQe Summit 2011 this November 19th to be co-organized with MDeC and we have a range of great speakers all lined up to provide the entrepreneurs a great experience at the summit.

All this and more, do support our cause by being a fan on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bqemalaysia. Also do visit our website at www.bqe.my for more information on what we do and our future events.

HJH

GLOC to Make its World Debut at Bahrain 2012

2011-10-02T23:46:00.005+08:00

After making our national debut at IGEM 2011, we were approached by the organizers of the Bahrain Green Tech Expo 2011 to participate in the inaugural Green Expo in Bahrain this October 2011 with an all-expense paid trip and registration. However, the expo has since been postponed to February 2012 by the organizers.

GLOC is keen to work with a local partner in the Middle East to manufacture and supply light weight concrete blocks to the local markets in Bahrain, and neighboring Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Looks good to explore the Middle East, personally i myself have not been to this part of the world yet and i am keen to understand the local culture and trade.

HJH

GLOC makes it National Debut at IGEM 2011

2011-08-28T15:17:00.012+08:00

It is exciting to see our new project take its next step towards more coverage on the national level. Our next step in reaching out the the developers in Malaysia to adapt green blocks as part of their green development projects is to push something as simple as it is -GLOC! Do drop by from the 7th - 10th September 2011 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (KLCC) for the 2nd International Green Tech & Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM) 2011. Will update soon on the booth number and location. The 4 day event is expected to draw crowds as much as 80,000 visitors :)

Click Image to view the website.

Another step closer to realizing a greener Malaysia. Do visit our website at http://www.gloc.my/

HJH

GLOC - Introducing Light Weight Concrete Blocks in Construction

2011-08-13T16:41:00.009+08:00

Finally we managed to launch the website of GLOC - (Green, Light- Weight, Overall Cooling & Cost Efficient) as a new alternative for green construction in Malaysia. This is a big milestone for H3 Frio in rolling out its first product, manufactured locally and distributed to all construction firms and property developers in Malaysia and beyond.

It is exciting to introduce light weight concrete blocks in the Malaysian market with the boom in construction and mega projects in common practice. Do check out for more information at our official website at http://www.gloc.my/.

Can be produced in large volume very quickly off-site in factories as well as on-site on building location during construction.

Reduces the dead load of a structure
Manufactured to precise specifications of strength and density
Needs minimum handling
Reduces transport costs
Excellent workability. Can be planed, drilled, sawn using conventional tools.
Flow able and easy to place by using concrete mortar pump and no compaction
Provides excellent insulation against heat/cold and sound
Will take all traditional surface finished- paint, tiles, bituminous, membranes, carpets, as it has a textured finish
Is an ideal floor topping to facilitate access to service insulation
Is an ideal roof screed and/or floor screed, where insulating, light weight and mechanical strength is required
Vermin, Fungi and rot proof
Reduce bricklaying and plaster time by up to 30%
Resistant to moisture
Fire resistant

Do write it to me at sales@gloc.my if you want to find out more about this product.

HJH

Part 2: Sustainability - An Asian Dilemma?

2011-07-27T11:01:00.006+08:00

"Regardless of all the dilemma in the East and the mindsets of the present generation instilled by their forefathers, Asia as the pioneers of the new world will no doubt be driving this sustainability agenda forward."

My last line for my upcoming book. Good to be an author of your own publication, gives you the freedom to dream, and to share with others as well :)

HJH

August 2011 - SME & Entrepreneurship Magazine

2011-07-22T02:23:00.004+08:00

Part 3: “Green Construction – Building Green from Within”

Asia drives forward with more adaption of green technology in major development projects primarily in the building materials used as well as the practise of sustainable methods in construction. Terms such as Industrialised Building Systems (IBS), Leadership in Energy & Environment Design (LEED), Green Building Council/Index (GBC/I) and Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) as previously detailed in Part 2 are becoming well accepted among developers as the industry norm to any new projects. The advancement in construction technology spearheaded by the Asian engineers has vastly improved the quality of build in new projects with increased sustainability without compromising on safety. This had led to the acceleration in project completion and a sharp reduction in the use of raw material in view to the scarcity that has plagued tiny nations such as Singapore and Brunei.

With the inevitable population boom in many parts of the region pushing the demand for household to its highest level in decades, there has also been a real estate boom in many of these vibrant cities of Asia such as Hong Kong which has seen prices of homes skyrocketing as well within the same period of time. Combine this situation with the core beliefs of most local Asian governments in embracing large scale development projects as the key to their nation’s economic growth, boosting the local demand of raw material and skill, but at the same time contributing to the inflation and real estate boom. The adaption of greener construction will definitely bring more benefits to both developers as well as home buyers at the present scenario.

Reduced Dependency in Foreign Skilled Labour

According to a research paper done by the Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM) and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia, Industrialised Building System (IBS) is defined as a construction technique in which components are manufactured in a controlled environment (on or off site), transported, positioned and assembled into a structure with minimal additional site works. IBS has the potential to contribute towards green construction and sustainability by promoting sustainability from a controlled production environment, minimization of waste generation, and effective logistics management. IBS limits the dependency of foreign skilled labour in the construction industry as workers are now limited to assemble parts of buildings instead of the current conventional methods of constructions. Countries like Malaysia which rely heavily upon foreign skilled labour has seen the massive roll-out of projects under key economic initiatives such as the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) and Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) will require numerous skilled workers, both local and foreign to ensure its successful completion. Being sustainable in construction by using limited labour resources is the key to reduction of cost towards embracing green.

The Increase in Quality of Life from Within

In reality, green construction has long been implemented in the past; however the term is known to be exploited in recent years to ride on the global sustainability trends. Basic solutions such as the use of double glazing windows (which was invented in 1930s) and commonly used in the west as a solution for thermal insulation is not practiced here in the hot and sunny weather in Asia. The emergence of new age materials such as light weight concrete blocks in building construction replacing cement bricks which has widely been used in this region has by far been the catalyst to change that could increase the quality of life. With the reduction of internal building heat in the tropical heat that spans much of Asia, the dependency in usage of central cooling systems is also removed gradually thus keeping buildings cooler from within. Also the recent development of indoor paint by Japanese manufacturers which cleans the air by absorbing formaldehyde, an indoor pollutant contributes significantly to the quality of life indoors. Solutions like double glazing windows; light weight concrete blocks, interior paint besides the common thermal sensors and regulators and LEDs in homes may change the perception of going green entirely by driving greener adaption from indoors. A building built in compliance to IBS and LOHAS standards practically improves the quality of life of the building occupants and as well reduces the cost of construction in the process.

Setting the Standards, Regulating the Industry

Green Buildings are usually assessed by evaluating factors such as its energy efficiency, indoor environment quality, usage of material and resources and innovation. The current standard of practice in most countries in the world is Leadership in Energy & Environment Design (LEED) which is used mainly in the US and Canada and BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) in the UK. In much of Southeast Asia, most countries have their own compliancy to maintain the standards of construction in line with the other international green standards. For example, in Indonesia, the Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI), the Green Mark in Singapore, and the Green Building Index (GBI) in Malaysia. These standards are vital to ensure that developers who embrace green construction methods and technology are rewarded using a proper regulated green rating system which covers various aspects of the development project. In most system, the developers that embrace green are offered a tax incentive benefit which can be transferred to the home buyer.

Reduction in Wastage, Acceleration in Build, Lowering the Cost

The use of high performance materials and also concrete in construction reduces the dependency of sand and water in construction as well as the army of skilled labour. With the IBS, most of the major components are manufactured off site resulting in less wastage in construction and less pollution on site. When assembling on site is done, the result is faster construction and shorter period in overall development. The lesser time it takes to build, the lower the cost becomes. Overall green buildings have the tendency to create an environmental impact as well as reducing the cost of construction to address the rise in housing and building demand. The future of the construction world is definitely green.

By Harish J Hariraj

Consultant and founder of Asia Green SME, Harish pursued Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Tenaga Nasional in Malaysia and currently runs his own consultancy firm in Kuala Lumpur providing solutions to businesses in adapting green, clean, and cost effective solutions. Harish also coaches SMEs and large corporations with a group of experienced professionals and has a huge passion in green and sustainability.

Part 1: Sustainability - An Asian Dilemma?

2011-06-26T23:46:00.004+08:00

I am currently working on a draft for my first publication on sustainability. This is going to be interesting as the target release will be early next year to coincide with Asia Green SME 2012. It is exciting for me to pen down my thoughts in structuring this book, but knowing i have only 7 months to get it done means dedicating 3 hours every week to work on this :)

Will update more on my progress, perhaps becoming an author of a best-seller is something that could boost my presence in the green and sustainability market in Asia :)

Exciting times

HJH

INNOTECH: Pitching for RM10 Million Ringgits

2011-06-26T23:17:00.006+08:00

It has always been the ultimate aim for any entrepreneur out there to sell their idea to potential investors or venture capitalist. (VC's) The objective here is to convince potential funders on the profitability of the idea in hand and to do this convincingly to not one, but in most cases to a board of directors who will be the decision makers in determining if the idea or start up is investable or not.

In my past 18 months in my entrepreneurship journey, never have I been given such a great task to prove myself in front of real VC's and to sell my idea to them. Thanks to MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor) and MDEC (Multimedia Development Center) of Malaysia, this year i was selected to participate in their bi-annual INNOTECH competition, which matches entrepreneurs with solid ideas with a list of VC's invited globally to identify, select and invest into potential money making businesses. This INNOTECH can be regarded as the highest level VC pitching in the country with the support of the government via their various agencies.

It will be an experience by itself, and I wish to share this journey with as many entrepreneurial minds as possible. To be given such a chance is perhaps once in a lifetime to most, including me and i am i all out to prove my worth and to at least clinch a fraction of the proposed sum :)

If you were wondering for which business am i pitching, you got to wait for my next postings. My pitch is scheduled for the following dates:

Date: 28th June 2011 (Tuesday)

Time: 9.45am

I will be joined by my HongKong partner who is flying down tomorrow. Intense hours begin at the struck of midnight, and i can assure you the level of excitement is increasing with every hour passing by.

Stay tuned for more update, will try to take as many photo's as well to give you a vision on how the stage is set for all entrepreneurs.

HJH

BQe - Session 6: What's the Deal?

2011-06-20T21:19:00.000+08:00

Asia's Fastest Growing Business Magazine, 120 copies sold every hour

2011-06-19T17:09:00.006+08:00

Check my dedicated column out at SME Magazine from June 2011 onwards! Click the images to view an enlarged version :)

In most major bookstores in over 4 different countries in Asia :)

HJH

The Five Types of Participants in A Bubble

2011-06-18T01:47:00.004+08:00

One of the least understood parts of a bubble is that there are five types of participants: the Smart Money, the Shills, the Marks, the True Believers and the Promoters. Understanding the motivations of these different groups helps to make sense out of the bubble chart below.

Smart Money are the prescient angel investors and venture capitalists who started investing in social networks, consumer and mobile applications and the cloud three, four or five years ago. They helped build these struggling ventures into the Facebooks, Twitters, and Zyngas before anyone else appreciated that these companies could have hundreds of millions of users with off-the-chart revenue and profits.

In a bubble, the Smart Money doubles down on their investment in the awareness phase, but—when it starts becoming a mania—the Smart Money cashes out. (Really Smart Money recognises it is a bubble, and bets against it.) They manage this all with knowledge of the game they are playing, but they do not hype it, talk about it or fan the flames. They know that others will.

The Shills are the middlemen in a bubble. They profit from the boom times. They are the mortgage brokers and real estate agents in the housing bubble, the investment bankers and technology press in the dot.com bubble. Since it is in their interest to keep the bubble going, they will tell you that housing always goes up, that these bonds are guaranteed by a big bank, and that this tech stock is worth its opening price. All the stories peddled by Shills have, at their heart, why "it is a new age" and why "all the old ways of measuring value are obsolete". And why "you will be an idiot if you do not jump in and reap the rewards and cash out".

The Marks are your neighbours or parents or grandparents. They are not domain experts. They know nothing about real estate, financial markets or tech stocks, but they do not want to miss the "investment opportunity of a lifetime". They hear reassurance from the Shills and take their advice at face value, never asking or questioning the Shills' financial incentives to sell you this house/mortgage/tech stock. They see others making extraordinary amounts of money at the start of the mania—"just buy a condo or two and you can sell them in six months". What no one tells the Marks is that, as they are buying, the Smart Money and institutional investors are quietly pulling out and selling their assets.

The True Believers do not financially participate in the bubble like theMarks (for lack of assets, timidity, or time) but they would if they could. They have no rational evidence to believe, but for them it is a "faith-based" belief. By their numbers, they give comfort to the Marks around them.

The Promoters are the ones who keep the bubbles inflated even when they know that the asset exceeds its fundamental value by a large margin. While Shills have no credibility, Promoters have "brand-name" credibility that makes the Marks trust them. What makes thePromoters' role egregious is that they are a small subset of the Smart Money. They loudly tell the Marks and the Shills that everything is just fine, enticing them to buy into the bubble, as the Promoters are liquidating their own positions.

Bubbles attract Marks and Shills to new shiny toys, not existing ones.Every bubble is a big-stakes game—played for keeps. In it, the usual cast of characters appear: the Smart Money, the Shills, the Marks and the Promoters.

There is a saying in poker, "If you can not figure out who the Mark is at the table, it's you."

Taken from the Economist.

HJH

July 2011 - SME & Entrepreneur Magazine

2011-06-17T20:21:00.008+08:00

Part 2: “Embracing LOHAS - Unleashing the Power of Green Consumerism from Within”

The present generation, to be coined as the Green Generation that includes both Gen X and Gen Y, comprised of those born into an era filled with environmental destruction and also extensive use of eco-friendly technology in their daily life. Young Asians from this part of the world are presently witnessing on television themselves, not only the meteoric rise of Asia as the next superpower, but also the countless environmental destruction it is committing towards progressing as the major force forward in shaping the future of the new world. From the illegal deforestation in the lush tropical rainforest of Malaysian Borneo; overfishing and destructive fishing in the Philippines causing the decline of marine organisms; to the illegal logging in Indonesia that has led to a biological catastrophe by upsetting thousands of plants and animal species as well as the cause of the yearly haze phenomena that affects millions of people in the region.

Now many may wonder, what is the impact of all this destruction to the Green Generation of Asia? Growing up with all these environmental issues plaguing the quality of life as compared to the scenic and eco-friendly world that our counterparts live in the other side of the world (where the grass is often pictured in greener pastures, thanks to Hollywood and the general Western media). Does this impact the decisions and lifestyles of the Green Generation in making a shift away from their parents’ generation to embrace eco-friendly living and ensuring sustainability as the number one priority in decision making as consumers? Is there an increase in awareness from the foundations of the Asian society in acknowledging the impending biological catastrophes which seem destined to bring the world to an abrupt end come December 21^st 2012? From my previous writing in Part 1 where I covered on the new-CSR and the way forward by Corporations to embrace sustainability reforms, it is clear that the drive for change by this Green Generation will ignite the push towards embracing the new corporate culture in Commercially Sustainable Reform (CSR). It is inevitable for a change in lifestyle to happen with the rise in eco-friendly consumer demand and a timely corporate reform that will center businesses and profit-making on sustainability.

What is LOHAS?

LOHAS is a recognised market segment in the USA, Western Europe and also South East Asia and defines the market split from 6 segments which include Personal Health (Health), Natural Lifestyles (Lifestyles), Green Building (Building), Alternative Transportation (Transportation), Eco-Tourism, and Alternative Energy (Energy). In a research report by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) in 2000 and given the moniker of Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, or LOHAS –is a market conservatively estimated at $210 billion in the U.S., and growing every year. Approximately 19% of the adults in the U.S., or 41 million people, are currently considered LOHAS Consumers while in Japan, 12% or 17 million adults are segmented as LOHAS consumers. In Southeast Asia, the statistics of LOHAS customers indicates growth with the increase in education and awareness mainly among the Green Generation that are further changing the consumer landscape. This is opening the doors to more acceptance in sustainable health and lifestyle products, higher demand in eco-friendly property and energy efficient home interior designing, the rise in sales of electric motorcycles and hybrid cars as seen with the high number of Toyota Prius on the roads as well as the exploration by local governments with eco-friendly energy generation in Asia.

LOHAS Asia, the Movement

Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) as defined from their official Asia Pacific website (www.lohas-asia.org) is a movement that aims to bring balance back to our planet by inspiring individuals and businesses to find their own unique way of being environmentally friendly.

“We believe that every person on this planet has the power to play a major role in saving the planet. They only have to tap into their own uniqueness to discover a way to contribute a sustainable lifestyle that will both improve their health and the living standard of not only themselves but all those around them” as quoted further.

LOHAS is present in countries throughout Asia and is surely getting momentum in the push forward to spearhead a change in mind set by adapting lifestyle change within the smaller Asian communities. LOHAS Asia, spearheaded by its president Adam Horler is currently present in Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, Shanghai, Australia, Bali and Hong Kong.

The LOHAS Journey

According to LOHAS Asia; for the average person, the LOHAS journey begins with an awareness that they are not doing enough to care for their personal well-being. Initially our motives are selfish – to live a long, healthy, active life. In order to do this we need to do what we can to avoid sickness and frailty, for as long as possible. There are three main strategies to achieve this – moderation/avoidance, good eating habits and exercise. As we embark on the path of wellness by following these strategies we naturally become more aware of the environment. How does this happen?

As we take care to eat healthily, we start to examine what is in our food and what it is made of. This naturally leads to a need to know where it comes from, as only then can we verify its authenticity. So as we start asking these questions we become exposed to the debate around organic food, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics in meat, red meat versus white meat and so on. All these issues have an environmental impact and lead us into a greater subject – The Planet, and how we treat it.

So, Lifestyle choices have leaded me to examine my Health, which has leaded me into questions about the environment which, inevitably, leads to issues of Sustainability.

R U LOHAS? Campaign

LOHAS Asia has launched a public awareness campaign “R U LOHAS” to inform the public on how being LOHAS can increase personal health and reduce their environmental impact on the world. Leading on from being LOHAS, the LOHASia Facebook group allows members of the public to share their advice, ideas and opinions on living lifestyles of health and sustainability.

Adam Horler, President of LOHAS Asia, says:

"We were looking for a way to get across the concept of LOHAS to everyday folk that highlighted how powerful individuals are in the fight for a more sustainable world; the Internet and video delivery is the fastest way to do this.”

R U LOHAS emphasizes the need for all citizens to cooperate with the efforts exerted to live a healthy lifestyle and control pollution, taking into consideration that this is the primary criterion that will contribute to the success of the sustainability endeavours and lessen the adverse consequences on the environment and nature.

Adam Horler adds, “It is time for every individual consumer to understand that WE are the most powerful people in the fight against environmental exploitation, not governments, banks or big corporations. It is through our everyday purchasing habits that we can change the world for the better."

This sort of consumer-driven campaigns will see the increase in green consumerism among Asians and the introduction of more green products into local markets. Ultimately, the phasing out of non-green products or services and the complete paradigm shift that removes the dependency of commodity based products in the market on course with the depletion of natural resources will spell the end of conventional demands and habits. In the coming 3-5 years, non-green products such as canned food, petroleum-based products, gas-guzzling vehicles, large electricity-consuming residential homes and even non-recyclable plastic will be phased out.

The LOHASians

The Green Generation will consist of LOHASians with the eagerness of creating an impact to their surroundings by adapting to change. A snapshot of the LOHAS consumer reveals a passionate, environmentally and socially responsible consumer segment and shows them to be early adopters who can be used as predictors of upcoming trends. They tend to be influential over friends and family, are more brand loyal than other consumers especially to companies whose values match their own, and most importantly, are willing to put their money behind their beliefs and values.

Just what are LOHAS consumers buying and where are they buying them? Among other goods and services LOHAS consumers are buying organic label products and products related to health, wellness and sustainable lifestyles. The price and availability of green options has grown tremendously with green products now widely available online, but in Asia the results show that demand continues to outstrip supply on the high street market. Will LOHAS be effective in driving the Green Generation forward towards a better sustainable lifestyle? Will this impact the economies of Asian countries in adapting to these changes?

Many thoughts on our minds as we race towards the Asia Green SME 2012 (Formerly MyGSE2011) scheduled to be in February 2012 to showcase Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) as part of the theme for the Expo. For more information, kindly log on to our official website at www.asiagreensme.com. Parts of this article are written based on the input given by Liz Smailes, PR & Communications Director Asia Pacific LOHAS. This article is the second part of a planned 7-episode series that will highlight the various aspects of green initiatives in the region and some insights to Asia Green SME 2012 as we look to host the Largest Green SME Expo dedicated to SMEs in Asia.

By Harish J Hariraj

----

This is the second article of my dedicated green column in SME & Entrepreneurship Magazine, South East Asia's Best Selling Business Magazine, published and distributed regionally including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia.

BQe - Become A Brewer: A session with Perdana Leadership Foundation

2011-06-14T01:12:00.001+08:00

BQe - Brewed to Perfection: A session with MAVCAP

2011-06-02T01:13:00.000+08:00

June 2011 - SME & Entrepreneur Magazine

2011-04-28T19:54:00.014+08:00

Part 1: “Adopting CSR (Commercially Sustainable Reform)

To Satisfy Power-Hungry Nations”

The world moves ahead towards a new era in clean energy generation, to find a better long term solution for power hungry nations which seem to match their ever growing population with the average power usage per household. In the past, the number of households without electricity in some rural parts of the world mainly in third world and developing countries has been on the rise and efforts had been taken to introduce short term relief for these groups of minorities. Well that’s the past and way behind us in this new century. Looking at the current scenario among larger nations at present, the alarming statistics indicates also the rise in the average power usage per household with the increase in electronic devices per person and its counterfeit Made in China power-hungry chargers that keep them alive.

Taking from a perspective of the working class, an average male worker owns at least a mobile phone, a tablet or touch screen device, a mobile computer or laptop and a few other gadgets including Bluetooth headsets, handheld music devices or even e-cigarettes for instance which has seen its rise here in Asia. All this devices that has suddenly mushroomed into our lives no doubt makes it convenient and provides a higher quality of living, however the bad news for the power producers is that more and more kilowatts of electricity needs to be channelled to households and commercials to cope with the demand that has leapfrogged in just a single decade with the inclusion of these devices into our lives. High consumption levels at record low prices have pushed the demand for energy to one of its highest point in many years and not many power producers are capable of making higher returns and as well invest in cleaner and greener technology. Till this point of time, many countries are still heavily relying on fossil fuels and conventional power producing methods with the usage of coal and also diesel generators.

Finding the Solution.

In determining the best solution for energy alternatives to cope with this demand, large and developing nations are also learning from the aftermaths of the recent nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Plant in Japan caused by the March 11th tsunami, which was raised to Level 7, putting it on par with the meltdown at Chernobyl, 25 years ago. Level 7 is the Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA)'s highest rating: meaning a leak of a large amount of radiation into the atmosphere and wider environment. The amount of risk that nuclear energy imposes on to the environment and the hazard it poses to the health of its immediate employees and the surroundings of the plant is debatable. Notoriously in countries like Malaysia with its infamous public debate and outcry, the recent revelation by the Malaysian Government to introduce Nuclear Power as one of the chosen alternative to sustain the increase in power demand had received much opposition from many parties and environment friendly bodies. Asia needs to look at power generating alternatives that are greener and cleaner to prevent a major power shortage come 2050 when the projected population reaches 5.2 billion people.

The way forward for South East Asia

Rising oil prices and dilapidated power infrastructures begin to exact their toll on most Asian economies at present and most parts of Asia are currently looking towards Wind Turbines and Solar Farms as an immediate alternative for power. However due to irregularities in terms of consistency such as wind speeds for Wind Turbines and cloud interference as a major stumbling block for Solar Power to take off in the region, the shift should be placed on alternatives such as Geothermal Energy instead. With the latest advancements in technologies revolving turbines and the fact that parts of South East Asia itself lies within the ring of fire, Geothermal Energy has not been developed to its fullest potential and promises a lot to nations to be powered by heat from the earth’s core.

However there are obstacles with Geothermal Energy itself as reported by Reuters in South East Asia, for example Indonesia's Bedugul project, set among volcanoes on the Hindu enclave of Bali, aims to develop up to 175 MW of power, or roughly half of the resort island's needs. But the project is now on hold because local residents fear it could damage a sacred area and affect water supplies from the nearby lakes.

In the Philippines, currently the world's second-biggest geothermal producer behind the United States, one of the main obstacles to developing the reserves is the high acidity associated with active volcanoes, which can corrode the pipes. May it be a short term solution or long term effort, the adaptation of new power alternatives will definitely take more time, and efforts by the governments to plan and execute the shift towards non dependency on fossil fuel and conventional power could take decades.

For a short term solution, immediate measures can be taken by the consumers itself to use less. Some large Multi-National Corporations in South East Asia are already embracing cost effective technologies to reduce the daily power consumption in operations and management. For justification purposes, the industrial power usage may account to a larger percentage of overall energy consumption due to the equivalent end-product it produces, however the chunk of power that can potentially be reduced from this figure comes from the Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), especially in countries in South East Asia where small businesses thrive. In order to get small business to participate in the reforms, new policies should be introduced as a guideline for businesses to follow.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

The term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) came in to common use in the late 1960s to the early 1970s for corporations to promote their social agenda, according to wikipedia. The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the company's actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere.

Commercially Sustainable Reform, the new (CSR)

At present the new term for CSR should be redefined as Commercially Sustainable Reform, with priority for Multi-National Company’s (MNCs) and SMEs to adopt the new CSR as part of their contributions back towards the society. The new CSR is all about conserving the environment by reducing the dependency on power and as well reducing emissions as well. Corporations can adopt CSR by taking a big green step ahead in business practice and be rewarded along the way.

So how does the new CSR work?

Simple and impactful, similar to the conventional CSR- with adaptation of reforms that are meant to encourage the sustainability of corporations in making changes to their operations at management level. The reforms can be as simple as measure to reduce the carbon footprint of every employee, which in return could be turned into incentives, or as complex as the reduction in operation wastage by using regenerative technology to reuse electricity and water, creating self-sustainable operations.

The question now comes to capacity if the new CSR is generally accepted and applied, do we really need to generate more electricity or resort to alternatives to satisfy the demands of the majority, when the savings we can obtain from them be reused to sustain their usage and to prevent wastage?

Will this result in more corporations especially SMEs embracing greener technology to reduce their electricity usage daily and in return making prices of consumer goods lower? And in return, will governments look into the new CSR seriously with a tax exemption by according a rating based system to reward corporations that embrace the new CSR?

Many thoughts on our minds as we race towards the Malaysian Green SME Expo (MyGSE) 2011 scheduled to be in December 2011 to showcase Commercially Sustainable Reform (CSR) as the overall theme for the Expo. For more information, kindly log on to our official website at www.mygse2011.com. This article is the first part of a planned 7-episode series that will highlight the various aspects of green initiatives in the region and some insights to MyGSE2011 as we look to host the Largest Green SME Expo dedicated to SMEs this year.

by Harish J Hariraj

Consultant and founder of MyGSE2011, Harish pursued Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Tenaga Nasional in Malaysia and currently runs his own consultancy firm in Kuala Lumpur providing solutions to businesses in adapting green, clean, and cost effective solutions. Harish also coaches SMEs and large corporations with a group of experienced professionals and has a huge passion in green and sustainability.

----

This is the first article of my dedicated green column in SME & Entrepreneurship Magazine, South East Asia's Best Selling Business Magazine, published and distributed regionally including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia.

The Young and the Restless: Redefining the Business World

2011-04-28T14:17:00.015+08:00

25-year old Harish Jayaram Hariraj with a Mechanical Engineering background is the founder of a string of promising start-ups ranging from green consultancy, web development, real estate and also cloud storage. His passion lies in green technology and sustainability, hence upon graduation he started off his own consultancy firm, H3 Green Solutions to encourage the adaptation of cleaner, greener, and cost effective solutions. Harish sets his sights on a nationwide Green & Sustainability Summit in 2011 to encourage more eco-friendly solutions in Malaysia.

Despite his passion for green, Harish is the founder of many other initiatives, with the Malaysian flavored Websitelah.com, his very first entrepreneurial project at the age of 23, an international high-end and eco-friendly property brokering firm with H3 Property, also spearheads a global green cloud storage project with Vaultsky.com. Harish is also the founder of Brewing Quality Entrepreneurs (BQE), a CSR platform for Malaysian Entrepreneurs as he aims to contribute back towards the community while he rises up to face new challenges in business.

A little about the nature of his business:

“I realize that with all the climate change and ongoing environmental destruction, the future remains bleak no matter how advance our technology improves. Green will certainly be defining Gen Y and ideas that evolved around sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint will ultimately contribute towards the survival of the human race. With these thoughts in mind, all my businesses evolve around sustainability, from paperless solutions with web development with Websitelah.com to the usage of centralized green cloud servers to manage content limiting the usage of resources with Vaultsky.com. Also the removal of complete dependency on air-conditioning units in this tropical climate with proper ventilated buildings and the use of less heat generating lighting was my intention with a consultancy business with a vision to trade these residential or commercial properties in global markets where the demand for sustainable eco-friendly property is higher.

On how he came up with the idea for his business:

“I have always been a firm believer in opportunity seeking and being there to find solutions for all problems. Entrepreneurs are essentially the combination of both these elements, opportunity seekers and solution providers. Perhaps this is what engineering really taught me in university, to understand the root of each problem and to overcome the challenges by making the best of assumptions, charting the course for execution as well as the testing and simulation part by trial and error. The idea for my businesses came from my surroundings, being always wanting to find solutions to the immediate problem. Hence one after the other, the ideas was developed into solutions and then it became an entity altogether.”

On how Gen Y entrepreneurs differ from entrepreneurs of previous generations:

“In my personal opinion, Gen Y entrepreneurs are even bolder when it comes to taking risks compared to the Baby Boomers partially due to the dependency on their parents (who were not affected by any post war syndrome as compared to their parents’ generation, or The Veterans), and more advanced with the usage of technology at their fingertips.”

On advice for other young entrepreneurs:

“We are the ones that will shape the future. Although we may to a certain extent take advice and guidance from the previous generation of entrepreneurs or mentors, ultimately the responsibility is placed on our shoulders to lead our generation towards a sustainable world and the overall advancement of the human race. Time is never on our side, hence even after time is managed - you will then realize somehow that truly time is never on our side. So don’t waste it”

This article was published on the cover story in the May 2011 issue of SME Magazine (Malaysia Edition)

HJH

Participating in MSC Malaysia's INNOTECH 2011

2011-04-13T10:59:00.004+08:00

As entrepreneurs, we strive to always think about solutions by coming out with ideas. Ideas that benefits others first, and in return develops our coffers as well. Most entrepreneurs have great ideas, however many do not see out the fullest potential for their idea due to the limitations on obtaining financial assistance.

This year will be the biggest year so far of my entrepreneurial journey. With a big idea, and also the backing of international team who are flying down for INNOTECH 2011 as a combined effort, I will be participating in a pitch to invited global Venture Capitalist (VC's). The objective here is to get exposure, the mission is to get funding :)

I will update more on INNOTECH 2011 from time to time, as the first round of by invitation only pitching is held early next week with the grand finale in June 2011.

Looking forward for this :)

HJH

Featured on BFM 89.9FM

2011-04-13T10:41:00.006+08:00

It was truly an amazing feeling to be LIVE on air on BFM 89.9FM sitting in front of Freda Liu and to speak about entrepreneurship in Malaysia. BFM is one of the top business radio stations in Malaysia, as they conduct live talks and sessions with many top and upcoming people here in Malaysia. My interview session was angled more on ways Brewing Quality Entrepreneurs is proving itself as a one stop platform for all entrepreneurs in Malaysia providing workshops and talks about the basic elements in entrepreneurship. Being on air, on the radio station you listen on a frequent basis, day in and day out, is really like a dream come true :)

Check us out at Online for more information :)

What i am more excited about is the aftermaths of this interview, in terms of a potential collaboration that BFM and BQE can work on for the benefit of the entrepreneurs in Malaysia. Being 2 upcoming organizations that best charters the course of entrepreneurship here in Malaysia with the assistance from the government would best carve BQE's mark here in Malaysia for many more years to come. Seeing our rise in a mere 7 months from the back of an office room with an initial 6 participants, to an attendance of nearly 100 pax in our latest session really proves that anything is possible if we are willing to put our effort and dedication to it.

Stay tuned for the next BQE session to be held on the following:

Topic: Brewed to Impress, Dress for Success

Speaker: Silas Liew, Winner of MIFA 2011's "Most Promising Designer of The Year"

Date: 19th April 2011 (Tuesday)

Time: 8.30pm-9.30pm

Venue: Plug & Play Technology Gardens, Mid Valley

RSVP now at www.bqe.my as we have confirmed in vouchers and goodie bags to be given away! :)

Listen to the podcast below :)

Looking forward to more great times ahead with BQE

HJH

Speaker at EYLN 2011

2011-02-21T23:45:00.004+08:00

I will be speaker at Entrepreneurship & Learning Network (EYLN) 2011 this 11th-13th March 2011 to encourage entrepreneurship among the youths. My slot will be the first after the opening ceremony! Cant wait for it.

Take a look at their website at www.eyln.com.my

I was once a participant of EYLN 3 years ago with a group of friends joining as a team selling a business plan for T shirt Design and Marketing. I can say that was one of the first events i entered as an aspiring entrepreneur. :)

Looking forward to it! Another exciting experience

HJH

BQE: My Perfect Valentines Gift

2011-02-14T21:14:00.019+08:00

It comes with a great show of emotions to truly understand the real meaning of Valentines Day. To me, it is best described as the show of passion and dedication towards something that you are fond off, something that you don't mind spending your time and effort to nurture, and mainly something that you will boldly stand up to protect with all your might when its position is threatened.

And for me at this moment of time - nothing more can describe my love which is for BQE.

I started off Building Quality Entrepreneur (BQE) as a back room entrepreneurial event, after convincing a kind business owner to organize sessions in his tiny seminar room. Everything was in its infancy stages; there was no website, no proper marketing channel, no marketing materials - in fact I only relied solely via word of mouth and through the small group of friends i have on my social network channels. Thankfully, there were kind souls who supported me and even turned up for my event on that very first session. My gratitude goes to them for the show of support.

Fast track a few session down the road, with a new exciting partner involved - we survived without a proper storyline, without a proper agenda, even without a proper understanding about how we intended to take this new found name, commonly termed as BQE (as it was a mouthful to say it all in full) to the next level. Without a proper structure, we were heading nowhere, knowing clearly that sooner or later this unstable platform looks fated to collapse under its ever growing popularity. Luckily to note that the success BQE had in creating an impact to the immediate surroundings provided it the edge it desperately needed to ensure survival. The epitome of BQE was the representation it had in a nationwide conference, attended by over 400 delegates - The AIESEC Malaysian Leadership Development Seminar (MyLDS) held in December 2010.

The success of BQE in creating change gave it the exposure it very much needed - and the sweetest success of them all was the offer to a proper events venue for it to run its sessions. We were very kind to be able to accept the offer from Plug & Play Technology Gardens, (Under Modal Perdana and Ministry of Finance) to be able to host us for all our sessions in 2011. This venue can be dubbed as the entrepreneurial hub of Kuala Lumpur. The amazing turn out of participants after only 5 sessions at 60plus pax gave it the best ever attendance in our record breaking year of 2010. This summed up my love affair to BQE for the year 2010.

Hence at this period of hecticness for me, i may have reached a point where i need to start letting go the one thing that i loved so much, slowly. I am amazed and equally excited to know that i have now formed a new team that will continue these efforts to build and develop more entrepreneurs. This new team will be much better organized than what i started off with, looking at creating a proper organization to ensure the constant development of entrepreneurs. This new team will be the team that an entrepreneurial movement as ambitious as BQE very much needs, and im pretty sure that when Q3 comes - BQE will be even more prepared to organize its first ever yearly summit! The birth of this new team, to continue something i love so much - is the best ever valentines gift I can ask for this year :)

"Stay tuned for the new BREWING Quality Entrepreneurs (BQE) to be held from the 1st of March onwards! Yes this is an early teaser to all of you who manage to read this article this far in :) I am very sure that the new BQE in 2011 will be even more engaging then before."

Maybe as i have mentioned about love, love also involves the process of letting your loved ones go for the better of both sides. However, i will continue to spearhead the entire series of BQE, but at this time, with lesser control over things.

What do you love and does it impacts others around you?

Ask yourself :)

Happy Valentines.

p/s - Stay tuned for more exciting news at www.bqe.my!

HJH

2011 - Supporting Woman Entrepreneurs Nationwide

2010-12-26T18:52:00.005+08:00

2011 will be the year of nationwide coverage - spreading my business to all parts of Malaysia beginning with a simple tour to Johor in January with the Malaysian Young Female Entrepreneur Forum (MyFREN) Team.

Following the sponsorship of MyFREN summit in October 2010

Having close ties with the government now has made it easier to spearhead a campaign in collaboration with a female entrepreneur platform. I pledge to provide assistance to all single mothers, and entrepreneurial driven woman in Malaysia by empowering them with a simple website to benefit their business purposes. Here is what the collaboration with MyFREN is all about. The details of the nationwide roadtrip is a little vague at this moment, but the first stop definitely will begin in Johor late January.

2011 will surely be a year of nationwide marketing and also finding solutions to the majority of entrepreneurs in Malaysia, in various segments.

HJH

Making a Full Circle with AIESEC

2010-12-26T01:19:00.009+08:00

Returning to speak about entrepreneurship at MyLDS 2010

4 years ago, i stumbled upon an organization that gave me a platform to improve myself. I grabbed the opportunities that came along my way ever since, benefiting from the exposure, practicing moderation in my involvement with activities, and as well planning my exit plan from it. Looking back at AIESEC now, i can happily conclude that i have done it all. Here's a little something i want to share from my experiences attending AIESEC's National Leadership Seminars (NLDS) held yearly.

NLDS 2006

How - I attended as a Delegate

Outcome - Had so much of fun, met many pretty faces, finally had a sense of belonging in life having an organization that fits me perfectly and lead to open other doors in life.

Feeling once i left NLDS 2006 (in the bus from Penang) - Sad. Emo. Almost cried thinking of all the pretty faces i have met and wondering if i will ever keep in touch with them. (Note this is a time before Facebook - and the most treasured souvenir is the sugar cubes (little envelopes that other delegates write cute messages in it throughout the conference), the delegates booklet! (Like i have said without facebook means having to write sweet sms's on the bus back home to all the new pretty faces met - that explains the emo feel)

NLDS 2007

How - I attended the MNC track (senior member meet to discuss the planning of each local committee and involve a lot of strategy and also legislation)

Outcome - Attended MNC with initial plans to start a new LC at UNITEN (which never worked out due to the lack of pretty faces on campus :P). Spent most of the time listening to numbers, plannings, strategy, elections, boringness. Sneaked in many times to the delegates track to have fun!

Feeling once i left NLDS 2007 - Feel stressed up. Too many plans and strategies being discussed during the period. Having hard time to absorb all the information given - found myself in the position of being stressed up with all the responsibilities to start a new Initiation Group (to start a new local chapter in UNITEN).

MyLDS 2008 (Renamed Malaysian LDS)

How - Became part of the Organizing Committee. Worked in a team to ensure MyLDS was executed well.

Outcome -Having to carry chairs, taking care of sick delegates, washing cups, in conclusion -doing all the donkeys job in ensuring a well planned event. Being working in the background means having no chance to attend events and parties throughout the conference, but made a good bond with OC members, which means good times together as a team. Lots of new experiences in making drinks for 400 delegates (without a ladle - lol) and also much more. (I believe being part of the OC is equivalent to being a Facilitator as lack of sleep and hard work drains out all energy)

Feeling once i left MyLDS 2008 - Tired. Exhausted from so much work during the short space of time. However the only good thing that came out of all these hard work is the bonding among the OC team, which made us best of friends till today.

MyLDS 2010

How - invited to become an external speaker as part of enterprise day

Outcome - Traveling all the way to Johor to address the 400 over youths present and to encourage them to become an entrepreneur is truly one amazing experience. Had butterfly's in my stomach during the journey there thinking of how much the speakers at NLDS 2006 actually inspired me a lot -making me to what i am today. Damm! Lots of expectations. But my session was successful, even more so that we extended the time from a 1 hour session to almost 2 hours!! I had to cut short the delegates who were present up front to address their questions due to the lack of time! Felt bad :(

Feeling once i left MyLDS 2010- For once i felt happy as its that feeling you get when you can finally leave an AIESEC Conference having inspired many, sharing with them your experience throughout your AIESEC career and looking at all their excitement. Truly a great feeling for once without the thought of anything negative :)

This sums up my experiences in AIESEC. Having been solely recruited as a exchange participant first from a different university, i personally chose to go back to this organization in UPM and contribute, building my way up along the way including exposure as a Team Leader in AIESECs International Congress 2009 in Kuala Lumpur - the highlight of my AIESEC times.

Next Step - Sponsor IC and become a corporate partner with my H3 Conglomerate :)

Yours AIESECly,

HJH

Reflection: Building the Entrepreneur Within- MyLDS 2010

2010-12-11T15:30:00.013+08:00

Looking back at how life has turned out ever since I joined AIESEC as a delegate in their NLDS in 2006, participating briefly with the MNC&NLDS 07 shortly after returning from exchange in 2007, becoming an Organizing Committee Member for MyLDS in 2008, and now the return to MyLDS 2010 as an external speaker to encourage entrepreneurship among AIESEC members.

Title: Building the Entrepreneur Within - A true story from an AIESECer - Harish Jayaram Hariraj

Venue: AIESEC Malaysian Leadership Development Seminar

(MyLDS) 2010, UTM Johor

Date: 15th December 2010, 12pm

The following is written by me after returning from my exchange, in appreciation to the many contributions made by the local committee of AIESEC in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). You can read it below: (Btw LC UPM won the top gun LC award for that year)

Dated 29th August 2007:

A month has passed since I had returned from the land of my forefathers, the holy and sacred land called India; where I spent the best times of my life on an AIESEC development traineeship. My AIESEC experience cannot be described in a few hundred lines, not even a thousand words. The good times I enjoyed and hard times I had to endure along with the challenges I faced during that stint now seemed just a distant piece of a past. This undoubtedly reminds me that life is a long journey and every wonderful experience one gains fits in like a tiny piece of a jigsaw puzzle that sums up our existence in this world. In conclusion, it was nothing short of a life-changing experience.

The Life Changing Chapter of my Life

Tracing back the time to more than a year ago, a quiet evening in the month of July along the corridors of the library of University Tenaga Nasional, to a time where I suddenly stumbled upon AIESEC, just like that. Blame fate, or perhaps coincidence. It was inevitable for me to miss the sharing night organized by the exchange team of (AIESEC Local Committee of University Putra Malaysia) LC UPM, ignoring the fact that I was actually exploiting their reception table by accident. As a stranger, I knew nothing much about AIESEC and was mainly drawn into the hall out of curiosity due to the presence of many people around. However what attracted me after that was the sheer determination showed by the organizing team in portraying the benefits of an exchange, and their never-say-die attitude in the attempts to brainwash the non- AIESECer’s present especially during the Question and Answer sessions. Inspired by their presentations and after witnessing the first jives of my life, I took the initiative to be a part of this newfound AIESEC culture. My night ended with the purchase of a simple form, a form which would change my life forever.

Over the months, we kept in touch with simple phone calls. The exchange team kept me updated regularly on the many conventions and seminars organized by LC UPM, for instance the Local Leadership Development Seminar (LLDS) and also the National Leadership Development Seminar (NLDS) held in December 2006, which I attended as a delegate representing LC UPM. As a non AIESECer with one eye on an exchange, I had to endure many stages of planning with the exchange team. Firstly, I was gradually inducted into the mainstream of AIESEC agenda at the pre-NLDS held by LC UPM and was further involved at the NLDS. By January, I was facing interview sessions and was told to prepare resumes and essays to convince them why I wanted to go for an exchange. And in late February, the biggest headache of the lot - matching session began. To be honest, I was finally matched thanks to the perseverance and the determination of my SN manager (who also happen to be the then VP of Outgoing Exchange). Being tagged “like a fussy husband in search of his true love”, she endured many frustrating times with me throughout the matching process. As a matter of fact she even inquired to the numerous TN forms I highlighted even though I showed very little interest in them apart from one. This sort of attitude cannot be simply appreciated without some form of recognition, and when I was told about this awards night, I just couldn’t resist the temptation of writing a testimonial on behalf of LC UPM.

My field trip to a village in Rajasthan - taking care of Indian children

Distribution of food to the underprivileged kids..

The opportunity of going for an AIESEC traineeship as a non-AIESECer is one in a million. Believe me from the personal account of mine. From being a complete stranger 12 months ago to AIESEC and even LC UPM, I am now finding myself writing this little note of recommendation for LC UPM with much gratitude and with much eagerness for the nomination of Highest Performing Exchange Team for the year 2006/2007 in conjunction with the awards night held annually. I believe without the determination and the efforts carried out by LC UPM throughout the entire stages of my pre internship planning and preparations, my exchange experience wouldn’t have turned out as successful as it had been. It has indeed changed my life forever.

With Best Compliments,

Harish.J.Hariraj

AIESEC EXCHANGE PARTICIPANT 2007 (JAIPUR, INDIA)

University Tenaga Nasional

HJH

Ong Boy and his Diwali gift

2010-11-15T22:25:00.005+08:00

Even though my Mission to teach Ong Boy was accomplished successfully weeks ago, i still do visit the Home once every 2 weeks to catch up with the folks there and to give Ong Boy a lesson or two about cycling my old bicycle. This time around, i visited him with something special - a diwali hamper which was delivered to my home :)

This guy behaves just like a kid. Hehe. I told him to go share it with his friends, before he ran off with it :)

The past months have gone by and i have tried to teach Ong how to ride this bicycle, although i can admit that i have only managed to accomplish a 40% success rate in teaching him how to ride this bicycle on his own. My presence yesterday at the home brought more joy and happiness which was clearly visible in Ong compared to the very first time i step foot into this shelter.

Although I was painstakingly informed about the theft of my precious bicycle, but nevertheless the hours spent teaching him on this bicycle has indeed made the difference itself as clearly seen when i visited him yesterday. This shows that he enjoys my company more than just the lessons itself, something most members of charity homes and shelters are deprived off - attention and also love.

For me, to share the joy with these unfortunate members of this home for the mentally challenged and handicapped is something i really enjoy doing and gives me the motivation to grow even more successful so that i can further contribute back to the society. Thanks to the Truly Loving Company for providing me this platform to develop myself. I hope there are many more out there who choose to give back to the society instead of just taking - the people needs you.

HJH

Supporting Woman Entrepreneurs

2010-10-11T18:35:00.006+08:00

I take pride in announcing this news i just got, to share the excitement of sponsoring an event that encourages entrepreneurship among Woman Entrepreneurs! Yes, Websitelah.com will be powering the all new website for MYFREN2010.

Supporting woman Entrepreneurs is also part of our aim as a company.

More details to follow suit, but this event is a National scale event with the guest of honour being our First Lady Datin Paduka Rosmah Mansor and also participation of Top Woman Entrepreneurs like Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and also Oh Joo Nee (The winner of Nescafe Kick Start 2).

More info here:

Opening by

Yang Amat Berbahagia Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor
Yang Amat Berbahagia Isteri Perdana Menteri Malaysia

Closing Address By
Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Dr Siti Hasmah bt. Mohd Ali

Confirmed Key Role Players

YB Dato’ Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives & Consumerism
YB Dato’ Mukhriz Mahathir, Minister of International Trade & Industry
YB Dato’ Tan Lian Hoe, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives & Consumerism
YB. Dato’ Noraini Ahmad, Pengerusi Malaysia Young Female Entrepreneur Forum
YBhg Dato’ Hashim Abdullah, Deputy SecGen, Ministry of Agriculture & Agro Based Industry
YBhg Dato’ Hafsah Hashim, CEO, SME Corp Malaysia
YBhg Dato’ Maznah Hamid, Founder & Group Exec Chairman of Securiforce Group
YBhg Dato’ Beatrice Nirmala Adaikalaraj, Managing Editor of Adaikalaraj Media Group
Lydia Tee, Chairman & Managing Director of Victory Plaster Ceiling Sdn Bhd
Alyssa Mazlan, Founder & Director of Island And Republik
Mi Ki Choong, Founder & CEO of Centurise Group
Adeline Foo, Founder & CEO of The Otomotif College
Candice Lee, Managing Director of True North Asia Sdn Bhd
Nor Akmar Hanif & Aida Nurlin Hanif, The Millionaires Sisters
Norman Halim, Co-Founder & Executive President of KRU Group of Companies
Afzal Abd Rahim, CEO of TIME dot Com Berhad
Dr Khoo Kien Ling, Founder & CEO of ADAMAS Weddings Sdn Bhd
Ung Yiu Lin, Founder & Owner of Shoes Shoes Shoes
Linda Onn, Founder of Citarasa Linda Onn

Thanks to the dedication of my team, this is going to be one great event to look forward to. Do refer www.myfren2010.com for more info

HJH

Part Two: Seeing Ong Boy Smile

2010-09-05T00:56:00.007+08:00

Time flies. It has been more than a month since i began this journey to make a difference to someone else's life. Its was challenging for myself at the beginning, my first visit to the Shelter for the Mentally Challenged in Ampang was filled with curiosity and also fear. I didn't know what to expect from this place as it was my very first attempt to approach patients who are suffering from such a condition. To be honest I was a little nervous at first and even scared as I entered the Shelter. The sight of these patients staring at me made me uncomfortable initially, but i slowly came to realize that they must be even more curious to see an outsider walking into their sanctuary called the "Selangor Handicapped & Mentally Retarded Children Center".

Looking back at the first few visits, i got to interact closely with my patient Ong Boy, as he is known now. A little about him here, Ong was actually born normal, lived a normal life just like you and me till the age of 20s until he met with an accident that changed his life forever. Ong is now 33 years old, but suffers a mental syndrome that prevents him to live like a normal person. His behavior is child-like and he keeps on mumbling to himself some unknown words. However he shows expressions and reacts to others, just like a baby. Due to the lack of exercise, his limbs are under developed and weak but he is able to walk like normal.

Ong Boy once knew how to ride a bicycle all by himself, just like myself when i had this MCPB - the bicycle that gave me the freedom to be mobile and to not rely on my parents at times. I was told that this wish was highlighted as he often shows excitement whenever there is a bicycle passing by outside the shelter.

Thanks to The Truly Loving Company, i took up this pledge under their Promise Me Campaign to fulfill the wish of Ong Boy to own his very own bicycle all for himself.

So how have i contributed? Having a busy schedule on the weekdays, i chose to visit the shelter on the weekends consistently every week from the 1st of August 2010. I usually spend about 45-60 minutes to give Ong Boy a few rounds within the compound of the shelter during the afternoons or evenings. Knowing very well that my efforts alone to get him to cycle the MCPB will not be that successful, i gave the shelter helpers a lesson or two how to guide Ong Boy to fully utilize the bicycle during the weekdays when the patients are allocated a "exercise" time, or more of a play time for them. I was told that even when i am not around, Ong Boy is helped with the bicycle. One of my biggest obstacles is getting him to pedal the bike and navigate it all by himself. Due to the weakened limbs and lower leg muscles, Ong Boy is unable to cycle this MCPB on his own. Hence i provide support to him during the rounds by controlling the directions of the MCPB while i let him pedal and this itself makes him excited -this joy can be clearly seen by his facial expressions :)

Sometimes when i visit the Shelter, i do bring along with me some chocolates for the rest of the patients. This asian thinking of not going empty handed to someone elses home bugs me at times, hence i do that as a form of respect to the other patients.

Now for time to reflect on things, I do feel that more awareness has to be created to allow more people to provide their support to the needy. Once again without this Promise Me campaign, the needs of Ong Boy would surely not be highlighted and he may never get the chance to fulfill this wish of his.

What will i do from here? I will continue visiting this shelter during my free time to provide joy and happiness to Ong Boy and the rest of the patients there. After all, life is all about making a difference! My pledge does not end here, i will strive my best to make sure Ong Boy learns how to cycle this bicycle on his own with lesser supervision.

Once he has fully mastered the skill of cycling the bicycle, then i will definitely get him a much better replacement! Till then, i will keep my faith on this very own precious bicycle once used by me, now fondly known as MCPB, owned by its new owner - Ong Boy.

Stay tuned for Part Three.

HJH

Part One: Preparing the MCPB

2010-08-01T19:07:00.013+08:00

Today the first of August signals the mark of my remarkable journey to make a difference to someone else's life. I started the morning by taking my old mountain bike (bicycle) to the bicycle shop close to home in the car with an intention to get additional wheels mounted to the big rear wheel. I had a vision of turning this 9 year old bicycle of mine into the ultimate "mentally challenged person's bicycle" (MCPB) so that it would provide some safety and stability for my patient Mr.Ong when he rides the bicycle.

Before that something about my bicycle, (yes its sentimental) i had it at the age of 15 or 16, at the cost of only RM200 ( it was a bargain bicycle or something). Dad was too poor to buy me those big rally ones even though i had asked for them numerous times - you see being the youngest in the family means getting used bicycles from your siblings.. and having two elder sisters in the family didn't help in my quest to own a more "manly looking" bicycle during my childhood. So i regard this mountain bike as one of my prized possessions, one of the first few luxury items i have owned in life :)

So back to story, sadly my over ambitious idea was shot down by James the guy who owns the bicycle shop. The rusty and almost not-road-worthy 26" mountain bike was just too big to be fitted with these additional wheels. Instead of taking things negatively and challenging his comments, rather i was impressed with his attitude when I spoke to him about my pledge of teaching my patient how to ride this bicycle. He immediately brought me inside his shop and gave me a lesson or two on ways to teach Mr.Ong how to ride a bicycle and assured me to only pay him for a new tyre, a new chain and he will help me with the rest including the modification of the bicycle to suit Mr.Ong by limiting the gear shifts, and removing all dangerous or protruding elements from the main body frame.

Amazing. This guy actually worked on the bicycle for 3 hours to get it modified and told me to go away many times. LOL. The dedication. Makes you wonder there are genuinely nice people out there who also want to contribute in some ways to the society but fail to find the opportunity to do so? :)

After 3 hours, i collected the modified bicycle. It looked brand new, new chains, new frame, new tyres and all customized to be used by a mentally challenged person. I was briefed about the new feature called the "gear limiter" and the removal of sharp and pointed edges which made the bicycle look like a chair from IKEA now! :) And so I drove it to the Home for the Mentally Challenged in Ampang. The rest i can say was history as my first attempt to teach Mr.Ong (fondly called as Ong Boy now) was successful on my very first attempt!

Wait for Part Two: Seeing "Ong Boy" Smile and Part Three: The bicycle trip :)

HJH

Fulfilling a Pledge

2010-07-18T15:39:00.007+08:00

I am taking up the pledge to participate in the True Loving Company's Promise Me Campaign. From next week onwards, i will dedicate my Sunday evenings to assist a less fortunate person by fulfilling his wishes. After all live is about making a difference, and having stumbled upon this opportunity by chance through AIESEC, i realize that even with a hectic schedule, i still have a little time on my weekends to make someone else's life better.

My task is to assist:

Mr. Ong Kim Han

Mr Ong is 33 years old. He was born on 30 January 1977 in Klang and is mentally challenged. He always love to play with a bicycle and his wish is to have his own bicycle.

My biggest challenge now is to teach another person how to ride a bicycle. Knowing clearly that it will take time and also a lot of patience. Its going to be fun, so you can follow my journey here from next Sunday onwards. My plan is to:

1) Modify my old bicycle for my patient to use

2) Teach him how to ride it

3) Collect funds throughout the month

4) Purchase a new bicycle for him once i have fulfilled my pledge

Hope things go smoothly :)

HJH