University marks 39 years with grand convocation
Tan (left) receives the certificate in APEL.Q Doctor of Business Administration from Chan and Liew (right) — Photos: LOW LAY PHON / The Star
IT was a weekend to remember for 1,600 students who graduated from HELP University in Kuala Lumpur recently.
The graduates were awarded Doctorate, Master's and Bachelor's degrees during the ceremony.
The event was especially significant as it also marked the university's 39th anniversary, which was celebrated in conjunction with the convocation.
HELP University chancellor and co-founder Prof Datuk Dr Paul Chan said the dual milestones celebrated both the students' achievements and the commitment and support of the university's staff.
In his speech, Prof Chan reminded graduates to remain adaptable and resilient in the face of an evolving job market and economic uncertainties.
'The degree you received is more than a certificate – it is a passport to a future of multiple possibilities,' he said.
He also encouraged graduates to equip themselves with the skills needed to address emerging global challenges, including artificial intelligence and climate change, both of which he said will shape the future workplace.
'In addition to technical expertise, future leaders must also balance responsibility with ethics,' he added.
Prof Chan emphasised that learning was a lifelong process and urged graduates to leverage their networking skills to navigate their professional journeys.
HELP University vice-chancellor Prof Dr Andy Liew Teik Kooi echoed similar sentiments in a statement, calling the graduation a testament to students' determination and resilience.
'Some of you had to balance full-time jobs while studying part-time, and others managed family responsibilities – and yet, here you are.'
He also expressed optimism about the upcoming Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2025-2035.
'It is a bold national vision that calls for digital empowerment, equity of access and the development of quality graduates,' he added.
Graduates from the 2025 convocation earned a wide range of qualifications – from Doctor of Business Administration and Master's degrees in business, education and criminology, to Bachelor's degrees in business, economics, tourism and management.
In collaboration with international partners such as University of Derby and University of London, students also completed honours degrees in accounting, finance, business management, banking and economics.
Special recognition was given to 21 graduates who earned their degrees through the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL.Q) pathway, which acknowledges professional experience as a foundation for academic qualification.
Among them was renowned entrepreneur and corporate figure Tan Sri Tan Koon Swan, who received an APEL.Q Doctor of Business Administration.
Also honoured was Prof Dr Ki Chan Kim, who received HELP University's Distinguished Humane Entrepreneur Award in recognition of his work as ICSB chairman and his contributions to the humane entrepreneurship.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
8 hours ago
- Daily Express
Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce Sabah backs call for stamp duty review on employment contracts
Published on: Friday, June 06, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 06, 2025 Text Size: Dr Tan also urged the Government to grant full exemption for MSMEs, especially in Sabah where the business ecosystem is still developing. Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Sabah has voiced full support to the recent call by the Sabah Association of Professional Accountants (Sapa) to review the blanket implementation of mandatory stamp duty on all employment contracts under the Stamp Act 1949. MCCC Sabah Deputy President Dr Callee Tan, said while the Chamber recognises the Government's efforts to improve tax compliance and national revenue, the current approach could place an undue burden on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in Sabah. Advertisement 'Many local businesses here are small-scale with limited resources. Without considering factors such as business size, industry and region, this policy risks hurting the very enterprises we need for economic recovery,' she said in a statement, on Thursday. MCCC Sabah proposed that employment contracts for positions with monthly salaries below RM6,000 be exempted from stamp duty to reduce the financial pressure on small businesses and encourage formal employment practices. Dr Tan also urged the Government to grant full exemption for MSMEs, especially in Sabah where the business ecosystem is still developing. 'To maintain compliance and safeguard local employment, these enterprises need supportive and realistic policy measures,' she said. She further recommended deferring enforcement of the ruling until further notice, with comprehensive outreach programmes to help businesses understand and prepare for compliance. 'As a key representative of the business community, we are concerned that this policy, if not properly reviewed, may discourage the use of formal contracts, potentially exposing workers to informal and vulnerable employment arrangements.' MCCC Sabah urged the Ministry of Finance and Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) to engage with industry stakeholders, particularly in less-developed regions, to ensure policies reflect fairness, feasibility and local context. 'Only with balanced and inclusive policy making can we ensure long-term national growth and social well-being,' said Dr Tan. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Free Malaysia Today
9 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Tesla loses US$150bil in market value after Trump-Musk row
Tesla trades at 150 times profit estimates, a steep premium to other Big Tech stocks. (Reuters pic) AUSTIN : Tesla shares went into free-fall yesterday as president Donald Trump publicly feuded with the electric vehicle maker's billionaire CEO Elon Musk, his self-proclaimed 'First Buddy'. Investors watched the unfolding drama with growing worry about what the fracas could mean for Musk's business empire. The carmaker's shares ended the day down 14%, wiping off US$150 billion in market value on a day absent other news about the company. Traders dumped Tesla in heavy trading after Musk quickly responded to Trump's criticism with social media posts that stepped up criticism of the president's tax bill. Trump fired back further, alleging Musk was upset because the bill takes away tax benefits for electric vehicle purchases. Openly feuding with Trump could pose multiple hurdles for Tesla and the rest of Musk's sprawling business empire. The US transportation department regulates vehicle design standards and would have a big say in whether Tesla can mass-produce robotaxis without pedals and steering wheels. The agency is also investigating Tesla's driver-assistance software, known as 'Full Self-Driving', following a fatal crash. 'Elon's politics continue to harm the stock. First he aligned himself with Trump, which upset many potential Democratic buyers. Now he has turned on the Trump administration,' said Tesla shareholder Dennis Dick, chief strategist at Stock Trader Network. With EV sales falling, Musk over the last year has re-oriented Tesla's future around self-driving robotaxis. On an earnings call last year, he said investors 'should sell their Tesla stock' if they did not believe the company would solve the technological challenges of driverless vehicles. Wedbush analysts have said the AI and autonomous opportunities could be worth US$1 trillion alone in market value for the company. Musk has advocated for one federal approval process for autonomous vehicles to streamline the current maze of different state regulations. Ross Gerber, CEO of Tesla investor Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, said the feud with Trump 'creates a negative force against Tesla' that could jeopardize regulations and risk more government investigations. 'Every benefit that was perceived he would have got now turns into a negative,' Gerber said. Musk, the world's richest man and a key figure in the department of government efficiency's (DOGE) cost-cutting plan for several months, blasted Trump's 'big beautiful bill' this week, after he decided to spend less time in the White House and instead focus on his companies. Following yesterday's selloff, his net worth fell by roughly US$27 billion to US$388 billion, according to Forbes. Trump yesterday said on his Truth Social platform that the 'easiest way to save money in our Budget, billions and billions of dollars, is to terminate Elon's governmental subsidies and contracts'. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy has already moved to exempt autonomous vehicles from some safety requirements, and NHTSA said in April it is 'actively engaged in developing a multi-faceted regulatory framework' for autonomous vehicles. Although the federal government has already started to streamline some regulations around autonomous driving, Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein said regulators might possibly craft rules in a way that would single out Tesla. Most autonomous vehicle companies use sensors such as radar and lidar to detect objects, for example, but Tesla relies solely on cameras. Goldstein said federal regulators might devise rules requiring lidar, which would hurt Tesla. 'With president Trump, being on his bad side always creates risk that you're going to get personal retaliation,' Goldstein said. He doubted that such an outcome was likely, though, because many other companies have been pushing for new regulations for years. The stock has been on a roller-coaster ever since Musk endorsed Trump in mid-July 2024 in his re-election bid, gaining 169% from that point through mid-December. That was followed by a 54% slide through early April as a 'Tesla Takedown' protest intensified. Musk's leadership of DOGE and alignment with the Trump administration had put off some car buyers, with sales slumping in Europe, China and key US markets like California. The House of Representatives version of Trump's budget bill proposes largely ending the popular US$7,500 EV subsidy by the end of 2025. Tesla and other automakers have relied on incentives for years to drum up demand, but Trump promised during the transition to end the subsidy. Tesla could face a US$1.2 billion hit to its annual profit, along with an additional US$2 billion setback to regulatory credit sales due to separate senate legislation targeting California's EV sales mandates, according to JP Morgan. The company is still the most valuable automaker worldwide by a long shot. Through Wednesday, Tesla's market value stood at about US$1 trillion, well above Toyota Motor's US$290 billion. 'There were a lot of people excited about Tesla because the political winds were at his (Musk's) back. And now they've turned into headwinds in a lot of different ways,' Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers, said. Tesla trades at 150 times profit estimates, a steep premium to other Big Tech stocks such as Nvidia. 'I am short Tesla. I don't understand it. I don't understand its valuation. I don't understand its fundamentals. I think it's overhyped,' Bob Doll, Crossmark Global Investments chief investment officer, said.
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
T7 Global proposes sweeping share plan, includes directors and family members
KUALA LUMPUR: T7 Global Bhd is seeking shareholder approval for a sweeping new long-term incentive plan (LTIP) that would allow it to issue or transfer shares equivalent to up to 15 per cent of its issued capital. The proposed LTIP includes allocations to all directors, the group chief executive officer (CEO) and several family members, according to a shareholder circular filed with Bursa Malaysia today. The plan is intended to replace a dormant employee share option scheme (ESOS) launched in 2017, under which not a single option was granted over its eight-year lifespan. T7 Global now proposes to terminate that scheme early and introduce a broader plan comprising not only stock options but also outright share grants, awarded with no cash payment required from recipients. Among the proposed recipients are executive chairman Tan Sri Nik Norzrul Thani, group CEO Tan Kay Zhuin and directors Tan Kay Vin and Tan Kay Shen, who are sons of T7 Global's major shareholder Tan Sri Tan Kean Soon. Their mother, Puan Sri Shirley Law, who is senior vice president of group support services, is also listed as a recipient. Also named is their uncle, Datuk Tan Kean Seng, deputy head of the Industrial Solutions Division. The LTIP, to be voted on at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on June 24, could see the company issuing as many as 175 million new shares, depending on how the plan is executed. While the ESOS component may generate working capital upon exercise, the share grant plan (SGP) would award shares at no cost to recipients, effectively diluting existing shareholders without raising funds. The board is also seeking shareholder approval to waive pre-emptive rights under Section 85 of the Companies Act, which would allow new shares issued under the LTIP to bypass existing shareholders. The proposal comes as T7 Global's share price has fallen sharply, tumbling more than 50 per cent, from a high of 53.5 sen in June 2024 to 26 sen in May 2025. This followed a private placement exercise completed in October 2024 that raised RM42.9 million and expanded the company's share base by over 81 million shares. Despite the timing, the company said the LTIP is necessary to retain and motivate key personnel, align management interests with shareholders and attract new talent. "The allocations to independent and non-executive directors are subject to vesting conditions and do not compromise their ability to act in the best interests of the company," it said in the circular. Still, the breadth of the proposal, extending to board members, C-suite executives and their relatives, may raise questions around governance, oversight and the concentration of incentives within a small circle of insiders. If approved, the plan will be in force for 10 years, with an LTIP committee appointed by the board having wide discretion over how shares are awarded, vested and priced. The exercise price for stock options may carry a discount of up to 10 per cent to the prevailing market price, while shares granted under the SGP would be based on the same reference but awarded free of charge. Bursa Malaysia has approved the plan in principle, subject to several conditions. Shareholders will vote on the resolution at T7 Global's EGM on June 24. Shares of T7 Global closed half a sen, or two per cent, higher at 25.5 sen, with 5.12 million shares traded. This valued the company at RM230.15 million.
