Latest news with #Looi
Malaysian Reserve
11-08-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Appointments at Mutant Communications, MARC Ratings
SINGAPORE-BORN agency Mutant Communications has promoted Archana Menon to oversee both its Singapore and Malaysia operations and Allen Looi as regional head of social across all markets. Archana, who first joined the independent agency in 2021 as country manager for Malaysia, now takes on an expanded remit across Mutant's two most established markets. Under her leadership, the Malaysian business saw 26% revenue growth in 2024, driven by new wins and regional mandates for brands such as Marriott, Legoland Malaysia and PepsiCo, according to the company's statement. Archana's new role will see her focusing on team culture, business growth and deepening the agency's integrated communications offering across both markets, it added. Mutant said it was doubling down on social and content with the hire of Looi — previously led social efforts at IPG Mediabrands, Coca-Cola and most recently Naga DDB Tribal — as its new regional head of social. At Mutant, Looi will oversee all things social across the agency's five active markets — Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines — with Vietnam expected to join the fold next year. Meanwhile, Malaysian Rating Corp Bhd (MARC) has announced key leadership changes across its group, with Group CEO Arshad Mohamed Ismail appointed as the new CEO of MARC Ratings Bhd, effective Aug 1. Arshad succeeds Rajan Paramesran, who completed his service on July 31 after a 17-year tenure at the credit rating subsidiary. Additionally, deputy chief rating officer Taufiq Kamal has been appointed to the Rating Committee, where he will support chief rating officer Hafiza Abdul Rashid in enhancing analytical processes, governance and operational efficiency. — TMR This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
The Star
17-07-2025
- The Star
Funeral group calls for end to ‘duit kopi'
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysia Funeral Public Association has called for strict adherence to the law among those in the business. Its deputy president Jamelia Looi Heng Ling said the practice of undertakers tipping hospital employees to secure clients should not be allowed as it is unethical. 'We need to follow the laws and regulations. It is not ethical (to pay) just to get some information,' she said when contacted. As such, she said the association supports the Health Ministry's call to prohibit hospital staff from accepting any form of gratification or bribes for mortuary services. It was reported on Monday that the ministry had issued a circular on the matter. It said hospital staff must not provide information or personal details of the deceased to external parties involved in funeral management. Looi said the association is well aware of the 'duit kopi' culture, adding that such a practice among undertakers has been ongoing for many years. ('Duit kopi' or literally 'coffee money' refers to informal payments or a 'token of appreciation' to get or expedite certain services.) A member of a non-governmental organisation, who has been dealing with forensics staff in a particular hospital, said the competition among undertakers has intensified in recent years. 'You can always see them in the vicinity of the forensics unit,' he said. He also pointed out that some undertakers have almost doubled their rates in recent times, claiming that this could be partly due to them having to 'pay' to get information about the deceased. Citing an example, he said the complete ceremony of bathing the remains of a deceased non-Muslim, transporting the body in a hearse, coffin cost, priest fees and cremation charges used to cost less than RM2,500 but this has now almost doubled. 'This has caused unnecessary hardship, especially to B40 and M40 families,' he said. As such, he said he is glad the authorities have issued a reminder to hospital staff to not accept any form of gratification or bribes for mortuary services. In some cases, he said undertakers also engage moneylenders to offer loans to the family of a deceased unable to settle their bill in one go. 'Sometimes when a family turns up at the mortuary, the remains of the deceased would have already be placed in a coffin. 'They would have no choice but to agree to the charges asked by the undertaker as the remains cannot be kept any longer at the mortuary,' he said. Another individual, also speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed to know of cases where undertakers would go up to the ward to speak with the next-of-kin of a terminally ill patient. 'How would they know there is such a sick person in the first place?' he asked. In one case, a Selangor resident, whose relative died at a hospital in Johor recently, was surprised to get a call from an undertaker offering his services to bring home the remains for the final rites. 'I was wondering how an undertaker in another state obtained my mobile number,' she said, adding that she eventually arranged for a hearse provided by a religious organisation at a minimal charge. As for Muslim burials, Mohammad Mukhlis Rahim, who is the assistant director of the funeral management unit under the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi), said there are strict procedures involved. 'Jawi only handles Muslim burials for unclaimed bodies, while the rest will be handled by the respective family members or next of kin. 'The cases differ depending on the circumstances and the mosque committee will usually also assist,' he said. According to him, they will receive an official request from the hospital to manage the burials for Muslims. 'So, we have proper procedures to follow and arrange everything accordingly,' he said, adding that they will only proceed once there is proper verification that the deceased was Muslim.
Business Times
15-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Latin America a potential next market for startups in South-east Asia
[SINGAPORE] Startups in South-east Asia looking for new markets to expand to could find opportunities halfway around the world in Latin America (Latam), market players say. That is because the regions share similarities in demographics, growth potential and regulatory support. Latam's median age is 30.9 years old, similar to South-east Asia's 30.4 years, a report by venture capital firms Saison Capital and Valor Capital showed. This is an important metric, said Looi Qin En, a partner at Saison Capital, which is the corporate venture arm of Japanese financial services provider Credit Saison. 'Thirty years old is not just a young population – it is a young population that is actually employed and has growing disposable incomes,' Looi told The Business Times. Latam also has a growing middle class which is spending more on goods and services, driving demand for everything from housing to technology. Brazil, for instance, has had its spending increase 5.2 times to US$1.6 trillion from US$303 billion, the Saison and Valor report indicated. Besides demographics, both Latam and South-east Asia have strong regulatory support for financial services, smoothing the way for innovation in the sector. For example, there are instant payment systems such as Fast and Secure Transfers in Singapore, PromptPay in Thailand, and Pix in Brazil. Some South-east Asian startups, including data analytics platform Credolab and financial software provider Moneythor, have also noticed the potential and set up shop in Latam. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Indonesia and Brazil Indonesia and Brazil are the largest economies in South-east Asia and Latam, respectively, and these markets are where the biggest potential lies. They also have the largest populations in their respective regions, with Brazil's 2024 gross domestic product standing at US$2 trillion and Indonesia's at US$1.4 trillion. The average daily time spent online was 553 minutes in Brazil and 462 minutes in Indonesia, based on Saison and Valor's report. Looi noted that despite 'all this innovation', there are still several gaps – 'and a lot of the gaps are the same'. The lack of access to credit, for example, is an issue in both Indonesia and Brazil, priming fintech for growth in these regions. In particular, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as well as retail customers face difficulties with these countries' credit rating systems. 'Essentially, what that creates is a huge opportunity to go in and solve the same problems using a lot of the same products,' said Looi. However, South-east Asia and Latam are typically not viewed as potential expansion markets for each other, possibly due to an absence of direct flights between the two regions. Still, Saison Capital recognised their similarities, leading the firm to open offices in Brazil and Mexico. Besides hiring local teams, it has set aside US$100 million for investments in each market. Like South-east Asia, Latam is also diverse. For example, while Spanish is the official language in most Latam countries, it is Portuguese in Brazil, and each market also has its nuances. Understanding these differences and thinking regional is essential for startups to find success there, said Bruno Batavia, principal at Valor Capital. 'In terms of addressable markets, they already have to think about regional strategy in Latam – starting, for instance, in Columbia, then Peru, then Argentina. They already have to start their business in different countries,' he said. Both Saison and Valor hope to facilitate more conversations and understanding between the South-east Asian and Latam markets. In particular, Saison Capital 'can act as the bridge... because we are committed to each market in the sense that we are not just tourists – we don't just have a small branch office and two people there', said Looi. As for Latam startups crossing over to South-east Asia, Batavia notes that this is already happening organically, rather than venture capital firms like Valor pushing their portfolio companies to make the leap. Brazilian digital bank Nubank, for instance, last year invested US$150 million into Tyme, leading the latter's Series D funding round, which raised US$250 million. Tyme is a digital bank which operates in the Philippines via kiosks rather than branches to serve its target customers. Its regional expansion plans include offering credit products to MSMEs in Vietnam, and acquiring a bank to start operations in Indonesia. 'Maybe the next frontier could be South-east Asia, because there's a lot of opportunities and similarities,' said Batavia.
