Tony Fernandes CEO Blog

I recently paid a visit to the Sinar Harian, a newspaper published by Akhbar Cabaran Sdn Bhd, which is related to the Kumpulan Karangkraf & Ultimate Group of Companies, to meet Dato' Hussamuddin. This is a group that I have come to know for many years primarily due to my involvement in the music business and his many entertainment magazines.

Walking through Sinar Harian's office reminded me so much of AirAsia. Vivid red colours, energetic, can-do staff and a mind-set of always challenging the big guys. Many things brought a smile to my face but a few stood out. One was that Sinar Harian's printing presses came from the original Star printing press, which is reminiscent of us starting from somewhere with borrowed strength. And, of course, the entrepreneurial stance of the company, particularly its quickness in closing out deals.

But my most enjoyable moment was going into Dato' Hussamuddin’s office and seeing a picture of his schooldays.

Photo courtesy of Dato' Hussamuddin

It brought immense joy to me and I hope one day in the not-too-distant future we will see this kind of photo again on walls all across Malaysia . This photo was taken in Kota Baru. A multi-racial class, and muti-racial teachers. Dato' Hussamuddin mentioned to me that everyone bought the concept at that time and everyone thought of only one thing: Malaysia.

I have many, many views on education. But I'll just summarise some key points:

1) Get rid of afternoon school. How can we say in this day and age that we don't have enough schools with classrooms to accommodate pupils in morning sessions? Afternoon should be saved for games and extra curricular activities.

2) Games, sports and art and culture are crucial to all-round character building. It is on the sports field that we encounter with our first team-building and communications experiences. It’s in drama class that you get your first creative experience. We need creative people and team players if Malaysia is to prosper in this challenging era of globalization.

3) Fewer exams. Why do we need so many? Yes, we must be prudent about this as examinations are a test of accumulated knowledge and lessons picked up but we must also be wary not to get carried away by relying solely on test after test to evaluate our children.

4) Wouldn't it be great if all our kids spoke Tamil or Hindi, Mandarin, Malay and English? How strong we would be! What a work force we would present to the globalised world. This includes, of course, maintaining high standards in English, the current forerunner in communication between borders. This is so important for us to prosper as a nation and enhance a competitive work force that is taken seriously around the world.

5) In the curriculum, encouragement and fostering of creative thinking must take centre stage and not just memorising a book. Rote learning will not cut it in this new digital era. We need to create an environment where the creative juices must be allowed to flow freely and experimentation is encouraged.

6) Give schools self governance. Allow more autonomy to school boards and allow parents to be more involved. Devolve management and power. It’s exactly what I feel should also constitute business ideals.

I have much more to say. My next post will be on innovation. Also, we will be adjusting the blog so I can reply immediately to comments in the same response column. And I'm enjoying chatting with you on meebo which has been simply a fantastic addition to the blog.

I will be posting my thoughts on KLIA-East in due course. Have a great week and wishing all Chinese in Malaysia and around the globe a Very Prosperous New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai.