theSun | WEDNESDAY APRIL 1 2009
media & marketing
Free upgrade to first
class seats
by Isaac Hiew
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
UNITED Arab Emirates’ national
airliner Etihad is offering free
upgrades to its Diamond First
Class – from Abu Dhabi to major
European cities following the
opening of Terminal 3 at Abu
Dhabi Airport.
Until April 23, passengers
purchasing a Pearl Business
Class ticket from Abu Dhabi to
European destinations, starting
at RM14,500, can now travel on
Diamond First Class at no extra
cost.
The promotion is valid for
trips starting before May 31 with
unrestricted return. Meanwhile,
Etihad started offering daily
flights between Kuala Lumpur
and Abu Dhabi from Tuesday.
Passengers, especially busi-
ness travellers with tight sched-
ules, will enjoy more flexibility
and control in their trips.
Furthermore, the connectivity
between Persian Gulf cities and
London will improve, thanks to
the current departure time from
International
business forum
to be held in KL
by Chin Lee Kam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
THE biennial World Chambers
Congress which is held in various
regions of the world for business
chambers to interact, share and
address latest economic issues
will be held in Kuala Lumpur
from June 3 to 5.
Hosted by the Federation
of Malaysian Manufacturers
(FMM), the 6th World Chambers
Congress to convene for the first
time in Southeast Asia expects
to see more than 1,300 chamber
leaders and senior executives
from over 100 countries
To date, delegates from 38
countries representing leading
companies and industries have
confirmed their participation.
Organised by the Interna-
tional Chamber of Commerce’s
World Chambers Federation
(WCF), the congress themed
“Leading Sustainable Growth
and Change”, will provide a
platform for local and regional
participants to exchange views
on business matters and discuss
global trends and crisis with
global business leaders.
With three plenary sessions
and 20 workshops included,
current issues of the global
financial crisis and challenges
to the international business
community will be highlighted
at the congress.
Topics for discussion include
implications of global challenges
to food, water, energy and the
economic impact of climate
change.
Experts of industries will dis-
cuss these issues and offer new
directions for global businesses
to survive in today’s downturn.
The International Trade and
Industry Ministry (MITI), which is
co-chairing the steering commit-
tee with FMM, has arranged an
extensive business programme
that includes a MIDA invest-
ment opportunity seminar and
SMIDEX 2009 exhibition to be
held during the congress.
Kuala Lumpur at 9.20 nightly.
Etihad Malaysia country
manager, Adam Phillips said:
“With daily flights, better
destination connectivity and
with world class lounges in
our new terminal, our offering
to Malaysian travellers has
really been exciting. They will
truly have an improved travel
experience with more comfort
and flexibility.”
Whilst enjoying Etihad’s
trademarks such as its alluring
cuisine and award-winning flat-
beds in its cabins, passengers
will also be able to enjoy cigar or
champagne bar, spa, individual
movie theatre and five-star din-
ing in Etihad’s new premium
lounges on obtaining their First
Class boarding pass at Terminal
3, Abu Dhabi Airport.
Etihad operates in more than
50 cities worldwide including
Athens, Brussels, Dublin, Frank-
furt, Geneva, London, Manches-
ter, Milan, Munich and Paris.
For details, call Etihad Air-
ways at 03-26872222 or go to
your nearest travel agency.
With the comprehensive ple-
nary sessions, workshops and
programmes, FMM is expecting
a good turnout from the Asian
business fraternity including
China, India and the Middle East
and Asean nations.
It is also expecting at least
500 Malaysian participants from
all sectors of the economy.
“As the congress is the
perfect forum for seeking new
business opportunities and
establishing networking, apart
from learning more of the intrica-
cies of the challenging business
environment, FMM wants to see
a strong representation from the
Malaysian business community,
the government sector, trade
associations and chambers of
commerce,” said FMM president
Datuk Mustafa Mansur (pix).
The congress registration
is RM2,000 per person and is
claimable under the Human
Resources Development Fund
(HRDF). Malaysian companies
that contribute to the HRDF
need only pay RM500 per person
for the two-and-a-half day con-
gress. This includes entry into
three plenary sessions,
20 workshops as well
as meals.
For a more inclu-
sive participation
in this global event,
FMM will also be
inviting members
from the small and
medium enterprises
(SMEs) – cottage
i n d u s t r i e s,
h o m e
industries
and inde-
pendent
women
entre-
p r e -
neurs in
micro-
SMEs.
“The
p o o r
e c o -
nomic
Call to use new media
CREATIVE industry players
should use new media technology
to be competitive in the industry,
said Multimedia Development
Corporation (MDeC) creative
multimedia division vice-president
Kamil Othman.
He said that in five years, new
media technology would contrib-
ute more than half of the growth
in the creative industry.
“The internet and internet
video games using new media
technology would be among
the sectors that would see rapid
growth. By next year, the anima-
tion sector would be worth RM280
billion, video games RM119 billion
and special visual effects RM360
Hadenan
billion,” he said when presenting
(seventh
from left),
Desa (sixth
from left)
and Hassan Firm donates RM400,000 to charity homes
(right) with
some of DESPITE the current world economic
the other situation, Syarikat Takaful Malaysia
recipients, Berhad (STMB) continued with its cor-
including porate social responsibility of helping
wheelchair- the needy.
bound Its newly launched Takaful my-
Norhidayah. Jalinan donated RM400,000 to four
homes for the underprivileged in
outlook should not be an ex-
cuse to skip this global event.
It is the forum to seek new
input and draw new strategies
in the face of current chal-
lenges,” said Mustafa, calling
on all businesses to support
the congress.
Companies and business
leaders interested can reg-
ister online at www.kl2009.
com or www.fmm.org.my.
Enquiries can be made
directly to the FMM at
03-62761211 (Angelina
Lim).
a working paper on content devel-
opment for the creative industry in
Kuala Lumpur recently.
At the moment, however, not
many local talents had taken the
challenge to utilise the new media
despite the rapid development in
technology, he said.
He hoped there would be more
talents venturing into animation,
internet games and special visual
effects as these sectors had the
potential to generate economic
growth.
Kamil expressed concern that
the country’s current participation
in the industry at the international
level was negligible.
“Our creative products such as
film, drama or animation still fail
Selangor recently.
The recipients were Rumah Hara-
pan Al-Khaadem (Home of Hope), Ru-
mah Kebajikan Siti Khadijah, Rumah
Anak Yatim Darul Izzah and Pusat Nur
Hikmah.
The donation ceremony was
held at the Home of Hope in Shah
15
to penetrate into the international
market,” he said.
Meanwhile, University of Ma-
laya media studies department
deputy dean Prof Datin Dr Hasmah
Zainuddin said creative industry
participants were having difficulty
getting funds to start projects.
She said the current economic
slowdown would make it even
more difficult to obtain funds.
“Banks are not interested to
finance films, for instance, as the
industry is deemed to be risky,”
she said in her working paper
on the local audiovisual sector,
tabled at the creative industry
conference which was attended
by about 500 industry players.
– Bernama
Alam with about 50 children from
the homes and their guardians and
representatives present.
STMB chairman Tan Sri Dr Hade-
nan Abdul Jalil gave away the dona-
tions to the homes’ representatives
recently.
Also present were STMB group
managing director Datuk Hassan
Kamil and Home of Hope patron Tan
Sri Desa Pachee.
Thanking STMB for its sincerity
and support, Desa said the monetary
assistance would go a long way to
help the home and provide for the
children.
Wheelchair-bound Norhidayah Mat
Arif, 13, who lost both legs in a fire
several years ago, was among those
who witnessed the presentation.
Norhidayah is now being cared for
by her blind mother.
Hadenan said the company
recognises the need for concerted
efforts by the public sector, corporate
bodies and the public to undertake
social-related programmes to al-
leviate the difficulties faced by the
underprivileged.
“We hope Takaful myJalinan will
continue to contribute significantly
to strengthening the Social Safety
Net initiated and advocated by the
government,” he added.