Congratulations to Starbucks on the opening of the Penang Signing Store, it’s second in Malaysia and fourth globally, as part of its ongoing commitment to inclusion, accessibility, and diversity.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and the U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir officiated the opening ceremony and praised Starbucks Malaysia’s innovative Signing Store format, which launched in the U.S. in 2018 and China in May 2019. 

“Starbucks should be lauded for their proactive approach to diverse hiring. It has set a positive example of how an American company can learn and adapt to a program that was initiated right here in Malaysia, by Malaysians. I continue to take great pride in promoting the commitment to inclusion and the outstanding corporate social responsibility work showcased by American firms like Starbucks that operate in Malaysia“, said Ambassador Lakhdhir.

AMCHAM’s Executive Director, Siobhan Das, who also witnessed this opening was “proud to see first hand the impact our member companies make in the communities in which they operate.”

AMCHAM’s year-end signature event, the Thanksgiving and MY AMCHAM CARES celebrations were held on Monday, 25 November 2019.

In today’s socially conscious environment, employees and customers alike take notice of of businesses which make Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) a priority. Adding to that, companies which incorporate UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as part of their business conduct, are able to demonstrate their contribution towards national and global development objectives. How the CSR initiatives are conceived and deployed matters, and these are highlighted in the MY AMCHAM CARES program. 

At this annual event, 32 member companies were recognized for outstanding CSR initiatives under the MY AMCHAM CARES program. Hosted by the Four Seasons Hotel KL for the second year running, members and their guests were treated to a traditional Thanksgiving meal with additional beverages that were sponsored by Coca-Cola and Starbucks Malaysia. 

Notable invitees included Yang Berhormat Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, The Honorable Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, as well as AMCHAM’s Governors, helped create a joyful and festive experience for our members and guests at this uniquely American celebration. 

The main sponsors for the event include  American Airlines, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Intel, Coca-Cola.

A very big thank you to all our special guests, event sponsors, members and to our hosts, Four Seasons Hotel KL, this event was a success because of all of you. We look forward to 2020 with a very positive light.

Listed here are the 32 companies which were honored this year:

AMCHAM and the U.S. Embassy organized a Smart Cities Showcase at Hilton Kuala Lumpur on November 20, 2019. The event was graced with the presence of Yang Berhormat Tuan Khalid Abd Samad, Minister of Federal Territories, and The Honorable Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia and various Senior Officials from the Ministry of Federal Territories. Yang Berhormat Tuan Khalid Abd Samad gave the keynote address, providing the attendees an indication of the current status and direction of Smart Cities that are under the purview of the ministry.

The event brought together a number of distinguished speakers, experts in their field and knowledge of what is required to make a smart city – the initiatives, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and the attitude of embracing change. Speakers included Andrew Aho, Country Sales Manager of Intersystems; Hasnul Nadzrin Shah, Director, Government & Regulatory Affairs of IBM Malaysia; Dalbir Singh, Regional Lead Smart Cities, ASEAN of CISCO; Dhaval Shah, Commercial Leader of Honeywell Business Technologies; Mohammad Sallehuddin Kodri, Security Solutions Consultant, of McAfee; and Amran Mansoor, Technology Strategist, Public Sector Group of Microsoft Malaysia.

AMCHAM would like to thank the distinguished speakers and Yang Berhormat Tuan Khalid Abd Samad for making this event a success.

Blockchain is the latest cutting-edge topic right now, changing the ways in which our digital world operates. Experts also predict the change will affect the industries which have high digital features, such as finance, and logistics.

On November 19, 2019, the first event of the Crypto Community Asia Tour was held at AMCHAM’s Executive Office and conducted as a Spotlight session for members. The event was organized by BICC and USDA in cooperation with Nova Club. The event had speakers providing insight into new crypto currencies as well as the machination of blockchain, how to join in and how to connect private domain traffic to build an ecosystem.

Blockchain’s success story of Bitcoins was talked about and the event left attendees with a better understanding of the subject matter and what can be expected in the coming years.