KUALA LUMPUR, March 31, 2017 – AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, a subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG), won the Best Insurer 2016 award at the MRC Symposium 2017, here yesterday.

The main criteria of winning the award, was based on the best turn-around time in the approval of motor claims amongst all the general insurers in Malaysia. AIG Malaysia holds the record for the shortest turn-around time for motor claims in the industry.

This is the fourth time AIG Malaysia is being honored for this award, having won the number 1 spot consecutively in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

“We are truly honored to receive this award and to be recognized as a leader in the industry for our commitment to providing our customers exceptional motor claims service,” said Antony Lee, Chief Executive Officer of AIG Malaysia.

“We have set a benchmark with our claims processes here at AIG Malaysia and will keep pushing ourselves to stay ahead of the competition. We do not merely make promises we deliver on our customer proposition as evidenced by this award. ”

“Our customers are at the center of what we do here at AIG Malaysia. Improving the customer experience, especially at their time of need, continues to be a key focus for us,” added Lee. “This is even more important with market liberalization when car owners will need to make that important decision comparing price with service quality.”

Formed in 1998, MRC is the only concessionaire that is appointed by The General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) with endorsement of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), to build such a database to provide standards, and reduce subjectivity. The database acts as a point of reference and record-keeping to improve claims processing and increase transparency.

American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. Founded in 1919, today we provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, mortgage insurance and other financial services to customers in more than 100 countries and jurisdictions. Our diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com and www.aig.com/strategyupdate | YouTube: www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter: @AIGinsurance | LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites are not incorporated by reference into this press release.

AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries, and coverage is subject to actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guarantee funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.

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THIS week we get thoughts and ideas from Global clinical contract research organization InClinica’s executive vice-president and general manager Asia-Pacific Jeffrey Scott Yablon.

How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?

It has not been a straight path. Between experience in the military and the corporate world my life has been defined by a willingness to go out on a limb and try new things. Having a science-based degree and an EMBA has helped shaped my understanding of world business and pharmaceutical development; which is useful in identifying potential in-roads and opportunities in the life sciences and clinical research business. I have also been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in different countries like India, aside from the US and Malaysia, which has broadened and enriched my life and leadership experience particularly in the areas of sustainable commercialisation, project management, start-ups and turnarounds, strategic planning, negotiations and business development.

What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at InClinica?

The greatest challenge has been starting this office four years ago with one person, me. No resources and a limited understanding of the Malaysian market. But I developed a team with great passion for the business and we found a way to work collaboratively with government and non-governmental organisations to achieve our goals. Today, we are working on clinical research projects driven by Pemandu, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) and the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation. We also work with the International Medical University (IMU) on promotion of practical clinical research methodology and training of qualified personnel.

Despite being a relatively new market entrant, InClinica has made in-roads through joint ventures and is actively involved in bioavailability and bioequivalence (BA/BE) studies which serves to ensure generic drugs manufactured locally are as similar as possible in terms of quality, stability and purity to the former innovator drug. We are doing this with a number of local companies and our partner, MyBioScienceLab (MBSL) which has a brand-new RM30million facility in Malacca. We have put in place plans to expand our operations regionally this year. Where other companies are fleeing the country for various reasons, I see nothing but opportunities. InClinica is a Malaysian success story.

Why set up shop in Malaysia?

There is the advantage of cost, quality and efficiency that exists here. It is more expensive to run a clinical trial in Singapore than it is in the US. Malaysia has an ethnically diverse population of about 30 million. To effectively run clinical trials, you need a substantial population and volunteers to participate in the programmes. We also have staff scattered throughout Asia that are running trials at the site level.

How do you think this industry will evolve in the future?

The global Contract Research Organisation (CRO) business is a US$20 billion industry and has an annual growth of 7% to 10%. Most major global CRO players have offices in Malaysia. Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) is playing a key role in the development of the eco-system and the promotion of Malaysia as a key clinical trial site.

The Malaysian government is currently looking at guidelines and regulations to support Phase 1 clinical trials. Presently, only Phase 2 to Phase 4 studies are permitted in Malaysia. Phase 1 first-in-human trials are designed to gauge dosage tolerability and safety concerns. Two key institutions that have been identified to do early phase research in Malaysia are Hospital Ampang and Sarawak General Hospital.

Malaysia appears to be moving towards a creation of end-to-end capability that can review and support clinical trials in this industry.

The future of drug development will likely be Asia-centric as there are 2.5 billion people in this catchment area. Pharmaceutical industry growth will spawn down-the-line growth segments in manufacturing support and create jobs and opportunities in segments like logistics, distribution, biostatistics, advertising, data management and medical writing.

Best piece of advice you ever got on your career?

Listen more, talk less.

What do you want to accomplish in the next five years?

I want to see InClinica grow and flourish. I want our regional office in Kuala Lumpur to be a leader in Asian clinical research services. Clinical research is a necessary component to ensure that drugs are safe and that they work. I would like InClinica to be involved in Phase 1 first-in-human clinical trials in Malaysia as the Malaysian government is clearly moving in that direction and there is tremendous opportunity in that.

How do you stay abreast of issues affecting your industry?

I read every day, both business and clinical journals.

Most admired business leader? Why?

Lou Gerstner, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of IBM from April 1993 until 2002 when he retired as CEO. Why, he transformed IBM from a mainframe computer company to a PC giant. He saved IBM. When he took over he stated, “The last thing IBM needs right now is a vision.”

If you could have an hour with any thought leader in the world, who would it be and why?

Barack Obama, just to get his perspective on how gruelling and taxing eight years at the helm of the ship affected him.

What man-made innovation confounds you? Why?

None really. I am a techno geek of sorts. I love innovation and technology. I always look forward to the newest advances.

Blue or red ocean strategy? or neither? Why?

Pragmatism and dogged determination strategy is what I subscribe to along with an insistence on fact-based business conversations.

Malaysia’s greatest brand.

I think Malaysia itself is its greatest brand. I love this country. It is now my home. The rest of the world needs to hear more about the wonderful aspects of this young nation.

A must-read for every business owner/manager is …

“Good to Great” by Jim Collins. If you want to know how to create a sustainable and growing business, this book is a wonderful guide.

Greetings from MYXpats Centre!

Please be informed that MYXpats have made latest announcements in the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) website at https://esd.imi.gov.my/portal/. The announcements are:

1. Employment Pass reclassification (Category I, II & III) effective 1st September 2017. Please visit https://esd.imi.gov.my/portal/latest-news/announcement/employment-pass-reclassification-category-i-ii-and-iii/ for further details on the reclassification.

2. Professional Visit Pass (PVP) application will be processed at MYXpats Centre effective 1st April 2017. Processing charter for PVP application is 7 working days upon submission of complete documents. This was already announced on 17 March 2017 in the ESD website. For more details, please visit https://esd.imi.gov.my/portal/latest-news/announcement/pvp-announcement-1-april-2017/. Note that endorsement of PVP sticker however will be done at ESD, Putrajaya and selected Immigration State only for the time being, until further notice.
Please visit the current website at https://esd.imi.gov.my/portal/ to further understand the details of the announcement. A screen shot as below for your reference. For future enquiries, you may reach out to MYXpats Helpdesk at [email protected] if you need any clarification on the above.

We are delighted to announce that Shearn Delamore & Co has been awarded The Malaysia Law Firm of the Year 2017 award at the Chambers Asia-Pacific Awards 2017 held on 24th March 2017 in Singapore. This is the fourth time we have received this award since its inception in 2010.

This recognition is a tribute to the Firm’s notable achievements over the past 12 months. Chambers & Partners is credited as one of the world’s most respected legal publications. Its ranking process, based on extensive research, involves detailed surveys that include interviews with clients and other lawyers practising in the country and region.

We are honoured to receive this award and we thank our clients, peers, and business partners for their support which have enabled us to achieve this milestone.

Procter and Gamble Malaysia (P&G Malaysia) has partnered with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) and iM4U to provide 3,000 hygiene kits, filled with essential items to flood victims in Kedah, Perlis and Sarawak. P&G has committed a total of 5,000 hygiene kits which will benefit 10,000 people in flood affected areas.

Volunteers from P&G Malaysia and iM4U came together to pack a total of 3,000 hygiene kits consisting of Oral B toothbrushes, toothpaste, Gillette disposable shaving kits, Rejoice shampoo, Whisper sanitary pads and towels. The items in the hygiene kit were donated by P&G and iM4U and the kits were distributed by NADMA to aid victims in the worst flood-hit areas. The hygiene kits prepared are enough for 6,000 people for their daily use.

In line with P&G’s Children Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) global initiative, P&G also donated 100 boxes of Purifier of Water packets to NADMA, which will enable them to provide 240,000 litres of clean drinking water to 18,000 potential flood victims. P&G’s Purifier of Water filters and effectively kills bacteria and viruses as well as removing parasites and solid materials within 30 minutes. Each 4g packet can purify up to 10 liters of water, which can then be consumed by a family of four for over a day.

“At P&G, we are committed to improving lives. We are very fortunate to have found strong and equally dedicated and like-minded partners in NADMA and iM4U. Being able to introduce innovations that help uplift the lives of local communities demonstrates our commitment to improve social conditions for those who need it most, especially in time of need,” said Mr. Ong Yuh Hwang, CEO of P&G Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei during the handover ceremony of the hygiene kits to NADMA.

Zainal Azman Bin Abu Seman, National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) Deputy-Director General (Operations Implementation Sector) added, “We are truly appreciative and deeply touched by the support of our esteemed partners, P&G Malaysia and iM4U for our ongoing aid coordination efforts. At NADMA, we will continue to strive and ensure that these valued contributions, alongside those from other parties, are channeled to the deserving flood victims in a more effective and orderly fashion.”

“As part of iM4U flood relief efforts, basic hygiene is a necessity for the victims of such disaster to help reduce the risk of various communicable diseases. We are incredibly grateful to have this opportunity to partner with P&G and NADMA to extend our hands further to help families affected by the floods and to ensure the wellbeing of our communities in need,” said Rudy Malik, Chief Executive Officer of iM4U, who was also present at the ceremony.

The partnership marks the start of a long-term joint-effort between P&G, NADMA and iM4U in aiding flood and other disaster victims.