A Recap.

After several years of absenteeism at the Sapura Industrial Berhad's Executive Seminar, this year's much awaited event, one which is mandatory to all Executives in the company, was indeed a much welcomed food for thoughts and a super dosed supplement for my soul. This was after all, the key segment of the company that will determine successful paths of the future.Couldnt believe the cold hands and feet at munching light breakfast before taking jibes of "where have you been".. to finally taking seat behind HR's head honcho,Puan Adilah Omar,next to Aziz the Chong Wei of SIB aka my "kuachi" gang at that meeting.Getting used again to this serious environment, i quickly ignited the "im back" sign and went straight to business.
The CEO's maiden speech was as anticipated,cool calm and collected, slight differences in his personna as the then COO , his delivery was of more confidences and fact grinding.And for his fear of safety and comfort of his long stay here, i hope Hisham was answering a call that confirmed the LOA in his sales endeavors as he murmured loudly while the CEO was talking,gutsy move..man, i thought.Personally,otherwise, i was impressed as the CEO , first and foremost,avoided difficult moments in the hall and indeed a much cleverer way of gaining attention and injecting motivation ,wounds in the heart lasts longer than on the skin , so no point going there really,one which his last predecessor begs to differ, who at every opportunity, took a swipe at his detractors.No matter how professional he may have sounded, its still in yo face..dig.
Being in Audit department in the past, i was pretty much a lame duck,maybe more of literature style and very displeased at overly paid personnels who did not deliver but tabs of airlines tickets and restaurant bills or what u nots around the world,he made sure i got the message up there and kid you not, i never sat still those days.I mean , its what i was paid for as to perpetually highlight risks and mismanagement, if not, in the words of the last CFO,might as well be in Communications ..lorr.
This present CEO knew much better.If this is the segment thats going to make or break my company, im better off being friends than enemies with them.Wounds in the heart lasts much longer than on the skin, so no point going there, really.
Sure, he chided one time at "a subsidiary for just acting and talking big" when they're not,my heartfelt response was we're in retail dear CEO, if theres anyone that should be bragging and making noise about our products , its us.And in open market sales, AnP is as essential as your automated machines.And a bigger achievement, i think,we do not even "beg" for the Sapura market, we re ready to face any difficulties and challenges the national and global market are going to throw at us.
And with very limited budget, the on going is really not too shabby, beats a RM 700 sales a month dead wood consignment company in the past and coming back strong at present to write off the RM 3 million debt we were loaded with from the massacred company we were forced to undertake ,is pretty amazing and superb ,from my point of view.One so good,i think that could revive Sapura Leda contract manufacturing under the then Sapura suspension unit.
Other points he threw at us were lack of good substantiated analysis in the company,how everyone should be more passionate in attitude, how much juice we lack in auto sales compared to neighboring countries, to be more resilient in global sales and something to the effect that your future HERE is really up to you. We,the Management can only do so much.
And with the full effect of AFTA in 2015,and imported cars are at least RM 40-60k cheaper, a miserly RM 100 difference in car installments for bimmers or other marques, its game on guys..that was the read between the line drill he was getting at.Proton's new adopted approach of rebadging over the past year is clear and sure signs of the dis equilibrium with vendors , meaning ..you'd have to start looking out for yourself ,guys..we have our own big problems here.
At a glance of other speakers that day , the CFO , Puan Liyana,in her usual radiant and sophisticated self, explained facts and figures of our balance sheet,the nettt RM 19 got everyone excited,went over of how Perodua and exported RE sales were main contributors to lastly warranty claims, which can be costly.
Speaking of 19,of the CEO's worry as not only we can give 19 but we can also take back that 19, somehow,didnt quite allign with my rather "shallow" logics here. Anyone?
But 19 Premier League Titles for Man U is very practical this season though that "This Is Anfield"'s fiasco of the recent is hard to forget .
Down of importances,Encik Helmi's resounding facts of technical supremo across the board only makes the title C.O.O as mere formality in close future.
Then En Radzi's defending of the broken Alza stabilizer bar that even needed a presentation to the Deputy Trade Minister set me off to wonder to there must surely be more high and dramatic moments in the field.
En Ruslan's high confidences in RE was justifiable enough but most of the times in sales approach and networking ..we'd have to think ..we re good boss..but they're a lot better, we're merely selling any means as to make hard ends meet.. but my most important point to this business unit here, i would have to quote our beloved chairman Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato'Shamsuddin Kadir's advice when i was in Sapura Marketing or Teledata Sdn Bhd in Melawati last two decades, when he sdvised us repeatedly ...we're not in the charity business..and it means nothing till we collect back every cent and true to those words, it triggered the downfall of all Telecommunications businesses in Sapura, one which we' re still identified with.But as the gods must have always been smiling on this family,the trade off for this Division in acquiring Crest Petroleum, now, by CIMB's readings at RM 16 Billion worths of future contract, it was definitely the trade off of the century and maybe more.Nevertheless,strong emotions will always be there, one which is of high respects and consideration of this once a Telco's six manned company into a Malaysian icon that easily equates the Sapura Group of Companies today to any Fortune Five Hundred Companies On Any Given Day, Alhamdullillah.
En Farid Dol's business plans for Group Business Development was as usual ambitious but realistic, the only flaws in this scenario can only be contested and confirmed by his proteges, as he again called for alleviated and better RnD facilities with more capable inhouse designs for more leveraged competitiveness in time to come.The market as it is will be very stiff and prudent where only the strong survives.Then to as to conclude, we had En Taha's HR issues of which he even had a tagline of Work Together, in strong Japanese accent.... had everyone in stitches....naaa..was strongly warned of that a couple of times by HR Mines...hehe..
A recap segment by the CEO in the ragging of the new rookies was light hearted to say the least.Then , finally to the bersalaman , an act simply saying no offenses meant ,and none taken, just another day at the office,yo.. kind of gestures in the end, my departing statement to Azlim of Sapura Schulz ..macam kenal jer...rounded up the day at office.Just as a bitter pill really, and he has been attending these Seminars since 2006,I remembered as i had to cut short the due diligences work as to leave for Bangkok on my last trip out with my late dad and the of course the rest of the entourage, why does he always have to say at every session in public out loud.. Sorry laa..dari Kuala Selangor...like anyone even takes notice or is that another way of saying, we still have an office there, you know or maybe just .. im late laaa..so sack me..sue me even betta...i remembered my audit boss then,Encik Rashidi,this being his swansong,and the very few in the Sapura Group of Companies at any time, that will make top grade management, at least in my books,as i ve met a whole lots of em, trust me, gave his early analysis of the company, a wit of a statement i remembered till today...jual kati jer laa...actually, he has a really good heart and takes matter there if concerning his anak buahs, therefore,working was indeed fun and lively, no ulterior motives whatsoever,not the usual "im in charge,so go to hell ..aite",.and we paid close to half a million as consulting fees...now..thats even funnier...more like insulting fees to me...But jokes aside, he was worth every effort to keep, maybe then, we need not stray off so much if he was around...but then would make decisions and due processes a lot harder around here..i guess..And if you re a brown lips and want it all all the time,he is your greatest enemy.If not, we'll enjoy this generational wealth forever.But people change.And can be bought.Easy.
One last thing though, if this was a must for all...im sure Sapura Technical Centre,International Autoparts,Non Auto,Management Information System would love to give their views as well,after all,in line with Sapura Holdings concept that the workers are the most priceless assets of the company , where would we be without them.

Thank u for your time.

Salam