Self-made millionaire Ng will teach you how to generate safe returns
PETALING JAYA: Money games, GameStop frenzy, the constant rise and fall of crypto, to the untrained eye, these seem like the way to “invest”.
Adrenaline-pumping with a false promise of insane returns by the very next day as well as the constant monitoring of charts and graphs, it’s not for the faint-hearted and certainly not for everyone.
Amid all these fleeting trends, investment scams and market noise, millennial investor, Alex Ng, goes about his daily life calmly, collecting passive income and watching his investment double or triple in value.
But he wasn’t always like this.
He started dabbling in the stock market at 19. He got sucked into trends, chased short-term profits and bought whatever stocks his broker recommended.
And by 21, he had lost two-thirds of his parents’ retirement fund from investing haphazardly.
“It was a huge wake up call for me. It made me realise that what I was doing wasn’t investing. I was gambling in the stock market. Higher stakes and worse damages than if I would have gambled in the casino,” he said.
However, his saving grace was his fortitude.
He knew the importance of investing, if done properly. Growing up in a middle-class household, that was his ticket to afford himself and his family a good life.
“With just RM3,000 of my own savings, I found some mentors and learned the proper way to invest,” said Ng, who was a self-made millionaire by the age of 29.
Having been through that harrowing experience and turning his life around, he wants to make sure that no one makes the same mistakes he did.
He’s now a master trainer and speaker at VI College, the region’s leading financial education provider, helping aspiring and uninformed investors to develop the proper skills, knowledge and strategy.
The safe and consistent way of investing gets easily drowned out and might seem boring in contrast to the stock bros’ mantra of “high risk, high return” or the excitement and overinflated egos in the likes of The Wolf of Wall Street.
“Investing safely and consistently doesn’t mean you can’t get handsome returns. It just means that even if you start small, with consistent effort, your returns will multiply and compound,” he said.
In VI College, Ng and his peers have designed the programmes with beginners in mind. After VI College’s five-day bootcamp, even those who come in with zero knowledge can venture into their investment journey with confidence.
“In fact, many of my students with prior investing experience also saw the programme as a total eye-opening experience,” said Ng.
Students are added into the VI Community after the programme with support and guidance from trainers, coaches and peers.
VI College has also developed its own stock analysis tool, VI App, to make investing smarter, faster and easier.
“With VI App, you can easily check the risk rating, the overall health and performance of the company in just a few seconds,” he explained.
8BIT, the FinTech entity behind VI App, is licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Singapore’s central bank.
Check out VI App at www.vi.app.
“At the end of the day, we want to empower as many people as possible with financial literacy.
“That’s why our programme and tools like VI App are all designed to make it simple for everyone to start investing,” he said.
Join Ng to discover the right and safe way to invest in the “Discover Secret Stock Investing Techniques Webinar” on June 19.
Organised by Star Media Group together with VI College as the Education Partner, this free two-hour masterclass is designed to teach individuals across all age groups to generate safe and consistent returns from local and the US stock market.
Many investors suffered huge losses when they sold off their stock holdings at low prices at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last year. Alex Ng, master trainer and speaker at VI College, shares how he weathered the market turmoil.
The key to surviving and even thriving during an unprecedented crisis is simple, he says:
"Stay invested, but do not be fully invested at all times."
Working more than 55 hours a week is killing us through ischaemic heart disease and stroke.
THE Japanese call it karoshi or “death by overwork”.
The signs: a sudden stress-induced heart attack, stroke or extreme mental pressure leading to suicide.
After World War II, the Japanese struggled to cope with defeat and an insecure future, so they threw themselves into work, determined to advance economically and fuelled by an ingrained culture where collectivism is valued above individualism.
Annually, thousands of Japanese workers die from karoshi, but in recent years, China has overtaken Japan with an estimated 600,000 deaths from overworking in 2016.
A large number of deaths in China are coming from industries such as media, advertising, medical care and information technology.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, more people are working from home (WFH) and feeling the strain of being forced to take on additional work.
As businesses cut costs and struggle to stay afloat, it translates to more work and longer working hours for employees still on the payroll.
For some, it is either do the job or get the boot.
This certainly doesn’t bode well for our health.
In fact, even before the pandemic, a 2019 AIA Vitality survey revealed that workers in Malaysia are often overworked and sleep deprived, with 51% suffering from at least one dimension of work-related stress and 53% getting less than seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.
It was also reported that Malaysia had experienced a three-fold increase in mental health problems over the past two decades.
According to the latest estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) published in the journal Environment International last month, long working hours led to 398,000 deaths from stroke and 347,000 deaths from ischaemic heart disease in 2016 – a 29% increase since 2000.
Most of the deaths recorded were among people living in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions, who had worked for 55 hours or more per week, when they were between the ages of 45 and 74 years.
Young and otherwise healthy people can be struck by a stroke due to long-term unbalanced lifestyles and stress. — 123rf.com Just because bosses send messages throughout the night doesn’t mean they expect you to respond or react immediately, says Dr Yong. — AFP
The heart has its limits
James (not his real name), a marketing director of a multinational company, had been WFH and logging in at least 60 hours of work weekly, including on weekends, ever since the pandemic began.
At 51, the father of two teenagers eats healthy, rarely gets sick, enjoys the occasional drink and lets off steam by waking up at 4.30am to cycle or run for an hour every day.
Two months ago, he was in a virtual meeting when he started sweating profusely and felt pain radiating down his left arm.
As it was an important meeting, he ignored the symptoms, which eventually disappeared.
He continued cycling the next morning without any problem.
“But the pain returned a week later, and this time, it was accompanied by chest discomfort and dizziness.
“My wife drove me to the hospital, and after doing some scans, I was told I had a heart attack, with three blocked arteries,” he recalls, still in disbelief.
James’ wife broke down. She had been telling him to slow down, but he wouldn’t listen, continuing to work and exercise hard.
He had to have two stents inserted to open up his arteries.
“Prior to that, I hadn’t taken leave in a year. These days, I’ve learnt to switch off and no longer answer calls after 6pm.
“The cycling has been replaced with meditation and long walks,” he shares.
It’s quite an adjustment to make, but work is no longer his number one priority.
Says consultant cardiologist Dr Kannan Pasamanickam: “All of us are guilty of overworking – yours truly included!
“We have to remind ourselves that we cannot take health for granted; if you become ill, you may never be able to work again.”
Many patients shun hospitals during this pandemic as they fear running an increased risk of contracting Covid-19.
However, this might result in them delaying getting much-needed treatment – James was lucky that his first episode was not fatal.
Signs of a unhealthy heart include increased breathlessness; getting tired more quickly during physical exertion; chest/jaw/upper abdominal/arm pains brought on by exertion and relieved by rest; leg swelling (although this can be due to several other causes as well); breathlessness when lying flat in bed; and unusual palpitations, among others.
“Do annual medical exams, especially when you cross the golden age of 40, or start younger if you have a family history of vascular disease,”advises Dr Kannan.
If you’re living alone and experience a heart attack, he suggests that after calling for help immediately, take one tablet of aspirin straight away (barring an aspirin allergy), keep calm, remain seated (preferably on a sofa) and wait for help.
“If you feel like fainting, start coughing.
“If the heart stops because of sudden, irregular beating of the heart called ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, which can occur soon after a heart attack, or the blood pressure becomes very low, coughing can maintain an adequate blood pressure until help arrives,” he says.
A stroke in time
We often think that stroke only strikes old people and those with uncontrolled high blood pressure,but these are myths.
Stress has been identified as the most important causative factor for a stroke or so-called “brain attack”.
The warning sign of an imminent stroke is a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini stroke.
This can happen up to seven days before the actual stroke and last up to five minutes or so. Consultant neurosurgeon Datuk Dr Kantha Rasalingam explains: “There could be sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
“Individuals may also experience sudden double vision, confusion, inability to talk or understand things, instability when walking, and problems with balance or coordination.
“The key term here is ‘sudden onset of any neurological deficit’. “If you recover within a few minutes, it is a warning sign of TIA. If it persists, then it is a stroke.”
Some healthy individuals in the 18-49 age group – males, in particular – are being struck by strokes as a result of unbalanced lifestyles and stress.
“This is quite sad. If you push the boundaries and the body becomes exhausted, there is a possibility of getting a stroke.
“It’s a wake-up call for everybody,” remarks Dr Kantha. He shares the case of a 41-yearold lady who came into his clinic last week as she had experienced sudden right-sided upper and lower limb weakness.
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain showed a left-sided cerebrovascular accident (i.e. stroke).
Her husband was devastated, angry and blamed her employer.
Dr Kantha elaborates: “The husband said his wife was WFH more than normal the last month as her boss was asking her to do more work or else she would be retrenched like her other colleagues.
“Stressed, she tried her best to keep up, and a few days ago, while going out to buy food, she passed out in the car.”
Unfortunately, she sought treatment too late and there wasn’t much the doctor could do as the brain cells controlling her right side were already dead.
“I don’t think she will be able to go back to work unless she drastically improves,” he says.
“But work should be the least of her priorities as she has a six-yearold daughter.
“Often, people just dismiss the weakness and wait till it’s very late to seek treatment.
“Some go to smaller clinics, then smaller hospitals, and by the time they come to a bigger hospital, time has lapsed and we can’t do much.
“If a patient comes in early (within six hours of the onset of symptoms), we can do interventional therapy, e.g. embolism to break the clot.”
He adds that a useful acronym to remember is FAST: if you experience a Facial droop, Arm weakness and Speech difficulty, it’s Time to call for help.
Note these symptoms
If you’re working long hours, it usually also means a more sedentary lifestyle, and reduced physical activity is a risk factor to getting a stroke.
Look out for symptoms such as a lack of concentration at work, lack of energy, irritability, forgetfulness and poor sleep.
Says consultant neurologist Dr Kok Chin Yong: “These symptoms are easily overlooked and frequently attributed to other factors.
“In fact, these symptoms may be correlated with each other to form a vicious cycle and may lead to depression and anxiety.
“Individuals should get medical help when the above symptoms start to disrupt daily activities, such as personal relationships or work.
“If we can prevent these symptoms from getting worse, we can prevent heart attacks and strokes.”
To address being overworked, he recommends following “SEMMS”.
“Sleep is key; Exercise regularly at least 40 minutes three times a week; practise Meditation, which has been proven to reduce the relapse rate in both depression and addiction; adopt a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets for neurodegenerative delay, consisting of green, leafy vegetables, whole grains, berries, olive oil, poultry and fish; and be Socially active,” he says.
Dealing with bosses
The Malaysian Employment Act defines the work week as 48 hours, with a maximum of eight working hours per day and six working days per week.
But many employers blatantly disregard these guidelines.
How can we deal with unreasonable employers and maintain sanity while WFH?
Clinical psychologist Dr Lynne Yong says: “Discuss with the human resources (HR) people on what your job scope really encompasses and know your rights.
“There are laws to protect employees against exploitation
“However, the first step would be to ask yourself if you are overthinking your employer’s expectations.”
While some employers might be demanding, they can also be reasonable.
She says: “Just because bosses send messages throughout the night doesn’t mean they expect you to answer immediately.
“Because of these uncertain times, people tend to see things in black and white, but the reality is more nuanced than they think.”
The president of the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology suggests these steps to help manage your workload:
> Are you looking at your job situation clearly and objectively? > Is it the bosses’ expectations or your own interpretation of your bosses’ expectations?
> If the boss is really unreasonable, can you discuss the issue with HR?
> Turn off notifications at a reasonable hour, perhaps two or three hours before bedtime.
Fellow clinical psychologist Prof Dr Alvin Ng Lai Oon adds that another helpful way is to affirm that you will be willing to do the expected task, but bring up problems at home that would need some mutual problem-solving between the boss and you.
“Say something like ‘Sure, boss, I can do that. But if I do, then there’s this other thing that becomes a problem, which I’m afraid would continue to persist if I do the task you just gave me.
“‘I’m concerned that this problem would affect my productivity in the long run. So, how?’” he suggests
It’s
finally happened. A major worldwide government has just bestowed a huge vote of confidence and legitimacy onto the world of cryptocurrencies. China, in an unprecedented move, just announced that they are officially adopting a certain cryptocurrency as China's official coin!
The government of China just informed that they have chosen a
preferred firm for the purchase and marketing of their new coin - YuanPay Group. The sales of China's coin officially started Juny 12 of 2021 and currently these coins can be bought only from YuanPay Group.
In fact, China deputy minister of finances, Liu Kun, informed that their new official coin stating price is just CNY 0.12!
! 1 Chinese Yuan equals
0.13 EUR
That’s right, the coin is incredibly inexpensive in comparison to most other coins out there. Bitcoin, for example, trades at CNY 65,366.84 at the time of this writing and Ethereum trades at
around CNY 1,362.76.
We were able to get Sir Richards Bronson’s thoughts on China’s new coin and this is what he had to say:
Sir Richard Bronson stated (pic): "Everytime a major corporation
announces even a small partnership with an individual
cryptocurrency, that coin’s value skyrockets. I can't wait to see what
is going to happen when a government officially adopts a crypto. When
the name of China’s coin is released, many people will become
millionaires practically overnight."
A few of us at forbes were curious enough to buy a couple coins just to see how everything looks and what the reading fees are
like.
It was fairly easy to get the coins, but i will show you the whole process below for those that are interested.
First step was to fill out all the details. As you can see, nothing complicated so far.
Second step, I was taken to YuanPay Group's wallet, where they chose my country specific broker to buy China's
coins.
Third step, I was taken to purchase page and had to fill out
my details.
For CNY 1,921, I received 21,375 coins at CNY 0.12 cents each. You
can see current value of my coins on the same page.
PS: As an early investor they gave me 5,367 extra coins for
free!
The whole process was simple and I even received a phone call
from one of YuanPay Group's friendly agents, but
I didn't really need any help as the whole process was easy
enough.
After finishing this article, literally around 4 hours, I
checked my wallet again and to my surprise:
In only 4 hours, the price increased from CNY 0.12 to CNY 0.31. At
this point, I was positively surprised. I am not selling my
coins as of yet because all the experts predict that the
price will rise to at least CNY 9,192.63 per coin in matter of
months.
YuanPay Group was kind enough to give us
a 100% accurate coin movement price counter, so everyone can see
the increase directly on this page.
Official price currently
1 coin=CNY 0.33
(Note - price is being updated every 30 minutes)
With a story of this nature, news seems to be breaking every so often,
we’ll be sure to update the story as needed.
You can find their promo video as well as direct coin sales here:
China's New Law To Counter US, EU Sanctions May Also Block Covid-19 Origin Investigation
Deportation, denying entry and freezing assets among countermeasures to stop long-arm jurisdiction
Top lawmakers in China on Thursday voted to pass the highly expected Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, providing a comprehensive legal basis for blocking illegal foreign sanctions and preventing Chinese individuals and entities from suffering the damage resulting from such illegal sanctions. The new law will also offer sufficient legal foundation for taking an equal position with the West by imposing necessary countermeasures, Chinese legal experts said.
The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) convened its 29th session on Monday in Beijing, which was scheduled to conclude on Thursday, and draft version of the anti-foreign sanctions law was put to review for the second time on Monday. According to the rules and procedures of the legislative body, the draft law in the agenda of the NPC Standing Committee meeting should generally be reviewed three times before being put to a vote. However, if there is consensus on all aspects of the draft law, it can be reviewed twice.
The highly expected law, which is considered an effective and strong legal tool to stop the long-arm jurisdiction of foreign countries, includes 16 articles, stipulating principles of punishment for violating the law, and major authorities in enforcing it. Relevant authorities under the State Council - China's cabinet - can directly or indirectly participate in formulating, deciding and enforcing a countermeasure list targeted at individuals and entities that have taken discriminatory measures against Chinese citizens and organizations under the pretext of their domestic laws.
Targeted groups of the countermeasure list can be expanded to their relatives, spouse, the organizations that are led by these targeting individuals or operated by them, according to the law, which lays out a number of measures, including refusing to issue visas or denying entry, deportation, freezing properties and restricting relevant transactions and cooperation.
If any organization or individual assists foreign countries to take discriminatory measures, Chinese citizens and organizations can file a lawsuit with the people's court in line with the law and to stop infringement as well as seek compensation for losses, according to the law.
China also has set up a working mechanism in responding to foreign sanctions, which also coordinates relevant work, including information sharing. And authorities such as the Chinese Foreign Ministry or the State Council or others are responsible for releasing the list of countermeasures, which could be suspended or changed if necessary.
When the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee gave the example about who would be placed on the target of China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, the spokesperson of the commission said that certain Western countries, under the pretext of Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the South China Sea, together with the COVID-19 pandemic, interfere in China's internal affairs, which are bullying tactics by imposing the so-called sanctions on Chinese government officials, as well as individuals and entities from those countries with misdeeds, would face countermeasures, which is seen as "having a taste of their own medicine."
"The law precisely and effectively targets those who have taken unilateral sanctions in hurting China's interests, and this targeted group can be expanded to their relatives or organizations, which would have strong deterrent effect," Huo Zhengxin, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Thursday.
And besides detailed countermeasures, the law grants authorities flexibility to choose which measures to use to hit back, especially when measures fit their needs, Huo said.
Legal experts believed that the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, the first of its kind in China, will provide strong legal support and guarantees for the country against unilateral and discriminatory measures imposed by foreign countries, will also have a deterrent effect in the face of Western-led hegemony and demonstrate the collective determination of Chinese decision-makers in safeguarding China's core interests.
Compared to the previous countermeasures issued by administrative institutions, the law underscores in a more comprehensive and systematic way the Chinese government's attitude on the legal aspect when it confronts US government that has abused sanctions or long-arm jurisdiction to severely damage China's sovereignty, security and development interests, some legal experts who took part in the consultation process for the law told the Global Times. The anti-foreign sanctions law will also enable China to strike a balance between countermeasures and negotiations in fixing divergences.
China's list of sanctions against Western forces over their meddling in China's domestic affairs related to HK, Taiwan and Xinjiang. Graphic: Xu Zihe and Feng Qingyin/GT
Necessary, timely move
The US government has been imposing sanctions on a growing number of Chinese entities such as high-tech firms Huawei and ZTE over the so-called national security risks, and sanctioned a number of senior Chinese officials under the US' so-called Xinjiang and Hong Kong bills last year. In the eyes of legal experts, these have become regular moves for the US government in implementing illegal sanctions and carrying out long-arm jurisdiction against China. The Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law has also become a timely response to those unilateral moves, which may prompt more countries to follow suit.
The latest legislative progress was also in line with the top legislature's annual work schedule, unveiled in March, which indicated that China will enhance legislation in foreign-related fields, when Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, vowed to focus on moves against sanctions and interference and countering long-arm jurisdiction, as well as enriching the legal "toolbox" for coping with foreign-related challenges and preventing risks.
The law could have an influence in two fields - blocking illegal sanctions imposed by other countries and the damage brought about by those sanctions; and taking countermeasures against these sanctions, Tian Feilong, a legal expert at Beihang University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday.
In response to the increasing unilateral moves made by the US government, Chinese authorities have also taken corresponding countermeasures since September 2020. For example, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) unveiled the provisions of China's unreliable entity list, which has been viewed by some as a measure by Beijing to counter the US crackdown on Chinese companies. It also issued a new order on January 9 adopting necessary countermeasures against the unjustified extraterritorial application of foreign legislation.
China's Foreign Ministry also announced 11 rounds of countermeasures over Western countries' interference in China's internal affairs since last December such as Xinjiang and Hong Kong by sanctioning a number of NGOs, anti-China politicians, arms producers and entities, as well as lawmakers who helped spread lies about those matters.
"Previous sanctions are fragmented and without sufficient legal basis, and may incur negative feedback due to lack of sufficient legal basis. Now, we have complete legal basis, offering us the same position as the West in taking countermeasures," Tian said, noting that it will also help integrate previous resources and forms to make China's countermeasures against foreign sanctions more systematic, scientific and powerful.
Common practice
It's also common practice for some Western countries to formulate similar laws in blocking foreign sanctions or opposing foreign interference. For example, the blocking statute, adopted in 1996, is an important achievement of unified EU action to protect EU operators, whether individuals or companies, from the extraterritorial application of third country laws, according to the EU website.
And an updated version of the blocking statute was implemented in 2018 to mitigate their impact on the interests of EU companies doing legitimate business in Iran.
Russia also passed a law in June 2018to counter the unfriendly behavior of the US and other countries to protect the interests, security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the rights of its citizens immune to the unfriendly behavior of the US.
When asked whether the law would affect China's relations with foreign countries, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a routine press conference on Thursday that there is no need to worry about that.
"It's necessary for China to formulate the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, as the law provides a strong legal basis and support for China to counteract foreign discriminatory measures," Wang said.
The spokesperson of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee also said the law won't have any impact on China's continuous opening-up regarding economic development, as it has come up with a series of measures to facilitate foreign investment.
The main purpose of China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law is to authorize Chinese administrative agencies and judicial institutions to implement sanctions, and if there's more demand in the practice, top authorities such as the State Council and the Supreme Court can issue corresponding detailed administrative regulations and judicial interpretations based on the authorization, and gradually refine a more specific legal system, Huo told the Global Times.
Some senior officials, such as Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, hailed the law. Lam said the law will give the US and other countries "a taste of their own medicine," because a number of central government and HKSAR government officials have been sanctioned by the US for the national security law for Hong Kong implemented in 2020.
"The HKSAR government lacked the resources to fight those sanctions in the past. With the implementation of the Anti-Foreign Sanctions law, they have the top authority's legal support on their backs," Tian said, noting that whether including the law into Annex III of the Basic Law or enabling the HKSAR government to revise or work on relevant anti-sanction local laws are both part of the consideration.
The Group of Seven (G7) summit ended on Sunday. After the
meeting, the countries issued a communiqué, which openly criticized
China and mentioned issues related to China's Xinjiang, Hong Kong and
Taiwan. The communiqué also mentioned opposition to “forced labor” and
"unilateral attempts to change the status quo” in the East and South
China Seas. Attitudes were expressed in different degrees of tone, with
some directly naming China and others without calling China's name but
making the country the unmistakable target. It has been the most
systematic condemnation against and interference in China by major
Western powers.
During the past several
years, the world has witnessed a see-saw of sanctions and counter
sanctions between the governments of the US and China - a reflection of
Washington politicians' reckless determination to create troubles in
order to stifle growth of an emerging economic juggernaut, and the
intransigence and unbending character of Beijing to uphold justice and
not bow to a bully.
A special law aiming to protect the dignity and rights
of military personnel in China was approved on Thursday at the 29th
session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress
(NPC).
At the end of May, US President Joe Biden ordered the
intelligence community to "redouble" its efforts in the investigation of
the origin of COVID-19 and report back to him in 90 days.
Malaysia will extend its nationwide lockdown by two weeks. The movement control order had been due to end on June 14, but will now continue until June 28.
The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths has remained high despite two weeks of tight restrictions. Nearly 7,000 new infections were reported on June 11, after two days of dipping below 5,000. Meanwhile, the King has held meetings with political leaders to discuss the government's handling of the pandemic.
