Reading them right

Last Tuesday, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) invited me to speak for their Annual EPF Brokers Dinner 2012.

Featuring some 180 brokers who are on EPF’s broking panel, the evening saw big players in the Malaysian financial and broking sector such as Maybank Investment Bank Bhd and its CEO Tengku Datuk Zafrul, CIMB Investment Bank Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Charon Wardini Mokhzani, K&N Kenanga Holdings Bhd group MD Chay Wai Leong and Hong Leong Investment Bank CEO Lee Jim Leng

 

 In action: Tee delivering her talk with host Anthony Lee of JLPW Communications during EPF’s Broking Dinner.

 

The EPF had tasked me to read the faces of its head honchos — its chairman Tan Sri Samsudin Osman, CEO Tan Sri Azlan Zainol and its deputy CEO Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan.

The evening went well, with the brokers breaking into fits of laughter, especially when I read the faces of the three EPF bosses. The interactive session was equally fun, as we tested the brokers on how well they knew the bosses. Many of the brokers were witty in their answers, and this got the crowd continuously roaring with laughter.

I started off the evening by telling the crowd how to identify the features of a good broker. Were these brokers who serviced the EPF really good or were they merely buying boring blue chips for their portfolios? Or were some of them too aggressive and buying stocks that ended up in the Practise Note 17 category?

What a good broker looks like.

A good broker definitely needs to generate strong indirect income, as he is supposed to be making money from the stockmarket. Furthermore, he needs to be able to do sales and bring in client accounts. Thirdly, he needs to have strong connections. He needs to know what is happening in the market, and who the key players are.

Lastly, he needs to be creative. This is so that he can identify sweet spots in the market, undervalued stocks and the next big thing in investment opportunities.

In face reading, the nose is the Wealth Palace. While the centre of the nose bulb is the main wealth palace, it is the nose wings that shows one’s ability to generate indirect income. The wider the better. If the width is not equal, where one side is wider than the other, then this indicates inconsistent flow of income.

Tan Sri Samsudin Osman: EPF chairman

 

In terms of doing sales, a nice and big mouth is extremely inportant. This is because the mouth signifies one’s ability for wealth and to influence others — bigger mouth, bigger say. A broker with a small mouth will never be able to sell his ideas. His verbal prowess is also seen in the shape of the mouth. We like a mouth that is flagged and has nice borders.

As for connections, which are of paramout importance, we see that in the eyebrows, also known as the Siblings Palace. The longer and thicker one’s eyebrows, the better the persons connections. The higher one’s eyebrows, the higher one’s success in life.

Sparse eyerbrows tell of a character that is relatively laidback. If the eyebrows are sparse only towards the end, then this indicates outflow of money, which means this broker is losing more money than he makes!

Meanwhile, creativity is seen in the Life Palace, which is the space between the eyebrows. We like a space that is broad and fleshy, one where you can at least put two fingers. This shows character, one who is open minded, optimistic and ready to take on new ideas in the market.

During the interactive session at the dinner, we tested how well the brokers knew the EPF bosses. Subsequently, I gave my own answers based on face reading. Below are some of the questions we asked the brokers that evening.

Off the faces of the three EPF bosses, who is the most flamboyant and suave? Who is the most charming with the ladies?

Answer: Tan Sri Samsudin

Look at those “peach blossoms” extending from his eyes! They are long and he has three of them! He definitely has charm and a way with the ladies.

Furthermore, Samsuddin has ears that protrude, which also indicate an extroverted character. This is an adventourous man who adores the limelight and loves being told he is awesome.

You will notice the plumpness of his earlobes and how they point towards the mouth. This is known as the “double pearl facing the sea ears”.

Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan: EPF deputy CEO

 

People with this type of ear always have supportive people to help them achieve their life goals or what they want to do. Interestingly, success always comes through women. Whether it is by doing women’s business or being helped by women to get a deal done.

Who can generate the most indirect income?

Answer: Datuk Shahril

This is easily seen from his Wealth Palace, the nose. It is long, broad and thick. And more importantly, the nose wings are extremely wide. His wings are almost doing a split! Furthermore, from the front, you cannot see his nostrils, which indicates no leakage to the Wealth Palace. The EPF definitely did the right thing hiring Shahril. 

Who is most public-service oriented? Who cares more about altruism, and when he sees unfairness, is more compelled to do something?

Answer: Tan Sri Azlan

First of all, he has a long face. In Mian Xiang, an oblong face is of the metal element, which represents righteousness and high principles.

Tan Sri Azlan Zainol: EPF CEO

 

He has also what you call the “four character mouth”, where the thickness of the upper and lower lip are almost the same. While the upper represents emotion, the bottom represents material gratification. Most men do not have thick upper lips.

This shows that Azlan is very strong on sentiment and empathetic towards others. Among the three, he is the one who is most sentimental. He can soften and be kinder. You also see this in his eyes. Of the three, the qi from his eyes is the kindest. This is a comradeship sort of guy.

 

Who is the most conservative?

Answer: Tan Sri Azlan

Of the three, the length of the eyebrows is the longest. Apart from being the Siblings Palace, the eyebrows also indicate stamina and perseverance. The shorter the eyebrows, the more one reacts to their gut feel.

Interestingly, Azlan also has the Visionary Line on the Life Palace — the lines look like a triangle between the eyes

It’s called the visionary line because it reflects people with a strong connection between the left and right sides of the brain. Although sentimental, he thinks logically and see two sides of the argument.

Who is the deepest thinker and the most secretive?

Answer: Datuk Shahril.

Look at those small and long eyes. He’s definitely goal oriented, very resolute and focused. The smaller one’s eyes, the more they do not reveal. They keep their cards very close to their chest.

The long eyes shows a person who is very capable, determined and can handle anything you put on their plate

This is the sort of person who is far sighted with solid plans for the future. He probably mapped out his life goals when he was 20.

Whose temper is slowest to rise? 

Answer: Tan Sri Samsudin

He has “Eight Character eyebrows”, which are eyebrows are that curve downwards. This is the opposite of the Warrior’s eyebrows which curve upwards and immediately gives a person an aggressive look. Samsudin tries to be nice to people. He makes peace and not war.

A story to tell

AS children, we relished listening to bedtime stories told by our parents. As we grow into adulthood, this supposedly childish longing does not disappear with age. The draw towards stories is just as strong, but is outwardly masked by maturity and politeness.

Daniel Comar ... ‘Too much information should not be given to the audience.’

However, it is only human nature to be drawn to stories, and story-telling is increasingly becoming an important tool in the world of advertising and marketing.

In positioning a brand, advertisers are beginning to realise that people react more to stories than the products. This was the main theme that resonated during the Effie Effectiveness Bootcamp 2011 last week. Star Publications (M) Bhd was the knowledge partner, while Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (Matrade) was the sponsor.

Since its introduction in 1968, Effie has become recognised by agencies and advertisers as the pre-eminent award in the communications industry.

The Effie Awards is the only global award that honours achievement in meeting and exceeding marketing communications objectives, with a focus on effective campaigns.

Argonauten G2 and G2 Germany executive of planning director Judd Labarthe says for story-telling to be effective, it has to be appealing to people's right side of the brain.

“The right side of the brain is related to artistry, empathy, inventiveness and big picture thinking. This is the conceptual age. Human beings naturally want to work through stories. Stories are how we remember things,” said Labarthe.

That is why Labarthe says that story-telling and managing brands make a natural fit. People do not buy products. They buy stories.

“Too many marketeers still believe that they can argue their customers into buying a product. This thinking is only on an intellectual basis. People are not inspired by reason alone. It is emotions that inspire,” he said.

He added that for story-telling to be more effective, marketeers should first pose the “wrong” questions. For instance, who may hate my brand? Who is my brand not for?

OgilvyAction Asia Pacific executive creative director Daniel Comar says marketeers must ask themselves what is their main storyline.

“Establish a clear and bold challenge. Raise the stakes. Prioritise, simplify and make sure the results link back to the main challenge. Then write the script,” he says.

He also reminds participants of some deadly sins to avoid in story-telling.

“The idea cannot be boring and lacking in drama. The plot cannot be confusing, and too much information should not be given to the audience,” says Comar.

AirAsia X Bhd chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani says ultimately, no great marketing campaign will ever compensate for an average product.

“The most important thing is your product. It has to stand out and be different. No matter how exciting your story is, it will not sell if your product is not exciting or unique.”

In AirAsia X's case, how was its product unique?

The destinations are the same, the pilots were the same and so were the planes. The difference was the ability to fly at a much lower rate. The breakthrough came through a key customer insight.

“All airlines were flying at a low utilisation rates. Airlines were flying only 12 out of 24 hours a day. They were serving the premium customers. So the airlines had to fly their premium customers at their convenience,”

“However, most people fly not because of convenience, but because of price! People make decisions differently ... When everyone is moving one way, that is a sign there is an opportunity to stand out and do something else,” says Azran.

He adds that normal airlines wait for people to come to them.

“Don't ever wait for customers to come to you. Forget market share. Find that space,” he says.
Azran adds that the difference is not in the idea, but in the execution. “A great ad cannot sell a mediocre product, especially if the execution is bad. You must win people over and over again. If you make mistake, react quickly. Don't waste time finger pointing.”

Star executive director and chief operating officer Ho Kay Tat says print remains a very effective media to reach out to the audience. The newspaper remains a very effective mode of communicating with our customers.

“Nonetheless we must learn to play with all the new instruments,” Ho said during his speech.
He added that the industry was revolutionising fast, mainly due to the technology.

“A journalist today has to be a multi-tasker. The journalist has to sometimes write and file his story from his Blackberry or laptop. It's not easy but we have to do it. Due to the changes in technology, there are tremendous challenges for the media industry. Here in The Star, we have been adapting and adopting,” says Ho.

The Malaysian Effie Award 2011 season has begun and the call for entries are underway, with the closing deadline in July 8.

CIMB Corporate Day 2012

JAN 5 2012 –

Upcoming Face Reader and author of Faces of Fortune: The 20 Tycoons To Bet On Over The Next 10 Years, Tee Lin Say unveiled the top five Premier’s in ASEAN based on their facial features to a crowd of 450 fund managers during CIMB Bank Bhd’s 2012 Corporate Day themed: ‘The Will To Transform’.

The top 5 Premiers in ASEAN based on their face ranking are:

1.       Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong

2.       Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak

3.       Philippines President, Benigno Aquino III

4.       Indonesia’s Prime Minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

5.       Thailand’s Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra

It was a very lively session that saw the crowd constantly in laughter when Tee interacted with the crowd to describe what a rich man looks like.

In one instance, she poked fun at men with overly big noses, saying that such men only had their wives thinking they were clever, while everyone else did not. 

The crowd again burst into laughter when Tee said that women with overly big mouths drove their husbands to bankruptcy by eating too much. 

In picking the Top 5 Premiers of ASEAN, Tee said she looked out for certain features that were crucial for a Premier to execute policies as well as being compassionate and inspiring.

“We are not looking for the face of a tycoon, or a Mother Theresa or a face of a beauty queen. We want somebody who is clever, trustable, compassionate and has the support of his staff to help him execute his policies,” said Tee.

She said that it was extremely hard to find fault with Singapore Premier’s face Lee Hsien Loong’s face.

“That is one iconic face. The eyes are alive and extremely spirited. There is both academic intelligence and romantic creativity in his face. During an economic downturn, he is the best person to drive the economy towards a soft landing. When the economy recovers, he will be the first person to engage into first gear. Singapore will do well,” she said. 

Tee likes Najib’s face because at his current Chinese age of 61, right up to 67, these age points are in his lower lips. 

“Najib’s best feature is his lower lip, and his age points are all here now and for the next 6 years. In fact he will shine brighter at 66 and 67, when the age point goes to his lip edges,”

Long lip edges shows that Najib is a good negotiator and gets the better side of the bargain. He will be able to get his way, and his policies are likely to bear fruit. 

Meanwhile the Philippines President, Benigno has the best face to counter corruption. 

“The lips are balanced and thick. The head is also longer rather than wider. This is a person who is magnanimous and very altruistic. He is a very suitable person to resolve the corruption problem in Philippines,’ said Tee. 

As for Bambang’s face, Tee says that it is overall a great face with lots of respectability and nobility. Bambang is obviously well liked by the people. However the eye qi is slightly weakened, indicating that if great opportunities were to come to Indonesia, Bambang may not be in the greatest place to capitalize on it. 

Yingluck takes 5^th place mainly because of the low forehead and sharp chin. A low forehead is an extremely good feature for an executor, but not so ideal for a Prime Minister who needs to generate the new policies and innovative ideas. The sharp chin also indicates occasional bouts of indecisiveness.

“She’s definitely a beautiful women and has a good face in terms of wealth and prosperity. However, in fulfilling the criterias of a Prime Minister, there are a few features which are lacking,” said Tee.

My first speech during JY's mid year talk 2011

31 July 2011 -


Joey Yap’s mid year talk on July 31st 2011 was pretty much a momentous moment for me. While that wasn’t the official launch of my book Faces of Fortune, it was going to be the first time my book went on sale, and also my first time addressing a public crowd on Face Reading.

Joey’s talks in KLCC Convention Centre typically attracts a crowd of some 2,000. Of all the talks I have given, this is by far the scariest! Speaking to a crowd of 2,000 is a lot more hostile compared to a crowd of 200.

Joey was going to give 15 minutes to speak about my book, and I had already chosen 5 tycoons to speak about. 

I spoke during the afternoon session, and it honestly went really well! The crowd was intrigued . . I don’t mean to blow my trumpet, but there was pure silence as everyone was transfixed on my delivery ( :

I guess the topic was something very different too. This was the first time I was speaking on face reading – and actually telling the crowd to use it as a tool to evaluate a person’s fortune. 

For that day, all my books sold out. This was also the first time I had people coming up to me for autographs and photo opportunities. How surreal! Opportunities such as these only happened because of the trust and guidance my mentor Joey Yap had in me. Thanks Joey! 

Lin Say Launches 'Faces of Fortune' at MPH

17 August 2011 -


Tee Lin Say officially launched her first book, Faces of Fortune: The 20 Tycoons to Bet on Over the Next 10 Years, at MPH Bookstores in Mid Valley Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur, on August 17. The book launch, which began at 3pm, saw a large turnout of invited guests, customers, colleagues, friends and family of the author coming out to support her.

Gracing the event were Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, the CEO of S P Setia Berhad, and Top Glove Corp Bhd's founder, Tan Sri Lim Wee-Chai. Both were also featured as two of the twenty tycoons in Lin Say's book.

"The book has embarrassed me tremendously." Tan Sri Liew joked during the launch, which brought much laughter from the crowd. He went on to explain that these days, he noticed people attempting to study his face wherever he went.

Despite the attention, Tan Sri Liew, along with Tan Sri Lim, both congratulated Lin Say for a job well done on the book.

Joey Yap, Lin Say's mentor, had praised on her efforts and hard work she had put in for over a year, researching and writing the book. "It is good to see that she is able to put a Chinese Metaphysics science (Face Reading or Mian Xiang) into something relatable in real life."

The Star's Group Chief Editor, Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, also commended Lin Say for bringing something new to the market, a book that combines the art of Face Reading and business.

"You can judge a book by its cover, if you know how," said Lin Say as she explained about Face Reading. She went on to say that human nature does not change in one second, and the face can reflect a lot about a person.

Being a business journalist with the Star Publications (M) Bhd for almost ten years gave Lin Say the opportunity to meet and interview the twenty tycoons featured in her book. She had narrowed down to these tycoons as they have good Mian Xiang features for the next ten years - thus, giving her book a unique angle for investors looking to bank-in on the companies lead by these tycoons in the next decade.

During the book launch, Lin Say also gave a quick Face Reading demonstration on several tycoons, namely IOI Corp Group's Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd's Datuk Seri Nazir Razak and YTL Group's Tan Sri Francis Yeoh Sock Ping.

A book signing session was also held at the end of the event.

NoveLin leads in health content

26 April 2012 -

Gocean >> (Symbol: 0074)

THE Malaysian palm oil industry may be in for a boost now that NoveLin cooking oil is close to its commercialisation phase.

While excitement over NoveLin cooking oil was initially due to its ability to stay liquid in low temperatures, recent studies by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and Dongguk University of South Korea are starting to show that its health benefits could be the main draw for this oil.

MPOB and Dongguk University have now highlighted that NoveLin has a high content of essential fatty acids, high tocopherol and tocotrienols levels (both are members of the Vitamin E family) and a high iodine content among other things.

The presence of Vitamin E as an antioxidant combined with NoveLin's ability to remain in liquid form provides protection from oxidative deterioration, hence also reducing carcinogenic tendencies.

Green Ocean’s cooking oil factory in Klang.

 

Little known Green Ocean Corp Bhd is currently the technology licensee for NoveLin oil and has a factory in Klang producing 10,000 tonnes of NoveLin oil per year.

In 2009, Green Ocean's subsidiary Ace Edible Oil Industries Sdn Bhd entered a technology transfer and licensing agreement with the MPOB for the production of NoveLin edible oil.

NoveLin edible oil is a registered trademark technology by MPOB that was developed by its researcher Dr. Siew Wai Lin.

For the uninitiated, normal palm oil crystallises under temperatures close to 15°C, thus limiting its ability to be exported overseas, particularly in cold countries.

To compensate for this shortcoming, palm oil is presently mixed with other softer oils when exported, hence also diluting the concentration of palm oil. It is also this stumbling block that has limited the marketability of palm oil overseas.

‘A balanced fatty acid ratio is extremely important because most diets today are high on the bad fats,’ says Lee.

 

This makes it more difficult for palm oil to compete seriously with other more popular edible oils such as soya bean and rapeseed oil particularly in Europe and the colder countries.

NoveLin cooking oil makes a difference because it quite literally does not freeze under icy temperatures.

“We have been researching and developing NoveLin over the last two years before finally getting the processes right. We like NoveLin oil because of its many nutritional and health benefits,” says Green Ocean president and managing director Mckin Lee Byoung Jin.

Lee is a veteran in the Malaysian palm oil industry, having been in the sector over the last decade. In 2006, using MPOB's technology to produce biodiesel, Lee was instrumental in commercialising the production of biodiesel in South Korea

Lee says that the imbalance in diets in recent years is due to over-consumption of animal fats.
Health researchers from MPOB and Dongguk University like NoveLin predominantly for its balanced fatty acid ratio and high polyunsaturates content.

“A balanced fatty acid ratio is extremely important because most diets today are high on the bad fats, but low on the good fats. Not all fats are bad. We must consume the essential fatty acids as some of the fats cannot be produced naturally in our body,” says Lee.

In its research report on NoveLin oil, MPOB says NoveLin is considered a premium oil because it is able to achieve the balanced fatty acid ratio with cold stability of 1:1:1 (for saturates: monousaturates: polyunsaturates).

“This is important, because today's modern diet sees unbalanced fat intakes where the ratio is high for saturates and very low for monounsaturates. Today, most of the fats consumed are unhealthy because the ratio of the saturates are very high compared to the monounsaturates and polyunsaturates,” says MPOB.

The formula of 1:1:1 is also a recommendation of the American Heart Association (AHA) and World Health Organisation (WHO), which says that this ratio of fat intake is critical at any level of fat intake.

NoveLin is different from normal palm oil-based cooking oil – it does not crystallise under ice cool temperatures.

 

In the case of NoveLin, it also provides a unique combination of omega-3 fatty acids, with a ratio of n-6 (linolenic acid) and n-3 (alpha linolenic acid) of within 10:1.

Overall, the ratio of n-6:n-3 of polyunsaturates in modern diets are as high as 20-25:1, instead of a lower ratio. The n-6:n-3 ratio in the brain is 1:1 and in fat tissues 5:1,
The World Health Organisation guidelines for a healthy diet recommend a ratio of not more than 10:1.
MPOB says NoveLin oil has about 2% to 4% Omega-3 fatty acids which provides a n-6:n-3 ratio of about 5:1.

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids which are required for the body to work normally. As it is not made in the body, it needs to come from one's diet.

There have been lots of research showing strong evidence that the Omega-3 can boost heart health, lower triglycerides levels and help with rheumatoid arthritis.

Novelin's high tocopherol and tocotrienols level means that there is a natural antioxidant protecting the oil from oxidative deterioration.

Thus, Dongguk University says that NoveLin oil is suitable for frying, general cooking purposes and salad dressings.

“This ensures the stability of the oil as compared with unsaturated oils such as soybean or corn oil. It is comparable to olive oil, especially to oils with low saturate levels,” says MPOB.

MPOB has exclusively given the NoveLin licence to Green Ocean for the commercialisation of the oil since 2009. Green Ocean will pay some royalties to MPOB for the sale of NoveLin oil throughout this period.