R.I.P. Fakawi Chief

A True Friend Is Gone Nick Ong aka Fakawi Chief as he was called among the South-East Asian mountain biking community, has passed today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nick Ong 1 was a man of many talents: creator of the Fakawi Tribe, captain of the Malaysian Fakawi Banshee Downhill Team, Malaysian importer of Banshee Bikes, jungle explorer on weekends, unwavering supporter of traks.org, the advocacy group for Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur’s mountain biking gem, outdoor and MTB film maker 2, oh, and also a medical doctor, all served by a sharp mind with an unparalleled sense of humour....

April 13, 2023 · 1 min · Olivier Falcoz

The good Jihadi

In North Sumatra, a former Indonesian radical has opened a boarding school for the children of terrorists to prevent their futures from looking like his own past. Words by: Gabrielle Lipton Photography by: Albert Ivan Damanik Wat happens when children begin to realise that their parents are following a different path? What happens when that path ends behind bars? Or on the receiving end of a bullet? What happens in the minds of children whose parents are terrorists?...

November 9, 2017 · 3 min · Olivier Falcoz

'Some Malaysians in midst of engaging in 'Jihad' against Myanmar'

The police have confirmed that some Malaysians, supported by the Islamic State (IS) militant group, are in the midst of engaging in ‘jihad’ in Myanmar to fight against the Myanmar Government for the oppressed Rohingya Muslim minority community in Rakhine State. – The MalayMail

November 9, 2017 · 1 min · Olivier Falcoz

The female warlord who had CIA connections and opium routes

Ms. Yang, center at front, with her soldiers, circa 1956. Credit Yang family Olive Yang was born to royalty in British colonial Burma, but rejected that life to become a cross-dressing warlord whose C.I.A.-supplied army established opium trade routes across the Golden Triangle. By the time of her death, last week at 90, she had led hundreds of men, endured prison and torture, generated gossip for her relationship with a film actress and, finally, helped forge a truce between ethnic rebels and the government....

July 28, 2017 · 1 min · Olivier Falcoz

Geopolitics at play in China

By James Rickards - Daily Reckoning China’s problems are not entirely external and are not limited to the new Trump administration. China is now embroiled in an internal political struggle around the efforts of President Xi to make himself the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. President Xi’s first five-year term expires in March 2018. He is certain to be elected to a second term, but he has so far deviated from the script by not designating any potential successors for a smooth transition in 2023....

February 14, 2017 · 2 min · Olivier Falcoz
Stereotypes of Thailand

Stereotypes of Thailand

From Reddit

January 20, 2017 · 1 min · Olivier Falcoz

The so-called “Chinese Miracle

On May 13th, I went to a conference at Sascha’s Shanghai, a great place with lots of fresh beers being served on the first floor. But before rushing for refreshments - what we would typically do at a bar, We had a chat with Philippe Massonnet. He had some thoughts on the development of China that he wanted to share with us following the publication of his book The so-called “Chinese Miracle1....

May 15, 2008 · 5 min · Olivier Falcoz

Doing competitive Business Intelligence in China

Nice post by Richard Brubaker on All Roads Lead To China regarding Competitive Intelligence and how companies obtain insider information in China. In China though, because so little is consistent in any industry and because everything here moves so fast, BI is very different here. It relies less on traditional tools (internet, news surfing, speaking to sales people, etc) and takes on a much more guerrilla approach. In many ways, it requires a deeper knowledge of the industry while at the same time having a real sense of where the hidden data lies, and being willing to go out and get that information....

March 19, 2008 · 2 min · Olivier Falcoz

Why it's hard to be a risk professional in China

Seems like a long, long way to go… I start this blog with a few thoughts on the Chinese approach to risk management and the implications for the big consultancies that have entered China thinking it will be a new El Dorado… and for me! I came across a post by Paul Denlinger on China Vortex that points out why it is hard to be a risk professional in China and why it is still far from easy to sell risk consulting services to Chinese companies....

March 10, 2008 · 3 min · Olivier Falcoz