On the 14th of June, AMCHAM held our 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) followed by the AGM Luncheon at the St. Regis Hotel Kuala Lumpur. During the AGM, five Governors were elected to serve a two year term with one new governor joining the four returning board members.
The elected Governors are AK Chong, Vice President of Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Operations, Managing Director for Intel Malaysia site and General Manager of the System Integration & Manufacturing Services (SIMS) operations in the Assembly Test Manufacturing (ATM) group at Intel Corporation; Anushia Soosaipillai, Senior Executive Director, PwC Malaysia; Shane Harris, Chairman, ExxonMobil Subsidiaries in Malaysia & President, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc.; Naeem Khan, Managing Director, Philip Morris Malaysia; and Timothy Jackson Monk Jr., General Manager, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
This year, Y.B. Datuk Aaron Ago Anak Dagang, Deputy Minister of Health II delivered remarks praising the efforts of the AMCHAM member companies for their contributions to frontliners during the last two years with the COVID-19 pandemic. Y.B. Datuk Aaron represented Y.B. Khairy Jamaluddin who was unable to attend due to his travel to the U.S.
Joining us at the lunch was Y.B. Dr. Kelvin Yii, the Member of Parliament for Bandar Kuching, and Chair, Special Select Committee on Health, Science and Innovation. After the deputy Minister’s remarks, AMCHAM’s Chairman, Antony Lee, and Y.B. Kelvin Yii had a conversation on stage on his perspectives around Malaysia’s healthcare system both during the pandemic. They also touched on what it may take to provide Malaysians a good healthcare system and the opportunities of technology. Y.B. Dr. Kelvin also talked about the work of the selective committee and its commitment to address issues with robust discussions.
Prior to lunch, both Y.B. Datuk Aaron and Y.B. Dr Kelvin were able to have an informal discussion on current and future challenges with a group of 15 member companies.
AMCHAM wishes a big thank you to our two special guests for making this year’s AGM luncheon a special one with interesting discussions. We are also very grateful to all our members, supporters and sponsors. 2022 Gold Sponsors were Abbott Laboratories, AIG Malaysia, First Solar, J.P. Morgan; and Silver Sponsors – DaVita and International SOS.
Thank you to Starbucks Malaysia, Golden Scoop and Coca-Cola for your continued support!
AK is the Vice President of Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Operations, Managing Director for Intel Malaysia site and General Manager of the System Integration & Manufacturing Services (SIMS) operations in the Assembly Test Manufacturing (ATM) group at Intel Corporation.
Intel Malaysia has had a long-standing relationship with AMCHAM. As Managing Director, AK and her team work with closely AMCHAM on matters pertaining to Intel and its operations in Malaysia, the Malaysian government’s policies, as well as current state and national affairs.
It is an honor for AK, to be nominated for a Board of Governors role. As a board member, AK will be able to continue her contribution to the country via an influential organization such as AMCHAM. She looks forward to bringing Intel’s perspective into critical discussions to help create a positive impact in the industry, in collaboration with other industry leaders and board members.
AK brings a diverse voice to the table. Apart from leading one of Intel’s factories as well as the Malaysia site, she is also the founding chair of the Malaysia Women Leadership Development Steering Committee, which aims to implement initiatives that help develop women leaders and establish strategies for women progression and advancement in Intel, in line with Intel’s RISE Inclusive 2030 Goals – and, she sponsors the Malaysia Women at Intel Network.
AK’s leadership principle can be summed up by Steve Job’s quote, “My job is not to be easy on people, my job is to make them better.” She believes that everyone can be a shining star in the organization, and she is passionate in helping people unleash their full potential. Seeing those around her grow, flourish and succeed motivates her the most. She hopes to be able to apply this as a board member at AMCHAM, to help uplift the business community in Malaysia and advance the interests of the chamber members.
Career Summary
I am a Senior Executive Director in PricewaterhouseCoopers Malaysia (PwC Malaysia). I have 17 years of experience in assisting and advising companies in various transfer pricing projects and defending challenges to transfer prices by tax authorities in tax audits and investigation cases. I have strong local relationships with regulators such as the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia where I discuss technical issues, meet on technical forums and contribute on topical issues. I bring a strong understanding of MNCs’ needs in the areas of cross border transactions, inbound investments and outbound considerations.
Professional Affiliations and Qualification
- Fellow of CPA Australia
- Member of the Chartered Tax Institute of Malaysia (CTIM)
- Bachelor of Law Degree from University of Queensland, Australia
- Bachelor of Commerce Degree from University of Queensland, Australia
Current roles and involvement
Besides my current client facing role in PwC Malaysia, I am a member of the Technical Committee for Transfer Pricing in the Chartered Tax Institute of Malaysia. This entails looking at tax and transfer pricing related reforms, meeting with regulators on changes required and addressing related issues.
I am a regular speaker at seminars and training conducted by the International Bureau of Fiscal Development (IBFD), CCH / Wolters Kluwer and PwC Malaysia. I also regularly contribute articles and technical chapters to IBFD.
Key expertise
I have extensive experience in advising clients on transfer pricing strategies and formulating transfer pricing solutions for their operations and challenges faced during regulatory tax audits. My work primarily revolves around supporting MNCs and large Malaysian conglomerates across all industries. This equips me well to provide insights to US MNCs and other MNCs alike as to the latest developments on transfer pricing both from a corporate perspective as well as the expectations from the local tax regulators.
How I can contribute to AMCHAM
I can bring to the Board a strong understanding of some of the topical tax related areas such as “Base Erosion Profit Shifting” – this is a current global focus area by tax regulators to ensure that the right amount of taxes are captured in the correct jurisdictions. Naturally this involves a strong understanding of the dynamics of cross border pricing and its impact to business profits. My exposure to such MNC related issues and my experience in working with MNCs over the past 17 years will be brought to bear.
In the past I have supported AMCHAM in the revisions to its Articles of Association and contributed my time to take on that project. I will similarly be very much interested to contribute to further such updates if required. I am also willing to participate in industry discussions and lead some of these technical sessions for the benefit of the Members.
Shane Harris is currently the president and chairman of ExxonnMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc. and lead country manager for ExxonnMobil subsidiaries in Malaysia.
He joined ExxonMobil in 1998 and has held a variety of leadership, engineering and business assignments across the Production, Drilling, Mining and Subsurface disciplines in Australia, Malaysia, the U.S.A., Canada and Russia.
Shane spent his early career working a variety of engineering and planning roles for Esso Australia, plus an assignment in Malaysia working as a reservoir engineer for ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc. In 2005, Shane was assigned to Houston, U.S.A. to work for the ExxonMobil Drilling organization, including a number of engineering and operations leadership roles for activities in the Colorado Rockies, Sakhalin Island and the Black Sea in Russia, and the Beaufort Sea in Canada.
In 2011, he moved to Calgary, Canada as the Drilling Manager for Imperial Oil and in 2013 relocated to Moscow, Russia as the ExxonMobil Operations Integrity & Logistics Manager for exploration drilling activity in the Kara Sea. In February 2015, Shane returned to Houston as the global ExxonMobil Drilling Technical Manager, transitioning six months later into the ExxonMobil Upstream Synergies Lead role. In November 2016, Shane returned to Calgary, Canada as the Production/Asset Manager, responsible for running the large-scale Kearl oil sands mining operation in Alberta.
Shane graduated from the University of Newcastle, Australia with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering. Shane and his wife, Sara have three sons.
PLATFORM STATEMENT
Having had the privilege to serve as a member of the Board of Governors for the past few months, if elected to another term, I would be honored to continue my active participation by working with AMCHAM to strengthen business ties with Malaysia via meaningful engagement with key policymakers in areas of common interest for AMCHAM members.
An excellent opportunity for US investors is in the area of decarbonization of the economy. US companies have developed significant advancement in low-carbon solutions and if the knowledge can be transferred here, this will help Malaysia towards achieving its ambition to be a carbon-neutral nation by 2050. Malaysia is also primed to take advantage of the clean economy, one of the pillars of President Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
ExxonMobil has been in Malaysia for nearly 135 years and has made significant contributions to the local oil and gas industry and local communities. We have partnered with the government and the community on human capital development particularly in English language and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education among young Malaysians. We run a number of programs in a few states in Peninsular Malaysia in collaboration with state education departments, universities and schools. We believe our efforts are consistent with AMCHAM’s goals of amplifying good corporate citizenship among US companies in Malaysia.
I am fortunate to have served ExxonMobil outside of the US. I am confident that the experience, values and perspective gained will contribute to the role the Chamber plays in advancing U.S. business interests. It would be an honor to serve and I look forward to the opportunities ahead.
Naeem Shahab Khan, the Managing Director of Philip Morris Malaysia (PMM) is committed to the continued realization of the growing importance that AMCHAM has on the economic transition that Malaysia is undergoing. As a reputable organization among government and the business circles, Naeem’s diverse experience and numerous evidences of innovation will bring value to AMCHAM’s continued influence. AMCHAM was pivotal in voicing concerns of member companies during the pandemic and will continue to be crucial as Malaysia moves into the endemic phase and economic recovery. Statistically, it is the multinational companies that exist in chambers like AMCHAM who provide continued employment for Malaysians, even as they stay and work from home. This is important in the new normal that exists. Naeem’s experience working abroad, and his grounded understanding of how Malaysia operates best, provides him with a better understanding that the strength of any organization, is the inclusion of all its members.
Naeem brings with him more than 24 years of experience in corporate, business, and commercial management activities across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East region. In the last 3 years, Naeem has been instrumental in driving the transformation agenda of Philip Morris Malaysia. Smoke Free Malaysia is a north star which require an organizational transformation, external stakeholder management and an industry thought leadership which is extensively driven by him.
Naeem is also Chairman of the Confederation of Malaysian Tobacco Manufacturers (CMTM) and by virtue of his position, a key stakeholder in strategic policy development from an industry perspective. Prior to joining PMM, Naeem was the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of EZbuy Holding LTD in Pakistan, an international e-commerce platform that brings quality products in a convenient way to shoppers globally. Prior to founding EZbuy, Naeem had spent 18 years in Phillips Group of Companies holding several regional management roles, looking after Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa within the consumer electronics department. He was then appointed as Chairman and CEO of Philip Group of Companies in Malaysia. In addition, Naeem has served as a board member in the Malaysian Dutch Business Council (MDBC) for several years.
Naeem is a genuine leader who has a strong organizational focus on developing people. He is known for his ability in accelerating revenue growth in digital, commercial, and healthcare environments. Fundamentally, as our world and Malaysian economy faces a crucial crossroad, Naeem’s proven track record of successfully transforming businesses with innovative approaches makes him a critical member of the Board of Governors in AMCHAM.
Timothy J. Monk is Abbott’s General Manager of Nutrition, Malaysia.
Driven to help people of all ages thrive and live their best, he is leading Abbott’s efforts to bring science-based nutritional products to millions of people and address major health priorities like diabetes, malnutrition and healthy aging in Malaysia.
He has broad experience in the healthcare and consumer packaged goods industry, spanning 20 years managing global brands in the pediatric, adult, sports, medical foods and natural products categories.
Since joining Abbott in 2016, Timothy has worked across countries and cultures holding a variety of roles in Abbott’s nutrition organization. Starting as General Manager of EAS Sports Nutrition, an Abbott Nutrition subsidiary, he was responsible for leading Abbott’s performance nutrition business and market leading brands such as MyoPlex throughout the USA and Canada.
Two years into the role, he progressed to become the Commercial Director for Abbott’s nutrition international business responsible for international revenue generation and commercial excellence programs across five continents. In 2020, Tim relocated to Shanghai to lead the corporate strategy development of Abbott’s pediatric portfolio for China – one of the most competitive infant milk formula markets in the world.
Before joining Abbott, Timothy held multiple roles at Atrium Innovations for 13 years and promoted to Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Atrium Innovations (now a Nestlé Owned Subsidiary) in May 2011. There he led the Douglas Laboratories and Klean Athlete brands including the P&L, sales, marketing, regulatory as well as the overall global strategic direction of the business with sales in Europe and Asia.
In Malaysia, Tim is also Abbott’s Management Representative, responsible for external engagement with all key stakeholders including government officials. He currently serves as the AMCHAM Corporate Representative for Abbott as well as the CEO representative for FIFEC (Infant Milk Products Trade Group Malaysia) representing Abbott’s business to a diverse group of stakeholders.
Tim is an avid endurance athlete including the Ironman World Championships, a former NAIA ALL American College Swimmer and dedicated father and husband. Since arriving in Malaysia, he has become an enthusiastic scuba diver along with his wife.
Timothy graduated from the University of Denver with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management.
