PUTRA MBA Club

29 November 2012 - a historical moment, personally for me coz after months of planning and discussion with PUTRA Business School (PBS)  management, finally the Club is legally recognized as representative of all PBS students....

It was a great success for my organizing team, which consist of MBA intake May 2012.

The following is my welcoming speech:

Greeting, good afternoon

Our distinguished guest, Dr. Ahmed Razman, Head of Non-Thesis Programme

Fellow MBA students of Putra Business School (PBS), and other students from other faculty of PBS. I welcome you all with open hands and humble heart. Your present and support have given me and my organizing team a great pleasure and courage to carry on with our effort, to mobilize this MBA Club movement.

Today’s agenda is focused on the 1^st Annual General Meeting of Putra MBA Club….

Perhaps, many of you would like to know the short history of this Club. Well, we are still very young, barely a year. We first started back in May this year, where most of the initial members are from May intake. The idea of MBA Club was first coined by Dr. Ahmed Razman himself. He is currently the lecturer of Accounting subject for MBA course. Back then the first committee nominated was Sharifah, the Secretary, Kerk, Treasurer and myself the President.

Our journey has just begun…this is the first step of a thousand miles. The first step is always the hardest, because there are some many unknown possibilities and obstacles.

As you can see from the distributed proposal on activities and programs, there are lots of things to be discussed and finalized.

Basically, the Club’s role and objective is mainly acting as intermediary between students and the management of Putra Business School. Lately, there were lots of issues and concerns relating to the poor accessibility to our student portal, scholarship red-tape, unfriendly e-books format, limited student parking and so on. We as the Club representative will try to find a solution/ suggestions and forward it to the PBS for consideration and approval.

I would open up to the floor for any suggestions or ideas that the Club can work on. It does matter whether the idea or suggestion is small or may seem ridiculous because this is the platform for us speak up your mind and your heart.

Last but not least, I end my speech and allow the next course of ceremony to proceed.

Thank you. 

After my speech, Dr. Razman delivered his speech and made a wonderful announcements...
He announced that by mid-next year PBS new building will be completed and the Club will be given maximum 4 rooms to operate its office and other activities. He also announced that PBS will provide free website under PBS new portal. The Club is authorized to represent all PBS students and the Club's representative would join the PBS management meeting on monthly basis to discuss administration affairs.

I was presenting the welcome speech...

  




Dr. Razman was presenting his speech...

Registration of student for the 1st AGM of the Club

Some of the organizing committee members..

Some of the MBA students who attend the 1st AGM of the Club...

Photo session with some of the new exco. committee of the Club....

EPF Investment

Life is about making choice... The question: Do you have plan for your future or golden retirement. If not maybe you want to continue working till the end of your golden days....
Since November 1996,  all eligible EPF contributors are allowed to make partial and interval withdrawal from their EPF saving account no.1. 
Furthermore, through EPF investment scheme, you benefit from the low service charges of 3%, which mean you have higher returns later.
So, why wait.... start invest your EPF saving to maximize your returns thus later enjoy your golden retirement.

Fraser Hill course

It was a great course at Fraser Hill.... cool & windy! So on the last nite, I decided to take a snapshot with my friends - Ahmad Kamal (far-left), Mohd Rizal & Mohd Riwan.....

One thing about the road up to Fraser Hill, it is quite daunting due to narrow road and lots & lots of sharp turning. Best come when the sun is still young & bright coz you would want to miss the beautiful waterfalls & flowers along the road. Actually, it is dangerous coming in late evening coz it will be very dark on the road. 

There are a lots of private villas & bangalow for rent at Fraser Hill. I was staying at Rumah Peranginan Persekutuan which is very cheap but huge.


My second trip to Fraser Hill was fun.... but I think Cameron Highlands is better!

Journey India

A three week trip to India was one great journey. I've learned that as much we expect to gain something new,
we should also appreciated for what we already had in hand.

India was rich with ancient culture largely still remained in many of it's historical sites throughout the country.
I only managed to visit a few, including the Great Wonder - The Taj Mahal. I think of going to India again....

I miss all my friends. One day we meet again.

Employment Chronicles

I decided to spice up my life. Too much politic & rubbish tabloids around are not healthy for the mind.

So I  thought..... Then an idea strike!! Why not I make my own newsletter.

After some brain storming and looking around at people ideas finally... Haha... I got it - I named it Employment Chronicles. I guess my focus would be employment issues. There are so many news have gone unnoticed both local and international alike.

The 1st issue have be distributed FREE through email.

Anybody wish to subscribe, please email me your request to: jeffrydouglas@gmail.com 

Wish me luck. 

Food for thought

A young boy asked his father, “Dad, what is wealth?”

The father hesitates for a moment then say, “When we have a lot of money that is wealth.”

“What about health?” the boy asks another question.

Then the father answers, “Health is about our well-being”

 Suddenly, the boy stop and say, “I’m not in good health dad.”

“What wrong my boy...?” the father looks at his son with curiosity.

 “I saw a signboard back there says – Health is Wealth. But I’m always sick. It would be hard for me get wealth because I’m not well.” the boy explained as he pointing at a signboard behind them.

The father smiles and says, “My son, you have good thought and strong heart. That is what you need most now and keeps going with it...”  

Unit Trust Investment

Let me illustrate to you the power of systematic investment using “Ringgit Cost Averaging”... see Table 1 below:


Table 1.0:

DATE	AMOUNT	UNIT	PRICE (RM)
8-Aug-09	RM1,000.00	3,791.47	RM0.2500
8-Sep-09	RM150.00	559.76	RM0.2540
8-Oct-09	RM150.00	551.09	RM0.2580
8-Nov-09	RM150.00	551.09	RM0.2580
8-Dec-09	RM150.00	546.85	RM0.2600
8-Jan-10	RM150.00	536.53	RM0.2650
8-Feb-10	RM150.00	526.59	RM0.2700
8-Mar-10	RM150.00	518.91	RM0.2740
8-Apr-10	RM150.00	511.44	RM0.2780
8-May-10	RM150.00	498.88	RM0.2850
8-Jun-10	RM150.00	490.28	RM0.2900
8-Jul-10	RM150.00	483.61	RM0.2940
	RM2,650.00	9,566.48	RM0.2770

Let us assume that you have invested RM1,000.00 in a unit trust fund. Then subsequently and systematically you invest RM150 per month in the same fund for about a year. Your total amount of investment is RM2,650.00 and you have acquired an asset of 9566.48 units valued at RM0.294 per unit as of 8 July 2010. The value of unit changes from time to time. If the value increase to RM0.30 in the following month, then the asset value will be RM2,869.94. That give you unrealized profits of RM219.94.

If you decided to sell one third (1/3) or 3000 units at the price of RM0.30, then you will get cash in hand of RM900.00. There are still a balance of 6,566.48 unit in the fund. Doing this again and again over many years, you will eventually acquired a steady flow of income and building up a promising liquid asset.

90Days Maternity Leave

Firstly, I like to quote a saying from John Stuart Mill;

“Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.”

Nowadays, with the advent of new superb ICT gadgets and new discoveries in science, the present principle of knowledge and way of thinking need to be dynamic. Personally, I believe there are pro and con to this new development. The good part of new technology is that it helps to resolve certain technically problems and save a lot of time in doing things. But the bad part is that it inflicts a hidden cost and unforeseen implications to the society and nature.

So, a person being conservative per se is not really stupid for not accepting a change, but he or she may be being paranoid about change itself. This is quite common among the older generations, but not all of them are like that.

Speaking of change, we all can talk about changing our lives, our community and so on. And speaking about change in employment laws in Malaysia, I got interested with the headline in The Star published on 20 May 2010. It was about “90Days Maternity Leave”...

To some people, they might say, “What’s the big deal about it...?” I guess and I bet that group of people are still single. They are forgiven anyway because they have yet to embrace parenthood. However, I’m sure that all working parents would want the issue to be highlighted and discussed by the relevant ministries, namely the Human Resource Ministry and Women, Family & Community Development Ministry.

NUBE (National Union of Bank Employee) have being going all out on a “signature campaign” to get support from general public on the 90Days Maternity Leave. The move was motivated to amend the current Employment laws and to include additional maternity protection. Currently, Kelantan State government has shown a concrete support to the campaign and it was announced that women civil servant in the State would enjoy the 90 days entitlement starting next year. 

Back then sometime in March 2009, Selangor State under the helm of Chief Minister Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim of PKR had announced that the 90days entitlement takes effect in the same year, and in addition the husband also enjoys a 14 days paternity leave.

Looking back in May 2007, when the issue was first raised by Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (Minister of Women, Family & Community Development Ministry), who earlier proposed 84 days maternity leave to the Cabinet for approval but was rejected. There was a debate and concerns raised by the employer, particularly MEF (Malaysian Employer Federation) who argued that the long leave would negatively affect industrial productivity.

Personally, I would tend to look outside the box in order to get a more holistic view on the effect of a longer maternity leave. Of course there are always two side of the coin that the society has to deal with it – it either getting a healthy child growth or company’s wealth growth? Any nation would not want to sacrifice too much on either side. So it has to be balanced.  

Note: This article was published in
 http://blog.thestar.com.my/default.asp?d=5/22/2010

God's Gift to Mankind

“God does not take away His gifts and calling in your life. Even if you’ve never done anything with them, even if you’ve failed time and time again, God’s gifts and calling are still resident within you.”

~ John L. Mason

I agreed with John Mason, that God’s gifts to us are our talent and ability to create or do things. It is so near and deep within us, yet we never realized it is the soul of our purpose in life. So, if you think there’s no purpose in this life, then you should find one right within yourself. For sure, you will find great pleasure pursuing it. But if you think you have one or more. You should be sure about it and be focus on the direction. 

Stock Update - PICORP

Progressive Impact Corporation Berhad (PICORP) is principally an investment holding company and provides management and administrative services to its subsidiaries while its subsidiary companies are principally involved in the provision of environmental consulting, monitoring equipment/system integration, waste management engineering, environmental training, Environmental, Safety and Health (ESH) Consulting, laboratory testing and environmental data management services

I started investing in PICORP last year (2009). It was quite a risky choice of investment, knowing the company rely a lot on government's project. However, after looking at its financial standing from year 2001 till 2008, I discovered they have quite a steady growth in profit before tax

2001 - RM10,510,000

2002 - RM11,759,000

2003 - RM12,603,000

2004 - RM13,731,000

                                                      2005 - RM15,083,000

                                                      2006 - RM22,046,000

                                                      2007 - RM22,650,000

                                                      2008 - RM23,822,000

Another attraction PICORP offer is their consistent dividend policy. In financial year 2009, although their profit before tax drop to RM19,860,000, PICORP still pay out RM0.41sen/ share, less 25% tax. 

At the time when I start buying PICORP stock, its price was around RM0.35 - 0.33. Now the price is around RM0.21 - 0.22. Some investor may walkout upon seeing the price drop. Well, I choose to hold for a while.

Gold Investment

Invest in gold is another way doing investment. In Malaysia I've discover a few gold instruments such as gold coin (eg. dinar or public gold), gold account such as Maybank Gold Saving Account and unit trust such as OSK Gold & General Fund.
Ever since the U.S sub-prime crisis, then Dubai crisis and the recent Greece debt crisis, the gold price has surged up to above $1200 per oz.
I've bought few piece of gold from a website at http://www.publicdinar.com
through its agent. I trust the product coz I've attended its seminar and meet face to face with the author of jutawanemas.com ~ En. Shukor Hashim


 Visit his blog at http://jutawanemas.com/v1 for more info.

Stock Review - NTPM (5066)

NTPM logo is copyright reserved by NTPM Holding Bhd.
Principally this company engaged in manufacturing and trading of tissue papers, toilet tissue, serviette, napkin and other related products. 
Check out their website for further info. at http://www.ntpm.com.my

I've been holding NTPM share since last year. During that holding period, I had benefit its dividend and increase of shares price from RM0.51 to now - RM0.57
That about 11.8% growth of price value.
Recently, on 18 Mac 2010 the company made a share buy back announcement to Bursa Malaysia taking 10,000unit@RM0.60
I believed NTPM has a lots of growth potential and it had good track record since it inception in 1975. One thing I like about NTPM is that they have consistent dividend policy and payout. I've summarized the "Net Dividend per share" based on its Annual Report 2008, listed below:
Year 2004 - 1.92 sen/ share (net)
Year 2005 - 1.92 sen
Year 2006 - 2.30 sen
Year 2007 - 3.38 sen
Year 2008 - 4.05 sen
I'm not promoting this share or telling you out there to buy it. Every investor have their list of shares. Well, this is one of mine... 

STARTING AN INVESTMENT

STOCK UPDATE - MYEG (0138)

Stock Update - May 13, 2010

MyEG logo is a copyright reserved by MyEG Services Sdn. Bhd. 
Check out their portal at http://www.myeg.com.my for further information about their services and products.  

The technical analysis chart on the left side was taken from a website at http://www.shareinvestor.com.my      
MyEG is one of my favorite stock. A couple of days ago I've sold my share at RM0.51 and earned few hundred in profit.
Now, the price still going up. As you can see in the MACD chart, the signal is still going upward. Probably, this trend would last a week or so.
You don't buy it now. Just wait....
I've a target price.... You should do the same.
Lets target a price range between RM0.48 - RM0.52. If it hits any number within the price range, buy 5000 unit.
Next, we wait....

MISTAKES IN LIFE

Wednesday, 12 May 2010


     Throughout my life, I've made many mistakes & even lost money. I believed everyone of us cannot run away from making mistakes. Even great leaders of the world made mistakes. So why some people are so afraid of making mistake? 
     To me, every time I've made a mistake I'll will back track & find out where or what when wrong. So, I discovered that it all lies with the CHOICES of action available before a DECISION was made. There should be sufficient choices as it reflects our planning & road map to our goal in life. 
     The only setback to choice is TIME and RESOURCES. Less time and resources hinder us from acquiring more choice of action, thus result to poor decision. The fact is that we only have 24 hours in day, but resources can be manipulate up to certain limitation.


JD..


     

SAVE & INVEST YOUR MONEY

Introduction
Many of us lack the discipline to do savings. If you have some savings, you may want to invest them to maximise your return (eg. invest in unit trust). Investment is part of your overall financial planning. There are some guidance on the factors to consider before investing as well as the do's and don'ts when investing.
Difference Between Investment & Savings
Doing investment is very much different from savings. In savings,you will generally get back your money, plus some interest. However, in an investment, you may or may not get back the sum of money invested. In some cases, you may get much more than the initial amount invested. The potentially higher return is to compensate you for the higher risks undertaken by you.
Planning Your Investments
A smart investments are not a matter of luck, but a result of careful planning and timely decision. When you invest, you should not rely on hearsay. You must spend some time to understand the market, either through research or seeking out expert advice.
Below are some of the issues you should be aware:
Step 1 – Know why you want to invest
Before you invest, you should know the purpose of your investment, that is your financial objectives. Your financial objectives may be to:

• Send your children for higher education
• Plan for a comfortable retirement in the future
• Maintain the purchasing power of the principal amount invested
• Obtain income from your investments
• Grow your net worth

You can achieve your the above objectives by investing your savings based on the time frame.
Step 2 – Know the key issues to consider when investing
As investments are long-term commitments, and you must consider your ability to invest before you commit yourself. Among the key issues to consider are:

• How much money do you have for a medium to long-term commitment?
• Do you fully understand the product that you are investing in?
• Does the intended investment fit into your overall portfolio?
• Have you compared returns on other similar investments?
• Do you understand the risks involved and do you know your tolerance level for loss? (i.e. how much changes in the price/value of your investments can you tolerate)
• What are your expectations towards returns on your investments? (i.e. how much returns will you be satisfied with)
• What is your time horizon for the investment? (eg. 5 years, 10 years, etc.)
• Do you have the flexibility to sell the investment in the event of emergency?
• How can you monitor the performance of your investments against your changing needs?

Step 3 - Know the concepts of investing

• Diversification

A proven strategy for successful investing is diversification – to vary your investment. Diversification is an effective way of minimising risks and protecting you from volatility in a particular asset class or industry. Different types of investments are exposed to different risk and by diversifying, the losses in some investments can be offset by other investment gains.

• Time Value of Money

Time is the greatest asset for anyone who wants to invest. The earlier you invest, the greater is your return on the value of your money. This is due to the concept of compound interest where you will earn interest on your original investment and the interest earned. Even one percentage point can make a difference in the long run. Click on the link below to see some presentation on "Investing Money"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QvW1XETz2g&feature=PlayList&p=2C475FE80C6D8054&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=1

• Impact of Inflation and Taxes

Proper planning and ensuring a minimum average rate of return on investment in the longer term is also crucial as the money you have today may not be able to buy you the same amount of things in the future. This is because inflation reduces the value of money. Although you may earn a return on your investments, the actual value of your investments may be reduced due to the effect of inflation. The investment goal is for your money to grow above the rate of inflation. Tax will also reduce your return on investment unless your investments are tax exempted. Therefore, you should invest in an asset which allows you to get the best return after taking into consideration the effect of taxation and inflation in the longer term.

• Maximising Returns

As an investor, you will always try to get the highest return on your investments. The time needed for your money to double can be calculated using the Rule of 72. Divide 72 by the rate of interest you earn on your savings. If the return calculated is unsatisfactory, you may consider other
options that pay a higher rate of return. Click on the link below to see some presentation on "Rule 72"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEbik_2JisQ 

• Ringgit Cost Averaging

"Ringgit cost averaging" is a technique widely practiced in the unit trust industry. It involves investing a fixed amount of money for specified interval such as monthly, quarterly or yearly regardless of how the stock market performs. When fund prices are higher, the additional money invested will buy fewer units but when prices are lower, the same amount of money allows you to buy more units. Implicit in this approach is that at some point in time, markets will recover as they move in cycles, at which time profits can be taken.

• Risk-Return Relationship

There are many types of investments in the market and each has  a different level of risk and expected return. Certain types of investments (e.g. savings bond) tend to be"safer" than others, meaning your original investment is preserved but the rate of return may be lower. Investments
which promise higher returns (e.g. equity unit trust or shares) will also have higher risks. As a result of the risk return trade-off, you have to consider the level of risk associated with different types of assets and choose the appropriate asset to invest.

• Understanding Risk

Risk is an indicator of expectation about the potential gain or loss associated with investing over time. If you expect to make a large gain in a short period of time, the risks would be high. However, if you prefer long term investments, the level of risk would be lower. As the time period of an investment becomes longer, the variation and volatility in returns tend to
be lower.
Step 4 – Know which investments are appropriate for you
Before you select any investment product, it is important that you understand how it works. Each asset is unique and has a different risk-return profile which you can invest in to realise different financial goals. However, it is important to realise that negative return is possible for most investment types. 
Conclusion
One should not enter into any investment decision in a hasty manner. A smart investor must proactively seek information on the various investment options available. He or she must also be sensitive to the prevailing investment climate and market conditions. Investors must always remember to exercise prudence when it comes to making an investment choice and decision.


Note:
If you wish to start an investment in unit trust (eg. Public Mutual) or start a stock trading online with Bursa Malaysia, contact me (Jeffry) at 016-2154532.