Toyota North America’s Post

I have been brought up to believe things or services from other countries like Australia, UK, and America have always been far more superior than whatever Malaysians are making. I didn't like it when people say: "Malaysia standard is like that one lah." So, I persisted in creating Swimin12, a system proudly designed, invented, and branded in Malaysia. Fighting an uphill battle without the instant fame from association with other countries, I had to work twice as hard by focusing on delivering results, constantly innovating better ways to teach, and always something new every year. Better training, better choice of words, better understanding of kids, better games, psychology, coaching standards, etc. That's why I open 7 days a week including holidays 8am-10pm. When I can't win in money, association, or brand, I make up for it by working harder. In 15 years, hundreds of people are served from Australia, China, and Korean coming regularly and now moving to Singapore for people to come to Malaysia to conquer their fears of swimming. We even export 6 coaches @ 12 entries entering India to teach more than a hundred happy students. A good lesson is that we have to believe we have so much potential. If we want to make our country proud, know that it's a tough battle. But if we work hard enough, constantly innovating, be patriotic, Malaysian systems are not inferior at all. Malaysians have what it takes to invent great products & services too. But we have to believe it, be crazy enough to swim against the tide. Other great Malaysian brand: TOP GLOVE (World largest glove maker). AIRASIA (serving over tens of millions of people). LIM KOK WENG UNI (90% of students are non-Malaysians). RONNY CHENG (Comedian who often promotes Malaysia). SHANGRI-LA, PETRONAS, MICHELLE YEOH, LEE CHONG WEI 🇲🇾 MALAYSIANS have a great track record too in various industries. #BelieveinMalaysia #SupportMalaysianBrands #Patriotism #Believewecan #Innovation #Malaysia #SwimSchool #SwimCoach #WaterPhobiaSpecialist #Swimin12

As we step into the promising pages of the New Year, Asia People Academy Asia extends warm wishes for a year filled with growth, learning, and unparalleled success. May each day be a chapter of new opportunities and achievements. Here's to unlocking untapped potentials, embracing knowledge, and fostering a culture of continuous development. Happy New Year from our team to yours! 🌟🎓 #NewBeginnings #LearningJourney #HappyNewYear"

Wise and generous advice from Matthew: "Try to ask yourself these questions: Who do you want to be? What do you want to achieve? And what impact do you want to make in the world? The journey to getting into these top universities requires a lot of deep self-reflection and introspection. These questions really compel you to look beyond superficial motivations and really connect with your genuine passions, interests, and purpose.”

Yes, that’s me, all 60kgs soaking wet, preparing for a kapa haka performance in the mid-90s! But sharing this photo is actually quite difficult because, for years, it caused me so much shame and confusion and contributed to the question that weighed on my mind: am I Māori enough? Growing up in New Zealand as a biracial ‘half-caste’ in the 90s was a challenging experience. The intergenerational impact of colonisation deeply influenced our society. My father grew up when speaking Māori was forbidden in schools and public spaces. As a result, the language wasn’t passed down, and it wasn’t spoken in our home. This led to a persistent feeling of not being Māori enough. At times, it was so confusing. I wasn’t allowed in a kapa haka because I was “too white,” yet I lived near and was actively involved with our Marae. I wasn’t Māori enough for certain acting roles, yet I was awarded the Māori leadership award at school—an accolade that left me embarrassed and confused about why I had received it. This constant questioning of “how Māori I was” led me to feel lost and disconnected. It wasn’t until I moved to Dubai that I began to truly embrace my Māori heritage. Living abroad, I saw the pride and recognition for Māori culture from other New Zealanders and international communities. This journey was pivotal in strengthening my identity and understanding the significance of Māori cultural traditions and practices. Seeing my dad reconnect with his culture later in life has been equally inspiring. It highlighted the enduring strength of our heritage and its relevance in modern society. At Reti Consulting, we integrate Māori culture and positive psychology to help individuals and organisations thrive. This intersection is a core part of our work because we believe in the power of our cultural roots. I wasn’t someone who lived and breathed te ao Māori, am not fluent, and currently don’t live in New Zealand. But this doesn’t mean I didn’t grow up with kaupapa Māori and live by very Māori values. What I have come to realise is that these unhelpful thoughts created limiting beliefs and, at times, led me to avoid spaces, conversations, and opportunities. Being Māori isn’t just about the colour of your skin, where you live, or even your fluency in the language—it can be about the values you live by, your commitment to te ao Māori, and so much more. At Reti Consulting, we help businesses connect with te ao Māori, fostering environments where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. We integrate Māori cultural principles with positive psychology to create workplaces that celebrate diversity, promote collaboration, and drive success. Let’s embrace our heritage and harness its power for a brighter future. #MāoriCulture #Biculturalism #PositivePsychology #RetiConsulting #CulturalIdentity #TeAoMāori #KaupapaMāori #MāoriValues #EmbraceYourHeritage #CulturalRoots #StrengthInCulture #Empowerment #Reindigenise #Decolonise #Whakapapa

Yes, that’s me, all 60kgs soaking wet, preparing for a kapa haka performance in the mid-90s! But sharing this photo is actually quite difficult because, for years, it caused me so much shame and confusion and contributed to the question that weighed on my mind: am I Māori enough? Growing up in New Zealand as a biracial ‘half-caste’ in the 90s was a challenging experience. The intergenerational impact of colonisation deeply influenced our society. My father grew up when speaking Māori was forbidden in schools and public spaces. As a result, the language wasn’t passed down, and it wasn’t spoken in our home. This led to a persistent feeling of not being Māori enough. At times, it was so confusing. I wasn’t allowed in a kapa haka because I was “too white,” yet I lived near and was actively involved with our Marae. I wasn’t Māori enough for certain acting roles, yet I was awarded the Māori leadership award at school—an accolade that left me embarrassed and confused about why I had received it. This constant questioning of “how Māori I was” led me to feel lost and disconnected. It wasn’t until I moved to Dubai that I began to truly embrace my Māori heritage. Living abroad, I saw the pride and recognition for Māori culture from other New Zealanders and international communities. This journey was pivotal in strengthening my identity and understanding the significance of Māori cultural traditions and practices. Seeing my dad reconnect with his culture later in life has been equally inspiring. It highlighted the enduring strength of our heritage and its relevance in modern society. At Reti Consulting, we integrate Māori culture and positive psychology to help individuals and organisations thrive. This intersection is a core part of our work because we believe in the power of our cultural roots. I wasn’t someone who lived and breathed te ao Māori, I’m not fluent, and currently don’t live in New Zealand. But this doesn’t mean I didn’t grow up with kaupapa Māori and live by very Māori values. What I have come to realise is that these unhelpful thoughts created limiting beliefs and, at times, led me to avoid spaces, conversations, and opportunities. Being Māori isn’t just about the colour of your skin, where you live, or even your fluency in the language—it can be about the values you live by, your commitment to te ao Māori, and so much more. At Reti Consulting, we help businesses connect with te ao Māori, fostering environments where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. We integrate Māori cultural principles with positive psychology to create workplaces that celebrate diversity, promote collaboration, and drive success. Let’s embrace our heritage and harness its power for a brighter future. #MāoriCulture #Biculturalism #PositivePsychology #RetiConsulting #CulturalIdentity #TeAoMāori #KaupapaMāori #MāoriValues #EmbraceYourHeritage #CulturalRoots #StrengthInCulture #Empowerment #Reindigenise #Decolonise #Whakapapa

"YOUTHS JUST BEFORE YOU JAPA" I strongly believe that the importance of skill and talent development cannot be overlooked before taking that step of moving out of the country. You can succeed anywhere in the world;I agree, but do you really have what to offer?? Just because it’s USA,CANADA,or UK doesn’t really guarantee success. What should give you the the boldness to move to any country is the amount of personal investment, skill and talent development and educational investment. Don’t ever make that mistake of moving without being a person of value. Value to you first, your community and your nation at large. #japa #skill #talent #development #value

Have you ever taken the time to reflect on your dreams and who you want to be? 🤗 Even if I do eventually find that answer, I'm uncertain if it will be the "right" one for my life. However, there was one unforgettable turning point in my journey so far. When I was in middle school, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Guangzhou, China. Encountering people of diverse nationalities and cultures has enriched my global mindset. It led me to aspire to become more than just Korean-centric, aiming to be a worldly professional. This experience has served as a compass in my life. To be a worldly professional, I participated in the Glocal Trade Experts incubating Progam(GTEP). I think this program will be the last stepping stone before I enter society. I ended up working as an automotive parts overseas manager, which I consider a great opportunity to explore my interests. What I have learned over the past six months is the importance of being “proactive” and “self-reliant” in my work. I believe that beyond basic responsibility and diligence, which I consider essential, being proactive—finding and pursuing tasks passionately without waiting to be told—is crucial for personal growth. This is my first time sharing my story on LinkedIn, and I consider it an honor. I am excited to share this update and look forward to keeping you posted on our journey and future developments. Let’s continue to share our story and ideas on LinkedIn. Good luck today🍀 #reflection #community #Leadership #Lessonslearned #PeronsoalGrowth #SelfDiscovery #GlobalMindset #LifeJourney #SelfDiscovery #InternationalExposure #DiversePerspectives #CulturalAwareness #TransformativeExperience #Empowerment #Resilience #VisionaryLeadership #Innovation #GlobalCitizenship

I was approached by ZaoBao.sg (早报) for an interview to give my opinion on whether a degree is still the ticket to success two weeks ago. There are two sides to this topic. But whether you are a degree holder or not, lifelong learning is a must and that is the only way to deal with changes. Your degree would be 80% outdated by the time you graduate. Lifelong learning is the only way to keep as close to the time as possible, especially at this age. Not everyone is blessed to have a degree, especially people of my age. Given the time, we only have two universities - NUS and NTU. The only long distance was SIM and that wasn't that recognised. How many of us could squeeze into the two universities? If you are more well-to-do, your family can send you overseas. What if you are not? I am thankful that in Singapore, lifelong learning is readily available. If not, based on my results then, I would not be able to be where I am today. I got my degree at a later age. I have chance to keep upgrading myself so that I was out of job, I have other job opportunities that are not related to my diploma and degree. So here's the interview. It's in Mandarin, but there are English subtitles. Thank you, Wang Eng Eng, for recommending the team to have me in their discussion. https://lnkd.in/gzwxBMhr Enjoy! #lifelonglearning #career #aroadlesstravelled

Focused and determined here in Thailand, preparing for the biggest fight of my career. Every session is a step closer to becoming a world champion. https://lnkd.in/gxt-4-CB Paradigm Entertainment #TrainingCamp #WorldTitleJourney #Thailand”

Studying is alway a fascinating reminiscence to my career.