Game Design Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Game Design Plan - Essay Example But unfortunately, you do not have enough funds and needs someone to sponsor this trip. So, you ask your boss, Mr. X for help, who comes up with a very interesting deal due to his wild craze for puzzle, according to which you, the player, must go through his special area (level of a game), populated with a set number of destructible bricks and you must break all of them using a ball and a paddle, without letting the ball fall to ground; if you succeed, then you will get a chance to fly to any one historical place in the world; in this manner, as you can predict, for each place, there will be a special area. However, if you, the player, lose then you will have to work for Mr. X for a year without any pay. The core idea of the game is heavily inspired by another, similar game - Smashing (available at http://www.miniclip.com/games/smashing/en/) in which each level has a set number of destructible bricks and the player uses a ball and a paddle to break all of them to move on to the next level; if the ball falls below the game area, a paddle is lost.. Even though, this existing game is highly enjoyable but at the same time, there are various aspects that can be enhanced or added, for example, facilitating the player to select difficulty level, inclusion of distinct sound effects for ball collisions as a means to praise the player for destroying bricks or adding a game-continue feature, therefore, becoming a clear source of inspiration to modify the existing game, without compromising the core notion that made the existing game so enjoyable in the first place. II. Genre and Audience The games that are based around the dynamics of a player controlled block, called a paddle or a bat, which hits a ball towards another player's bat or game specific object are generally categorized under "Bat-and-Ball" genre. At more specialized level of this genre, those games which are characterized by the addition of a wall of blocks or similar objects, that the player chips away at with the ball as part of the main game-play, are known as "Breakout-style game" or "Breakout clone"; most of these games highly depends on hand-and-eye coordination and quick reflexes, rather than thought and logic. Some of the notable Breakout Clone games are the Arkanoid series, Circus Atari, Thro' the Wall, DX Ball and Block Breaker Deluxe. The profusion and notability of such games has been sufficient enough for them to also be referred to by some as a genre in their own right. However, since this is a fairly narrow definition of a genre, it is often not considered as such, but even then so, in the view of above statements, our proposed game can be tagged same as a Breakout-style game, and therefore, can be categorized under "Bat-and-Ball" genre. Although Smashing is a nice game and both kids and teenagers can enjoy playing it but it might not be the choice for adults as it doesn't have much to offer, especially in terms of complexity and involvedness. On the other hand, this game will not only cover the Smashing's audience, but will also take care of

The background of Hai-O in Malaysia

The background of Hai-O in Malaysia Background of the Company Hai-O is one of the leading traditional healthcare companies in Malaysia, competing in the niche of traditional Chinese medicine. In the first chapter, this paper will discuss the background of the company in general to further illustrate the business nature of the company. This will provide the basis for the further discussion of Hai-Os business strategy. Introduction Hai-O is a local group of companies that operates in the business of traditional Chinese medicine. Hai-O Group of Companies (the Group) comprise of a few business divisions in the corporate structure. All of these divisions operate in the core business of Chinese healthcare products that include herbal medicines, pharmaceutical products as well as health food. Hai-O divisions include multi-level marketing (MLM) wholesaling, retail stores, as well as manufacturing. The Group has also diversified into a few other industries such as advertising services and leasing of machinery. Problem Statement For thousands of years, traditional medicine has been used in some communities for health cures and remedies. As it has been re-introduced in the modern world, there has been a growing debate on its effectiveness and potential side effects. This causes a rough ride for Hai-O as a traditional medicine provider. One of the challenges arise is the lack of international standards and evaluation methods for the efficiency of traditional medication because of international diversity of cultures and regions. As a result, many countries do not have national policies and regulations for traditional medicines. And there is also an issue of disparity in definition and classification for traditional medicine therapies. Some countries may define an herbal product as food supplement while others may accept it as herbal medicine, making international access and global product distributions a challenge to abide for Hai-O Group. There is also limitation for traditional medicines in terms of safety and quality. This is due to the complex nature of the methods for research and evaluation. For example, the safety and quality of finished herbal medicine products require tests on their resources which at one point can comprise hundreds of natural constituents. And the handling of these elements also needs to be evaluated. Products of traditional medicine are produced form natural elements which mostly are collected from wild plants. Scarcity of resources could also be an issue for business practices, not to mention the social threat they might face because of destructing of natural resources. Aside from growing competitions from other extension of healthcare business, Hai-O Enterprise Berhad needs to address these challenges and issues in its strategy to exhilarate growth and expansion. Problem Questions Writing this case will aim to answer a few questions that arise in the problem statement above. Some of the questions are: What is Hai-Os strategy to tackle the negative aspects of TCM? Why does Hai-O employ its current business strategies? How does Hai-O plan to expand into international market? How does Hai-O sustain its growth despite the challenges and threats? Case Study Objectives Objective of this case study is to critically analyse the: Business strategy; Strategy formulation; and the Issues and challenges faced by Hai-O Group in its business strategy Upon completion, this study will help to understand and clearly identify the business strategy of Hai-O Group. Through the case analysis, Hai-Os strategy formulation will be carefully examined and this will guide the finding of the critical issues and challenges of its business strategy. Companys Overview Hai-O was established in 1975, and has become a famous household name in Malaysia ever since. Originally, the Company offered an assortment of Chinese medicines and healthcare products. Much later, the business expanded and grew into Hai-O Group of Companies. It first made its way to Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad in the year 1996, by being listed in the second board of Bursa Malaysia. The Group has 5 principal business that are multi-level marketing, wholesaling, retailing, manufacturing and medicinal clinics. The Group was the first traditional healthcare company listed on the stock exchange. It was listed into the main board of Bursa Malaysia on 2007. Expert in its niche, Hai-O has managed to build extensive and efficient distribution network for the past three decades. As part of its services, the Group is also practising integrated health services which combine the traditional Chinese medicine clinic services and non-decocted Chinese herbal consultation in their retail stores. These services were collaboration with its joint venture partner, Beijing Tongrentang Co Ltd, a big TCM provider in China. History of Hai-O Hai-O Enterprise Bhd was founded by Mr. Tan Kai Hee in 1975. He was an assistant secretary-general of the Labour Party in 1960s and was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) from 1965 to 1973. Only 28 years old at the time, Tan was optimistic despite the unfortunate circumstances. Finding job after the detention was not easy, and this leads him to the idea of organising other ex-comrades to venture into China trade. And so they set up Hai-O in 1975 and started operation in Klang. The business was soon became a word of mouth among friends and supporters. Due to a lot of hard work and high optimism, the Group was able to break even within the first year and all of the key historical and inspirational accomplishment took place itself in the first year it was introduced. Throughout many years of operation, the Group has earned a lot of awards for their remarkable performance. Such recognitions are awarded to all the top performing companies within the Group. The Group take pride in its achievements which have help instil good confidence among its investors and customers. Awards and recognitions received by Hai-O Group are: Hai-O Enterprise: Best Small Capitalisation Company (Malaysian Corporate Governance Index 2009) by Minority Shareholder Watchdog Group (MSWG) Hai-O Enterprise: Best Return to Shareholder Category First Runner Up Award by Malaysian Business CIMA Enterprise Governance 2009 Hai-O Enterprise: Best Under a Billion Award by Forbes Asia 2009 Hai-O Enterprise: Ranked no. 6 in Top 100 Listed Company In Terms of Shareholder Values Creations 2008 by KPMG and The Edge Hai-O Enterprise: Best Under a Billion Award by Forbes Asia 2008 Hai-O Raya: The Brand Laureate 2008-2009 under the Product Branding for Traditional Chinese Medicine category Hai-O Marketing: Malaysian Business Ethics Excellence 2008 recognition certificate by Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Hai-O Raya: Malaysian Business Ethics Excellence 200 recognition certificate by Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Hai-O Enterprise: Best Under a Billion Award by Forbes Asia 2007 Hai-O Marketing: Outstanding Contribution Towards Developing Bumiputra Entrepreneurs 2007 recognition certificate by MECD Hai-O Raya: Superbrand 2003/2004 Hai-O Raya: Malaysian Book of Records: Greatest Number of Traditional Healthcare Chain Stores in Malaysia 2001 Hai-O Raya: Golden Bull Award: Malaysias Top 100 Outstanding SMEs 2003 Hai-O Raya: Enterprise 50 by SMIDEC and Deloitte 2003 Top Malaysian Small Cap Companies (100 Jewels 2007) by OSK Investment Bank Bhd Hai-O Marketing: 13 Years Membership with Direct Selling Association Malaysia 2007 Diamond Club Award for Excellent Performance 2002, 2003, 2006 GMP Status and ISO: 9001certification by SG Global Biotech Sdn Bhd U.S. FDA Facility Registration certificate by SG Global Biotech Sdn Bhd Source: http://en.hai-o.com.my Vision, Mission and Corporate Values The Group ultimate goal is to become a premiere healthcare company in Malaysia. Focusing on it, its vision reads: We aim to become the premier healthcare company in Malaysia and thereby bringing the greatest value and pride to our customers, business partners, employees and shareholders. This explained that their vision of being the leading healthcare company are much focused on delivering value to each key element that make up their business, internally and externally. Hai-O has strived over 35 years to take the brand name beyond the image of Chinese medicine. The Group genuine interests in healthy culture boost their spirit to promote humans well-being with the mission statement that reads: We are committed to promoting healthcare culture and improving humans well-being. Such vision and mission is incorporated into the Groups corporate value. Hai-O means seagull in Mandarin. It is a metaphor that the Group will soar high and the Group incorporated its corporate values in the word seagull itself and the image of a seagull is embedded in the Groups company logo. Their 7 core values are: Social responsibility; Hai-O strives to repay society by helping those in needs through actions and monetary support. Excellent service; Hai-O strives beyond customers expectations to give excellent quality products and superior service. Attitude; Hai-O strives to sustain a positive attitude in every dimensions of the business at any circumstances it faces. Unity; Hai-O strives to unite its organization as one big family in Malaysian culture of different races to achieve its goals in the challenging business world. Growing; Hai-O strives to capitalise on its competitive advantage and knowledge to ensure continuous improvement and growth. Loyalty; Hai-O strives to be loyal to its business partners and its commitment to convey good results to the customers as well as the shareholders. Learning; Hai-O strives to build a knowledge-based working environment by collecting its resources together to achieve goals to educate consumers on healthcare and to contribute to the research and development in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical science. Figure 1: Hai-Os Company Logo Image source: Adapted from http://en.hai-o.com.my Strategy One of the obvious strategies to market its product was the Group formation of Hai-O Marketing Sdn. Bhd. in 1992. This subsidiary company is targeted to market Hai-Os products through multilevel marketing. Products that are sold through this company are health food, wellness and beauty products. This strategy of has boosted the Groups business substantially and has brought a huge exposure for Hai-Os brand into the consumer market. Although the business move has brought a giant impact, the Group fundamental strategies still remain in three main criteria; choosing the right product, targeting the Bumiputra segment and venturing abroad. Hai-O sources raw materials for its product from the main land China. TCM market in China is saturated and the products are variety. But Hai-O is devoted to solitary select the right ones to bring into its product line. Only importing patented products that are approved by the Ministry of Health, the Group built its clients trust by selling genuine quality products at a fair price with Hai-O branding. In 2002, links to China were further consolidated in a partnership with Peking Tongrentang, a renowned company with a 338-years history and is famous for working for the emperor during the Qing dynasty. Other than that, the Group also signed a sole distributorship agreement in 2007, with Yunnan Baiyao Group Co Ltd. Since the setting of its MLM division, Malay consumers have constituted a large segment of its market as well as its sales force, which has result in a remarkable transformation for Hai-O as a group. The concept of MLM suited the Bumiptra market very well. Famous product among the Malay consumer is the Pur Er tea which is considered as a wonder tonic with abundant health benefits ranging from removing toxins to improving blood circulation. Achieving reputation among Malay consumers has changed the Groups image from previously a mainly Malaysian Chinese trade. As a result, the brand is more accessible and well received by other citizen in Malaysia. As the power of traditional medicine is showing evident results in todays healthcare industry, the Group decided to take the business abroad by penetrating the lucrative markets of China and Indonesia. A joint venture company has been set up in Jakarta and has started business in August 2009. As for China, the Group is in the midst of obtaining the necessary rights and licences to promote Malaysias traditional medicines and health products such as Tongkat Ali, and Kacip Fatimah in its local market. Venturing into the international market is a strategy that the Group hope will help to expose their brand even further as well as promote traditional Chinese medicine to a higher level. Corporate Structure Figure 2: Hai-Os Corporate Structure Source: http://en.hai-o.com.my Wholesale Division As a second largest contributor to the Group, the wholesale division have secured exclusive agency rights for importing and distributing of more than 200 branded products from China under the company names Hai-O Medicine Sdn. Bhd., Kinds Resources Sdn. Bhd., Grand Brands (M) Sdn. Bhd., Chop Aik Seng Sdn. Bhd. and Vintage Wine Sdn. Bhd. These products include a wide range of traditional Chinese medicines, teas and wines that are distributed through Hai-Os multi-distribution channels. These channels offer a broad access to Chinese medical halls, hyper/ supermarkets, convenience stores, retail outlets and restaurants. Direct Selling Division The direct selling division, also known as the MLM division has been the Groups fastest growing segment since it is first introduced in 1992. Operating under the company name Hai-O Marketing Sdn. Bhd., the division has a strong distribution force that helped the company to emerge as a leading local direct selling company. Hai-O Marketing Sdn. Bhd. is now serving over 34,000 distributorships, through more than 50 distribution centres throughout Malaysia. With the product mix ranging from healthcare to household products, Hai-O Marketing Sdn. Bhd. also owns a subsidiary company, PT Hai-O Indonesia which took up a 60% stake in a joint-venture company with an Indonesian partner. The company has started business in August 2009, selling products manufactured from Malaysia. Retail Division The Group has over 60 chain stores in major cities and towns across Malaysia. These chain stores carry an extensive range of traditional Chinese medicines, teas, wines and other healthcare products. Operating under the company name Hai-O Raya Berhad, the Group also owns retail counters in some of major supermarkets namely Carrefour and AEON Jusco. These outlets provide consultations on herbs and TCMs by professional herb masters. Hai-O Raya Berhad also provides a franchise program for entrepreneurs who are interested in operating a professional TCM store. In 2002, the Group expanded to also offer integrated clinical service under the company name, Peking Tongrentang (M) Sdn. Bhd. This integrated clinic is a joint-venture between Hai-O and Beijing Tongrentang Co Ltd, the largest producer of traditional Chinese medicine in China. Besides that, the Group also owns another subsidiary company that offers extensive traditional Chinese medicine products and service, Hai-O Polaris (M) Sdn. B hd. Manufacturing Division Realizing the importance and the fast growing demand of traditional Chinese medicine in the country, the Group made a decision to open up its own pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in 1994. Operating under the name SG Global Biotech Sdn. Bhd., it was the first traditional medicinal manufacturer that complies with the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards in the country. The companys obligation to quality assurance has obtained the qualification under ISO 9002 in 1999 and ISO9001: 2000 in 2002. Its core businesses is producing and processing of herbal and other health products and SG Global is also active in a lot of research and development activities. The company shared the technology and expertise with China and several local counterparts in Malaysia. Riding on the potential growth of the research and development area in herbal and traditional medicine in Malaysia, the Group extended its operation into another subsidiary that focuses on laboratory research to increase product innovation. QIS Research Laboratory Sdn. Bhd. is established to offer a full service in analytical laboratory, microbiology and chemical analysis of traditional medicine. QIS Lab is accredited to ISO 17025 by the Department of Standard Malaysia (DSM) of the Ministry of Science and Technology. In the past years, the Group has also ventured in several other business segments. Other subsidiary companies include Seagull Advertising Sdn. Bhd., Hai-O Credit and Leasing Sdn. Bhd., Sri Pangkor Credit and Leasing Sdn. Bhd., Hai-O Energy (M) Sdn. Bhd. and Hai-O Properties Sdn. Bhd. The Group other supporting businesses involved the leasing of machinery and equipment, advertising services, investment holding as well as insurance agency. Corporate Governance The Board of Directors of Hai-O Enterprise Berhad (the Board) embraces the value of the Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance which outlines the ethics and the best practices on corporate governance. In regards, the Board is dedicated to make sure that the corporate governance principles are well practiced and well observed throughout the operation of Hai-O Group in order to ensure integrity and professionalism within the organization to safeguard shareholders investment and value. Composition of the Board The Board of Hai-O Group is consists of 8 members, comprising of 3 Executive Directors and 5 Non-Executive Directors. 4 of these Non-Executive Directors are Independent Directors who act as independent advisors. This composition meets the terms with the Listing Requirements of Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd which requires one-third (1/3) of the Board to be Independent Directors. The Executive and Non-Executive Directors functions are defined clearly. The Executive Directors capacity is to administer the Groups operations and execute the operational and corporate decisions while the Non-Executive Directors offer the Company with necessary opinions and decisions. Formulation of the Groups strategies and policies are shaped from the combination between the expertise of the Independent Non-Executive Directors and the skill and wisdom of the Executive Directors. If a conflict of interest is likely to arise, it is the obligation for the director concerned to declare his interest and withdraw from the process of the decision making. The same formula is tailored to the responsibilities between the Chairman and the Managing Director in order to maintain a balance of authority and accountability. The Chairman provides a general leadership to the Board without restricting the principle of collective responsibility for Boards decisions. And the Managing Directors principal responsibility is to formulate the business strategies and to employ the corporate decisions as well as to administer the overall business operations. The Boards composition represents a mix of skill, knowledge and expertise that are significant to the activities of the Group. The Board meeting is held once every 3 months. The Board entrusted the Nomination Committee with the necessary responsibilities to appoint and re-elect the directors. This committee is comprises of Independent and Non-Executive Directors and is responsible to recognize and pick potential new directors and propose nominations to the Board. The Board also recognizes that constant learning is critical for its members in order to gain insights into the state of economy, technological advances, regulatory updates and management strategies. Thus all the Directors of the Company have to complete the Mandatory Accreditation Programme (MAP) which is compulsory for the Listing Requirements of the Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd. The Directors will continue to undertake other significant training programmes and the Continuing Education Programmes (CEP) to supplement and maximize knowledge in the latest statutory and regulatory developments. This is also to assist them in keeping abreast with developments in the business environment in order to enable them to uphold their responsibilities more effectively. Directors Remunerations A remuneration Committee was set up by the Board to manage the Executive Directors remuneration package. The committee members are majority consisting of the Non-Executive Directors. This remuneration package is based on the Groups results apart from the individual directors performance. The committee meeting is held frequently as required to resolve all aspect of remuneration as well as terms and conditions of service of the Executive Directors. Level of the remuneration is structured as such to motivate and encourage the Directors to run the Group at the top of their performances. And the compensation for the Non-Executive Directors is subjected to the Boards decision as a whole. The fees for both the Executive and Non-Executive Directors are approved by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Shareholders and Investors It is important to public listed organizations to inform the current status of the Group to the shareholders, stakeholders as well as the general public. Hence, the Group has been keeping up a constructive and active communication policy which enables the management and the Board to communicate effectively with its shareholders. The Groups website, www.hai-o.com.my is one of the channels available for corporate information to assist shareholders and investors to assess their investment decisions. The Groups AGM proceedings are open to all shareholders to promote transparency. Shareholders are also invited to attend any Extraordinary General Meetings which are announced through circulars and notice of meeting whenever it occurs. Accountability and Audit An Audit Committee is set up to manage the annual financial statements of the Group. This committee is responsible to ensure that the statements are complied with the requirements in the valid accounting standards in Malaysia under the Companies Act, 1965 as well as the Listing Requirements of Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd. The committee is also accountable to establish an appropriate and transparent relationship with the Groups internal and external auditors. The Board also recognizes the significant of financial controls, operational and compliance controls as well as risk management. Hence, the internal control system is designed to administer the risk of failure to accomplish business objectives. Board of Directors The names and positions of Hai-O Enterprise Berhads executive officers (as of February 17, 2010) are listed below: Table 1: Hai-Os Board of Directors Name Position Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Osman S. Cassim Chairman, Independent Non- Executive Director Tan Kai Hee Managing Director, Non-Independent Director Datin Sunita Mei-Lin Rajakumar Independent Non-Executive Director Tan Keng Song Executive Director, Non-Independent Director Chia Kuo Wui Executive Director, Non-Independent Director Y. Bhg. Dato Abdul Rani Bin Mohd Razalli Non-Independent Non-Executive Director Lim Chin Luen Independent Non-Executive Director Quek Ah Ba Independent Non-Executive Director Source: Adapted from http://en.hai-o.com.my Profile of the Board of Directors Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Osman S. Cassim (Chairman, Independent Non-Executive Director) Tan Sri Osman graduated from University of Malaya, Singapore with an Honors Degree in Arts. He later attended the Advanced Management Programmes by Harvard Business School, Boston in 1984. During his 30 years career in public sector, Tan Sri Osman used to serve as Secretary General in the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Information, and Ministry of Home Affairs. He was elected as the Director General of the Public Services Department Malaysia in 1980. Later in 1988, he was appointed as the National Advisor to the General Electric International (USA) Currently he is the Vice President in the Court of Fellows of Malaysia Institute of Management. Tan Sri Osman was also the Chairman of Southern Bank Berhad from 1990 to 2005. He joined Hai-O Group and become the Chairman on 31 January 2005. Tan Sri Osman is also the Chairman of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee of Hai-O Group. Tan Kai Hee (Managing Director, Non-Independent Director) Mr. Tan Kai Hee is one of the founders of the Group. He is also the main policy and decision-maker. Mr. Tan has more than 33 years of experience in the trading business. In August 2006, he attended China Market Study Tour Program which was carried out by Beijing International MBA, Peking University. Mr. Tan is also an avid social worker for the past 35 years. As also a founder of Malaysia-China Friendship Association (PMC), Mr. Tan acts as the Secretary-General. He is also the founder of Malaysia-China Medicine Health Product Association (MCMHPA), Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) and Malaysia Ru-Shang Social Association. Among others, Mr. Tan is also the Chairman in the Trading Services of the Malaysia China Business Council (MCBC) and the Advisor for the Federation of Chinese Physicians and Medicine Dealers Association of Malaysia (FCPMDAM). Mr. Tan holds directorship in Hai-O Raya Bhd. as well as a few other private limited companies. He was selected to the Groups Board o n 30 August 1975 and is also a member in the Remuneration and Investment Committee. Mr. Tan is the father of Ms. Tan Keng Song, who is the Executive Director of Hai-O Enterprise Bhd. Datin Sunita Mei-Lin Rajakumar (Independent Non-Executive Director) Graduated from University Bristol, United Kingdom, Datin Sunita holds a Bachelor Degree in Law. She is the Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, earning her qualification certificate in 1994. She used to work for Ernst Young, London as the Audit Manager. She also used to be the Manager in RHB Sakura Merchant Bank, Kuala Lumpur. In addition, she used to work in Corporate Finance as the Vice President at Petra Technologies and was appointed as the Director of Corporate Finance at Southern Plastic. She also used to work for MIMOS Berhad as the Venture Capital Consultant before joining the Groups Board on January 2009. Datin Sunita is also a member of the Groups Audit Committee. Tan Keng Song (Executive Director, Non-Independent Director) Ms. Tan Keng Song holds a Bachelor Degree in Commerce from University of Western Australia. Majoring in Marketing and Management, she used to work for UMW Group. She joined Hai-O Group in 2000 as the MIS Executive at Hai-O Raya Bhd. Later she was promoted to the head of the Groups IT and MIS division. Currently she is leading the Business Administration, MIS and Human Resources Department and is a member of the Investment Committee. Ms. Tan joined the Board on 2001. She is the daughter of Mr. Tan Kai Hee, the Managing Director of Hai-O Enterprise Bhd. Chia Kuo Wui (Executive Director, Non-Independent Director) Mr. Chia Kuo Wui obtained his Bachelor Degree in Accounting at Curtin University, Australia. Later he continued to earn his study MBA from Charles Stuart University at Help University College Kuala Lumpur. Mr. Chia joined Hai-O Group in the Corporate Planning and the Investor Relation Department. Holding key positions in some of Hai-O Groups, he also holds the directorships in a few other private limited companies. Mr. Chia Kuo Wui was appointed to the Groups Board on 14 November 2008. Y. Bhg. Dato Abdul Rani Bin Mohd Razalli (Non Independent Non Executive Director) Dato Abdul Rani obtained his Senior Cambridge Certificate in 1952. He used to serve the Government Royal Custom Excise, Malaysia as the Deputy Director General. He later ventured into commercial business in the fields of shipments, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing. Dato Abdul Rani joined Hai-O Group on 1995 as the Executive Director. He was also a member of the Investment Committee of Hai-O Group and was re-designated as Non Executive and Non Independent Director in 2003. Lim Chin Luen (Independent Non-Executive Director) Mr. Lim Chin Luen has been involved with the trading of Chinese traditional medicine and herbal products for over 15 years. He also owns a nourishing food and noodles stores in Singapore. Mr. Lim joined the Groups Board in December 1997. He was also a member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committee of Hai-O Group. Quek Ah Ba (Independent Non-Executive Director) Mr. Quek Ah Ba served as an Accountant and Operational Manager in many companies. He also served two of the Securities firms, Noone Co Sdn Bhd from 1980 to 1983, and C.S. Securities Sdn Bhd from 1986 to 1989. Mr. Quek was a member of Australia Society of Accountants (A.S.A.) and CPA (Australia). He joined Hai-O on 2001 and became the Chairman of the Audit Committee. In addition, Mr. Quek is also a member of the Nomination Committee.

Essay --

Same-sex marriage does not harm society or anyone particular; marriage is a relationship between two people. How is society hurting when society is not involved in their marriage? The exordium-We allow rapists, murders, child abusers, and irresponsible parents to get married; why do we have a problem with same-sex marriages? Same-sex marriage does not harm society or anyone in general. Marriage is a relationship between two people and is not defined by the gender of the two that are united. Marriage is important in our society a civil and emotional bond between two people that is sacred. We cannot deny Americans this right. America is known as the land of free, but we deny people of freedom because they are a same-sex couple. According to John Schwartz, the United States has made a huge gain towards the approval gay’s marriages in all our fifth states. Many states such as New York, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington D.C have already passed same-sex marriage laws, making marriage possible between two people of the same gender. Other states in the nation still have voted to ban partnership of same-sex, which the court feels, is unfa ir to the gay community. The narratio-In Baker v Nelson in 1970, a couple tried to apply for their marriage license and was denied. This did not stop them from filing a suit in the state court. Baker argue that the law is unconstitutional because denies petitioner a fundamental right guaranteed by the ninth amendment to the U.S constitution arguably made applicable to the states by the fourteenth amendment petitioner are deprived of liberty and property without due process and are denies the equal protection of the law. Many think that they can rationalize their opinion about same-s... ...because of their partner. Reason three denying gay is couple to adopt. Confirmatio –Denying same-sex couples the right to adopt is against their rights as an American. People stated that same-sex couples cannot provide proper care or a conducive environment to raise a child, but we can let convicted felons, murders, or unfit parents have children. If gays can provide a safe and nurturing environment then where is the harm? I think this would help decline the number of child who need a family. According to the research guide from the Georgia States University College of Law. Gay adoption number just about one quarter of children adopted has been to same-sex couples in the United States. However, in some states such as Florida, they have over- turned a ban that prevented same-sex couples from adopting children. The Supreme Court has ruled the ban unconstitutional.

Sociology of Sport Film Review

Bend it like beckham is based on Jess, a 17 year old British born, Sikh girl who has an undying passion for football, her favourite player is David Beckham and he is exactly who jess wants to be. But jess’s parents have taken every effort to stay in touch with the families Indian heritage. Jess' father and mother are after their daughter to go to law school, learn to cook a traditional Indian dinner, and settle down with a nice Indian boy — the latter of which is high on the agenda of her older sister Pinky, who is soon to wed her long-time beau Teetu. However, her family is unaware that Jess has a secret passion ,football. Her parents don't know that in her spare time she likes to play a friendly game in the park with some of the boys in the neighbourhood. One day, while Jess and her pals kick the ball around, she meets Jules, who is quite impressed with Jess' skills. Jules plays with a local semi-pro women's football team, the Hounslow Harriers, and she thinks Jess has what it takes to make the team. Jess knows that her parents would never approve of their daughter playing football, so she doesn't tell them, and starts spinning an increasingly complex series of lies as she tries to keep up a double life as a student and a footballer. Jess soon discovers a number of her new friends have their own problems to overcome; Jules dreams of playing pro ball in America, but has to deal with her stubborn and disapproving mother, while Joe, Hounslow's Irish coach, still struggles with the disappointment of a career as a professional athlete which was dashed by a knee injury. Throughout Bend it like Beckham, clear sociological factors all appear, from stereotypical ideologies through to race, class and gender, bend it like Beckham is a enjoyable, funny film that can be used to explain more clearly how ideologies, identity, power and social influences all have a part to play in everyone’s lives. Ideologies are beliefs and ideas that people form to give meaning to their life experiences and make sense of the world, there are different types of ideologies, including class, race and gender ideologies and these ideologies form identities. Identity is about belonging, about what you have in common with some people and what differentiates you from others. At its most basic it gives you a sense of personal location, the stable core to your individuality. But it is also about your social relationships, your complex involvement with others’ (Weeks 1990 p. 88 cited in Rutherford 1990 p. 88) Class ideologies are the beliefs that people have to understand economic inequalities, identify them in terms of their class position and evaluate the manner in which economic inequalities are and how they should be integrated into the organization of social worlds. Class ideology is not an as important factor in the movie as the other forms of ideology but it picked up upon slightly when the father mentions that they are not rich, also the environment in which the movie is filmed portrayed her family as working class, however she is planning to go to university and wins a scholarship at the end so her education is pretty good. Racial ideology is one of the main ideologies depicted in the movie, it is a set of ideas and beliefs that people use to give meaning to skin colour and to evaluate people in terms of racial classifications. Racial ideologies vary around the world, but they are powerful when people use them to classify humans into racial categories. In the film, jess is Sikh, this means the family generally follow strict cultural life preferences due to their religion and these preferences cause restrictions in jess’s freedom, she shouldn’t even show as much skin as a football kit reveals in general, let alone play football itself, with girls from other cultural backgrounds, she is seen as disgracing the family for her participation. Racism is touched upon in a scene during which she retaliates to a tackle and receives a red card, only to find out that she was called a ‘paki’. The coach explains to her that he also received discrimination due to him being Irish. This informs us of the constraints of racial barriers still produced now, even in today’s multi-cultural society. Another factor in the movie is that Jess and Joe ( the Irish coach) end up falling for each other which is another racial barrier that is not regularly crossed due more to the beliefs and culture of jess and her families religion. Gender ideology is also a set of ideas and beliefs but that masculinity, femininity, and male-female relationships. It is the Basis for defining what it means to be a man or a woman, evaluating and judging people and relationships and determining what is natural and moral related to gender. The main issue relating the gender ideologies in this film relates to the race ideology and that is that she opposes the obvious stereotype of an Indian woman, An Indian woman’s identity is created by the tradition’s of an Indian woman, for example according to ideologies her job is to cook and look after the house and children. however her interest is not a family and learning how to cook, but to become a professional female footballer and attend university to study for a degree. By Jess opposing this gender ideology, she is creating her own identity as an Indian woman footballer, trying to keep her femininity by falling for the Irish coach, sticking to her Indian traditions by wearing the clothes and learning to cook, however she does this all and still able to play football up to a scholarship standard, doing the best job to define her own identity. She also defies the stereotypical footballer, which for a start, is male, and is rarely Indian, in English society anyway. , emphasising on her identity as a woman footballer, not a man. Jess opposes her parents and other groups of people with the same traditions and beliefs, who feel that women shouldn’t play football, and this is a clear example of femininity, also during a scene where jess is involved in a match, the same is being watched by 4 of jess’ male friends who shout sexist remarks at the team members, not in a malicious way but this still shows the males idea of women as an object, during this scene, jess’s secret gay friend ( who is also Indian and therefore causes another constraint in that omosexuality is frowned upon more than it is in other cultures) asks the boys, which are also his friends, as to why they can’t see the woman as footballers, and they all just laugh, which emphasises peoples stereotypical thoughts of women. In the film they also talk about the opinion that even Indian boys should not play football, so for a female Sikh to play is deemed as even worse, Jess is completely contradicting two ideologies, her ge nder ideology, and her race ideology. But this way creating her own identity, its is a struggle for Jess to fight all the ideologies present to achieve her goal. Ideologies of women in sport mean that there are several gender barriers to overcome people still feel that sport is male dominant and there are certain sports that are for men, and certain sports that are for women, and bend it like Beckham contradicts this belief. Power is also noticeable in the movie and there are different power hierarchies, the football coach is male, so still portrays the male dominance in the sport as he is seem as the leader and the team of females still have to do as he says. Also the parents have different levels of parent, jess’s mother seems to have influence over the father, and they both have influence over their daughter. Jess feels that she is being constrained and sees the football team as a social structure; Identity is formed in the relationships between ‘social structures’ and an individual ‘subjectivity’ (Hughson et al 2005 p. 110). She feels she can use this social structure to assert her agency; Jess knows that sporting achievement is a sign of social mobility, therefore she knows that her constraints could decrease in society if she can achieve high in a football career, barriers would decline and she would exceed expectation due to the stereotypes she is grouped in and op portunities in life would come more easily. So Jess is taking her individualism as a Sikh female to create a relationship with a social structure, which is the football club. and she can achieve all this by the opportunity to play football. The film shows she achieving this to her best of her ability as she gets scouted and wins a scholarship to a top university to play football, where she can individually change peoples perception of Indian woman, and also influence other Indian females to start playing football. The one key moment in the movie that I felt best exhibits all the main sociological factors of identity, ideology and power comes on 6 minutes into the movie, jess is walking through the local park when her male friend sees her and asks her to join in, as soon as she starts playing to can see power and gender ideologies already, the group of men that she is playing have there tops off for a start, and being able to take there tops off to play football shows male dominance and masculinity, which shows power is present as the men believe they are in charge because they are male. Also they say sexist comments to jess about her football capabilities as a female for example, one of the men say â€Å" can you chest it like Beckham, you know, give it sum bounce (emphasising on her chest) , it wasn’t malicious as they were all friends but it was another means so showing the gender ideology and male dominance, as well as gender discrimination. The movie continues and jess gets hold of the ball and takes it round all the boys before scoring, unknowingly being watched by Jules, her soon to be football partner and best friend. Jules runs off and Jess continues to play football. The movie then continues into Jess’s room where she talks to her poster of David beckham, she says â€Å"its not fair that the boys never have to come home and help† what she is saying is that because of her families religion, there are rules that must abided to and one of them is that the women are the ones in the home, for cooking and cleaning and the boys are the ones who work.. This is one of the main barriers to participation she has, her ethnicity means she is going against her families beliefs by playing football. She also asks the question, of if she had an arranged marriage, would they let her play football? This emphasises on the constraint that her ethnicity causes for her participation in the sport. Her father then walks in the room and starts to moan about all the posters of ‘a bald man’ on her wall, the opposite of how a man should look like according to her religion. The clip carries on into the engagement party located at her house, and by the large amount of people in the house, which is small as it is, this can be looked upon as defining her class ideology of a working class family, as they may not be able to afford a bigger area of the night. Now jess is dressed in all her traditional Indian clothing, a big contrast to her shorts and Manchester united top she wore down the park. Jess is handing out a plate of food and an old lady, says to her that it will be her turn soon to get married and does she want a proper Sikh with a full bear and a turban, the direct opposite to David beckham, this links to race ideology as saying that their religion has a typical man and that her marriage and Sikh life in evitable, it also just hints on the barriers she must overcome to achieve her dream, she doesn’t want the traditional normal life of a female Sikh, she wants to be a professional footballer. This key moment continues but now the scene is set back at the park, again she is playing football with the same group of topless men, whereas three girls who know jess, are watching on, checking out the men. Jess makes this a stark contradiction to the stereotypical scenario because even though she is female, she is playing football, in her football shirt, with the lads, rather than sit with the girls. She contradicts her own stereotype by playing football, she is not the Sikh girl everyone wants her to be. Jess finds it easier to fit in with the girls by knowing the boys, he is very much a tomboy who would rather be out getting muddy than buying new clothes. Again contradicting her own gender ideology, she also comes across as gay to many of the Sikhs because of her unorthodox activities. While playing football Jules goes over to jess, and in front of the lads asks her if she plays for any team, immediately afterwards one of the males says â€Å" yer like who, Southport united sari squad† this is a dig at her ethnicity not at her gender or sex, so this explains my point that she has to overcome two main barriers that are her gender and her ethnicity, both ideologies constrain her from participation, and also male dominance and masculinity also don’t help with her problem of her being a female footballer either and the power influence can be seen underlying the movie. This is where my key moment ended. In summary, I have learnt that social identities and ideologies are formed from sport societies, in today’s world, Groups and societies are characterised by shared values and conflicts of interest and sports forms are culturally produced, reproduced and/or transformed, sports forms are social constructions that change as power relations change and as narratives and discourses change. n relation to identity, ideology and power, Bend it like Beckham touches on several key sociological dimensions, it mainly focuses on how her cultural identity constraints her from participating in the sport she loves as her parents strict beliefs and traditions and they feel that she should be a proper Sikh and learn to cook Indian food, not play football. She should be focusing on becoming a lawyer according to her parents. She also has to deal with the fact that she is a woman and football is a male dominated game, therefore, for an Indian female to wanting to play football, she must overcome social barriers and constraints to achieve her goal, and the film is based on her attempt to achieve this. Sport is a very important influence in everyone’s social lives, it effects peoples participation, culture and social groups, is a reflection on peoples social life.

Improving Our Public Schools Essay

Being educated is a right, not a privilege. Whether it be in a public or private learning institution, to be educated is still what matters most. In choosing the right school for students is one of the critical decisions to arrive at a settlement. Children growing while learning are the next runners of the economy, the government, the entertainment. With their innate, infinite potentials, the quality towards learning experience is something that cannot be deprived of. Shaping them is shaping the future. But, before anything else, how can these students achieve the satisfaction of real-learning? In reality, global economy is not stable. Thus, not everyone is capable of affording their children on sending to good schools or the students themselves who work to sustain their studies can steadily stand with it. Reason why public schools are established. Student education is vital. It edifies information obtainment, organization and presentation to its receivers. If public schools are not well-maintained, its quality is degraded. A degraded quality means failure to imply proper education among its learners. Improving public schools enables its constituents to advance in education symmetry to those of in private schools. From the Comprehensive School Improvement Program (CSIP) which is a decade-long initiative to improve public schools under the Ford Foundation, it created independent observers who evaluate education initiatives. With this, suggestions from other individuals arose which are focused on improving public schools. The project started to gain donors who support the improvements. Not all public schools are lucky enough to have CSIP behind. That is why solutions are mandatory upon planning to develop a public school. Hiring qualified teachers, improving buildings to a modernized ambiance, ample funding, comprehensive program of study and efficient leadership are components of a successful improved school (Petrovich 8). Teachers are the primary persons responsible for the students. Although in some cases, teachers are hired even without passing the qualifications or, they may have passed but the quality they pass onto students does not suffice the standards of a proper education. Facility renovations are costly, which become hindrance in providing both teachers and students comfort. This is linked to the funding for a school. More so, the designed curriculum must be updated and extensive teaching methods are used. Sadly, what breaks the objective of improving public schools is the negligence to essentially impose it. Normally, these public schools cater the poor ones. And sustaining such, even from the government, is not always much reliable specifically among the third world countries. Advocacies will be of help in promoting aiding the schools. With the conviction of participation in assisting programs for public learning facilities improvement, it would at least lessen the burden of pushing the school on providing quality education despite its lax. Being a part of a project to progress public school is not easy. It will always, in a way or another, encounter financial problems; and should the allocated budget dries up, the project halts. Still, there are strategies to support in order to fulfill goals. Building constituency and coalition to minimize future financial and human dilemmas are important. Also, establishing communications and expanding networks increase participants. Public schools are still schools. It is a building that teaches how to form a better society. Regardless of the class it serves, it deserves the right to be respected and recognized. ? Works Cited Petrovich, J. Strategies for Improving Public Education. New York: Ford Foundation, 2008.