August

"No date has been set for the enforcement of the Personal Data Protection Act 2010. ""It will be enforced as soon as possible,"" said Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, though he declined to be more specific as to whether it will be in force by the end of the year. Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Chairman Datuk Mohamed Sharil Mohamed Tarmizi noted that as data crosses all industries, ""there will be a lot of consultation, which we would have to go through those first, as the regulator in each sector has its own data protection requirement."" The act plays a crucial role to safeguard the interest of individuals and make it illegal for corporate entities or individuals to sell personal information or allow third party the use of data. Singapore has a similar Act that came into force in 2013. On the issue of the possibility of regulating local online portals as done in Singapore, Ahmad Shabery said that MCMC is studying the issue. ""There is a limit, even for countries that propagate freedom of expression,"" said Ahmad Shabery"

"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has alluded to the spirit of ""Malaysia Boleh"" or ""Malaysia Can"", when describing the country's progressive economic strategies. Malaysia continues to be a growing knowledge and service-based economy but challenges including a lack of workforce planning and insufficient investment in staff training and development could present barriers to progress in 2013, recruitment consultancy Hays has found. Also, the HR function in many organisations in Malaysia is still viewed as an administrative one. That perceived lack of credibility leaves fewer people wanting to go into the profession. Corporations in Malaysia constantly need quality talent to drive the country's national economic transformation programme (ETP). But finding that talent can be difficult. In this respect, the formation of TalentCorp Malaysia is testament to the close partnership between industry and government. The body's mandate includes providing incentives to bring skilled Malaysians back from overseas, and also building other channels to create a smooth supply of deployable talent in specific vocational areas. ""We are, however, moving in the right direction and glad to see that HR is increasingly being viewed as a value-add and strategic complement to the business in mainly multinational companies,"" says Kristoffer Paludan, Manager, Michael Page."

The Retailers Association of New Zealand reports that retailers lose as much as $1 billion annually to shoplifting by customers and employees.Association members say the continued economic upheaval is likely contributing to these record losses.And yet, according to Retail Crime Prevention Group spokesman Barry Hellberg, a great deal of retail theft goes unreported or unnoticed.Security consultants agree, also pointing out that almost half of the thefts are carried out by staff.Stores most often targeted include gas stations, certain department stores, and supermarkets.Common items depend on the business, but they include meat, cheese, beauty products, and power tools.Businesses have tried to combat these thefts with security cameras and electronic monitors, but experts say that these tools are ineffective unless people are actively monitoring them.