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BIODATA - NIK ZAFRI


 



NIK ZAFRI BIN ABDUL MAJID,
CONSULTANT/TRAINER
Email: nikzafri@yahoo.com, nikzafri@gmail.com
https://nikzafri.wixsite.com/nikzafri

Kelantanese, Alumni of Sultan Ismail College Kelantan (SICA), IT Competency Cert, Certified Written English Professional US. Has participated in many seminars/conferences (local/ international) in the capacity of trainer/lecturer and participant.

Affiliations :- Network Member of Gerson Lehrman Group, Institute of Quality Malaysia, Auditor ISO 9000 IRCAUK, Auditor OHSMS (SIRIM and STS) /EMS ISO 14000 and Construction Quality Assessment System CONQUAS, CIDB (Now BCA) Singapore),

* Possesses almost 30 years of experience/hands-on in the multi-modern management & technical disciplines (systems & methodologies) such as Knowledge Management (Hi-Impact Management/ICT Solutions), Quality (TQM/ISO), Safety Health Environment, Civil & Building (Construction), Manufacturing, Motivation & Team Building, HR, Marketing/Branding, Business Process Reengineering, Economy/Stock Market, Contracts/Project Management, Finance & Banking, etc. He was employed to international bluechips involving in national/international megaprojects such as Balfour Beatty Construction/Knight Piesold & Partners UK, MMI Insurance Group Australia, Hazama Corporation (Hazamagumi) Japan (with Mitsubishi Corporation, JA Jones US, MMCE and Ho-Hup) and Sunway Construction Berhad (The Sunway Group of Companies). Among major projects undertaken : Pergau Hydro Electric Project, KLCC Petronas Twin Towers, LRT Tunnelling, KLIA, Petronas Refineries Melaka, Putrajaya Government Complex, Sistem Lingkaran Lebuhraya Kajang (SILK), Mex Highway, KLIA1, KLIA2 etc. Once serviced SMPD Management Consultants as Associate Consultant cum Lecturer for Diploma in Management, Institute of Supervisory Management UK/SMPD JV. Currently – Associate/Visiting Consultants/Facilitators, Advisors for leading consulting firms (local and international) including project management. To name a few – Noma SWO Consult, Amiosh Resources, Timur West Consultant Sdn. Bhd., TIJ Consultants Group (Malaysia and Singapore) and many others.

* Ex-Resident Weekly Columnist of Utusan Malaysia (1995-1998) and have produced more than 100 articles related to ISO-9000– Management System and Documentation Models, TQM Strategic Management, Occupational Safety and Health (now OHSAS 18000) and Environmental Management Systems ISO 14000. His write-ups/experience has assisted many students/researchers alike in module developments based on competency or academics and completion of many theses. Once commended by the then Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia for his diligence in promoting and training the civil services (government sector) based on “Total Quality Management and Quality Management System ISO-9000 in Malaysian Civil Service – Paradigm Shift Scalar for Assessment System”

Among Nik Zafri’s clients : Adabi Consumer Industries Sdn. Bhd, (MRP II, Accounts/Credit Control) The HQ of Royal Customs and Excise Malaysia (ISO 9000), Veterinary Services Dept. Negeri Sembilan (ISO 9000), The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (Aspects of Project Management – KLCC construction), Corporate HQ of RHB (Peter Drucker's MBO/KRA), NEC Semiconductor - Klang Selangor (Productivity Management), Prime Minister’s Department Malaysia (ISO 9000), State Secretarial Office Negeri Sembilan (ISO 9000), Hidrological Department KL (ISO 9000), Asahi Kluang Johor(System Audit, Management/Supervisory Development), Tunku Mahmood (2) Primary School Kluang Johor (ISO 9000), Consortium PANZANA (HSSE 3rd Party Audit), Lecturer for Information Technology Training Centre (ITTC) – Authorised Training Center (ATC) – University of Technology Malaysia (UTM) Kluang Branch Johor, Kluang General Hospital Johor (Management/Supervision Development, Office Technology/Administration, ISO 9000 & Construction Management), Kahang Timur Secondary School Johor (ISO 9000), Sultan Abdul Jalil Secondary School Kluang Johor (Islamic Motivation and Team Building), Guocera Tiles Industries Kluang Johor (EMS ISO 14000), MNE Construction (M) Sdn. Bhd. Kota Tinggi Johor (ISO 9000 – Construction), UITM Shah Alam Selangor (Knowledge Management/Knowledge Based Economy /TQM), Telesystem Electronics/Digico Cable(ODM/OEM for Astro – ISO 9000), Sungai Long Industries Sdn. Bhd. (Bina Puri Group) - ISO 9000 Construction), Secura Security Printing Sdn. Bhd,(ISO 9000 – Security Printing) ROTOL AMS Bumi Sdn. Bhd & ROTOL Architectural Services Sdn. Bhd. (ROTOL Group) – ISO 9000 –Architecture, Bond M & E (KL) Sdn. Bhd. (ISO 9000 – Construction/M & E), Skyline Telco (M) Sdn. Bhd. (Knowledge Management),Technochase Sdn. Bhd JB (ISO 9000 – Construction), Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM – ISO 9000 & Internal Audit Refresher), Shinryo/Steamline Consortium (Petronas/OGP Power Co-Generation Plant Melaka – Construction Management and Safety, Health, Environment), Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Negotiation Skills), Association for Retired Intelligence Operatives of Malaysia (Cyber Security – Arpa/NSFUsenet, Cobit, Till, ISO/IEC ISMS 27000 for Law/Enforcement/Military), T.Yamaichi Corp. (M) Sdn. Bhd. (EMS ISO 14000) LSB Manufacturing Solutions Sdn. Bhd., (Lean Scoreboard (including a full development of System-Software-Application - MSC Malaysia & Six Sigma) PJZ Marine Services Sdn. Bhd., (Safety Management Systems and Internal Audit based on International Marine Organization Standards) UNITAR/UNTEC (Degree in Accountacy – Career Path/Roadmap) Cobrain Holdings Sdn. Bhd.(Managing Construction Safety & Health), Speaker for International Finance & Management Strategy (Closed Conference), Pembinaan Jaya Zira Sdn. Bhd. (ISO 9001:2008-Internal Audit for Construction Industry & Overview of version 2015), Straits Consulting Engineers Sdn. Bhd. (Full Integrated Management System – ISO 9000, OHSAS 18000 (ISO 45000) and EMS ISO 14000 for Civil/Structural/Geotechnical Consulting), Malaysia Management & Science University (MSU – (Managing Business in an Organization), Innoseven Sdn. Bhd. (KVMRT Line 1 MSPR8 – Awareness and Internal Audit (Construction), ISO 9001:2008 and 2015 overview for the Construction Industry), Kemakmuran Sdn. Bhd. (KVMRT Line 1 - Signages/Wayfinding - Project Quality Plan and Construction Method Statement ), Lembaga Tabung Haji - Flood ERP, WNA Consultants - DID/JPS -Flood Risk Assessment and Management Plan - Prelim, Conceptual Design, Interim and Final Report etc., Tunnel Fire Safety - Fire Risk Assessment Report - Design Fire Scenario), Safety, Health and Environmental Management Plans leading construction/property companies/corporations in Malaysia, Timur West Consultant : Business Methodology and System, Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) ISO/IEC 27001:2013 for Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya ISMS/Audit/Risk/ITP Technical Team, MPDT Capital Berhad - ISO 9001: 2015 - Consultancy, Construction, Project Rehabilitation, Desalination (first one in Malaysia to receive certification on trades such as Reverse Osmosis Seawater Desalination and Project Recovery/Rehabilitation)

* Has appeared for 10 consecutive series in “Good Morning Malaysia RTM TV1’ Corporate Talk Segment discussing on ISO 9000/14000 in various industries. For ICT, his inputs garnered from his expertise have successfully led to development of work-process e-enabling systems in the environments of intranet, portal and interactive web design especially for the construction and manufacturing. Some of the end products have won various competitions of innovativeness, quality, continual-improvements and construction industry award at national level. He has also in advisory capacity – involved in development and moderation of websites, portals and e-profiles for mainly corporate and private sectors, public figures etc. He is also one of the recipients for MOSTE Innovation for RFID use in Electronic Toll Collection in Malaysia.

Note :


TO SEE ALL ARTICLES

ON THE"LABEL" SECTION BELOW (RIGHT SIDE COLUMN), YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY TAG - TO READ ALL ARTICLES ACCORDING TO ITS CATEGORY (E.G. LABEL : CONSTRUCTION) OR GO TO THE VERY END OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK "Older Posts"


 

Showing posts with label FACEBOOK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FACEBOOK. Show all posts

Sunday, June 18, 2023

METAVERSE

The term "metaverse" refers to a virtual reality space or a collective virtual shared space where users can interact with each other and computer-generated environments in real-time. It is often described as a successor to the internet, creating a more immersive and interconnected digital world.

In the metaverse, users can navigate and explore this virtual space using avatars, which are digital representations of themselves. They can communicate with other users, participate in activities, create and manipulate objects, and engage in various forms of virtual experiences, such as gaming, socializing, learning, working, and conducting business.
The concept of the metaverse has gained significant attention in recent years due to advancements in virtual reality, augmented reality, and blockchain technologies. Companies like Facebook (now Meta), Microsoft, Epic Games, and others are investing in developing metaverse platforms and experiences.
The vision of the metaverse is to create a seamless and interconnected digital realm that transcends the limitations of physical space, allowing for rich social interactions and immersive experiences. However, it is still an evolving concept, and its exact form and implementation are subject to ongoing development and debate.

Friday, May 25, 2012

FACEBOOK - NOT A DISASTER, JUST A TALE OF OLD FASHIONED GREED

Globalist Analysis > Global Markets
Facebook — Not a Disaster, Just a Tale of Old-Fashioned Greed  
By Beat J. Guldimann | Friday, May 25, 2012

A week ago, Facebook became a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ stock exchange — putting a valuation of $17 billion on its founder's ownership stake. Since then, Facebook's stock price has been sinking, leading Beat Guldimann to question why it was ever so high in the first place. Could old-fashioned greed have been a factor?

Photo credit: Lev Radin/Shutterstock.com

Mark Zuckerberg has finally done it. Facebook went public in an initial public offering (IPO) that valued the company at over one hundred times earnings at an initial offering price that was hiked in the last hours of the deal going live. This allowed Zuckerberg and other key shareholders of Facebook Inc. to squeeze a few more dollars out of an eager public thirsty for new issues in a dry market.


_________________________________________________

  Companies don't go public in order to make those
who buy their stock rich. IPOs happen for a lot of
reasons, none of which are altruistic.

_________________________________________________

Only a few days after the stock traded for the first time, the party seems to be over. Instead of rising and allowing some lucky speculators to make a quick buck, Facebook lost a quarter of its value.

Everybody is up in arms. There are the scandalized who are crying fraud and the told-you-so's basking in schadenfreude. Meanwhile, the media is labeling the Facebook IPO an epic failure — even a disaster.

Nobody can deny that the Facebook IPO is a bit of a failure. The stock was supposed to soar in the first few days of trading so that a lot of early investors could get paid for taking the risk. At least, that's what the investment bankers' playbook says.

However, the 25% pullback out of the gates is no disaster. To the contrary, it demonstrates that markets will see things for what they are. In the case of Facebook, markets were quick to recognize that the company was simply too expensive. And they did what markets are supposed to do — correct inefficient pricing.

The story of Facebook going to town is a tale of greed, nothing more and nothing less. Companies don't go public with the objective of making those who buy their stock rich. IPOs happen for all sorts of reasons, none of which are altruistic. Let's look at a few:

First off, there is Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and its controlling force. Ever since he took Facebook outside of Harvard, his story has been an amazing success. He became one of the wealthiest twenty-somethings on the planet by transforming the way people use social media.

His problem, however, was that the lion's share of the billions he created in personal wealth was tied up in the company. Zuckerberg's motivation for the IPO was to create liquidity and take some money off the table. Selling shares to the public gives him a lot of cash and allows him to reduce the concentration of investment risk associated with his brainchild.

_________________________________________________

shareholders are watching the value of their
investment drop, while Zuckerberg counts his coins
like Scrooge.

_________________________________________________


There is nothing wrong with this motivation per se. The problem is in setting the issuing price at an unreasonably high level, which hurt the buying public that paid Zuckerberg too much for his stock. Shareholders are watching the value of their investment drop, while Zuckerberg counts his coins like Scrooge.

Yes, we understand that Zuckerberg is still a shareholder in Facebook. As such, he too suffers from the decline in market value. The difference, however, is that he did not have to pay an arbitrarily high price for being part of the ride. Even if Facebook were to lose half its value, he would still be ahead.

Landing the elusive blockbuster deal

Second, we need to look at the investment banks. Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase led the syndicate that allowed Zuckerberg to transform his privately-held company into liquid money.
Their motivation was simple. Contrary to what Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein famously said in November 2009, investment banks are not doing God's work. They exist to create profits for their firms and opportunities for their bankers to earn a living and get paid bonuses.

Adding value to the economy or making future Facebook shareholders happy did not drive the Facebook syndicate. The main driving force for them was to land the elusive blockbuster deal in a dried-up new issues environment and bring in millions in fees that could be generously shared with a few lucky investment bankers in the form of outsized bonuses. It really is that simple.

Again, there would be nothing intrinsically wrong with any of this, had the syndicate not enabled the IPO to be priced at an unsustainable level. Arguably, if the investment bankers had done their job properly, they would have recognized that the issuing price was beyond reason and advised Facebook to go public at a more modest valuation.


They should also have disclosed their earnings warnings in a much more timely manner, possibly delaying the IPO altogether, as they realized that their assumptions were not supported by the reality of Facebook's latest numbers and forecasts.

_________________________________________________

Whether or not IPOs enable future growth of the
company now owned by the public is,
for the most part, just a side benefit.

_________________________________________________


The problem is that doing so would likely have meant lower revenues for the banks, or at least delayed gratification for those working on the deal. But moderation is not an area in which Wall Street bankers traditionally show too much strength. After all, Tom Wolfe refers to them as self-declared "masters of the universe" in his 1987 novel The Bonfire of the Vanities.

And let's not forget the brokerage community. Investment advisors (or should we just call them stockbrokers?) have been waiting for a deal like this one for a long time. They always have a number of key clients that are hungry for an IPO in the hopes of doubling their money quickly.

The benefit for the brokers lies in the elevated commissions that are typically associated with initial offerings. Is it any wonder then that they try to sell Facebook to their clients even at an unreasonable price?

What this short analysis leaves us with is the realization that IPOs such as the one we have just witnessed here have one driver. They satisfy the greed of company owners, investment bankers and stockbrokers first and foremost. Whether or not they enable future growth of the company now owned by the public is, for the most part, just a side benefit.

The single most important thing that the investing public needs to recognize in all deals like this one is that their interests and expectations are not usually aligned with the interests of those involved in bringing the stock to market and selling the IPO. Which really just brings us back to the tried and tested principle of "buyers beware."

Friday, April 23, 2010


HEDGE FUND - PROPER REGULATIONS REQUIRED NOW!! (ALERT) - By Nik Zafri

Article 1 about Hedge Funds (Facebook Version) and Article 2 about Hedge Funds (Blogger Version)

Many disagreed with me at that time -- Yes...because it was written in 2009. (too early) - FYI - I was monitoring the European (EC) market at the time I wrote that article - I saw signs that there is a need to tighten up the loose ends especially on the subject hedge funds which I believe will become a talk in Malaysia (next week - May, 2010)
--------------------------------------------
Here's latest news from Singapore (Courtesy of Bloomberg) :

Singapore Reviews Hedge, PE Funds as Regulators Boost Oversight
By Netty Ismail

April 22 (Bloomberg) -- Singapore said it will review rules for its investment management industry, including hedge-fund and private-equity managers, as regulators increase oversight globally.

Hedge funds and private-equity firms are under scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers worldwide, who say they are partly to blame for the worst financial crisis in a generation. Singapore’s hedge-fund industry has grown into Asia’s second biggest behind Hong Kong as the government lured investment management professionals with tax incentives and grants.

Hedge funds worldwide posted net outflows of $285 billion last year, leaving assets at $1.6 trillion, according to Hedge Fund Research Inc., a Chicago-based research firm.

The regulator has set up the Investment Intermediaries Department to supervise intermediaries, including alternative investment managers, and to “drive regulatory policies” governing the industry, according to yesterday’s statement.

“MAS adopts an open and consultative approach with the industry, and remains committed to building Singapore as a fund management and alternative investment hub,” the regulator said.

World Effort

World leaders, including the Group of 20 countries that make up most of the world’s economy, have called for stricter oversight of the pools of private capital in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Funds won’t be able to get investment from U.S. banks, under proposals announced in January by President Barack Obama. The European Union’s Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers is currently being debated, with the European Parliament scheduled to vote on a final draft this year.

The “business and regulatory environment remains conducive to both traditional and alternative managers” in the city-state, MAS said.

MAS, also Singapore’s central bank, said last year it will fine-tune its “regulatory approach as appropriate,” after moves to make it easier for hedge funds to set up shop in Singapore than in other Asian cities such as Hong Kong and Tokyo helped fuel the industry’s growth in recent years.

Growing Industry

Hedge-fund managers are currently exempt from holding a capital-markets services license, provided they manage funds on behalf of 30 or fewer of what MAS describes as “qualified” investors. “I believe that the exempt fund-manager status should be replaced with light regulation,” said Albert Ee, founder of Singapore-based hedge-fund firm Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte. “As a financial centre, it’s important that hedge funds in Singapore should be run by experienced managers with good risk management processes and strong corporate governance.”

Singapore’s hedge-fund industry has grown to 138 single- strategy hedge-fund managers employing more than 800 professionals from near zero in 1997, according to a survey by the local chapter of the Alternative Investment Management Association. The industry oversees at least $34.9 billion, excluding assets managed by several of the large global firms, it said, making it Asia’s second biggest.

Local Rules

The island-state’s “lighter regulatory touch” has enabled hedge-fund managers to set up business “relatively quickly,” without risking any delay in getting the necessary licenses from the regulator, according to an overview of the industry published by AIMA.

Hedge-fund managers in Singapore are still subject to local rules on securities and futures trading as well as money laundering.

The size of Singapore’s asset management industry shrank about 26 percent to S$864 billion ($630 billion) in 2008 from a year earlier because of the global financial crisis, the authority said in its latest survey released in September.

--Editors: Andreea Papuc
-----------------------------------

Nik Zafri's 'Unqualified' Comments (so don't quote me on this)

Yeap, I think Singapore is going somewhere. I did mentioned in one of my 'analysis' that Singapore will boom first and followed by Malaysia. But most definitely; as I said; this issue will become the next talk, next week (May 2010) So, just in case...

On Hedge Funds - fellas, I am not against it - Here's some excerpts :

Excerpt 1

I still think that Malaysia (in particular SC) should keep a close surveillance by having a revised version of regulations to monitor private equity company's especially.

Excerpt 2

European policymakers said:

"They (Hedge Fund Managers) many have exacerbated it by fueling bubbles with leveraged investments in the good times and then offloading assets by the bucket-load in the bad times"

Excerpt 3

Initial proposal from Nik Zafri to anyone out there reading my blog - who wish to listen :

You (Hedge Fund Managers) must first reveal your plan :

(To the proper authorities..I don't know..maybe SC, Inland Revenue, BNM) on:

a) managing level of capital,
b) managing risk,
c) valuation of assets and most important
d) your strategy in doing business.

2nd - STOP NOW if you're involved in any trade relating to MONEY LAUNDERING!! (so, is this the thing you're being discreet about?) Get out now before it's too late!

3rd - It's time to pay based on gains not losses!! Otherwise, we will go back to square 1...make money during down market..gosh...

Having this sort of regulations may help our economic recovery further but of course if the regulations are not strict enough and having loopholes...definitely there can be abuse - some people in the market will always creatively found a way to do 'evasive maneuvers'