Global Malaysians Network spreading afar

BY JOHAN FERNANDEZ

NEW YORK: The newly launched Global Malaysians Network is certainly reaching far and wide. 

And it has beckoned a Malaysian living in Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. 

When M. Vijayabalan, an avid reader of The Star Online read about the launch, he signed in and registered immediately. 

Vijayabalan: I signed in and registered without hesitation.

“I’ve lived here since 1987 and when I read about Global Malaysians Network in The Star Online, I signed in and registered without any hesitation,” said Vijayabalan, a fund services manager of Ogier Fiduciary Services (Cayman) Ltd, in a telephone interview.  

Ogier is one of the world’s largest offshore provider of legal and administration services.  

Vijayabalan, who has more than 17 years’ experience in the offshore financial services industry, said that even though he had been living abroad for the past 26 years, he is still a true Malaysian at heart. 

“I was truly delighted to see that The Star in conjunction with the Asian Centre for Media Studies (ACMS) have launched the Global Malaysians Network. I believe such a website/network is long overdue,” he said. 

“It will benefit and bring together the thousands of Malaysians scattered all over the world. They can network, exchange ideas and pool resources.” 

Vijayabalan, the son of the late S. S. Murugesu, former MIC secretary-general left Malaysia in 1979 to further his studies in Britain. 

Two years later, he moved to the United States, where he obtained his Bachelor’s and Masters of Science degrees from Florida A & M University.  

He is also an associate of the Institute of Canadian Bankers.  

Born and raised in Klang, he has lived and worked in the Cayman Islands since 1987 after marrying his college sweetheart Bonnie C. Banker, a Caymanian the same year.  

They have two children – Kamala Christi Lyn, 16, and William Ashvin, 12. 

Alan Ong, a vice-president of a bank based in New York, said the launching of the network was one of the best events he had been waiting for. 

“It helps to bring more Malaysians closer together.” 

Yesterday, 500 people signed up for the Global Malaysians Network directory, bringing the total so far to 1,400.