kamaruzzaman abu kassim yb...

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THE BRANDLAUREATE • BUSINESS WORLD REVIEW AUGUST-SEPTEMBER ‘15 #ISSUE29

PLOTTING THE COURSE OF A BILLION-DOLLAR BRAND

WITH JUDICIOUS FINESSEYB DATO’ KAMARUZZAMAN ABU KASSIM, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF JOHOR

CORPORATION (JCORP) IS BOLSTERING MORE THAN AN IMPRESSION OF THE JCORP BRAND. AS ONE OF THE PIVOTAL FIGURES TO GROW AND EVOLVE ALONG WITH THE ENTITY FOR MORE THAN

23 YEARS, THE VIBRANT EXTRAORDINAIRE IS STEERING IN GREAT BREAKTHROUGHS FOR THE GROUP VIA ITS MANIFOLD BUSINESS INTERESTS IN HEALTHCARE, PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT, FOOD & SERVICES, TOURISM & LEISURE INDUSTRIES, AS WELL AS ENTREPRENEUR BUSINESS.WITH ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE CORPORATE PORTFOLIOS AND VARIOUS AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE NATIONWIDE AND REGIONALLY, INCLUDING THE BRANDLAUREATE BILLION

DOLLAR BRAND AWARD 2014-2015, THE GROUP HAS SPREAD ITS WINGS TO BECOME A

Kamaruzzaman Abu KassimYB Dato’

by Ida Ibrahim

COVER STORY

LEADING NATIONAL CORPORATION IN VARIOUS FIELDS. FROM A SMALL PLANTATION-ORIENTED ESTABLISHMENT OF MERELY 7 STAFF IN THE EARLY 1970’S, OVER THE YEARS, JCORP HAS BUILT

THE BRAND BIGGER THAN ITS VARIOUS HOMEGROWN PRODUCTS – ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT! TODAY, EMPLOYING MORE THAN 63,000 PEOPLE ACROSS 270 COMPANIES AND ASSOCIATED FIRMS, JCORP IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE COUNTRY AND OFFERS SPECIALIST SERVICES SPANNING

ALMOST EVERY ASPECT OF THE MARKET.

PROPELLED FORWARD BY ITS UNITED STRENGTH AND COMMITMENT TOWARDS CORPORATE AND SOCIAL EXCELLENCE, THE GROUP HAS EVOLVED AT A PHENOMENAL RATE OVER THE YEARS AND IS

NOW LOOKING TO EXPAND ITS REGIONAL AND GLOBAL FOOTPRINT.

The BrandLaureate talks to YB Dato’ Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim, President and Chief Executive of JCorp, as he shares about the recent developments of the Group and his personal thoughts.

Johor Corporation is well entrenched in the country’s business and development with an impressive record of 44 fruitful years. Can you share with us the success story and what contributed to it?

The success story of JCorp has evolved over time. The passing of the Johor Enactment in 1968 enabled the commencement of Johor State Economic Development Corporation (JSEDC) through the alienation of RM10 million State Government loans, mainly to acquire Tebrau Estate stretching across some 3800 acres of land, followed by a bold step in controlling Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad (Kulim), formerly a British plantation multinational listed in London Stock Exchange (LSE).

With a strong plantation footprint, the dynamics changed with the idea of entrepreneurship a decade later, when healthcare business was institutionalized in 1981. This development was followed by the formations of a few other homegrown flagships that became part of our core businesses today.

As a result, from a plantation-oriented establishment of merely 7 staff in 1970, JCorp is now known as a prominent player in a number of major sectors, which include Plantations, Healthcare, Foods and Restaurants Services, Property, REITs, Hospitality and Entrepreneur Business, run by over 270 companies and 63,000 employees within the Group.

The reasons behind this wonderful achievement are mainly attributable to the visionary leadership of my predecessors and our Islamic practice of ‘Syura’, whereby the decision-making takes places in a constructive and collective way through a well-structured reporting system on the foundation of Transparency and Integrity.

What are the opportunities that 2015 has had to offer to JCorp’s various portfolios?

Despite the bumpy ride in global economy attributable to the decline in crude oil and commodity prices that affect some if not all economies worldwide, JCorp remains optimistic and continues to navigate through the challenging year with financial resilience and agility. We believe that in every situation comes opportunity.

For instance, for the hospitality and health tourism segments, the weaker Ringgit represents a significant advantage as JCorp’s long established involvement in the industry will allow us to ride on Malaysia’s booming tourism and medical tourism industry as we witnessed the uptrend in terms of international patients to our hospitals nationwide and surge of Singaporeans and shoppers of various nationalities to our newly-operating KOMTAR-JBCC mall. Ultimately, Johor’s advantage as the southern gateway to Malaysia is to be leveraged to its maximum potential.

Apart from that, the higher inflows of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and Domestic Direct Investments (DDI) is expected from our industrial fronts through a significant number of new leases of industrial areas and port facilities, adding on to the existing RM62 billion of cumulated investments over the last four decades.

Will we see the Corporation racing further into a more universal powerhouse in the near future?

In our sector-focused operations, it is our priority to equally evaluate the opportunity against the excitement of going global, the potentials as well as the risks they probably pose to our businesses.

Notwithstanding, with our ready operations in the Asian and Australian continents with concentration on Malaysia and ASEAN, JCorp has long been part of the dynamic race.

As Malaysia becomes the ASEAN chair of the year, the integration of ASEAN Economic Community is expected to be further emphasized, which translates into more liberalization measures which will help offset lower oil prices and help boost Malaysia’s highly diversified economy that coincides with that of JCorp’s wide array of business activities. As the ASEAN factor sets the pace, the race to become among the respected conglomerates is unavoidable.

YB Dato’, as the key driving force behind the phenomenal growth and success of Johor Corporation in recent years, kindly share with us some of the contributions which you have brought to the table.

As I mentioned earlier, JCorp emulates the idea of ‘Syura’ or consultations. Therefore, it is always about the idea of ‘us’ on top of ‘I’. As part of the motivated and highly credible team with years of experience, I am proud to be part of the growth engine of the State of Johor and Malaysia. As

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we are a leading State-Owned Conglomerate predefined by our roles as a commercial entity, a state development instrument and a caring organization that undertakes Corporate Responsibility (CR) seriously, we have been able to ensure that the roles are insofar discharged with equilibrium.

For instance, you can read the news on our corporate exercises today, our success in developing Johor Affordable Housing (RMMJ) tomorrow and of us creating smiles on the faces of the village folks the day after. In the financial year 2014 alone, JCorp has contributed a substantial amount of RM100 million for its CR undertaking, particularly in Johor and Malaysia; and this is how we contribute and add value to our business for a greater outreach. On the same note, the success in realizing the issuance of the government-guaranteed RM3 billion Sukuk Wakalah in 2012, with registered subscriptions of over 3.6 times, raised the value to RM11 billlion.

Ultimately, this marked the successful implementation of JCorp’s Corporate Restructuring Masterplan (CRMP) 2 at the given time and contributed largely to the record-breaking RM1 billion mark of profit before tax (PBT) in the same year.

What are some of the setbacks or challenges that you have encountered and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge of course, is for JCorp to remain sustainable against the harsh realities of economic uncertainty that influence the way we operate and how we capitalize our business on the back of lower commodity prices and higher operational cost. As our organization represents various business orientations, we have to deliberate on different options and approaches to sustain each business.

For instance, Kulim is now diversifying into the energy sector while recapitalizing its plantation business in Indonesia, following the divestment of its Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands plantations. In addition, we launched the second Islamic REIT known as Al-Salam REIT for retail and commercial properties that is poised for larger growth and the maximizing of the value chain in our foods and restaurants services operations.

We have also refurbished and rebuilt KOMTAR JBCC and Galleria@Kotaraya to transform our malls and as a prelude to Johor Bahru City Centre’s rejuvenation towards becoming a world-class city by 2020.

As Malaysia has less than five more years to achieve the status of high-income developed nation, in your opinion, is it an achievable goal; and if so, what would be Johor Corporation’s brand positioning then?

As Malaysia is racing against time, we have to examine the target of Vision 2020 from various perspectives. The end of the last millennium and the decades that followed had been challenging for the government of the day as the new age economy is examined through the Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA) framework.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances and looking at the trajectory of our economic growth, I believe that the target is achievable. Malaysia has come up with several strategic plans such as the New Economic Model (NEM), Government Transformation Plan (GTP), Economic Transformation Plan (ETP), RMK-10 and RMK-11 to catalyze the objective. It is of the utmost importance for everyone to focus on the implementation.

In doing so, the government, private sector, civil societies and private individuals each have a role to play towards achieving the status of high-income developed nation.

In JCorp, we are aligning our leadership managements and operations with the end-states of the status of high-income developed nation. The NEM has outlined 5 key characteristics of the national economy by 2020, namely:

-Market-led-Well-governed-Regionally integrated-Entrepreneurial-Innovative

Likewise, JCorp is gearing itself towards leading the market in several key areas towards making our product and service offerings highly competitive. We put a lot of emphasis on the need for Business Integrity and Corporate Governance.

JCorp is also looking at expanding its market beyond our shores - focusing on the Asian region. Entrepreneurial development is also currently being enhanced towards producing more entrepreneurs in the future within the economic value chain of our businesses.

Last but not least, JCorp is emphasizing on innovation as part of its business continuity agenda towards responding and adapting to the 21st Century economic landscape.

Are there any plans to rebrand Johor Corporation or some of your market-driven businesses in the future to meet the changing needs of consumers?

I strongly believe that for an organization like JCorp, the best branding can be derived from high quality and value-for-money products and service offerings. In addition, I also believe that the employees of JCorp and our corporate culture represent the best portrayal of the JCorp brand.

In doing so, we are emphasizing on our business and operations to be highly innovative. To achieve this purpose, we are investing in our human capital. Our branding partly is also derived from carrying out our business operations on a responsible and sustainable basis. We still maintain our vision statement and corporate Tagline, namely Membina & Membela (To Build & Nurture). However, we are injecting a new dimension to the phrase, the notions of innovation and CR.

The term ‘Membina’ possesses a high innovation connotation while ‘Membela’ carries the notion of CR. These are our two main focuses with regards to out institutional branding.

On a personal note, who inspires you the most and what are the some of your work-life principles?

My mentor is always Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a great leader and an honest businessman of his lifetime. On that foundation, my work-life principle is to do the right things right and full-heartedly. A leader shall lead by example and become the role model to his disciples.

When you do it with the right attitude and intention, regardless of the outcome, you will reward yourself with the feeling of self-worth, satisfaction and contentment.

In addition, our sincerity in vesting the utmost potential of our own self in dealing with business affairs day-in and day-out might drive us to give our best to the organization. When you have tried your best, nothing else matters. You will learn to appreciate the results and there is nothing to regret.

Any words of wisdom or advice for aspiring young entrepreneurs who wish to be as accomplished as you?

An opportunity is called opportunity as it doesn’t happen every day. Seize every moment that is worth a try and don’t be afraid of failures. Stay true to your words as they have a lot to say about your personality. Remain positive, as whatever you believe will ultimately turn into your belief. In most instances, positive attitude brings along positive outcome.

KULIM (MALAYSIA) BERHADAs one of the key companies of JCorp, Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad (Kulim) is highly known for its very well

established palm oil business, and over the years has carved new paths with its experience and proven ability into other

business segments. Now having laid the foundations of its new ventures, Kulim is committed to the expansion and growth of its new assets to propel the multifaceted brand to greater heights in

the coming years.

Kulim traces its history back to 1933 when Kulim Rubber Plantations Ltd. was incorporated in United Kingdom. The company was later incorporated as a public limited company and was listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad in 1975. In 1976, JCorp became the major shareholder of Kulim.

Kulim’s business portfolio is a progressive development from its traditional business of palm oil, pursued in line with its aim to sustain value creation for all its stakeholders via the adoption of an evolving and balanced business mix. Over the years, Kulim has grown to become a diversified plantation company and continues to strengthen its position by securing new hectarage while developing and strengthening its intrapreneur ventures as well as continuing to leverage on its scale, network, brand, services and people to explore and foray into upstream Oil & Gas ventures.

Plantation Kulim is recognized as one of the leading palm oil groups with operations currently spanning over Malaysia and Indonesia. Kulim was amongst the earliest palm oil producers to be certified to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standard. Kulim’s management and growth strategy is fundamentally guided by Vision ‘30:30’ – which aims to raise fruit yields to 30 tonnes per hectare and palm product extraction rates to 30 per cent, balanced with sustainable development principles.

Kulim Group is considered as one of the oil palm industry leaders in terms of yield performance. In 2014, the Group including JCorp produced a total of 969,235 tonnes of FFB, an improvement of 4.10 per cent from 931,055 tonnes achieved in the previous year.

As the palm oil industry has been identified as one of the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) to boost the country’s

total Gross National Income (GNI) from RM125 billion to RM178 billion by 2020, Kulim has proven to be one of the players to galvanize this vision.

In 2013, Kulim was presented with an opportunity to re-enter Indonesia, having left it in 2007. The completion of 74 per cent acquisition in PT Wisesa Inspirasi Nusantara (PT WIN) paved the way for Kulim and its local business partner, PT Graha Sumber Berkah (PT GSB), to develop 40,645 hectares of new oil palm plantations in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Being a socially and environmentally responsible corporate citizen, Kulim is committed to the expansion of its plantation operations, especially in Indonesia, guided by the RSPO’s New Planting Procedures (NPP) – apart from the relevant Indonesian regulations through a formal process to secure the necessary documentation to obtain a release permit prior to land development.

Oil and Gas (O&G) While plantation and agriculture dominate its business profile, Kulim hopes to continue to explore, identify and invest in businesses that offer superior long-term potential for growth and profitability, with the aim to minimize earning fluctuations so as to enable the Group to provide attractive returns to its shareholders. Driven by its Balance Business Strategy, Kulim is uncovering opportunities in a new business dimension – O&G sector in the quest to business growth and value deliverance to its shareholders.

Having established O&G support businesses such as the transportation of clean petroleum products and fabrication of O&G pipelines, Kulim aims at moving up the O&G value chain to expand into upstream O&G activities involving exploration, development and production – particularly in Indonesia as new space is being created. This is to enable Kulim to tap into strategic investment opportunities to broaden its earnings base and generate sustainable growth.

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Intrapreneur Ventures Established as one of Kulim’s principal growth thrust, Intrapreneur Ventures (IV) Division is the test-bed for the Group’s entrepreneurial talents. Kulim is constantly on the look-out for new and promising businesses that can be nurtured to maturity. Thus far IV is involved in a diverse range of businesses; including shipping & logistics, support operations for plantations, including agricultural machinery, oil palm nursery and mills maintenance as well as IT-related services.

These companies are developed and nurtured with the aim of subsequently being transformed into strategic business divisions of the Group. Kulim’s efforts have paid off with some success stories, notably that of E.A. Technique (M) Berhad and its subsequent listing on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia on 11 December 2014.

Sustainability and Governance One of its pursuits of value and growth is firmly underpinned by its commitment to embrace sustainability and strong corporate governance as the overriding philosophy – which includes developing the Sustainable Palm Oil (SPO) programme as a business guideline. As a

socially and environmentally responsible corporate citizen, Kulim embraces the principles of sustainable development and has continued to work towards demonstrating sustainability throughout its operations. One of its added-value efforts, promoting renewable or green energy within the palm oil sector, is the development of its first biogas plant at Sedenak Palm Oil Mill and two new biogas plants at Pasir Panjang Palm Oil Mill and Sindora Palm Oil Mill which are currently in progress.

With its efforts to always being mindful of its surroundings and the socioeconomic impact of its actions, Kulim aims to move forward by developing business methods that are economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial as well as positioning Kulim as one of the front runners in the SPO-compliant global supply chain.

In relation to governance, Kulim was ranked 49th amongst the top 50 companies shortlisted for the Malaysia-ASEAN Corporate Governance Award organized by the Minority Shareholder Watchdog Group (MSWG). The award was intended to showcase the top Malaysian public-listed companies with good corporate governance practices using the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard Methodology.

KPJ HEALTHCARE BERHAD

There is no resting on laurels here, however, as KPJ continues to develop and nurture new talent. In 1991, KPJ set up its very own Puteri Nursing College (PNC), a pioneer in nursing education and training. In 2011, this education arm of KPJ became the first private provider to have its own Medical School – following approval from the Ministry of Higher Education. Its programmes today have been expanded to include Medicine, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Management and Behavioural Science & Humanities at the diploma, Bachelor, Master and PhD levels. In addition to the academic programmes, KPJUC further strengthened its Research and Development (R & D) capabilities, with a focus on postgraduate and PhD students.

All these developments at the same time serve as a gateway to improve KPJ’s attractiveness on the global arena. An increasingly significant percentage of KPJ patients are international health tourists as well as foreign expatriates currently residing in Malaysia. The Group’s Health Tourism revenue had increased to RM78 million in 2014 from the RM67.09 million in 2013.

KPJ continues to generate breakthroughs and leave an impact in all its endeavors:

Holistic Approach to Healthcare Working in partnership with patients and their families KPJ takes a holistic approach to healthcare and acknowledge the uniqueness of every patient to create a healing environment that is second to none. The company ventured into senior living care services, through its investment in the KPJ Tawakkal Health Centre in Kuala Lumpur, the Sibu Geriatric Health and Nursing Centre in Sibu, and Jeta Gardens Retirement Resort in Australia. Jeta Gardens managed to record an increase of 5 per cent in terms of revenue, i.e. achieving RM29.5 million in 2014, up RM1.5 million on to the previous financial year. Drawing on its main advantage is the customer care and 24-hour medical supervision by trained nurses and regular visits by medical specialists. Patients from different race, social status and religion are welcome to stay either for short or long period of time according to their needs.

CSR As a responsible corporate citizen, KPJ reaches out to various communities through public health screening sessions, health talks and other events. It continues to touch the lives of the impoverished and underprivileged in communities through its management of Klinik Wakaf An-Nur (KWAN) initiative. Since the inception of the first KWAN charity clinic in Johor in 1998, it has served more than 1.13 million patients. Today, the KWAN network encompasses one hospital in Johor, 20 clinics throughout Malaysia, as well as three mobile clinics in Johor and Selangor.

Fostering an Educational Culture of Excellence In fostering an educational culture of excellence, KPJ proactively contributes to the development and employment of Malaysia’s healthcare professionals. Continually pushing the boundaries of healthcare and improving patient outcomes the healthcare brand became the first private provider in Malaysia to have its

own medical school, by offering the Masters in Medicine programmes. Committed to the ongoing training and development of quality healthcare professionals, within a values based organization, KPJ hospitals ensure they continue to be recognized by accreditation bodies such as the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI). The hospital also takes a leading role in medical research and translate research findings into patient care.

Keeping Abreast with Contemporary IT During the year under review, KPJ became the first private healthcare organization in ASEAN investing in a ‘Cloud’ infrastructure. The Group had spent RM17 million over a period of three years and the system aims to enhance management of the hospitals’ integrated database nationwide ensuring that patient data is maintained even more securely, efficiently and effectively.

Smart Partnerships The Group has teamed up with like-minded partners committed to providing world-class complex care and to creating more choice for patients and faster access to care services. KPJ signed a tripartite agreement with Pelaburan Hartanah Bhd. and Nadayu Properties Bhd. to build KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital II in Kuala Lumpur and it would be a model for the government to develop other Malay reserve land plots.

Above all else, KPJ is committed to the care and improvement of human life. This is reflected in the excellent provision of comprehensive services it contributes to, in collaboration with accredited private specialists, for its patients and referring doctors. In recognition of this commitment, KPJ strives to deliver high quality, cost-effective healthcare in the communities it serves. Today, KPJ is well placed to provide a globally consistent, disciplined, investment process across its major expertise and capabilities, which draw on the local knowledge and expertise of its team of investment professionals in 30 countries and territories around the country.

Listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia since 1994, KPJ Healthcare Berhad (KPJ) stands out as JCorp’s homegrown brand that is well established in the nation’s private healthcare industry.

Since its first hospital was opened in 1981, KPJ today is Malaysia’s leading private healthcare service provider, with 25 hospitals across the country, two hospitals in Indonesia, one hospital in Bangladesh and a sizeable share in a hospital in Thailand.

In 2014, the healthcare brand achieved a market capitalization of more than RM4.05 billion. Moving forward, KPJ will continue to build more hospitals in other areas such as KPJ Pahang Specialist Hospital and KPJ Perlis Specialist Hospital– both which are expected to open this year.

As one of the highest rated hospitals in terms of personalized patient care, KPJ aims to deliver patients the very best experience, from diagnosis to treatment. In 2014, KPJ hospitals provided services to more than 2.8 million patients compared to 2.7 million in the previous year. Coupled with its strong and dedicated multi-disciplinary team comprising of nursing staff, health professionals and accredited private specialists, KPJ is able to provide rapid assessment, intervention and individual care for numerous common and complex medical conditions.

A key driver of KPJ’s success has been its culture of innovation, where the Group recorded many firsts in terms of both medical as well as information technology. Its dedication to continuous improvement further underpins KPJ’s structured, sustainable efforts to generate positive patient experiences.

Parallel to that, KPJ has been unwavering in its commitment to enhance its team of more than 11,000 staff members. In tandem with its growth strategies, the Group has implemented a number of employee engagement and talent development initiatives.

The Group also has a strong national presence as a comprehensive service provider, able to cater to various specialized needs of today’s consumers. One of these said niches is specialist eye care, where in October 2014, the KPJ Pusat Pakar Mata Centre for Sight (CFS) was officially launched. Located in KPJ Tawakkal Health Centre (THC) building in Kuala Lumpur, CFS offers specialist outpatient services and ophthalmology daycare facilities.

Leveraging on opportunities presented in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), KPJ opened its Senior Living Care Centre in 2014, to serve Malaysia’s ageing population. The greatest advantage the centre has, compared to other aged care providers, is that it is supported by KPJ’s specialist hospitals and trained medical personnel. The centre received its first resident in August 2014.

The Group’s rapid expansion resulted in the Group having more than 1000 medical specialists in the country and more than 11,000 employees nationwide.

KPJ Healthcare Berhad (KPJ) is a leading provider of private

healthcare services in the country. Its success story for the last 35 years is the very underpinning of growth and development of Malaysia’s private healthcareservices.

This leading healthcare brand is set to become the centre of excellence in the private

healthcare industry.

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One of JCorp’s highly-established business segments is through its multi-company F&B operator, QSR Brands (M) Holdings Sdn. Bhd (QSR Brands).

As the country’s first and only fully-integrated food operator, QSR Brands is a prominent franchisee of over 750 KFC restaurants in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Cambodia; as well as Pizza Hut in Malaysia and Singapore – with more than 350 restaurants in Malaysia and 60 restaurants in Singapore. Having over 30,000 dedicated staff spanning across Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Cambodia, the QSR Brands Group is by far one of the biggest employers in its sector. In 2014, it is reported that the total outlets operating under the KFC and Pizza Hut brands had grown by 6.1 per cent to a total of 1172 units from 1105 in 2013. With 605 restaurants in total – 504 in Peninsular Malaysia and 101 in East Malaysia – the Group has once again retained its market dominance, and KFC remains as Malaysia’s largest restaurant chain. Another 34 new restaurants are lined up for operation in 2015.

At the heart of QSR Brands are KFC and Pizza Hut, the two core quick service restaurant brands of which staggering growth in the region has led to the creation of numerous ancillary businesses to support their operating requirements. QSR Brands is fully integrated from farm-to-fork whereby it is extensively involved in poultry production and processing, as well as a host of ancillary business such as baking and sauce production.

QSR Brands pride themselves on delivering quality products and exceptional service, and are dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the caliber of all its brands. QSR Brands and its subsidiaries guarantee full halal compliance to customers in all of the group’s markets. Every aspect of the food manufacturing process follows strict controls and accepts only certificates recognized by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and strictly adheres to MS1500:2009.

From the beginning, QSR Brands has been managing and operating its restaurants as well as its Integrated Poultry Operations and Food Manufacturing arms from the ground up, primarily to ensure its customers be given a complete experience, in terms of its F&B offerings. By doing so, they not only offer customers a richer experience but also position themselves as providers of value, as observed in the following:

Multi-pronged Approach QSR Trading Sdn. Bhd. (formerly known as KFC Marketing Sdn. Bhd.) is a sales, marketing and trading arm for QSR Brands and external markets, both domestically and internationally. With a Vision to be the preferred distributor of superior quality halal brands, the subsidiary performed well in 2014, with sales growing by 4.5 per cent to reach RM338.6 million.

One of its well-known brands is the Life sauce brand, a homegrown product manufactured by another QSR Brands’ subsidiary, Region Food Industries Sdn. Bhd. (RFI). RFI manufactures sauces both for the Group and for external markets.

Nurturing Multiple Homegrown Food Brands QSR Brands is also home to many successful homegrown food brands, namely Ayamas, Life, Amy, Zippie, and Bakers’ Street. In fact, Ayamas is one of Malaysia’s biggest integrated poultry operators, specializing in the processing and retailing of chicken for local and export markets. The company is ever-expanding its products and outreach to augment demand in the regional F&B market by becoming a third-party distributor for global brands, namely Simplot, Divella, Kewpie, Lactima, Belle and Leggo’s. QSR Trading also supplies halal chicken meat to KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants across Malaysia.

Awards and Recognition 2014 also marked a year of great achievement for KFC Malaysia as it was awarded the Franchisee of the Year 2013. The title, which was awarded by Yum! Brands, Inc., is largely based on the consistent performance and execution of KFC Malaysia over the years. KFC Malaysia also received two other awards, namely the Development Excellence for its ‘diligence and tenacity in driving strong growth’, and ‘building a consistently great looking KFC Brand’ with its development programme; and Marketing Excellence, for its ‘demonstrated excellence in marketing’ in 2013 across all three of Yum! Brands, Inc.’s marketing pillars – Value, Innovation and Care.

Pizza Hut Malaysia also received the Development Excellence award from Yum! Brands, Inc. for their hard work and initiative for setting the bar higher year on year for Pizza Hut delivery growth. They built a staggering 40 units in 2013, on the heels of 35 in 2012. Pizza Hut continues to drive penetration and accessibility to customers ensuring Pizza Hut remains the brand of choice for pizza delivery.

QSR Brands has shown its appreciation for Malaysians’ support in making it a market leader in many ways and continues to give back to the community. Through its two major brands, the group has contributed significantly through its CSR initiatives such as Projek Penyayang (a feeding programme which has been carried out for over 20 years) followed by a charitable fund called Tabung Penyayang KFC; The World Hunger Relief Campaign (which is in its 9th year and is expanding its efforts by increasing collection targets each year as well as building even more effective awareness campaigns); sponsorship in sports; Pizza Hut’s Nationwide Delivery; National Champs Challenges as well as green initiatives and recycling programmes. KFC Malaysia also boasts three KFC restaurants run entirely by speech and hearing-impaired staff, offering many members of this community independence and empowerment. These restaurants are located in Sentul Raya, Kuala Lumpur, Saujana in Sarawak, and Tanjung Aru in Sabah.

QSR BRANDS (M) HOLDINGS SDN. BHD.

JOHOR LAND BERHAD

Johor Land Berhad (JLand) spearheads the Property Division of Johor Corporation (JCorp) in residential and commercial development in building thriving communities and enriching lives in Johor since the last four decades.Over the years, it has grown to be a dominant player of property business in Johor.

JLand’s key achievement in developing and maintaining strong track record of building community has been proven by the success of development of residential neighbourhoods in Pasir Gudang, Bandar Tiram and currently, the on-going development of premier township in Bandar Dato’ Onn, Johor Bahru.

JLand’s strategy of offering innovative and attractive products continues to hold the company in good stead. In 2014, JLand continued to record remarkable performance as compared to the previous year, with a revenue of RM413 million, and is expected to make improvements in 2015 by taking into consideration the completed projects as well as new projects, although the property market condition is expected to be more challenging in the years to come.

Today, the Group owns and manages prime residential commercial and industrial real estate in highly sought after Johor locations, while adding to its land bank to increase the diversity and wealth of its property portfolio. The company has a substantial land bank of about 1214 hectares, strategically located in the heart of Iskandar Malaysia and it has huge potential when it is fully developed within the next 10-15 years. The vast development of Iskandar Malaysia with its mega hub and industrial development centre services, including medical sector, finance and recreation, will transform Johor Bahru into a world-class city; and this in turn will boost the property market in Johor, in particular the demand for residential properties. JLand will continue to benefit the positive spillover by creating innovative development concepts and delivering quality homes and distinctive neighbourhoods to its customers in exceptional townships.

JLand’s success is founded on the Quality and Integrity of its people and the long-term relationships the company builds with its customers; plus an unrivalled knowledge of the industrial property markets in which it operates.

The Foods & Restaurants Service Business stands until today as one

of JCorp’s biggest and strongest Food & Beverage (F&B) venture

arms. The segment formally became part of JCorp’s overall business

strategy in 2006, and since then, the business has expanded into

new domestic and foreign markets, as well as developing new areas of

expertise.

For more than 40 years, Johor Land Berhad (JLand) has forged an enviable and highly respected reputation as a leading property developer in the state of Johor. With an extensive property development expertise, a successful track record and

thriving developments across the state, the company hopes to continue to leverage this success by pursuing new opportunities to diversify and

expand its property portfolio.

image :Active environmental NGOs were celebrated during the historical launch of KFC Nilai Square, Malaysia’s first Eco-Friendly KFC Restaurant, on 12 June 2015.

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TPM TECHNOPARK SDN. BHD.

As a Project Manager and Marketing Agent for Industrial Estates, TTSB has, over time, developed and managed 31 industrial areas covering an area of almost 5000 hectares across the state of Johor. With Industrial Developments that date back to the early 1970’s, some of the its earliest developments include Pasir Gudang (Johor Bahru District), Tongkang Pechah (Batu Pahat District) and Tg. Agas (Muar District) industrial areas. The company is responsible for the further extension of the Pasir Gudang Industrial Area, undertaken with the development of Tanjung Langsat Industrial Complex – developed to cater for light, medium and heavy industries namely Oil & Gas, Marine Related, Steel Products & Fabrication, Palm Oil Related, Petrochemicals and Chemicals.

Today TTSB is embarking on its latest development, Sedenak Industrial Park. The area will become Data Centre Hub for the ASEAN region. Data centre are not only strategic to the development of most dynamic and promising sectors such as entertainment, media, biotechnologies & health or e-commerce, but also clear technologies in relation with the specific infrastructures being put in places. Strategically located within Iskandar Malaysia, the most promising southern development corridor of Malaysia, Sedenak Industrial Park comprises a total area of 283 hectares and is now open for lease for a 60 years period with attractive and competitive pricing. Meanwhile, TTSB’s future project which is Pengerang Industrial Petroleum Complex (PIPC), with a total of 278 hectares, has been identified to be developed as industrial land for supporting industries of oil & gas.

Having invested of approximately USD200 million in developing the 31 industrial areas, today TTSB is allocating hundreds of millions more for the implementation of similar projects in the upcoming years. Thus, with the fruit of foresight, TTSB is expected to multiply its holdings in years to come, and this will subsequently retain JCorp’s position as a dominant galvanizer of Johor’s economic landscape.

As a Johor State economic development arm, JCorp is viewed as one of the most powerful and effective organizations dedicated to protecting businesses, and promoting entrepreneurship. JCorp’s contribution to entrepreneur development programmes is not limited to the provision of support for individual entrepreneurs who have identified new business opportunities under JCorp’s Intrapreneur Scheme, but also through lending of assistance by offering skills and management trainings apart from access to vibrant business infrastructure, including identifying suitable premises to foster the holistic entrepreneur development programmes.

As at June 2015, a total of 36 companies have been registered under Johor Corporation Intrepreneur Scheme with an aggregate revenue of RM406.3 million achieved by the entrepreneur companies last year. The number of entrepreneur companies that recorded a pre-tax profit exceeding the RM1 million-mark in 2014 stood at 8.

Meanwhile, continuous close monitoring of the 36 entrepreneur companies have been kept by JCorp through the nominated supervisory of parent companies which offer advice & guidance and seek business synergy with the entrepreneurs’ ventures.

ENTREPRENEUR BUSINESS

JCORP HOTELS & RESORTS SDN BHD

JHR spearheads JCorp’s hospitality business oversees. Several properties under its purview include The Puteri Pacific Johor Bahru, Persada Johor International Convention Centre, Hotel Selesa Johor Bahru, Hotel Selesa Pasir Gudang and Sibu Island Resort which are all located in Johor, besides Selesa Tioman Condotel in Pahang.

The hospitality business generates an annual revenue of more than RM70 million. With its gross operating profit remaining positive, concerted effort has been put in to take advantage of the wide spectrum of products available in the tourism industry especially in sports and recreation, education, healthcare, commercial development and other sectors. The company guarantees consistency throughout its collection of hotels and modern city centre properties by adhering strictly to company-wide standards, ensuring the same high-quality amenities are available to all guests wherever they visit.

However, the chain of Selesa hotels in Johor Bahru and Pasir Gudang have been earmarked for disposal. The sector will redirect its focus on its flagship properties, The Puteri Pacific Johor Bahru, Persada Johor International Convention Centre and Sibu Island Resort, to ensure sustainability with

reduction in capital expenditure commitment.

Moving forward, with the recent refurbishment exercise in The Puteri Pacific Johor Bahru, JHR is confident to capture the growth in business and leisure arrivals into Johor Bahru. As JHR expands its brand across the state, it remains committed to its core values by providing experiences that are authentically local, in hotels and modern complexes of unrivalled presence, with service that is truly engaging.

JCorp Hotels And Resorts Sdn. Bhd. (JHR) is one of the leading brands

in Johor’s hospitality industry, with a distinctive collection and a nationwide reputation for excellence. Today, JHR is a growth organization, ready as ever

to build upon its unique strengths and established reputation to become one

of the most-storied hotel brands across the state.TPM Technopark Sdn. Bhd., or known

as TTSB for short, is one of JCorp’s professional servicing arms on

Total Project Management which provides project management services for commercial and

industrial developments and also acts as a marketing agent and project developer for industrial estates owned

by Johor Corporation. TTSB also provides professional

services on Total Project Management for development of commercials, religious schools, mosques, staff

quarters, complexes, hotels, convention centers, hospitals, ports,

stadiums, ready-built factories, biomass steam plant as well as

specializing in the development of Industrial Estates.

Since inception, JCorp has been bringing the information needed to run a successful

business to budding entrepreneurs, providing an array of services to local businesses, as well as promoting and developing entrepreneurship. Through its efforts, the company has managed to recombine the new and the old to forge innovative ventures, create an

entrepreneurial culture, and dramatically benefit the development of the state of

Johor.

DASB, a wholly owned subsidiary of JCorp, specializes in the segments of commercial real estate development and building management – particularly shopping centres and office towers. Through its commercial real estate investment, DASB owns and monitors a portfolio of property development, namely Galleria @ Kotaraya, KOMTAR JBCC, Komtar Tower, Pasaraya Komuniti @Mart Kempas, Taman Dahlia Business Centre and Bandar Dato’ Onn office buildings.

Based on the experience and expertise, DASB is also appointed as the third-party manager by Johor Corporation, Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad, Larkin Sentral Property Sdn. Bhd., Bukit Damansara Development Sdn. Bhd., Johor Land Berhad, KPJ Healthcare Berhad and Pasir Gudang Local Authority to manage their buildings such as Menara Ansar, Larkin Sentral, Kompleks Pusat Bandar Pasir Gudang, Menara Johor Corporation and Menara 238 (Kuala Lumpur), VSQ Tower 1 (Petaling Jaya), Tanjung Leman Jetty and Tanjung Leman Beach Resort.

DASB is also the holding company of other companies, including Damansara REIT Managers Sdn. Bhd., Synergy Mall Management Sdn. Bhd., Pro Biz Solutions Sdn. Bhd., Damansara Heights Development Sdn. Bhd., Harta Consult Sdn. Bhd. and AB Theme Park Sdn. Bhd.

These companies are involved in activities such as REIT management, leasing of office suites, the property owners and management of shopping centres. Befitting its stature in the market, DASB is also a member of the prestigious International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) and Malaysia Shopping Malls Association and awarded the ISO 9001:2008 certification by SIRIM.

The 1000-acre port, operated by Tanjung Langsat Port Sdn. Bhd. (TLP), a wholly owned subsidiary of JCorp, is a spe-cialized and dedicated port with the capacity to meet the demand for petroleum, petrochemical, edible oiland bulk dry cargo handling facilities. Endowed with a 4.5-kilome-tre shoreline which is ideal for O&G and marine-related industries. The port’s development is divided into four zones – storage terminals, oilfield services & equipment (OFSE), regional marine supply base and offshore fabri-cation &maritime hub. The liquid cargo jetty, with water depth of 15.0 metres, caters to vessels ranging from 5,000 to 120,000 dwt. The dry cargo jetty can cater vessels up to 40,000 dwt.

TANJUNG LANGSAT PORT SDN. BHD.

DRMSB is the only REIT manager in Malaysia managing two (2) Islamic REITs, namely Al-`Aqar Healthcare REIT and Al-Salām REIT.

Al-‘Aqar Healthcare REIT, which was listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia on 10 August 2006, focuses on healthcare-related assets. In 2014, Al-`Aqar Healthcare REIT had total assets under management amounting to RM1.5 billion.

Al-Salām REIT was established early this year and focuses on Syariah-compliant diversified assets, including, but not limited to, commercial retail, office, and industrial assets. Al-Salām REIT is expected to be listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia by the third quarter of this year.

DAMANSARA REIT MANAGERS SDN BHDDamansara REIT Managers Sdn. Berhad (DRMSB) is a Malaysian-based company

focused on the management of public listed real estate

investment trusts (REIT). As part of DRMSB’s role to stimulate growth within JCorp, DRMSB

was incorporated in 2005 and has since been earmarked as

the important component in the real estate division of JCorp.

Tanjung Langsat Industrial Complex development was complemented by

the construction of an industrial port, namely TanjungLangsat Port – one of the

three promoted areas that promises to transform Southern Johor into a leading integrated refinery, petrochemical & oil

storage hub in Asia Pacific.

Damansara Assets Sdn. Bhd. (DASB) is dedicated to building value through the development and

management of real assets. From affordable landmark mixed-use

projects, lifestyle centres, high-rise office complexes, and commercial

properties to its focus on management of assets, investments and financing, DASB is committed

to adding value and providing solutions to its public and

private sector clients.

DAMANSARA ASSETS SDN. BHD.

image :Syarikat Pengangkutan Maju Berhad (SPMB) serves as one of various outstanding testimonies of JCorp’s successful entrepreneur development scheme.

image :DRMSB recently launched Al- Salām REIT, its 2nd Islamic REIT on 28 April 2015.

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