Latest news with #Pua
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
O'Briens Malaysia: Fresh, fast and balanced
ON the sandwich shop spectrum, O'Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe Malaysia (O'Briens) falls on the slightly more premium end but customers are known to get what they pay for – sandwiches crafted to international standards with high-quality, fresh ingredients. Speaking to theSun, O'Briens managing director and master franchise holder Brian Pua explained that the success of the brand over the past two decades is the result of his team's relentless commitment in upholding the highest standards in food quality, customer service and healthy food products. Opening its first outlet in Malaysia at Great Eastern Mall in Kuala Lumpur back in 2002, O'Briens quickly expanded under Pua's stewardship to over 30 locations, largely in urban areas. Though the 'Irish' in its name may give some pause, Pua stressed that O'Briens is halal-certified, which was his very intention from the opening of the initial Malaysian outlet. 'As a cafe offering what many consider comfort food, it was important for us to target the halal status. Now, all our food is halal-certified, so our Muslim customers can enjoy their meals with confidence,' Pua explained. 'From the start, it was very clear how we would serve our customers,' he said. Healthy eating, local flavours O'Briens was one of the first businesses in the country's food and beverage landscape to push the concept of fresh and nutritious food – even if the general awareness on how both went hand in hand with living a healthy lifestyle was not as prevalent. Pua believes the pandemic drove a change in attitudes. 'It was when people began to have more awareness on the importance of taking care of their immune system by consuming more natural, fresh food products. 'People now look for meals that support their lifestyle, where they want something balanced, fresh and satisfying. We are proud to be part of that movement and it is great to see so many regulars who have made O'Briens part of their everyday routine,' he said. Yet, O'Briens is not rigid in its offerings. Over time, the brand has adapted – or rather tweaked – its menu to suit local tastes while maintaining its original values. 'Being a Malaysian myself has helped guide O'Briens. In the beginning, we looked at introducing Irish sandwiches, the concept and lifestyle to the Malaysian market. Over time, we looked into the taste of what O'Briens offered,' he said. Giving an example, Pua cited how Malaysians liked spicy food. This eventually led to the O'Briens menu adopting items such as the Piri-Piri Chicken Multigrain and the Volcanic Chicken Wrap. 'Another thing was the demand for vegetarian options and we answered it with a wide range of vegetarian offerings such as the Watercress Sandwich and even those that combined the spicy and vegetarian taste portfolio, such as the Sundried Tomato on Hot Ciabatta, which is popular with vegetarians,' he pointed out. 'We put in the effort to make each and every sandwich have its own unique identity by increasing the taste portfolio, while staying true to our Irish roots and the philosophy of clean, nutritious eating'. Listening to lifestyles Today, O'Briens continues to adapt to what consumers are looking for. To Pua, this means always having his ear to the ground. On top of integrating new technology into its operations, O'Briens is working with the fitness industry, finding new ways to approach the food and beverage landscape. They are already taking into consideration what gym-goers want. 'We have done surveys with them to develop our salads to be low in carbohydrates and high in protein, while striking a balance between the health aspect and the taste of our food,' Pua said. While the brand is known for promoting healthy foods and living, one element is conspiciously missing from its clean and attractive menu – nutritional information for each item, with calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats in gram and so on clearly stated. 'We are currently working on it,' Pua exclaimed with a laugh. 'In fact, our halal quality control team already has all the information for each product and very soon, we will incorporate it into our menu. 'We want our customers to know the nutritional value of what they consume and they can plan their meals. That is also what we want to encourage our customers to do, which is to have a balanced diet,' he said.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Healthy bites, local flavours
ON the sandwich shop spectrum, O'Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe Malaysia (O'Briens) falls on the slightly more premium end but customers are known to get what they pay for – sandwiches crafted to international standards with high-quality, fresh ingredients. Speaking to theSun, O'Briens managing director and master franchise holder Brian Pua explained that the success of the brand over the past two decades is the result of his team's relentless commitment in upholding the highest standards in food quality, customer service and healthy food products. Opening its first outlet in Malaysia at Great Eastern Mall in Kuala Lumpur back in 2002, O'Briens quickly expanded under Pua's stewardship to over 30 locations, largely in urban areas. Though the 'Irish' in its name may give some pause, Pua stressed that O'Briens is halal -certified, which was his very intention from the opening of the initial Malaysian outlet. 'As a cafe offering what many consider comfort food, it was important for us to target the halal status. Now, all our food is halal -certified, so our Muslim customers can enjoy their meals with confidence,' Pua explained. 'From the start, it was very clear how we would serve our customers,' he said. Healthy eating, local flavours O'Briens was one of the first businesses in the country's food and beverage landscape to push the concept of fresh and nutritious food – even if the general awareness on how both went hand in hand with living a healthy lifestyle was not as prevalent. Pua believes the pandemic drove a change in attitudes. 'It was when people began to have more awareness on the importance of taking care of their immune system by consuming more natural, fresh food products. 'People now look for meals that support their lifestyle, where they want something balanced, fresh and satisfying. We are proud to be part of that movement and it is great to see so many regulars who have made O'Briens part of their everyday routine,' he said. Yet, O'Briens is not rigid in its offerings. Over time, the brand has adapted – or rather tweaked – its menu to suit local tastes while maintaining its original values. 'Being a Malaysian myself has helped guide O'Briens. In the beginning, we looked at introducing Irish sandwiches, the concept and lifestyle to the Malaysian market. Over time, we looked into the taste of what O'Briens offered,' he said. Giving an example, Pua cited how Malaysians liked spicy food. This eventually led to the O'Briens menu adopting items such as the Piri-Piri Chicken Multigrain and the Volcanic Chicken Wrap. 'Another thing was the demand for vegetarian options and we answered it with a wide range of vegetarian offerings such as the Watercress Sandwich and even those that combined the spicy and vegetarian taste portfolio, such as the Sundried Tomato on Hot Ciabatta, which is popular with vegetarians,' he pointed out. 'We put in the effort to make each and every sandwich have its own unique identity by increasing the taste portfolio, while staying true to our Irish roots and the philosophy of clean, nutritious eating'. Listening to lifestyles Today, O'Briens continues to adapt to what consumers are looking for. To Pua, this means always having his ear to the ground. On top of integrating new technology into its operations, O'Briens is working with the fitness industry, finding new ways to approach the food and beverage landscape. They are already taking into consideration what gym-goers want. 'We have done surveys with them to develop our salads to be low in carbohydrates and high in protein, while striking a balance between the health aspect and the taste of our food,' Pua said. While the brand is known for promoting healthy foods and living, one element is conspiciously missing from its clean and attractive menu – nutritional information for each item, with calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats in gram and so on clearly stated. 'We are currently working on it,' Pua exclaimed with a laugh. 'In fact, our halal quality control team already has all the information for each product and very soon, we will incorporate it into our menu. 'We want our customers to know the nutritional value of what they consume and they can plan their meals. That is also what we want to encourage our customers to do, which is to have a balanced diet,' he said.
Daily Record
31-05-2025
- Daily Record
Hiker's chilling final scream before vanishing after sending haunting photo of 'shadow man'
Group of hikers claimed a scream could be heard around the same time teenager Daylenn Pua went missing on a walk in Hawaii A teenager who vanished on a hiking trail in Hawaii snapped a mysterious photo featuring a 'shadow man' just before he disappeared. Eighteen-year-old Daylenn Pua was last seen heading up the perilous Haʻikū Stairs - known as the 'stairway to heaven' - on O'ahu island. The stairs were constructed during World War II to provide better access to a former US Navy Communications facility. With a staggering 3,922 steps, the steep path across the mountain range used to be a popular hiking spot prior to its removal in 2024. The site was infamous for safety issues and was actually illegal to traverse, but this did not deter many, including 18-year-old Pua, wanting to attempt the walk anyway despite the risks. Located on either side of the ridge lies a sheer drop, which meant that a stumble at any point could prove fatal. Despite his grandmother's worry about the challenge, Pua was eager to take it on and promised to send her regular photographs to chart his progress. And one of the last photographs sent clearly shows a man partially hidden behind a tree, standing in the centre of the image and side on to the teenager. Dubbed the 'shadow man', this enigmatic figure remains unidentified and is believed to be the last person to have seen Pua before his vanishing. The eerie photograph has sparked numerous online theories, fuelling debate over whether Pua was abducted or assaulted. Following his disappearance, Pua's family made a heartfelt appeal for the mysterious individual in the photo to step forward, but to no avail. With no alternative leads or evidence, and after exhaustive search efforts yielded nothing, it seems most probable the teenager fell from the stairs. This theory is supported by other hikers present at the time who recall hearing desperate pleas for assistance. Reddit user 'Dclandry', who alleges to have heard the distressing sounds, posted: "I could never explain to you the feeling I felt when you hear a cry like that. The hiker did not trust pass and go up the stairs. By the looks of the photographs, he didn't ever make it to the stairs. "The hiker went up the Moanalua way. I'm not a local so I don't really know any of the name of the ridges, all I can do is try my best to explain to others where we went and where it was that we heard him. We started the hike on a trail about 20 feet from the Kulana'ahane trail. We had hiked about three hours up. "We were yelling to each other to make sure the others were okay because we were so far apart. The wind died down for just a half a second and we hear a scream 'help me!". The incident left them so shaken that they phoned 911 for assistance, and when the rescue team arrived, they reportedly heard additional 'screams'. "I'm down here!" was allegedly heard by the group, but pinpointing the exact source of the cries proved difficult. "The wind was so bad and the clouds are starting to roll in so it was hard to hear anything," the commentator noted. "My friend and I that heard the last cry, are heading up the ridge tomorrow the same way that we went Monday. It's hard to explain where the location was that we heard it, as well as where the voice was coming from."
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Phison's newly launched MaiStorage Technology eyes IPO in 2028
PUTRAJAYA: Phison Electronics Corporation's newly launched subsidiary MaiStorage Technology Sdn Bhd is eyeing an initial public offering (IPO) in 2028 to support expansion and to retain talent. Founder and group CEO Datuk Pua Khein Seng said the capital it raises from the IPO will be used to build the company's own research and development (R&D) centre. 'We are currently renting an office from the Selangor state government, which can accommodate about 200 to 250 people. As we continue to grow, we'll need to secure land and construct a custom-built R&D facility. That's what the IPO capital will mainly fund,' he said at a press conference after the official launch of MaiStorage Technology by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today. MaiStorage plans to build and expand its integrated circuit (IC) design team focused on NAND flash controller chip design – a critical component of modern storage and computing systems. Pua said since starting operations in August 2024, the Phison-backed company has trained 60 local IC design engineers and is on track to train 175 by 2026. 'We are working very closely with TalentCorp to train another 150 engineers over the next three years,' he added. He stressed that these are real, capable IC design engineers, not factory operators. 'So how do we retain engineers? The only way is through an IPO. That's what I've learned from Taiwan's Hsinchu Science Park, as well as from Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing,' Pua said. 'That's why we've launched a three-year programme to take MaiStorage public on the Malaysian stock exchange by 2028.' However, Pua said the business operates with internal capital from 'cash rich' Phison and is not dependent on external fundraising for growth. 'By the end of CQ1, overall the company, our investment was RM100 million. Now the net value is over RM100 million. So we earn like around RM4 million already.' Furthermore, the company aims to position Malaysia as a technology hub in Asia. 'We have a partner from Thailand coming in to work with us on licensing and transferring our AI technology to Thailand. Every government wants on-premises AI. Cloud is good, but it's expensive and compromises data privacy,' Pua said. He added that there is also a knowledge gap. 'We brought in the technology, trained the trainers here, and now they are building their own ecosystem to train students and IT managers.' Pua sees this training-and-ecosystem model as a replicable export. 'This model will first be exported to Thailand, and hopefully, we can expand it to the Middle East as well.' MaiStorage is an IC design and storage technology provider that caters to the data centre, AI applications and the automotive industries in Malaysia. It offers SSD solutions and aiDAPTIV+ AI LLM training and fine-tuning platform on-premises to enhance performance, security, and AI-driven innovations for customers.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Malaysia will continue to support regional digital development and AI
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia, as the chairman of ASEAN 2025, will continue to support the development of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in the region, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said Malaysia, together with ASEAN, should be more competitive in the digital hub sector, with Malaysia having gained a competitive reputation through political stability and clarity in its policies. 'The thrust of our ASEAN chairmanship has been for energy transition, and we have been quite successful with Vietnam and Singapore on this power grid. But the focus, the thrust of our chairmanship, has been digital transformation 'And this will lead to what we will be addressing this weekend when we meet ASEAN leaders, then together, with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and also China,' he said in his speech at the MaiStorage Technology official launch here today. Also present was Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook and MaiStorage founder and group chief executive officer Datuk Pua Khein Seng. Anwar said the role played by government agencies such as MITI, TalentCorp, and the Selangor state government in supporting MaiStorage has brought success not only to the company but also to the country. 'I remember we (he and Pua) met early last year and in August (last year), decided to enter, and in October operations started, and today we see the results, including its profits. To ensure greater progress, there are several challenging sectors we must explore, and we are fortunate because a local talent (Pua) has already ventured around the world and built a globally successful industry, the Phison Group,' he added. MaiStorage, which is part of the Phison Group - a supplier of NAND flash controllers and storage solutions co-founded by Pua - is a technology provider specializing in integrated circuit (IC) design and storage, focusing on data centres, AI applications, and the automotive industry in Malaysia. In addition, Anwar emphasised the importance of effective policy implementation and good governance to ensure sustainable outcomes. 'Our biggest challenge is effective implementation. That's why my team and I focus early on governance issues. With discipline, clear policies, and a transparent, corruption-free execution, we can make Malaysia a premier destination for investment in AI and digital fields,' he said.
