We had the opportunity to choose which company we wanted to engage with in a case competition for HPAIR 2018. Out a list of many companies it included the World Bank, Maybank, and Tencent. Naturally, I chose the World Bank as it was the biggest name on that list, I just couldn’t wait to get up close with the baby that twinned with the IMF conceived from the Bretton Woods conference.
We had to come up with a research question and provide solutions on it all within two hours, so we immediately got to work. The issue we wanted to focus on was how to connect rural Malaysia with digital means. At first we thought of nationalizing the nation’s largest telecom giant TM, but we soon realized that Bank Negara Malaysia did not have the means to pay for the acquisition so we quickly switched tactics and dealt with policy instead.
The content in the presentation is not that relevant to this story because we came fourth out of eight teams, resulting in no prize. First prize gets to write a case with the World Bank and have it published on their website, second prize gets lunch in their office, and third wins a conciliatory certificate. “Damn, just one position away from getting something.” I thought to myself when they announced the result. Four other teams didn’t get anything either, so why should I worry? Just take things as they come, right?
Day passed, night came, night passed, and the second day came along. A few dozen of us had the chance to visit the national bank of Malaysia – Bank Negara Malaysia. I joked that we could rob the bank after we got in, to which my Malaysian friend laughed and said:
“If you take any money from the bank, it’ll go into deficit.” ~ Ian
Our visit to the bank ended a whole half hour early, so while we were waiting for the buses to take us back to the conference venue some of us grabbed a cup of coffee, some of us grabbed a cup of coffee and a slice of cake, and I had a conversation with two other conference delegates. I met Tito from Indonesia and Novita from Japan for a chat, neither of us knew each other before we started talking so like three strangers in a bank we talked about what we did yesterday.
To my surprise, they were both in the World Bank competition and none of us won. Apparently, Tito had reliable information that the World Bank was located in the same office building as the Bank Negara.
“Hey guys, wanna break into the World Bank?” ~ Tito
Without hesitation, Novita and I agreed because we’ve already come through the armed police security checkpoint. So why not? We walked straight into a door that led to a second lobby, the second armed police at the corridor’s security checkpoint waved us straight in after seeing our HPAIR name tags. At the lift lobby, we boarded an elevator with two strangers and followed them to slip in through key card security. We got on the wrong floor, but that didn’t matter, once we were in it was only a matter of going up one flight of stairs to get to the World Bank.
We posed for a few photos outside their office with the World Bank logo, and still undetected we waltzed right into the front door of the office. Two of the judges from the case competition were having a chat in the reception area and they were speechless when they saw us. One of them was so stunned that he stared and gawked at the sight of us. His colleague was kind enough to let us take photos in their professional-looking meeting room with the Malaysian flag and all that in the background. What a sight! He even brought us around the office and explained the various functions of some of the staff as a reward for showing initiative.
We posted a few photos on social media proud of being James Bond for an afternoon. Those photos were among the most liked in the whole week and I had all my friends asking how I did it. The story doesn’t end there though…
After narrowly escaping being arrested, deported, and put on a terrorist watchlist, I woke up at 7 in the morning took the first flight to Hong Kong the very next day. No extradition. I passed through immigration and the first layer of security just fine, even with a water bottle in my bag. “That’s it” I thought, home free. Then, as I approached my gate there was a second layer of security and this time I had to take keys, coins, and phones out of my pockets and take my belt off. Doo doo doo! The alarm went off.
“Sir, please come over here for secondary inspection.” The security officer waved me over.
This is it, I’ve been made. I took everything required out of my pockets, I emptied the water bottle, and took my belt off. This has to be a setup.
“Sir, what’s in this pocket?” He asks as he pats me down.
I reached in and took out a packet of Strepsils.
“Ah, Strepsil!” He said with a slight Spanish accent. “Tin foil on here.” He pointed to the inside of the packet. “You’re clear to go, sir.”
Home free.
