The Star Online: Nation
The Star Online: Nation |
- Ipoh-born makes it big as top scientist in renowned firm
- Sect founder’s widow pleads guilty
- MTUC welcomes move on maids
| Ipoh-born makes it big as top scientist in renowned firm Posted: PETALING JAYA: Passionate about science as a boy, Ipoh-born Dr Joseph Chang (pic) never dreamt that he would one day become the top scientist at an international direct-selling company. Leaving home at 17 to study overseas, Dr Chang, now 61, is the chief scientific officer at Nu Skin Enterprises Inc, a leading distributor of anti-aging products and supplements. Prior to that, he co-founded a nutritional supplement company called Pharmanex, with its range of products sold in 38,000 stores in the United States before it was bought over by Nu Skin. "My journey is one pleasant accident after another," he said. "I was planning on returning to Malaysia after doing my doctorate in pharmacology at the University of London. "But opportunities presented themselves to me," said Dr Chang, who was a lecturer at the Johns Hopkins University in the United States before being offered a job to do research and development for a drug company. After successfully developing drugs to aid arthritis and organ rejection, he went on to form Pharmanex in 1995, and sold it to Nu Skin three years later. Nu Skin currently operates in 53 markets across the United States, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Even though he is now an American, Dr Chang, a father of two, said he would visit Malaysia every year and missed the delicious durian and his hometown's signature hor fun. "You can take a guy out of Ipoh but you can't take Ipoh out of a guy," he quipped. Dr Chang, who lives in Utah, said it was important to be creative in one's efforts to achieve goals. "Malaysian parents are interesting to me. "They are averse to risk and insist that their children take up 'safe' professions like medicine, law and engineering. "Malaysian parents cannot accept failure well," he noted. "To them, it is not seen as a temporary speed bump. "But that is part of the challenge that comes from the unknown," Dr Chang said. "What matters is that you can recover from the failure." |
| Sect founder’s widow pleads guilty Posted: KUALA LUMPUR: The widow of the late Ashaari Muhammad, founder of the outlawed Al-Arqam movement, used her position in a company here to revive teachings that go against Islamic laws, a syariah court here charged. Hatijah Aam, 59, a director of Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd, was accused of using her position to revive the Al-Arqam teachings which go against a fatwa gazetted on Aug 11, 1994 and Dec 21, 2006. She pleaded guilty to the charge, under Section 12(c) of the Selangor Syariah Criminal Enactment 1995 at the Lower Syariah Court in Gombak, near here, yesterday. Syarie judge Kamarulzaman Ali instructed Hatijah, to be bound over on a good behaviour bond for one year in one surety. He earlier fined her RM1,000 for publishing a book entitled 45 Tahun 1968-2013 Perjuangan Abuya Sheikh Umam Ashaari Muhammad At-Tamimi, that went against the hukum syarak (Islamic law) this year by the company. The offensive content against Islam was detected on pages 54 and 159 of the book, the court ruled. Hatijah was charged under Section 16(1)(a) of the Selangor Syariah Criminal Enactment 1995 for this offence. Judge Kamarulzaman meted out the sentences after Hatijah pleaded guilty to committing the offences at the company's office in Jalan Desa 9/6, Bandar Country Homes, Rawang, between Jan 1, 2008 and 2013. Also in the same court, the judge instructed 17 others – aged 18 to 58 – to be bound over on a good behaviour bond for one year in one surety each for being involved in Rufaqa' Corporation Sdn Bhd, which also has elements similar to the Al-Arqam teachings and ideology. They pleaded guilty to the charge, under Section 12 (c) of the same syariah enactment. Judge Kamarulzaman warned Hatijah and the 17 others not to get involved in any activities connected to the banned Al-Arqam or any teachings that go against fatwa rulings and ordered them to undergo a 500-hour dakwah course. Muhammad Rafizan Ahmad Supian and Aiman Ruslan were the Syarie prosecutors while Hatijah and her followers were unrepresented. Summing up, judge Kamarulzaman said he hoped that they would not repeat the offences, adding that the guilty plea had saved the court's time. "The guilty plea should be accompanied by contrition and regret. Remorse is just like an icing on the cake and thus, we should take things moderately," he said. Ashaari, who died in 2010, was also known as Abuya to his followers. The movement was declared deviant and banned by the Government in 1994 and displaced members allegedly went on to form Global Ikhwan, which is involved in several businesses. |
| Posted: KUALA LUMPUR: The MTUC has welcomed the Government's decision to recruit Cambodian domestic workers, thus ending Phnom Penh two-year moratorium on the recruitment. MTUC secretary-general Abdul Halim Mansor said the new practice would remove the involvement of agents and middlemen and effectively eliminate the huge recruitment fee, which is about RM8,000 to RM12,000. "This new procedure will give a big relief to families who need domestic workers," he said, here, yesterday. — Bernama |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Star Online : Nation Feed To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan