Focus, NST: “Reworking the CSR concept” pg 38

There was a very interesting article in Sunday’s (30/11/2008) New Straits Times regarding CSR written by Mike Chiam, a council member of the Malaysian Empoyers Federation and chairman of the Human Resource Bureau of the SMI Association of Malaysia. You can currently read the article here.

The article touched on issues such as the extention of what is known as  “stakeholders” where it is now not only shareholders and investors who are considered as stakeholders.

Another interesting thing mentioned was in regards to Socially responsible investment. Where Malaysian investors stand on this point and whether Malaysian investor’s would take into account whether or not a company is socially responsible when deciding to invest in that certain company is still unknown. Personally, I still feel many Malaysians wouldn’t give a stuff about it. Whaddya all reckon?

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Sunway University leading the way in moulding young minds towards CSR. Thumbs up!

A couple of months back the 2008 Undergraduate Business Students Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility is jointly organised by Sunway University College, the Sunway Group, CPA Australia and KPMG.

This was reported on the CSR Malaysia’s website over here. (on 28/08/08)

Firstly, hats off to the Sunway group and its participating partners. I think for far too long in Malaysia, our emphasis of education for our business students have always been making the big $$$. As quoted from the CSR Malaysia article, Dr. Foo Yin Fah, Head of the Australian University Programme at Sunway University College specifically mentioned that:-

“Through this conference, we hope to infuse the CSR mindset amongst undergraduate students by profiling organisations that do not only practice profit maximization, but also behave responsibly towards their community at large,”

In order for Malaysia to lead the way in CSR in the SEA region, it is very important that Malaysia is able to educate it’s future business leaders on the importance of CSR and in the 3 different aspects of triple bottom line (Financial, Social and Enviromental). Old minds maybe hard to mould but it is the youth who are more receptive and are the ones to determine Malaysia’s future success.

Will any other university step up and follow Sunway’s lead??

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A win for Obama, A win for the enviornment and alternative energies?

Obama has now created history.

Now when he enters the white house in early January he faces the two most important challenges:-

1. To revive the US economy
2. To find alternative energy resources

Will he be able to do it? Only time will tell, only time will tell.