SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENUER

Malaysia also have inspiring entrepreneurs who are currently making their stands, at par with renown entrepreneurs as well.  I would like to talk about  Malaysian entrepreneurs that I admire and lessons that I’ve learn from each of them. I hope this can maybe can inspire you as well.

1) Dato’ Maznah Hamid 

- When an almost bankrupt security company was offered to her, Maznah and her husband, who were eager to change their ordinary life, took the plunge and sacrificed RM5,000 of their saving. Only then she realized that apart from managing the operation, she also had to be a manager, a clerk, an accountant and an a receptionist. To grow their business, they had to sell their house and moved to a slum that came without electricity. But she persevered. What a phenomenal woman malay entrepreneur she is. Today, it’s difficult to find someone who has never heard of Securiforce, a company which now been securing transportation of money, jewelry, VIPs and what not. She has now grown to venture in many other industries such as the hospitality, training, healthcare and so on. Securiforce has also expanded its logistics business in Singapore, Thailand, Korea, China, Turkey and Germany. 

- I choose Dato' Maznah Hamid because of she very hardwork to grow her business until she had to moved out from her home and also she sacrificed for her busniess. Besides that, she very strenghful women to be an women entreprenuer in Malaysia.

2) Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir

- Mokhzani is the second son of Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. He began his career as a Wellsite Operations Engineer with Sarawak Shell Berhad in 1987. Not following his father’s political footsteps after having played parts of his life in the United Malays National Organization(UMNO), he ventured to a more challenging entrepreneurial life. He later joined Tongkah Holdings Berhad in 1989 and was appointed as the Group Managing Director, a post he held till 2001. He was also the Chairman and Group CEO of Pantai Holdings Berhad till 2001. He now sits on the Board of Opcom Holdings Berhad, Sime Darby Auto Performance Sdn Bhd, KCSB and Several private limited companies. He is also the Chairman ofSepang International Circuit Sdn Bhd, a post he had held since 2003. Mokhzani Mahatir is now15th richest in Malaysia, valued at US$980 million. 

3) Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary 

A humble entrepreneur, often shying away from publicity and media. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary is the richest Malay Entrepreneur at US$2.75 Billion and bumiputra in Malaysia, and has continued to hold the status for a long time. In his childhood, he found difficulties to do school revision because of the inadequate house facilities and small space. But that did not stop him from achieving his current status. Syed Mokhtar is a great giver; his very first salary received during his youth was divided by 2 halves – one for him, and another for charity. Companies that Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary are affiliated with are MMC (utility, engineering, infrastructure, and logistics group), DRB-HICOM (automotive manufacturing, assembly and distribution), Tradewinds (plantation, agro-based and property sectors), Puncak Semangat (Telecommunications-4G) and many more which covers from Ports, Postal services, Banking.

4)  Tan Sri Dato’ Mustapha Kamal 

Tan Sri Datuk Mustapha Kamal is the co-founder of MK Land (an associate company of Emkay Group), which started as a small company and eventually grew to become one of  the property icons in Malaysia. At the height of its prominence, the company was picked as one of the major developers of Cyberjaya, Malaysia’s very own cyber city. Among other successful developments carried out by MK Land are Bukit Merah Laketown, Damansara Perdana and Bukit Raya Beruntung. 

5)  Datuk Wan Mohammad Sani Salleh

Wan Mohammad Sani Salleh is known among the young malay entrepreneurs as a great success due to his persistence of being a self made millionaire. He runs a network of buses under a company named Sani United Sdn Bhd. At age 35, he has received many awards such as the young entrepreneurs award from the Association of Young Malay Traders and Entrepreneurs and often referred to as an new generation icon.