FOUR SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS

FOUR SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS

1.    TAN SRI SYED MOKHTAR AL-BUKHARI

His full name is Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Shah bin Syed Nor Al-Bukhary. He was born in Alor Setar, Kedah in 1951. He has seven siblings and he is the third child. He was born in a family of middle-low. His family originated from Hadhramaut, Yemen. His father traveled to Southeast Asia to trade and to Thailand before stay in Kedah in 1940.

Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhari began his schooling in Alor Setar but when he was nine years old, he was sent to live with his uncle, Syed Omar in Johor Bahru because of a shortage of funds. Syed Mokhtar settled in Johor Bahru and continue his schooling up to form two there, before returning to Kedah and studied up to form five at Saint Michael's School.

After finishing school, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhari helps his father in the business of cattle farming business but it bankrupt due to foot and mouth disease. However, he took over the business and began to sell the meat. He will go to markets around Alor Setar and buy unsold meat from dealers there. He then wraps the meat with ice and sells it back to businessmen and restaurants around Alor Setar.

After that, Syed Mokhtar now turns to the transportation business. After successfully obtaining permits for the four truck class A in 1972, Syed Mokhtar get a loan of RM110,000 from Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) to buy two lorries Mercedes Benz. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar then uses truck-lorry to start rice business. In 1975, he established Shah Company and applies for trading rice license from the National Rice Board which is now known as Bernas and managed to get a contract for the supply of rice to the FELDA, MARA Senama, and also Sergam Pernas Edar Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Johor State Economic Development Corporation.

After successfully with the Company Shah, he set up a joint venture with two Chinese businessmen, namely Ng Ghiak Gee and Chua Chong Tan. Ghiak Gee is rice traders while Chong Tan also rice millers. In a joint venture, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar holds 52 percent stake while Ghiak Tan Chong Gee and each 32 percent and 16 percent. From rice, he then expanded its business to other commodities, such as sugar. It still runs to this day through Bukhary Sdn. Bhd.

After developing his business started from field to transport commodities, he then stepped to the manufacturing sector. This follows the success received a contract to make military uniforms on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. The contract is to supply the army with 120,000 pairs of shoes and 330,000 pairs of uniforms. He then decided to set up two companies, namely Amtek Holdings for the manufacture of footwear and Oriental Garments Uniform Division for the manufacture of clothing. When Amtek Holdings is listed on the Second Board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange in 1998, he used the money he earned to buy listings Spark Manshop and rights to manufacture and market branded clothing Crocodile. Now, a subsidiary of Amtek Holdings issued military shoes (Amtek Shoes) and costume designer Lee Coopers and Lois (Amtek Garments Sdn. Bhd.) for the export market.

Around the 80s, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhari concentrates his efforts on areas that bring good luck to him to become a prominent figure among the natives of the richest in the country. Known business career began in the early 90s in Johor during Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin became the Chief Minister. He is very interested in the development and management of the port is one man who is responsible for making the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Johor became famous in the eyes of the world. His success can be seen with a share of 90 per cent over the Seaport Terminal (Johor) Sdn. Ltd. in 1993. He has also managed to get a mega project when Seaport given submission for 30 years to build the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP). Seaport has 60 percent of the Port of Tanjung Pelepas project and makes her as the largest shareholder. He has been acclaimed by the government for its success in controlling the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) where he successfully managed the port into an active port in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. PTP attracted Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine Corporation as announced will transfer all of its container operations to Johor from Singapore. It is a project that will spur the Malaysian government's plan to develop the country as an advanced shipping right in the region.

Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhari also the owner of Gulf States Capital International Investment Group (GIIG) who has an interest in the Bakun Hydroelectric Project. In addition, he has interests in several well-known firms such as Malaysia Malaysia Mining Corporation Berhad (MMC), Pernas, Cement Holdings Berhad, Malakoff Berhad, Johor Port Berhad, dream model Sdn. Bhd., Indra Cita Sdn. Bhd. and much more. MMC has joined Gamuda Berhad and managed to get a double-track railway projects worth RM14.5 billion before it was frozen by the government as a factor of economic recovery. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhari also said to have purchased a majority stake in Senai International Airport, Johor. Privately, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhari also has SKS Ventures Sdn. Bhd where he was given the responsibility of carrying out a project to build 2100MW site 'gas-fired' at Tanjung Bin, Johor. He also has an interest in Pernas in which Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhari has a 32% stake in the company Jerneh blessing. He also has interests in Fiamma Holdings Berhad where there are 18.68% of the shares acquired by the Company Premier Padu Sdn Bhd and Pattern Strong Sdn Bhd hers. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar is also a Member of the Board of Directors of the Company Bina Puri Holdings Berhad where he was a shareholder individually by of 7.34%.

I chose him because he is a man of humility. He did not forget and be grateful for the favors of Allah. In addition, he gave many contributions to the community. For example, he built the Yayasan (Islam) Al-Bukhary. Yayasan Al-Bukhary spent more than RM300 million for religious activities, culture and education. In addition, Yayasan Al-Bukhary only finances poor students. Among initiatives undertaken by is to finance poor Muslim students from across ASEAN to study in Malaysia. Yayasan Al-Bukhary also donated a sum of RM775 million to the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, which is a famous centre of Islamic learning in the world. Yayasan Al-Bukhary is also currently assisting the Institute of Educational Development (MIED) in the project for establishing the Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology Asia (AIMST) in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

2.    DATUK MAZNAH ABDUL HAMID

 

Datuk Maznah Abdul Hamid or her full title of Datuk Hajah Maznah binti Abdul Hamid was born in Jerlun, Kedah Darul Aman on 04/18/1955. Given the title of "IronLady" or "Wanita Besi", she now holds the position Executive Chairman of Securiforce. His life partner is Haji Shaheen Mirza Habib and yield sharing her life and husband, they were given 5 children in which 3 of them are girls and two are boys.

She received his early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Ayer Hitam in Alor Setar, Kedah and receives her education at a higher level such as in Singapore where she continued her studies in the field of "Business School for Investors. In addition she also learns entrepreneurship by pursuing "Business School for Entrepreneurs" and "Industrial Security" in the United State of America.

Datuk Maznah Abdul Hamid came from a poor family and herself taken care by her grandmother since she was five years after the event of family feuds. She is a lonely child during his lifetime but that lacks to be a blessing for him because of that caused him to strive to be a successful woman. Datuk Maznah considers itself not a smart student in school, but she is also very interested in education and the English language until continue her studies to college. She also attended courses at the Centre for Languages, Linguistics and partly takes the course an Executive Diploma in Business Administration.

The background of her career from 1981 to now other than the Executive Chairman of the Group Company Securiforce is her also served as Chairman of the Danau Lumayan Sdn Bhd from 1997 until now. Company Danau Lumayan is a property development company incorporated in November 1993. The company was awarded by the federal government and Kuala Lumpur City Hall on the construction of privatization projects in Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras.

Datuk Maznah and her husband started operations Securiforce Sdn. Bhd. In 1981 her used the capital RM5 thousand and five guards to start her business. Datuk Maznah also holds several tasks simultaneously at that time. As no effort to taken many workers, Datuk Maznah and its partner, Tuan Haji Shaheen, had to perform all the duties from operations, bill collector, and sometimes a guard patrol when their employees leave or public holidays. She learned the meaning of hard and sacrifices in the business world. That experience allows her to create and sell a security control system.

In the early stages, Securiforce Sdn. Bhd, just provide regular security controls and service Cash-In-Transit. It had to compete with hundreds of Security Company that already has a strong presence. Thanks to the efforts Datuk Maznah continued, her company thrive. Now it has more than 50 branches throughout the country, more than four thousand workers and is surrounded by hundreds of firearms and hundreds of pieces of bullet proof.

To meet current needs, Securiforce was also active at the international level by establishing Securiforce Logistics and opened a branch in Singapore, Bangkok, China, Korea, Turkey and Germany. What is interesting about the success Datuk Maznah is all subsidiaries established and thriving without any financial assistance from the bank. This success is admired by many parties and walks of life. The principle of her success is the business capital is actually herself.

I chose her because she's a woman whose resume until she is called iron lady. She was humble. For example, she stated that she was not a smart student. She came from a poor family and herself taken care of by her grandmother since she was five years after the event of family feuds. She is a lonely child during his lifetime. She proves that broken family is not an obstacle for someone to succeed.

3.     TAN SRI ANTHONY FRANCIS FERNANDES

Tan Sri Anthony Francis Fernandes was born on 30 April 1964 in Kuala Lumpur. Now he is 51 years old. His father named Stephen Edward Fernandes and his mother named Ena Dorothy Fernandez. At a young age, Tony always follows her mother an entrepreneur to Tupperware dealer parties and conventions. He was educated at Epsom College 1977 to 1983 and then graduated from the London School of Economics in 1987. He worked briefly with Virgin Atlantic as an auditor, and then became financial controller for Virgin Records Richard Branson in London from 1987 to 1989.

Tony has been accepted as an Associate Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in 1991 and became a Fellow in 1996. When he returns to Malaysia, he became the youngest managing director of Warner Music (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. Although an accountant, Fernandes is an amateur guitarist and has also achieved grade 8 piano music tendency which looks. He is responsible for revolutionizing ethnic music, nasyid and music, bringing them into the mainstream of contemporary music Malaysia.

Tony became vice president of the Southeast Asia region for Warner Music Group from 1992 to 2001. When Time Warner Inc. announced a merger with America Online Inc., Fernandes left to pursue his dream to start a budget airline without frills. However, his application for a license from the Malaysian government has denied.

He is Occupation Group Chief Executive or Director of AirAsia Berhad and founder of Tune Group Sdn Bhd or the Chairman of QPR Holdings Bhd. With the slogan "Now everyone can fly". He climbed to the top by changing the Air Asia. He is the founder of Tune Air Sdn. Bhd, which introduced the first budget airline AirAsia to Malaysians. From companies fail to commercial airlines, into the company's highly successful budget airline listed, Fernandes also play an important role in persuading Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in mid-2003, to propose the idea of an open skies agreement with Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore. As a result, these countries have been granted landing rights to AirAsia and other discount airlines.

Tony Fernandes founded Tune Air Sdn Bhd in 2001, with the vision to make air travel more affordable to Malaysians. With that in mind, Tony three people and his friends had bought AirAsia from DRB-Hicom owners. The initial project AirAsia Tune Air to remodel into a low-fare, no-cost airline after low-cost airlines such as Southwest Airlines successful US-based and Dublin-based Ryanair and create new aviation products in Malaysia.

Under the leadership of Tony, fledging airline with RM40 million debts is into a thriving business. The airline has repaid all its debts and was in the advantageous position of the first day of operation. In less than 3 years, AirAsia modest increase of 2 Boeing 737-300 to 30 and now operates more than 100 domestic and international flights every day from KLIA, Johor Bahru, Bangkok and Jakarta.

Under the wings, AirAsia has revolutionized air travel industry in Malaysia and pioneered low-cost phenomenon in Asia. In 2004, AirAsia has formed successful joint ventures in Thailand and Indonesia where AirAsia holds 49% stake in both companies. Thai Air Asia, a joint venture with Shin Corporation, Thailand's largest telecommunication conglomerate, took to the skies on Feb 2004, and so far has had more than 1 million passengers in its first year of operation. PT jpa, launched as a low-fare airline on Dec 8th 2004 is currently serving five domestic destinations in Indonesia.

I chose Tan Sri because life story or experience Tan Sri exciting. Tan Sri using RM 1 to fetch airlines owe a lot and have a bad record. At the time, many experts consider the business plan Tan Sri offering a low ticket price (low cost) is not successful business and income. But, no matter Tan Sri assumptions given by experts and advanced the concept Tan Sri who want to help those who cannot afford to buy an expensive plane ticket. Finally, Tan Sri has fulfilled that dream that now everyone can fly.

4.    FAIZA BAWUMI SAYED AHMAD

Faiza Bawumi Sayed Ahmad is the owner of the rice wholesaler States FAIZA Shd. Bhd. in 1964. She a woman who was born in Egypt and has migrated to Malaysia because follows her husband. At the time, her was able to master English and fluent French in three months in Malaysia because of her friendly and sociable with its neighbours. Although the old neighbourhood in the 60s, her who has seven children and a grandmother to 32 grandchildren still actively designing strategies to strengthen its position in the various branches of business in this country.

She is a rural women is actually a gentle firmness. She wanted to ensure that companies established should be on the right track once posted a profit every year. Mrs. Faiza indeed born in a family that engages in business. She has been involved in business since childhood when she was a cashier at the store owned by her father. The experience motivates her to participate seriously in business.

After married and has first son, she followed her husband migrated to Malaysia. Mrs. Faiza fined activities that can fill your free time. At the beginning, she was sewing embroidery with a capital of RM4.00 and sells various kitchen items. She also buys fabrics and makes clothes for neighbour children. Then she produced a set of pillowcases. The result is beautiful and neat seams sold to friends. Thereafter, she was dealing encyclopaedia set, followed by business tableware. Through a small business, she is saving money to start the business further.

After that, she is interested to produce curry powder. She bought various spices such as coriander, cumin, fenugreek, dried chillies, cloves, and so on for mixing the ingredients to produce the curry fish and meat under the brand Bunga Raya. All the processing is done alone at home, from washing, drying and frying the spices. Then, she sends it to the store for blended and distributed to retailers.

A few years later, Mrs. Faiza buy a blender and opened a grocery store with a capital of curry spice is sold. From there, she found that wholesalers are mostly supplied by other races. She began studying various other types of rice. Mrs. Faiza applies for license wholesalers and sells various types including ponni rice, basmati rice, fragrant rice and Siam. To get positive feedback from retailers, she has made a survey to go from one shop to another shop to get feedback on whether they would buy if she sells her rice. Customers who subscribe to spice spices she was interested in buying rice from it.

At the beginning, she quite blind to see a trailer full of rice is placed in front of her house, but she determined to try to wrap using a brand Bunga Raya and sent to stores throughout Johor.

Her Business received even though the competition is quite fierce. In the early 90s, the company has taken advantage of the sensitivity of society at that time to the manufacturing method and content of food. States began to introduce a similar category of Kartanaka quality rice, India. This rice is a type of rice "Ponni". Through quality and healthy products suitable for patients such as diabetics, FAIZA Company Sdn. Bhd. has introduced rice "Ponni" to the rest of Malaysia.

Her company is now known as a high quality product, made one hundred percent Muslim and halal. She hoped that the involvement in the production of these products it provides an option for her to get a high quality product and no doubt worried her halal status.  Mrs. Faiza not only to Managing Director Faiza, but also struggling to determine the company's operations running smoothly and was also involved in the project company owned factories Faiza valuable RM14 million in Sri Gading, Batu Pahat.

On the Company's business development Faiza Sdn. Bhd. now has three factories in Selangor, Kedah and Terengganu. Faiza Sdn. Bhd. has ventured into new areas including marketing noodles, chili sauce, and soy sauce aside from rice and spices. For vermicelli products, the company has booked engine of China and the products will be processed in a factory in Sri Gading other. The factory is capable of producing as many as nine tons of noodles a day, but in the early stages only process five tonnes of rice noodles with a sales target of RM12 million for the first year.

I choose she because she was a very firm even has a gentle face. She will ensure that its business on the right track. She gave many contributions to society in Malaysia. she who like living in a society said, all the work done is not to accumulate wealth but to become the biggest tax payers in Malaysia "Saya ingin menjadi pembayar zakat terbesar di negara ini." thus helping more people who sadly. For this reason, the company collaborated with TV3 as the main sponsor for the past eight years ago through a program Bersamamu.