interview

Kuala Lumpur

What do you love most about this city?
Kuala Lumpur is a strong melting pot of amazing cultures. It is really truly uniquely Asia. There is something for everyone.

Where would you take a first-timer to in this city?
Petronas Twin Towers. In my opinion, it is the most beautiful, modern and contemporary public structure in the world. It is monumental.

What is the one thing that the first-timer must do in this city?
Eat the local food. The cross culture of the Malays, Chinese and Indians of this country makes this city one of the best Asian food destinations in the world.

The best place to have dinner with:
a. family –  Uncle Don in Sri Hartamas. Their mee rebus is the best in town.
b. friends – Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa Kampung Baru. Legendary coconut rice.

The best thing about the locals.
Everyone smiles in Kuala Lumpur.

Name one souvenir to bring home.
A replica of the Petronas Twin Towers.

Words that sum up this city.
Vibrant, Colourful, Diverse, best gila!

Where might we find you at 1 am in this city?
Somewhere in Kampung Baru having coffee with friends.

London

One thing about the locals.
It seems that everyone is in their own world.

What do you find most refreshing about this city?
Its rich heritage and multicultural society.

The one experience or place that everyone must try or visit.
Tate Modern. It is one of the best modern art museums in the world. A must-visit for art lovers.

The one local dish everyone must try. 
Fish and chips.

The best thing you can do here for free.
Taking a stroll in Hyde Park. It is the most relaxing thing to do in this big city. I go there to paint whenever I am in London.

A lesson learnt from this city:
You can be whoever you are.

What was the best piece of souvenir you took home from here?
Memories.

Name something they have here that you wished you had at home:
A good fish and chips restaurant.

1. The greatest moment in my life was having my babies. All four of them. Those were four great moments in my life.

2. The greatest regret I have is not pursuing the business aspect of music; I think it would have brought me further in the entertainment scene.

3. The one virtue I try to live by is to be nice.

4. The people I most admire are my parents, for their upbringing and making me who I am today.

5. I deplore people who are rude or arrogant.

6. The quality I like most in a person is being considerate, which is rare today.

7. My guilty pleasure is chocolate! I have a stash that I hide in my cupboard but now my children know where they are, so I have to find a new place.

8. To keep motivated, I enjoy what I do – that motivates me. If you don’t enjoy what you do, it’s just going to be a chore.

9. The book I’m reading now is … I’m more into magazines and the newspaper.

10. My current favourite song is … I love 80s music like Motown, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

11. The last time I took a vacation was in March, for umrah (pilgrimage) with my husband and two elder children.

12. To relieve stress, I go for a massage.

13. The three things I cannot live without are my tinted lip balm, deodorant and my telekung (prayer veil).

14. My favourite movie of all time is Kartini.  It’s a film about Indonesia’s national heroine, a Javanese lady from an affluent family in the 1900s.

15. The most memorable scenes were about their culture and tradition, and what women of their standing had to go through in that era.

16. In another life, are you Lara Croft: Tomb Raider or Black Widow? Black Widow.

17. If I had superpowers, it would be to change everyone’s mindset to have a better attitude.

18. If I could turn back time, I would maintain the historical sites in Kuala Lumpur that have been brought down, and have more parks and fields in the city.

19. If I could change one thing in the world, it would be to nurture a better society.

20. If I could invite three people, dead or alive, to dinner, they would be the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee*, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.  

21. And we would be eating … for Tan Sri P.Ramlee, nasi kandar, since he’s from Penang, and I’d introduce Malay food to the Obamas.

22. And discussing about everything in the world! With Tan Sri P. Ramlee, I’d like to talk about his songs and movies. 

23. When flying I never have too much metal on my clothing because of the security checks.

24. When flying I always read anything that I can get my hands on. 

1. The greatest moment in my life was when I won the Best Supporting Actor award for my role in Penanggal. It was my first major foray into film and to be acknowledged for it was momentous. 

2. The greatest regret I have is … none.

3. The one virtue I try to live by is to have integrity in everything I do.

4. The person I most admire is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

5. I deplore people who are disloyal.

6. The quality I like most in a person is kindness.

7. My guilty pleasure is coffee.

8. To keep motivated, I read and research other success stories.

9. The book I’m reading now is Aleph by Paulo Coelho.

10. My current favourite song is … there are too many to mention.

11. The last time I took a vacation was in March.

12. To relieve stress, I train at the gym.

13. The three things I cannot live without are food, music and laughter.

14. My favourite movie of all time is The Godfather.

15. The most memorable scene is when Marlon Brando appears.

16. In another life, are you James Bond or Indiana Jones? James Bond.

17. If I had superpowers, it would be to be invisible.

18. If I could turn back time, I would have done more with the time I had.

19. If I could change one thing in the world, it would be to alleviate poverty.

20. If I could invite three people, dead or alive, to dinner, they would be Warren Buffet, Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

21. And we would be eating my version of The Big Breakfast.

22. And discussing their journeys so far. 

23. When flying, I will never wear anything restrictive.

24. When flying, I always sleep.

Sydney, Australia

What do you love most about this city?
I like Sydney for a variety of reasons. I like that it’s a long way away from my home in New York and I like that it’s an extremely relaxing environment. I have many happy memories of going down to Australia, particularly to Sydney and just spending time there.

Where would you take a first-timer to in this city? 
The Opera House. There’s something about that building. Not just its beauty, but the bravery and the courageousness to put that on the harbour. They could not have known it was going to be such a success. Everything about that building is magical. To sit there at Mrs Macquarie's Chair and look at the Opera House and see the Sydney Harbour Bridge behind it, is just magical.

What is the one thing that the first-timer must do in this city?
You must do the cliff-top coastal walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee. Over the course of a couple of hours, you’ll stroll through some of the most stunning beaches including Tamarama and Bronte. It is absolutely spectacular.  

The best place to have dinner with:
a) Family: Doyles in Watsons Bay for amazing views over Sydney Harbour and fresh seafood. The restaurant has been around for over 100 years – it’s iconic.
b) Friends: You must head to Bondi Beach. For a fancy meal, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar is pretty hard to beat. For something more casual, try the bistro at the Bondi Icebergs Club. Both venues share the same incredible view over the ocean and Bondi Beach.

The best thing about the locals.
Friendliness plus willingness to enjoy themselves, not to take themselves too seriously, and to recognise that we’re on this planet for a few short years.

Name one souvenir to bring home.
A cheap stuffed toy kangaroo or koala. You can’t go all the way to Australia and not bring back one of those. And a boomerang. I was once in the Australian Outback and someone cut a boomerang from a piece of wood for me, and in front of me, he demonstrated that it would, properly thrown, come back. Forty years later, I have still not managed to make it come back.

Five words that sum up this city.
Exhilarating. Friendly. Lively. Energising. Invigorating.

New Delhi, India

One thing about the locals.
Everybody’s got a tale to tell you, something to sell, a deal to do, or just a conversation to have. I think the thing I love about India is that the world’s largest democracy is thriving. It’s a reminder of how great the country is.

What do you find most refreshing about this city?
It’s both exciting and vibrant. As soon as you get off the plane and you walk out the door, you are assaulted by the smells, the noise, the dust, and the colour.

The one experience or place that everyone must visit.
A trip to Delhi isn’t complete without a visit to the historic Red Fort and the market next to it. Oh, and just a warning, watch out for the monkeys – they are everywhere in Delhi. 

The one local dish everyone must try.  
You can’t go past a curry. But the thing I learned when dealing with Indian food is to eat carefully and choose your spices and your curries in the order in which you eat. There’s no point in destroying your taste buds right at the beginning. You won’t enjoy the chutneys and the sophisticated tastes that come if you just go straight for a Madras curry.

The best thing you can do here for free.
People watch. Go to the market or the railway station and just watch. You’re in a different country with a different culture, a different mentality and a different outlook. The sights, the sounds, the smells – soak it all up.

A lesson learnt from this city:
You will see things that will shock you. You will hear things that will distress you. You will experience things that you don’t particularly agree with. The lesson learnt is to be open-minded.

What was the best souvenir you took home from here?
Some beautiful pashminas. But here’s the problem. When you get home, everybody thinks because you bought it in India you must have paid $1.50. So you spend a fortune on real pashminas from a real store but nobody believes you! 

parents were part of Malaysia Airlines’ cabin crew, her father being an In-flight Supervisor. Every year they travelled to a new destination where her parents would not only encourage her to learn about the world, but also point out all the little, often overlooked details of the service or the food.

Recalling memories of Honolulu, Rome and other locations, Ili credits this with helping to develop her palate. Meanwhile, at home, she was no slacker in the cooking department, either. Ili says she was always “training” to cook – cooking at home, cooking at kenduris (home feasts), helping her friends’ mothers when she went to visit. “Cooking is natural to me,” says Ili, who was one of two winners of Asian Food Channel’s Food Hero Challenge 2015.

However, for her tertiary studies, her father insisted that she study business, for which Ili is forever grateful, as it helped her set up her own businesses while utilising her cooking skills. She studied at the Queen Mary University of London and never considered a career in the culinary field. However, after graduating, Ili worked at Mosimann’s, a private dining club run by visionary chef Anton Mosimann. This was where Ili understood what her father meant when he said that he loves what he does at Malaysia Airlines.

As a student in London, Ili would host 40 to 50 people in her small quarters for the celebration of Eid. She later started Dish by Ili, a delivery and catering service that provides freshly cooked meals to homes and offices. Her latest endeavour, Agak Agak Initiative with like-minded chef Basira Yeusuff, is another extension of Ili’s tendency to be hospitable while adding another feather to her cap – that of a teacher and mentor.

Although Ili always had a 10-year plan for a sustainable business that includes youths in the running of the establishment, things came about for Agak Agak coincidentally. Dish by Ili had been growing rapidly when the owner of APW, a repurposed printing factory in the Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood of Bangsar, offered Ili a space for Agak Agak. This was her opportunity to make her plan become reality earlier than expected.

It was also perhaps not an accident that Ili met Basira, who seemed to have similar ideas. Both had already been hiring ‘non-conventional’ apprentices in their businesses before Agak Agak, enlisting college dropouts and those with borderline autism, giving these often-disenfranchised youths employment and a chance to build a career in food and service.

“I was dyslexic as a child, and that was one of the reasons my mom got me into the kitchen – to teach me science through food,” recounts Ili. “Mom started boiling vegetables and taught me about condensation by comparing the food and water to soil and rain.”

“I had also volunteered for Teach For Malaysia, where I noticed that while the organisation was doing great work in the academic field, there were students who were not academically inclined,” said Ili. This is one reason Ili founded Agak Agak – to help youths who might flourish better when taken out of a formal classroom environment.

At Agak Agak, the staff are trained in every aspect of running a restaurant. For the first six months, staff work in the kitchen and the service area, where they are taught how to prepare food, including cutting ingredients, butchery basics and getting the essentials right before moving on to other aspects in the business.

In the servicing area, staff are encouraged to speak to diners and explain the food. After that, the next six months will see staff doing administrative work, inventory, fielding telephone calls and doing basic finance. This is when Ili and Basira start assisting their staff in getting a job elsewhere, as Agak Agak had always been planned as a training facility.

“We want them to bring our values to their new jobs,” says Ili. Thus, Agak Agak trains staff as professionally as possible. “So it’s not just the cooking, service and administrative work that we train on, but also the details including human interaction, how to make small talk, even how to put on make-up, marketing yourself, marking up prices, leadership skills – the whole picture.”

Agak Agak has actual training modules that include proper breakdowns of the syllabus, as well as targets and desirable goals. These are important not just as a guideline but also to show measureable results to investors and other relevant parties. “We will groom our apprentices as long as they want to work hard,” says Ili.

Ili also has another mission via Agak Agak. “I want to change the perception of people towards the industry,” says Ili. This includes a change in policy that involves better pay, insurance plans and more security for jobs. “Speaking to colleagues in the industry, they were very excited for Agak Agak’s concept,” Ili says. “But when it comes to salaries, not many were willing to pay what we think is a fair salary. This mindset needs to change.”

Like with the food at Agak Agak, which includes Malaysian favourites with a European twist, like Chilli Pate Mee and Pulut Hitam Cheese Tart, Ili and Basira are looking to revolutionise the industry by creating more appreciation for food and service. It might be an uphill climb but Ili is confident that they will get there.

What is MEPS’ role in the overall Malaysian financial services sector?
MEPS is a payment consortium owned equally by 11 Malaysian banks. We function mainly as the electronic payment infrastructure arm and technology partner for the Malaysian financial services industry, where we’ve been an important player since 1996, especially in facilitating interbank transactions. We started out with cash withdrawals, and gradually introduced more e-payment services such as interbank fund transfers, mobile prepaid top-ups and stored value smart card reload – all of which can be done at an ATM. It’s a cheap and fast alternative for users who don’t want to or are unable to do their transactions online. Our role encompasses the development and implementation of payment services, provision and management of shared infrastructure for participating financial institutions, the governance of adherence to relevant standards, as well as the development and certification of technical standards and specifications for domestic ATM and debit chip cards.

You were appointed to the role of CEO on 1 October 2016. Tell us more of what you do.
Everything at MEPS comes under my purview. I ensure that the business direction as confirmed by the board of directors is met. That means aligning the various teams in the organisation to achieve profitability, and ensure efficiency for the good of the industry as a whole. My goal is to build on Malaysia’s Vision 2020 profile and to ensure the organisation is sustainable well into the future. 

What is MEPS’ mission?
At MEPS, our aim is to help the nation complete its payment activities through convenient, reliable and secure services, as well as to support the central bank’s e-payment agenda for the country. By 2020, the central bank targets to increase the number of e-payment transactions per capita to 200 transactions from 44, and to reduce the number of cheques from 207 million to 100 million per year. Measures to achieve this will include providing the right price signals to encourage the switch from paper-based payments to e-payments, and facilitating wider outreach of e-payments infrastructure, such as point-of-sale terminals and mobile phone banking.

What do you think are the key technology trends driving the global payment services market now?
Mobile banking is expected to grow exponentially in the future, thanks to continuous research and development, as well as lowering security concerns. We’ve seen widespread smartphone adoption in developed markets and its increasing penetration levels in developing markets, Malaysia included. There’s positive growth in the mobile wallet market as more retailers and consumers adopt contactless technology. There are a lot of investments being put in by telecommunications companies and phone manufacturers to ensure that their products are able to support contactless features for easy payment.

What projects are currently under development in MEPS?
MEPS is currently upgrading the previously applied Payment Multi Purpose Card (PMPC) standard to become Europay, Mastercard and Visa (EMV) compliant. It is renamed as the Malaysian Chip Card Specification (MCCS) and the replacement of existing cards is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. The PMPC was a proprietary standard, used since 2003. It was developed back when there was still uncertainty on an international standard and there was a lot of fraud involving ATM cards. Since introducing it, there was zero fraud committed using cloned ATM cards. In 2013, we decided that it was time to move on to EMV, which is the international standard used around the world. In addition to the typical functions of an ATM card, the new MCCS cards will have a dual interface whereby customers can perform contactless transactions at merchant outlets such as at petrol kiosks, supermarkets and tolls. Regionally, we also perform cross – border transaction services with several countries, namely Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China and South Korea. This offers participating banks’ customers the convenience of withdrawing cash via ATM in said countries.

Where does Malaysia stand in terms of mobile payments and real-time payment platforms?
I think that for many people today, their mobile phone is an essential part of their lives. They can leave their wallets at home and survive as long as they have their ‘digital’ wallet with them. Digital wallets not only provide transaction facilities at affordable prices but also help consumers manage their accounts easily. For digital wallets to fully replace their physical counterparts, they will need to hold everything a leather wallet can: cash, receipts, membership cards and payment cards. Consumers’ concerns related to security and technology infancy as well as investment and deployment issues are expected to impede the growth of the mobile wallet market still.

Is Malaysia ready for biometrics in payment transactions?
While we have yet to fully integrate a cashless ecosystem, payment trends are definitely evolving in line with new developments in technology. We haven’t seen widespread implementation of biometrics, certainly not in this part of Asia. Looking at trends in Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and of course Malaysia, we’re still very much towards mobile payments. However, at the end of the day, if consumers are assured that the payment method is well-integrated, secure, reliable and convenient to use, a cashless society will be imminent.

How can MEPS help push Malaysia towards becoming a cashless society?
Our participation will be in tandem with the industry as a whole. With instant transfer services, the financial services and payment industry is greatly enhanced, reducing cash transactions over the counter significantly, and correspondingly, reducing transaction costs and risks. We are also looking at a strategic merger to enhance the country’s payment infrastructure into a highly efficient, secure and competitive e-payment agenda. E-payment, which is more expedient, will provide opportunities to improve productivity and move towards a world-class payment ecosystem. MEPS will continue to be aligned to what the central bank expects of us, and participate with other industry players to do what is necessary to further develop a cashless society in future and drive Malaysia’s growth towards the high income nation goal by 2020.

Hong Kong chef May Chow was tapped to receive the title of this year's Asia's Best Female Chef from the organisers of the prestigious Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list, but she's the first to say that it's not her technique in the kitchen that sets her apart. “I am never going to be an amazing chef because I don’t look at restaurants just from a kitchen perspective,” she remarks candidly. “I don't think I'll ever be that chef (who brags),  'I’m the fastest person to portion out this fish. Check me out'. Or the Japanese chef who spends 10 years perfecting one dish.”

“I’ve realised more and more what kind of person I want to be,” she says. Her strengths lie in seeing the big picture. “I love planning, I love music, I love service, I love food, I curate menus.”

A big part of her vision is fostering creativity and ambition in others – two things she says traditional Chinese culture doesn't encourage. Chefs should “dare to dream,” she says emphatically. Five years ago, when she started working at Bo Innovation, Alvin Leung's avant-garde Hong Kong restaurant, and began talking to the other chefs there, she realised that “their highest dream was to be a sous chef.” They never imagined they could rise beyond that. “And the executive chef was always (going to be) an expat.” It was even a problem when dating or making friends. “That’s such a low career path,” she jokes. Chow, of course, has shown that being a chef is anything but.

“When I said that I wanted to be executive chef and have my own restaurant,” the sceptics were dismissive. “'Yeah, good luck,'” was a constant refrain, but she refused to give in to the naysayers. Bo Innovation was proof she could make her dream a reality. “I looked at (Leung) as a business owner and I knew that I wanted to open a restaurant.”

She eventually moved on to Yardbird, and though she only spent three months in Canadian Matt Abergel's kitchen – where by her own admission she didn't learn anything about cooking – the impression he left was long-lasting. Chow found a way to articulate her own culinary philosophy that blends fun, music and gastronomy. Abergel told her she needed her own kitchen. A spot in the farmers' market in Hong Kong's Quarry Bay that was originally offered to him became an opportunity for her to test the waters.

She decided to serve soft steamed buns filled with flavourful ingredients assembled like a burger. David Chang's Momofuku was serving them in New York but the dish didn't yet have much traction in Asia. Hers sold out in minutes. The next week she doubled production and sold out again. Little Bao, a 20-seat, no-reservations eatery serving shared dishes, cocktails and of course, her signature bao, opened a few short months later in the heart of Soho, Hong Kong's bustling nightlife district, and diners came in droves.

Now at the age of 32, barely three years after opening her first restaurant, Chow has her eyes set firmly on the future. Last year, she opened a second Little Bao in the equally trendy Thonglor area in Bangkok, and has just opened the doors to Happy Paradise, a stone's throw from the original Little Bao, an all-encompassing venue that offers sophisticated food along with eclectic DJ sets and loads of atmosphere. She is also a partner in Second Draft, which highlights Hong Kong's craft beer scene and the food of her former head chef Man Chu Yeung. She is constantly pushing her staff to strive for more, so giving him a showcase for his talents was a natural progression.

Chow is conscious of being a role model. “My role is paving the way for chefs, especially local chefs, to have the capacity to be here in five years, 10 years,” she says softly, touching the table in front of her.  “Not because I’m bringing them. Because they deserve it on their own.”

Chow also reflects on being named Asia’s Best Female Chef. “The previous winners won at a later stage in their life and I won very early, (but) I don’t think that Little Bao is what defines me. It's just my first restaurant.” She is grateful for the recognition “but I think my vision will bring me much further, and in 10 years, it’ll be easier to see what I’ve done. It’s really hard to convince people where you want to be next because all they can see is what you are now.” If where she is now is anything to go by, Chow's future certainly looks bright. 

Imagine a blue whale, the largest animal on earth. An adult can weigh up to 200 tonnes. Now imagine 75 blue whales, weighing approximately 15,000 tonnes. This is how much food Malaysians throw out on a daily basis, according to a 2016 report by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute. That’s enough to feed 11 million out of the 800 million people in the world that go hungry every day!

A large part of our food waste can be prevented, says ResQ Club founder and chief executive officer Tuure Parkkinen. Founded in Helsinki, Finland, ResQ is a food ‘rescue’ service that allows users to ‘rescue’ surplus meals from participating restaurants at discounted prices.

“Every day, over 10 percent of prepared restaurant food is thrown away – even though it’s still in top condition,” says Parkkinen, an industrial engineer turned entrepreneur with a passion for sustainable solutions.

ResQ allows eateries to put up meals that are not sold off over lunch or dinner on the service, which is available on the Web, and on Android and iOS smartphones. Customers reserve the portions they want and pick the food up physically from the store. The service is currently available in the Netherlands, Estonia, Sweden and Germany. It made its debut in Malaysia last December.

Since its inception in January last year, over 125,000 meals have been saved from 400 restaurants in cities ResQ operates in. That’s roughly 40,000 kilogrammes of food, equal to carbon emissions from five million kilometres driven. “Kuala Lumpur has a versatile food sector, and people are environmentally aware. We felt that the time was right to introduce it here,” Parkkinen explains.

To date, the service has 40 active vendors in the greater Kuala Lumpur area, including established restaurants and cafés like Mikey’s Original New York Pizza, Salad Atelier, and Wondermilk. There is a healthy selection for users, from pizza to Yemeni food and local favourites like Peranakan cuisine.

Country manager Joanne Chia, who runs the operations in Malaysia, says while the user base is still modest, the valuable thing is that they are seeing many repeat customers. “In the past two weeks, there was a user buying salads almost every day from the service. It’s great to know that users are forming a habit out of it. That matters to us more than numbers,” says Chia.

For Parkkinen, food wastage is an issue close to his heart. “I lived in Africa, and as a child, I learnt that food was not something to take for granted,” he says, adding that when he was home living with his parents, he often ate leftovers in the fridge as he didn’t want to waste.

Chia shares a similar story. “Wasting food is a big no-no in my household. I used to routinely visit orphanages and charities with my late mother and noticed a lot of our efforts focused on finding food – which is crazy given the amount of food we waste on a daily basis!” she says.

The idea behind Res-Q is to provide a win-win option for everyone involved. Consumers get good restaurant food at discounted prices, usually between 40 to 70 percent off, whilst also being part of the solution to food waste.

“Of course, it’s not as on-demand or as effortless as ordering something from a delivery service, but if you’re rescuing a meal from around your workplace or home, you’ll also save money on groceries and time from cooking at home,” Parkkinen enthuses. He adds that it’s a way for people to try out new kinds of food and explore new venues in their locality.

Restaurants, meanwhile, benefit by getting an income out of food that would otherwise be binned. “Even if consumers aren’t buying from a particular restaurant, it’s still a cost-effective way to promote an establishment since the service shows what offerings they have,” he points out. Joining the service is free for all parties, and it also allows restaurants to track their monthly sales.

As with any startup, there are challenges. One major hurdle is perception.

“Some restaurants have been in the industry for a long time, and they have certain ways of thinking how things should be done. Changing those set ways aren’t easy,” he says. Moreover, brands tend to shy away from labels such as ‘leftover’. Part of ResQ’s aim is to remove the negative connotation associated with surplus food as low-quality or expiring goods.

Moving forward, Parkkinen says they are looking to improve their product by introducing a better user interface and added features such as crowd-sourcing and quality control. “We also hope to provide a more personalised experience, where users can list their dietary and other preferences,” he says.

Delivery, which the service is piloting in Malaysia for selected merchants, is also something that they hope to implement in more markets. “Our aim is to reduce the impact on the environment, so we want people to go to the restaurants to pick up the food, but since the service is location-based and limited to a user’s everyday routes, delivery is something we’re considering to better the user experience,” Chia explains. 

Aside from offering a sustainable solution, ResQ’s ultimate goal is to educate people to not waste resources and on the dangers of environmental destruction.

“We try to educate our clients on all the things they can do to be more environmentally responsible, including sourcing for sustainable produce and ingredients,” says Parkkinen.

Food waste is a hot topic in Europe, where 88 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in the European Union. Movements to reduce surplus and encourage businesses to be more sustainable have taken root in recent years.

In Denmark, Russian-born Danish activist Selina Juul has been credited by the Danish government for helping the country reduce its food waste by 25 percent in just five years, thanks to her consumer organisation Stop Wasting Food.

Last year, the city of Copenhagen introduced its first-ever food surplus supermarket, which sells products at half the retail price. Meanwhile, France imposed a ban on supermarkets from throwing out unwanted food, slapping businesses with fines if they refuse to donate them to food banks or charities.

The conversation has started in Malaysia, thanks to government initiatives like Save Food Malaysia, which brings together government agencies, NGOs, startups and private companies to look into issues of food security, reducing wastage and alleviating hunger.

Parkkinen and Chia hope that with services like ResQ, more can be done to combat food wastage and act as a call-to-action for the public. “The awareness is there; now it’s time to do something about it,” says Chia.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

What do you love most about this city?
The food is what I love most about Kuala Lumpur. The diversity is mind- blowing: Malay, Indian, Chinese in all their permutations, and my beloved Nyonya cuisine is best in the world!

The best thing about the locals.
Their warmth and generosity.

Where would you take a first-timer to in this city?
I would take the person for a stroll through Jalan Tun H.S. Lee and its surrounds. One of KL’s most historical streets, it still offers some nostalgic glimpses into the past. Here you will find traders still trading in pre-war shophouses, Masjid Jamek and the oldest Chinese and Indian temples in the city. Happily, quite a few architectural gems from the past are still standing and some of the best food in KL can be had in the coffee shops and stalls tucked between the atmospheric streets and five-foot ways.

Name one souvenir to take home. 
We have a great number of award- winning tattoo artists in Malaysia,. Many of them influenced by the skills and the tribal tattoos of the indigenous people of Borneo. I highly recommend you take home a tattoo as a souvenir.

Where might we find you at 1 am in this city?
No Black Tie is a very special place. This jazz and classical live music venue could be your most memorable evening in this city. It’s a late-night haunt of some of KL’s most creative minds. 1 am will very quickly become 6 am.

What is the one thing that the first-timer must do in this city?
They must at least catch a glimpse of our iconic Petronas Twin Towers. Designed by Cesar Pelli, I think it is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. KL being a foodie city, the best way to appreciate the towers is to dine in a good restaurant with a view of the magnificent jewel-like towers.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA 

What do you find most refreshing about this city?
How walkable the city is!

The one experience or place that everyone must try/visit.
If you are here in January, you must experience the Australian Open at Melbourne Park. The world’s top tennis players will be there for the first Grand Slam of the year and it’s right in the middle of the city. If you have never been to a tennis Grand Slam, this is a good place to start.

The one local dish everyone must try.
Melbourne is populated by people from many different cultures. You can have the best of the world: Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Japanese, French, Indian and more. It’s impossible to suggest only one local dish. A bowl of (Vietnamese noodle) pho is as local as Vegemite on toast. I would recommend you go out and try everything.

The best thing you can do here for free.
The City Circle Tram is a free service and is a wonderful way to see Melbourne. The tram will take you on a loop past shopping malls and arcades, and major attractions such as the Old Treasury Building, Parliament House and the Princess Theatre. The City Circle line is serviced by the very charming heritage ‘W class’ trams exactly like the originals from 1923.

Name something they have here that you wished you had at home:
I wish we had the same wonderful produce that they have. All the wonderful vegetables, meat and seafood make for some of the best dining in the world.

1. The greatest moment in my life was to have the opportunity to explore New York, the most vibrant and busiest city in the world. It will truly be a life-changing experience that will enable me to see things from a different perspective.

2. The one virtue I try to live by is always treat others the way you want to be treated.

3. The person I admire the most is Oprah Winfrey! Not just for her career, but her remarkable work to help people is so heart-warming. I love her talk shows because her topics are mostly about empowering women.

4. My guilty pleasure is playing with my phone while sitting on the “throne”. You got me there!

5. To keep motivated, I always meditate.

6. The book I'm reading right now is.Mind Platter by Najwa Zebian.

7. My current favourite song is That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars. The song is so catchy!

8. The last time I took a vacation was a month ago to Koh Lipe for my birthday treat.

9. To relieve stress, I usually binge on unhealthy food! I know it's bad but I can't help it.

10. The three things I cannot live without are my mobile phone, contact lens and lip balm.

11. My favourite movie of all time is Notting Hill! Believe it or not, I have memorised almost all of their lines.

12. If I had super powers, it would be the ability to become invisible so that I can have my alone time for a while.

13. If I could invite three people, dead or alive to dinner, they would be Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Nelson Mandela.

14. When flying I never wear tight jeans. It's so uncomfortable.

15. When flying I always read my book and sleep.

The weekend after my interview with Lisette Scheers, her friends are whisking her off to their home for well-deserved R&R before she jets off to Paris to oversee her new Nala Designs shop. Two blissful days of no work, no clients, no employees, no emails. As the founder of three businesses – creative agency L.Inc, stationery and accessories brand Nala Designs, and Dr.Inc café ­– Scheers, who is also a single mother, does not get to take many breaks.

“Where does the energy comes from? I don't know. It's pure survival. Of course, making beautiful things always make me happy,” said Scheers.

Anyone who has ever stepped into one of The BIG Group’s establishments in Kuala Lumpur would be familiar with Scheers's work. Scheers oversaw the creative direction of the group, from the interior design of the various outlets of this F&B empire right down to the hand-drawn menus and murals on the walls. The pitch-perfect interiors, sumptuous decor and cohesive collaterals became standard-bearers for intelligent and beautiful design in the industry.

Packaging a good idea with beautiful designs is classic Scheers. But when it comes to branding, she said, a good story is essential.

“Every brand needs a story, a reason to exist. For all my branding, I go in very personal and try to find a hook. It is very important for me to like my client and know them very well so I can build on their story that fits them and has personality. That's what I'm good at, building stories,” said Scheers.

Dutch national Lisette Scheers was born in Singapore but spent part of her formative years in Kuala Lumpur, and has many fond memories of the city. “When I grew up here, I remember all the beautiful houses, the mini buses, the food, the mixed cultures. I'm still nostalgic for those days,” she mused a little wistfully.

She lived in the Netherlands where she worked for McCann-Erickson and Ogilvy & Mather before returning to Malaysia in 2004 with her own family. She started working at the Raffles Design Institute, where she had set up the design department. Word soon got around of her advertising background and she was inundated with demands, causing her to stop teaching and focus on advertising full-time with La Scheers Co. Within a year, the company grew to 25 people, handling clients such as The BIG Group who are attracted to her straight-talking attitude, innovative branding ideas and impeccable designs.

In 2013, La Scheers Co. was rebranded as L.Inc, short for Lisette Incorporated. “I wanted a new brand and I wanted it simplified while incorporating different branches such as a magazine and a school,” she explained. Among their projects are the rebranding and interior design for the chain of Delicious restaurants, a premium tea brand and a skin laser company.

If advertising and branding weren't enough, the hyper-creative Scheers started Nala Designs during a lull in jobs in 2008. Nala, a Swahili word for successful, is also the name of her daughter. Starting from a stationery line, the brand now includes clothes and home accessories that draw on Malaysia's rich cultural heritage as its design inspiration. Here you'll find totes, pillows, sketch books and scarves in graphic Peranakan patterns and stylised designs of Malaysian icons. Dubbed the Queen of Patterns, Scheers creates the most delightful prints that are given individual names like Love Lattice and My Kuih or the Highway. Exuberant and nostalgic without the kitsch, Nala Designs is now available in Japan and Hong Kong, with a spanking new shop in Paris.

“I always wanted to give something back to Malaysia. Even though I'm not Malaysian, I still feel very strongly about the past, how beautiful KL used to be. The core of what I am trying to do is to try to keep that alive,” said Scheers.

Design-wise, Scheers still creates by hand, whether it is drawing or doing silk screens. “It's not difficult to find inspiration but finding a new twist to something that has already been done is not easy. I decompose what I find and put it back together again but I have to push myself every time to find new patterns and new designs,” she said.

As an innovator, it isn't long before copycats spring up, imitating her style. “I try to find a new approach. It is a challenge to make it look so difficult that it is difficult to copy,” sighed Scheers.

Three years ago, she ventured into the F&B business with Dr.Inc, situated below her shop in a quieter part of the trendy Bangsar neighbourhood. Tucked in a shophouse, the café and restaurant – decked out in Nala products – features inventive meals and lively pop-up markets.

“The café came about accidentally. I wanted to take a break and had someone come in to take care of the shop. The person happened to own a coffee machine. I had no intention of opening a café or a full-fledged restaurant but it's full on busy for lunch and dinner.”

You could say that Scheers has the Midas touch; whatever venture she embarks on turns to gold, helped by her uncompromising belief in good design and ferocious capacity for work. The journey hasn't always been easy for this one-woman show, and Scheers sometimes feels the strain. Whenever she does, she rejuvenates herself by diving into her enormous bag of ideas and takes satisfaction in a perfectly made tea towel or kuih design. “I'm very lucky my creative juices always work; that's the thing that doesn't leave me, that is my creative ideas.”