This is What the Pandemic Gave Us

November 17, 2020

“Surviving this pandemic is not about what we can do but how we can adapt in this new normal according to the different policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by the local authorities that is changing constantly. Having said that, how COVID-19 has redefined businesses and its operations is very critical at this juncture,” said Chen Fong Tuan, Country Human Resource and General Affairs Director of Samsung Malaysia at a recent Industry Advisory Board (IAB) for the business vertical, organized by INTI International University & Colleges.


Chen Fong Tuan, Country Human Resource and General Affairs Director of Samsung Malaysia is responsible for the end-to-end people operations and administrative functions, besides providing strategic and tactical input to drive organization goals and business objectives.

COVID-19 has brought about unprecedented human and humanitarian challenges. But many companies around the world have risen to the occasion, acting swiftly to safeguard employees and migrate to a new way of working.

At the virtual IAB session, Fong Tuan also shared that the pandemic had resulted in widespread economic impact on various Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) globally and across most industries. Due to the crisis, the GDP of most economies had dropped between 15% to 20%, as a result of tremendous changes in consumers’ and organizations’ behaviors.

“The 70 year-olds today are unable to access retail outlets to buy the simplest of things like their groceries due to the health risks caused by the virus. They have taken things into their own hands, literally and have moved to shopping online for their daily needs without having to rely on anyone or going out,” shared Fong Tuan about the shift in consumers’ behavior across all ages.

Fong Tuan added “How we work to tackle these changes is being fundamentally challenged in the wake of the pandemic. And how leaders manage and communicate with their rapidly evolving workforce is a significant opportunity. Exploring new ways of working with the need to address the risks arising in today’s workplace will take organizations a long way.”

According to Fong Tuan, organizations will now have to boldly question long-held assumptions about how work should be done and the role of the office. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The answer, which will be different for every organization, will be based on what talent is needed, which roles are most important, how much collaboration is necessary for excellence, and where offices are located today, among other factors.


Chen Fong Tuan (right) presented the keynote speech at the INTI Industry Advisory Board (IAB) for the business vertical.

Before ending his keynote speech at the IAB, Fong Tuan also stated, “Even within an organization, the answer could look different across geographies, businesses, and functions, so the exercise of determining what will be needed in the future must be a team sport across real estate, human resources, technology, and the business.”

“I would like to thank INTI for its commitment and continuous emphasis on graduate employability because they understand that employers seek to hire top quality talents. I’m also grateful to be part of the Industry Advisory Board, as I’m given the opportunity to share industry insights that enrich INTI’s curriculum to include training undergraduates on the soft skills needed in the workplace today,” concluded Fong Tuan.

INTI’s IABs calls upon active and influential professionals and leaders in the industry to advise the academic boards on “fit and relevant” curriculum design and course delivery. The recently organized IABs by INTI’s Career Services department included industry partners like Maybank, Shopee, Domino’s Pizza Malaysia & Singapore, Unilever, and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation.