Idol: Career Women

Matrade’s Wong beats normal civil service hours
WOMEN IN BUSINESS By EUGENE MAHALINGAM

HER childhood ambition was to become a doctor but at 17, Dr Wong Lai Sum realised she was not emotionally prepared for the medical profession.

“When I was 17, I helped nurse my mum's friend who was dying of cancer. I was in the cancer ward and saw the way she died. I cried so hard.

“It was then that I realised that I could not handle pain. I knew I could never become a doctor because nobody wants a crying doctor,” said the deputy chief executive officer (CEO) of Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (Matrade).

Undeterred and driven by a constant thirst for knowledge, she still earned the title of “doctor” by obtaining a doctorate in business.

Wong's rise up the ranks in the civil service began with a degree in biochemistry from Universiti Malaya.

“Back then, there were not many opportunities for a biochemist.
“I graduated from a class of 10, but today I think only one of us actually became a biochemist.”

The self-professed “100% KL-ite” received job offers from big companies that offered overseas postings, but for her, home is where the heart is.

As a fresh graduate, Wong did try working away from KL and spent a month in Malacca as the only female management trainee at an electronics company. However, her father fell ill and she rushed home to help her mother care for him.

At the same time, there was a major recruitment drive in the civil sector and Wong applied without any hesitation.

“I took it (a post in the civil sector) because I wanted to remain close to my parents as all my siblings had left home. I was fortunate that I was not transferred out of KL,” she adds.
Wong joined Matrade as human resources manager and moved on to become head of corporate division. She was later promoted to strategic planning director and subsequently deputy CEO.

A typical working day for Wong starts at a time when most people are still in deep slumber.

“I wake up everyday at four. With a cup of coffee in hand, I then spend about 1½ hours on the Internet, checking my mail. I get about 150 to 200 mail a day.”

After whipping up the family's meals for the day and some personal time on her trusty treadmill, the mother of three drops one of her sons off at school and finally heads to work.

She is usually in the office by 7am.
“I'm in early because I need to clear my e-mail, check my appointments for the day and plan (for) them accordingly,” she says.

As the day unfolds, it is usually full of meetings and more meetings for Wong.
Matrade's primary role is assisting Malaysian companies to develop and expand their export markets, and providing a range of services and assistance to Malaysian exporters as well as foreign buyers.

“My day is spent having discussions with my directors and officers, planning programmes and activities for the day and the near future.

“Sometimes, there are talks and meetings with business people and ministers, and official dinners,” she adds.

Wong's account of her typical day at the office certainly clears up one of the most common fallacies associated with the civil service.

“My husband was very happy to marry someone who worked in the civil service, because he assumed that I would finish work at 5:30pm everyday. How wrong he was!” With such a busy schedule, does she have any “family time”?

“I believe in compartmentalisation, be it in my work or my personal life. It's not that my family doesn't have any demands,” she said.

“My husband wants me to be a good wife, my children want me to be a good mother, and my mother expects me to be a good daughter! So I have to meet their demands as well!”
Wong says a typical weekend usually involves cooking, shopping and spending time with the family - assuming that work does not get stretched to the weekend.

“Nowadays, it's hard to draw a line between when work begins and when it ends,” she said.
“Our (Matrade) offices are all around the world. With so many time zones (to consider), it is very hard to stop work at 5.30pm,” she adds.

Wong describes herself as a person who is not afraid of challenges or new things. “I feel if you do not try something new, you don't know where your strengths are.”

She is also a strong believer that one should never stop seeking knowledge.
“What is important is a person's contribution, whether you are in the civil service or the private sector.

“To become a better contributor, you need knowledge to give you a better balance. You should never stop looking for it,” she says. Her advice to the younger generation? “Young people must be ready and believe in themselves. Always be gung-ho and try new things.”

My Best Classmate

My classmate during MBA ..(my only partner in class.) i never sit with other except her during our my MBA.....our class big but not to many student around 25++ evey body likes to sit alone ...the desk paired ... so if sit alone u got two desk for yourself....

When she had to extend i sit alone...during our second sem... coz given birth of her second child ... sometime ada juga yg try duduk sebelah saya but ... i tak nak bual then diorang tak duduk sebelah saya lagi hehe...don't know why but ...when i berkawan i always use my heart..if the person i'm not easy to talk to ..or feel tak selesa i wont talk much...

The 3 rd sem when she we have same twom class..i got my partner back ...but since she had left a few subjct so each sem we try to match our subject..i told her to follow mine coz ...she have to take 2 sem after i finish mine....

My last sem... we take two subject strstegic mgnment and human resource ...

We have fun when sit together even in our fouth sem i drop one paper coz i took extra but cannot bawa lagi ....but she also drop the paper eventhough that sem she must take four subject...she said cannot study coz the class get so bored especially i not there heehe... actually its fun sitting her coz we play game when we are so sleepy ...especially when lectrure just talking ....je and we alway change our shoes during clas...sms our group member ..which look sleepy during clas...and we alwys laugh together...talk when lectures seek our ideas...i will give idea and she will talk on behalf of me sometime hehe...dn't like to talk much....the class seem fun when she is there...she is a lectrurer so i will always said how u feel when teach ...and comment her when she dn't want to respond to our letchurer...

So this Feb 2009 was her last sem...just sat for her last exam on 27 Feb 2009..she managed to take exam even masih dalam hari..she given birth of her third child on 17 Feb 2009..i called her the day she want to sit for the exam ..she just laugh and said ...whatever kena abis kan MBA this sem jugak ...her child surely smart...

She told me she pregnant during my last sem on August 2008... we pray that she can pass the sem bef given birth but luckly even after given birth she managed to take the exam...now she gong back to her hometown for 60day cuti bersalin...

Promise to visit her after she come back....for work