NANYANG FELLOWS MBA

Business Study Mission to Myanmar – The Last Asian Economy Frontier

So we went to Myanmar for our Business Study Mission (BMS). Considering the other exotic places that previous cohorts visited (cue: Tokyo, Berlin, Copenhagen, etc), Myanmar does not exactly fit into the kind of exotic country that most of us had in mind. Nevertheless, we were looking forward to visit this Asian last frontier economy and see what it can offer.

I shall not bore you with the details of our trips. I mean you can expect the usual company visits, cultural site visits and networking lunches and dinners. And some of us ate the fried crickets over dinner as part of immersion.

But what really strikes me is the warmth and optimism of its people. Almost everyone we met believes their country has turned the corner and things will start to improve from now. There is the young banker who abandons his promising banking career in U.S. to join a Myanmar bank. There is the Singapore-born Australian who is happy that his decision more than 10 years ago to bring his business to Myanmar is starting to pay off and he has proved his early detractors wrong.

Well, after the BSM, I can certainly understand their optimism. Unlike Singapore, Myanmar today is essentially a SME-centric economy. While its economy remains highly fragmented and largely inward-looking, perhaps a consequence of the military junta’s rule previously, it is a cornucopia of exciting opportunities and inadequacies. Almost every business sector you can imagine offers growth or business potential even though the business eco-system is still lacking and resources are struggling to handle the spike in capital influx.

If I am to invest in Myanmar today, I will consider a hospitality training school. As tourism booms and more hotels are built to cater to demand, there will be a growing need for skilled labor in this area. The business can contract with hotels to provide them with the skilled labor or assist them to train their new employees. It can also run open recruitment to train students who are keen to pursue career in hospitality. I think this is a safe investment with relatively low capital and low risk. So call me if you are keen to talk more.

For me, the BSM was a success. It has achieved its objectives to enrich the fellows’ broad knowledge of global development and expose us to the cultural, social, political and business dynamics that form part of the larger regional platform. More importantly, it has inspired us to consider the vast potential in Myanmar.

Will I do it again? Yes, of course. And don’t say you hear it from me; the next batch is probably going to South America.

NANYANG FELLOWS MBA

“Singapore Day”

What a day it was for the class of Nanyang Fellows 2013/2014. Singapore Day was indeed a memorable and unforgettable day for most, if not all, of us. It was a break from tradition to organise an event lasting the whole day.  The day started with a visit to the Images of Singapore which showed Singapore’s transformation from a sleepy fishing village into the cosmopolitan and bustling city that it is today. Even Singaporeans got in on the act, reminiscing about the days when their grandparents used to cook with charcoal stoves.

After getting a better understanding of  Singapore’s development and progress over the years, the programme fast- forwarded our Fellows into the 21st Century with a visit to Universal Studios  Singapore at the Resorts World Sentosa. The thrilling rides such as “The Mummy” and “Transformers” kept adults and children fully entertained. Some Fellows even  got in on the act by providing their own scares for the Mummy ride, and interacting with Optimus Prime for Transformers. Our Fellows also had the opportunity to get up close but not personal with stars such as Frankenstein, and Kungfu Panda.

After a thoroughly enjoyable time in Sentosa, it was time to fill our tummies with food, food and more food. Peranakan cuisine, Satay, Laksa, Mooncakes and not forgetting tropical fruits such as XO and D13 durians and mangosteens were all part of the spread. While some steered clear of the durians, others gamely gave it a go!

Our South Korean classmate, Kang, even asked to bring back some more durians so that him and his wife could enjoy it back in their house! We then had Jason to explain the origins of the Mid-Autumn festival (also known as mooncake festival and lantern festival) to everyone present. His knowledge was even more extensive than our China classmate, who tried to confuse Jason with the wrong information. To protect him, the details of his spoof shall not be revealed here.

And, it was not all just activities for the adults. The kids got in on the fun as well, and they gamely posed for this superb picture. All in all, it was a truly exemplary example of all that Singapore is about: Singapore’s evolution and history, the modern Singapore, Singapore food, Singapore culture and lastly, Singaporean hospitality! Everyone really enjoyed themselves tremendously!

NANYANG FELLOWS MBA

My National Day Parade Experience in Singapore

I had joined the Fellows MBA at the NTU on 02 Jul 2013, and after a week’s orientation and two days team building stint at OBS Singapore, was craving to dig into and learn about the culture of Singapore. The God sent opportunity was provided by my co-fellow Yi Chuen, when he announced that he had managed to arrange few tickets for the full dress rehearsal of the National Day Parade (marking 48years of Independence) and was gracious enough to even accompany us with his wife to the venue.

So, with great enthusiasm and expectations, our group, all dressed in red T- shirts, reached the venue at 0530 pm. (In the background, you can see the logo for the NDP- circles of different sizes and colors come together to form the shape of Singapore. The circles symbolize many stories- at the personal, community and national levels, which have shaped the common history of Singapore and represent the experiences the citizens have gone through together as a country and their values and aspirations that make them who they are.) I was impressed by the way the volunteers, mostly young college/ school students, guided us towards our stands. Each of us was handed over a goodies bag and ushered to our seats.

On the stage were the anchors of the programme : Gurmit Singh( pleased to see an Indian origin guy), Siti Kaligah, Vernetta Lopez and Sebastian Tan. The theme song of the parade was ‘Many Stories… One Singapore.’ True to the theme, the programme began with the children from different schools presenting dances in very colorful dresses. This was followed by the sky divers, free-falling, holding each other’s hands- conveying the message of unity, and landing on the stage right in front of us.   The most impressive was the jump of the first ever female sky diver who did a free fall in the NDP – hats off to her. This was followed by the spectacular display of Apache helicopters, tanks, anti-mine vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, artillery guns, multiple barrel rocket launchers, enactment of neutralization of terrorists by the police and display of their skills by the firemen.

Thereafter, followed the military contingents of the Singapore Armed Forces (close to my heart, being an ex-Army man), marching smartly in their spic and span dresses, to the tune of the bands accompanying them. Seeing the crowds’ reaction, it was apparent that they had stolen their hearts. Following this, the Singapore flag (first unveiled at the City Hall on 03 Dec 1959) was flown across in all its majestic glory by the Chinooks.

Then followed by the roaring F16’sm crisscrossing each other’s path, leading to skipping of heart beats of many.

When it is Singapore’s birthday, can the Carnival be far behind? We were entertained by stories, paying tribute to all the communities of Singapore and telling us how their shared dreams, aspirations and perspectives brought them together into “One Singapore.”

As the last light descended, we were greeted by cyclists (with colored lights on their wheels) and acrobats, transmitting their tremendous energy to the audience, through their power-packed display. By now, the torch lights were out from our goodie-bags and waving them to the tunes and chorus of the singers was an exhilarating experience.

The use of technology in creating the basketball court, etc. on the stage using laser beams was spectacular. The wheel-chair basketballers,   not to be left behind, gave us the impression that everyone  had contributed in his/her own unique way towards the building of this spectacular nation, in such a short time. Even the “Merlion,” from our right, swam across the waters and came on stage to entertain us. The accompanying fireworks display added color spark and brightness, to the ongoing performances. The spectacle ended with all the participants converging onto the stage, to bid us goodbye.

In the end, the crowd bid adieu to the Education Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat, who was the Reviewing officer for the parade.  I have no qualms in saying that the truly amazing and spectacular display of talent and technology will forever remain etched in my memory!!