Watchtower Advisory

Moderated the final session of the 2024 Sasana Symposium (https://lnkd.in/dNe5mizX) a couple of weeks ago, on the topical matter of subsidy rationalisation. On the panel were MOF's Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican , among the persons most intimately involved in all decisions relating to the topic, alongside the ever wise Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar and omnipresent Prof Kian-Ming Ong. We covered good ground I thought, although despite my best efforts I failed to make Datuk Johan accidentally reveal when MOF plans to rationalise RON95 subsidies 😅 Congrats Governor Datuk Abdul Rasheed Abdul Ghaffour and Bank Negara Malaysia on a successful event!

Moderated session with Ernesto Brodersohn, Prof Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman and Dr. Hwok-Aun Lee during the final session of EPF Malaysia 's International Social Wellbeing Conference #ISWC2024 Some of the concepts touched on: lifelong learning, active ageing, differentiated health care interventions. Panel also spoke about the delicate topic of public pension reforms. I think the video of the session (and all other sessions at the Conference) will be public at some point soon. Catch it when you can.

What Investors Really Think of Southeast Asia 🌏 Earlier this week, KL20 Summit invited 500 Global to host a roundtable titled SEA of Opportunity: Collaboration for Shared Prosperity. We brought together financial institutions, government agencies, founders and venture capital firms from Southeast Asia and beyond who want to serve the region's startups better. The discussion was focused on key actions for realizing an inclusive future of prosperity for all. Here are 8 insights featuring: - Sophie Chiu (AppWorks) - Audra Pakalnyte (First Move) - Shahril Ibrahim (500 Global) - Shahril Hamdan (Watchtower Advisory) - Meng Xiong Kuok (K3 Ventures) - Rezal Rahman - Neil Cheong (GUIDE) - Khailee Ng (500 Global) #venturecapital #startups #entrepreneurship #southeastasia #KL20 #KL20Summit

A glimpse of Tech Nexus 2024 in 60 seconds! Tech Nexus is a dynamic one-day event aimed at fostering connections and embracing innovation among visionary founders and key industry players. This exclusive gathering was crafted to extend a warm welcome to 42Geeks, an organization boasting more than 50 esteemed technocrats and founders hailing from the USA, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Japan and Singapore. Special thank you to our strategic partners, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and MYStartup for the tremendous support, as well as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Farm Fresh Berhad, Penjana Kapital Sdn. Bhd. and Audi Malaysia for their collaborative efforts. Watch the full event highlight here: https://lnkd.in/gpcxuRKi YB Tuan Gobind Singh Deo (Ministry of Digital Malaysia) | Endeavor Board Member CY Lim (Yinson) | Endeavor Mentor Tunku Alizakri Alias (Penjana Kapital Sdn. Bhd.) | Endeavor Mentor Dr. Kian-Ming Ong (Malaysian Investment Development Authority) | Raymond Siva (Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)) | Shahril Hamdan (Watchtower Advisory) | Ghazanfar Iqbal ᵃ⤻ᶻ (Amazon Web Services (AWS)) | Endeavor Entrepreneur Sunderaj Nagalingam (Binacap) | Adlin Yusman (Endeavor Malaysia)

Looking into the future of Malaysia’s Digital Transformation. At Tech Nexus 2024, the day continued with an engaging panel discussion among an impressive line of speakers, including Endeavor Mentor Dr. Kian-Ming Ong (Board Member of Malaysian Investment Development Authority), Raymond Siva (Senior Vice President of Digital Investment at Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)), Endeavor Mentor Tunku Alizakri Alias (Chairman of Penjana Kapital Sdn. Bhd.), Shahril Hamdan (Founder and Managing Director of Watchtower Advisory) and Ghazanfar Iqbal ᵃ⤻ᶻ (Head of Business Development Startups for Malaysia, Pakistan and Singapore at Amazon Web Services (AWS)). A few takeaways from the session are: 1. Invest Strategically for the Long Term: Develop policies that encourage long-term tech investment, leveraging incentives to attract global players. 2. Establish Malaysia as ASEAN Hub: Position Malaysia as the regional HQ, utilizing special economic zones and fostering intergovernmental communication for seamless market entry. 3. Embrace Digital Transformation: Drive digital adoption through initiatives like the National Digital Identity, integrating with digital banks for a data-rich ecosystem. 4. Nurture Talent & Support Startups: Retain top talent, address funding gaps, and foster a supportive ecosystem to dispel unicorn myths and empower Series A startups. 5. Promote Research & Collaboration: Encourage R&D investment and foster collaboration to drive innovation and competitiveness within the ecosystem. Tech Nexus is a dynamic one-day event aimed at fostering connections and embracing innovation among visionary founders and key industry players. This exclusive gathering was crafted to extend a warm welcome to 42Geeks, a prestigious organization boasting more than 50 esteemed technocrats and founders hailing from the USA, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Japan and Singapore. Special thank you to our strategic partner, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) for the support, as well as Penjana Kapital and Amazon Web Services (AWS) for their collaborative efforts. Interested to be a part of the Endeavor network? Apply now, here: https://lnkd.in/gUYd6Amj

🚀 Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo's announcement of the KL20 blueprint to make Kuala Lumpur one of the top 20 cities globally for startups is a testament to Malaysia's ambitious vision for its digital economy. Last week I had the privilege to moderate the panel discussion on "Malaysia's Digital Transformation: Government Initiatives and Tech Investments" at the Endeavor Malaysia's Tech Nexus event in partnership with 42Geeks. Quite an enlightening experience to be among such distinguished group: Alizakri Alias of Penjana Kapital Sdn. Bhd., Raymond Siva from Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Kian-Ming Ong of Malaysian Investment Development Authority, and Shahril Hamdan from Watchtower Advisory. During the panel we explored how government actions and technological investments are pivotal in steering Malaysia towards a digital future in ASEAN and beyond. Panelists emphasised the importance of a nurturing technology ecosystem to support innovation and generate societal benefits, resonating well with the Madani goals. As we anticipate the digital economy's growth to 25.5% by the end of 2025, the conversations at Tech Nexus underscore the collaborative spirit necessary to achieve these ambitious goals. Excited to be part of this journey and looking forward to how we, at Amazon Web Services (AWS), can continue to support and contribute to Malaysia's thriving startup environment. Peter Murray | Louis Zac Cherian | Chok Ooi | Paige Chamberlin | Adlin Yusman | Jie-En Teoh | Nurainie Mazlan | Idzuan Shah Anuar #AWSStartupCommunity #DigitalMalaysia #KL20 #TechNexus #StartupEcosystem #AWS

UEM Edgenta's MD/CEO, Syahrunizam Samsudin , took the stage at Techvolution 2024 alongside a distinguished panel, Dato Omar Siddiq (CEO, HSBC Bank Malaysia), Nik Shahrizal (Risk Assurance Partner, PwC Malaysia), together with Nurlin Mohd Salleh (Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) , and moderated by Shahril Hamdan (Founder & MD, Watchtower Advisory & co-host of Keluar Sekejap Podcast fame). With the topic of "Globalization: Nurturing Global Champions," Syahrunizam shared valuable insights on the challenges of managing across diverse regions and UEM Edgenta's approach to overcoming the hurdles by building strong relationships with local governments to navigate regulatory landscapes and cultural nuances. The MD/CEO also touched on empowering local companies to create an ecosystem which generates multiple opportunities. This engaging session showcased UEM Edgenta's commitment to thriving in the globalized world while fostering mutually beneficial partnerships that unlock potential and drive progress. Tengku Zuhri Tengku Abdul Aziz

Spoke on panel moderated by Ghazanfar Iqbal ᵃ⤻ᶻ , at the Tech Nexus 2024 by Endeavor Malaysia, with attendance by founders and investors from their global network. The question of "Why Malaysia?" came up a fair few times, and all of us had a go at answering it. Through varied articulations, most of us made points around: - good infra @ fraction of the cost compared to you know who - supportive local network; "won't get burned in 6 months" - with population size and diversity, potential launchpad for Asean Been saying it frequently; we need a Malaysia story that everyone can refer to, one that's realistic and resonates with target audience. Probably begins with tighter, consistent messaging from the top. Congrats to Adlin Yusman and co on what looked like a successful event all round! Kian-Ming Ong Alizakri Alias Raymond Siva Ghazanfar Iqbal ᵃ⤻ᶻ

Thanks Maybank Asset Management Group for inviting me to speak at the Market Outlook Luncheon: Malaysia Ready to Rock & Roll (their title not mine 😅) with their clients and broader stakeholders. Shared my thoughts on economic prospects for 2024 before fielding some questions from audience on those and inevitably, on politics/political stability too. Good chatting with Belqaizi Taufik and team over lunch, and nice job moderating, Arafat Zainudin!

Moderated a high powered panel at Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) 's Malaysia Digital State Summit 2023 earlier last week. On FDI, with a special focus on digital FDI. The crowd heard 1. Kian-Ming Ong share his experiences in government including on what makes an investment promotion agency tick. 2. Nikolai Dobberstein of Kearney share his observations on the levers that government can pull to clarify and narrate a country's value proposition based on what he's seen across Asia 3. Raymond Siva 's impassioned desire for states to work with MDEC to speed up digitalisation goals and spread 4. Jonathan Wong of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP) sharing the often underappreciated perspective of cross-border collaboration to attract FDI (which we might usually view as competitive or closer to zero-sum) Hopeful that the entire Malaysia Digital Expo 2023 #mdx2023 of which the forum was a part, did its bit to push the whole-of-society approach for the twin goals of digitalisation and quality realised FDI. Congratulations MDEC Ts. Mahadhir Aziz, PMP and team for a well-run event! p/s we just have to try and make the panel less manel next time! 😀