Tan Sri Dato' Azman Hashim

Tan Sri Dato' Azman Hashim (born July 1939 in Kuala Lumpur) is one of the richest people in Malaysia and his net worth is estimated by Forbes to be US$600 million , making him the 9th richest person in Malaysia 

Early life

Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim was born in July 1939 in Kuala Lumpur to a family of thirteen siblings and spent his childhood in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. His father was a strict disciplinarian and his mother was a school teacher who later became headmistress of the Kampung Baru Girls’ School. In 1954, he sat for the Senior Cambridge Examination and obtained a first grade. He had wanted to pursue medicine but was offered accountancy instead on a Colombo Plan Scholarship which took him to Australia from 1955 to 1960.He became a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Secretary before the age of 21. He became a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Accountants, Australia (FCA Australia) and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators (FCIS) in 1960. Later he also became a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, Malaysia, the Institute of Directors, Malaysia and the Malaysian Institute of Management.

 Career

Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim is well known as a corporate figure. His professional experience began in Perth, Australia where he was employed by Messrs O.L. Haines & Co (Chartered Accountants) from 1955-1960. In 1960, he returned to serve with Bank Negara Malaysia until May 1964 when he left to start his own accountancy practice of Azman & Co which later grew into a partnership, Azman Wong Salleh & Co (Chartered Accountants). He then joined the Board of Malayan Banking Berhad in 1966 and was its Executive Director from 1971 to 1980. He was appointed Executive Chairman of Kwong Yik Bank Berhad in 1980 till 1982 when he became Chairman of the AmBank Group until today. Currently, Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim is Executive Chairman of Amcorp Group Berhad and Chairman of several subsidiaries of the AmBank Group and also Amcorp Properties Berhad.^[2]

Tan Sri Dato’Azman is Chairman of the

§  Malaysian Investment Banking Association

§  National Productivity Corporation

§  Pacific Basin Economic Council International(PBEC)

§  Non-Aligned Movement's (NAM) Business Council

§  Co-Chairman of Malaysia-Singapore Roundtable

§  Co-Chair, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Business Advisory Council

§  Board of Trustees, Perdana Leadership Foundation

and President of

§  Malaysia South-South Corporation Berhad

§  Malaysia-Japan Economic Association

§  Malaysia South-South Association

§  Friends of Prisons Association

He is also a Member of the

§  National Economic Consultative Council II (MAPEN II)

§  Business Advisory Council of APEC (”ABAC”)

§  The Trilateral Commission (Asia-Pacific Group)

§  Board of Advisors, AIM Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility

§  Malaysia-British Business Council

§  Malaysia-China Business Council

§  International Advisory Panel, Bank Negara Malaysia

§  International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF)

§  International Advisory Panel,World Islamic Economic Forum

§  Leader of the ASEAN-Japanese Business Meeting (Malaysia Committee, Keizai Doyukai)

He also serves as the Treasurer for the Malaysia-US Private Sector Consultative Group and the Malaysia-Australia Foundation and also Vice-Chairman of the Malaysian Business Council and one of the Governors of the Japanese Chamber of Trade and Industry (JACTIM) Malaysia Foundation. He is also one of the trustees for Malaysian Liver Foundation, Better Malaysia Foundation, ECM Libra Foundation in addition to the AmGroup Foundation.

 Past Involvement

His past involvement included the Chairmanship of :

§  Board of Trustees National Art Gallery (from 1984 to 1991)

§  Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (from 1997 to 2000)

§  President of Malaysian Medical Association Foundation (from 1991 to 2003 )

§  Member of the Investment Panel of Lembaga Urusan Tabung Haji (Pilgrimage Fund Board) from 1976 to 1995

§  Patron of the Malaysian Endurance Riding Society (from 2001 to 2004)

 Recognition

Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim’s impressive and extensive contribution to many facets of Malaysian economic landscape has not gone unnoticed. To date he has been awarded numerous honours. His first major award was the Darjah ”Kesatria Mangku Negara” bestowed by His Majesty Yang DiPertuan Agong in 1972; His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor honoured him with the ”Darjah Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Selangor” (DPMS) in 1980 which carried the title Dato’; this was followed by the ”Johan Mahkota Negara” (JMN) awarded by His Majesty Yang DiPertuan Agong in 1984. The Asian Finance magazine named him ”Asia’s Banker of the Year” in 1985. This was followed by His Majesty Yang DiPertuan Agong awarding him the ”Darjah Panglima Setia Mahkota” (PSM) in 1988 which bestowed on him the title ”Tan Sri”.

Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim has also earned international recognition. In 1993, the ASEAN Business Forum (formerly known as the ASEAN Institute) presented him with the ”ASEAN Businessman of the Year” award. This was followed in 1995 by the ”Manager of the Year” award from the Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Malaysia. The Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce awarded him with the ”Grand Entrepreneurial Award” in June 1996 and a year later he received the ”Menteri Besar Grand Entrepreneurial Award” from the Selangor Chamber of Commerce in 1997. The latest accolade bestowed on him was the ”Sathya Sai Educare Academy Values for Life Excellence” for his humanitarian contribution in 2004. He received a lifetime achievement award, at 4th Annual Islamic Business and Finance Awards 2009.^[3]

As testimony to his inspirational prominence in business and community affairs - Universiti Utara Malaysia honoured him with an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy in 1985. In recognition of his immense contribution to and success in entrepreneurship, the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration in 2004.

He is an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia.

 Personal life

He married on 3 March 1963 and he is blessed with two sons, three daughters and ten grandchildren. Tan Sri Dato’Azman Hashim’s passion also extends to the golf courses and to water sports like riding jet skis, powerboats, scuba diving and he is also known to be the ”Singing Banker”. One of his daughter, Shazrina Azman, is known to be a local artist, nicknamed as Mizz Nina

Azizi Ali(Millionaires Planet)

If Tony Fernandes is synonym with Richard Branson, Azizi Ali of Millionaires Planet can be considered Malaysia's very own Robert Kiyosaki. Azizi Ali made his fortune after accumulating wealth through the property business and investment, and is said to have a total asset in excess of RM5 millions in value to date by diversifying into different property businesses. 

　

Azizi seems to have undergone a slightly different paths in his quest to achieve a millionaire status. During his youth as a pilot, Azizi found it amusing to realize how fast his money was gone even though having a decent income as a commercial pilot. Then he figured out the way to become rich is by being in the business.

　

He made a quick research and calculations and execute his plan to open up a music shop, only to realize that life in business is not easy and path to riches did not come cheap.  He discovered at that time that he was not a business material, having lost a few hundred thousands of capital and effort. 

　

Even though the music shop business almost destroyed his financial life, he never stopped looking for ways to become rich. He started to learn about financial literacy, which in turned helped to put him in a much better financial position. He also learnt that many rich people out there capitalize on the money that they have by venturing into property business and enjoy passive income from the rented properties. Azizi Ali liked this idea as this means he can reach the quest of being a millionaire while at the same time keeping his day job as a pilot.

　

Azizi shares his knowledge, secret and techniques by conducting workshops and seminars on property. Apart from that, he is also active in writing books as well as featuring in the media and press. He has so far authored many books which have become best sellers, which include:

　

1. Millionaires are from Different Planet!

2. The Millionaire in Me

3. How to Become a Property Millionaire

4. How to Become a Millionaire Landlord

5. Mxe!

6. The Millionaire's Chronicle

　

Azizi's love for knowledge and hunger for continued education has enable him to attain the status not many Malaysians can achieve. Apart from being a millionaire and a pilot, at the same time he is also a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and also holds an MBA from Bath University, UK.

Maznah Hamid - The iron lady

Known as the Iron Lady of Malaysia, Datuk Maznah Hamid is a very well known entrepreneur, business woman as well as a famous motivational author and speaker. Long, long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, Datuk Maznah decided to buy an almost bankrupt, unknown security company and turned into a multi-million, respectable empire.

　

During the early days, she employed a few guards, with herself being jack of all trades in the small outfit - clerk, secretary, manager and sometimes the guard herself! And in order to expand the business, she and the husband sold their own house and moved to a new, smaller place which come without proper amenities.

　

With only a few thousands capital of their own, her company has to compete with hundreds of other licensed security companies in Malaysia, with many of them were established with up to millions of capital. And against all competition, the company survived and triumphed.

　

The company, Securiforce now is one of the biggest security companies in Malaysia, having more than 30 branches across Malaysia and employing more than 4000 employees. And all of this is achieved without financial help or capital from financial institutions.

　

Alongside with other prominent Malaysian business icons, Datuk Maznah become one of the entrepreneurs who build and grow companies and play important roles as a leader, strategist, while contributing to the overall growth and improvement of the society's life in Malaysia.  

　

Datuk Maznah has also established Maznah Motivational Centre, MMC, which conducts seminar on business and human development. Her book "Motivasi Memburu Kejayaan" is a best seller and has become the source of guidance to the aspiring entrepreneurs who can learn from her own experience, principles and secrets in her quest to achieve success and excellence.

Resources :

1. http://www.skorcareer.com/malaysia-eng/entrepreneur/datukmaznahhamid-profile.htm
2. http://skorcareer.com.my/blog/10-great-malaysian-entrepreneurs/2008/09/23/

The accidental entrepreneur

LOOKING back at the last nine years, here are the hard facts I have had to face:

1. Before SPM, I was too lazy to study hard as I knew I had the financial backing of my parents. I never thought about how lucky I was, or how much they sacrificed to put me through college;

2. I finished SPM with dreams of being a hotshot engineer in Silicon Valley riding the dot-com bubble. Of course, I knew shockingly little about what any of those things really entailed; and

3. Up till recently, my knowledge of the world – its problems, its people, and its culture – was severely lacking as it was shaped by commercialised Western television and the Internet. 

Although I grew up in Malaysia, I had little exposure to folk from other social classes.

My journey began at the dawn of the millennium when I completed my A-Levels and went on to pursue an engineering degree at Northwestern University in Chicago, the United States (US). It was very, very cold there – minus 20 degrees Celsius at times.

Three years after starting college, I was a radically changed person. I realised that my true calling was to devote my life to work that was meaningful to me, and that I did not enjoy engineering in its traditional sense, although I graduated with a Bachelor in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences.

Upon graduation, I was determined to find employment in the non-profit sector and secured an internship at an organisation that provided food to the homeless in Chicago.

Although I enjoyed my work immensely, I was not able to remain employed there due to my US work visa situation. I had to decide if I was to return to Asia to work in the development/non-profit field, or pursue a corporate career in the US, which was the only way to secure a work visa at the time.

The allure of a large pay cheque, sharp grey suits and expense accounts eventually won me over and I accepted a management consulting position in Philadelphia. I worked there for two years and went on to become a manager at a global pharmaceutical company in Princeton, New Jersey, making more money than I ever thought possible.

Fortunately, throughout my corporate career, I focused on learning from my work environment and saving as much money as I could while pursuing other interests after work hours.

After three years in my cubicle, I left the corporate world and began to work on my own entrepreneurial ventures in Philadelphia and other cities. I wanted to be a small business entrepreneur because it would allow me to live a lifestyle that I cherished. More importantly, I would be able to pursue work that would be meaningful to me – personally and professionally – without being held accountable to someone else’s whims or the profit motives of owners or investors.

Over the years I discovered (due to a combination of part-time work and meeting new people) that my passion lay in “social business”.

This is the model of running profitable, successful companies which at its core takes into account the 3 P’s – people, planet, and profits.

This effectively combined my interests in the traditional business world with providing a social benefit to the communities I worked in.

My entrepreneurial ventures include partnering with an experienced real estate investor on low-income housing in Philadelphia. I also developed an education consulting business where I worked as a career counselor for 20-somethings who were trying to find their place in the world. Most importantly, both endeavours were entrepreneurial in nature and very meaningful to me as they met the objectives I wanted to achieve in my professional career.

After spending close to 10 years in the US pursuing further education and work opportunities, I recently decided to move back to Asia.

Spending time with my family, pursuing meaningful business ventures in Malaysia, and exploring and enjoying my native land was a calling too strong to ignore.

I intend to continue my work in real estate and career guidance here, but also focus my energies on other business ventures including sustainable tourism, fitness, and nutrition – all passions of mine.

As I pause midway through my life and look back at life after SPM, I realise that the road I took was one that I never expected to be on, but I am eternally grateful and humbled by the opportunities I have had. I intend to live the rest of my life building upon that foundation.

I constantly remind myself of my primary goal – creating positive change in the world. All great journeys start with small steps, and I hope anew everyday to have the courage to take them.

Resources :

1. http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2011/10/30/education/9675986&sec=education

George Ang (Revenue Valley Sdn Bhd)

Success did not come instantly to local entrepreneur, George Ang, whose company today owns more than 35 restaurants in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Boasting an annual turnover exceeding RM75 million, Revenue Valley Sdn Bhd is a holding company that owns some of the popular casual dining restaurants in Malaysia like The Manhattan FISH MARKET, Tony Roma’s, London Fish Tales and TOKYO.g.

“While studying in Australia, I was also working at several established restaurants to partially fund my own education,” he said. “I have worked as a cook, a kitchen hand, a waiter and even a dishwasher. Therefore, I am not ashamed even today, if you happen to visit one of the restaurants under my care, you may just be lucky enough to have me, the waiter, serving you!”

On being an Entrepreneur

It took a dream to become an entrepreneur – especially a successful one!

“I always dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur (although not necessarily in the food business) and for the first seven years of my career when I was involved in the corporate banking, I was always reading and exploring what business to get myself into,” he recalled. “There are always the ups and downs in being an entrepreneur, but I have always enjoyed the ride and not regretted anything.” Ang started his business when he was still a bachelor boy. There were fewer commitments then, and the fear of failing was much lesser.

In retrospect, he admitted: “If you asked me to start all over again today, maybe I may think twice! If I had the opportunity to reverse the clock, I would have chosen to get married earlier, start my business when I was younger and make better plans!”

Having become a successful entrepreneur, Ang encouraged students to be more enterprising. “Seriously, if you are aspiring to be an entrepreneur, you first must enjoy the process, instead of thinking of becoming a millionaire overnight. To me, it is the process of learning and to pick one self up after falling that is more fun,” he said.

His two other close friends, Dr. Jeffrey Goh and Dickson Low, joined him to start the first Manhattan FISH MARKET brand outlet in MidValley Megamall in 2002. Within the span of seven years, the Group has grown by leaps and bounds.

In 2005, his company was nominated for the Golden Bull Award as one of the emerging SMEs; at the same time, he managed to secure the Master Franchise for the popular American casual dining restaurant chain famous for its ribs and steaks called Tony Roma’s. In 2008, the Manhattan FISH MARKET was awarded the winner of SMEs Best Brand in Asia Pacific for Western Seafood category. His motto has always been: “Failure is a step closer to success; therefore, never ever give up at the first sign of failure! If you have that attitude, you will somehow succeed.”

The former old boy of Gajah Berang Secondary School Melaka does not forget his roots, especially people who have made strong impressions in his teenage years.

His time at Sunway

“You always remember the people who made an impact on your life,” he told us. He attributes whatever knowledge he now has in Accounting to one accounting lecturer, Mrs Lim, whom he describes as being “very strict.” Other names like First Year Economics lecturer, Ms Wong and English Literature lecturer, Ms Siva, still stick on his mind until today. In fact, he still remembers a famous line from his Mathematics teacher, Mr. Manaf, who used to say that, `life can be much more interesting than just Mathematics!’

After spending two years at the then Sunway College, Ang then left for Perth to pursue his Second and Third Year undergrad studies and finally graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (major in Finance & Accounting) in 1993.

When he first joined the then Sunway College in 1990 to do his TEE (now known as Australian Matriculation), he was a young man hailing from Melaka. “It was a huge learning curve for me. My first impressions were that people seemed more complicated, well-to-do, and showy,” he said.

Gradually, he began to love student life. His favourite hang out was at the snooker centre across the old Sunway College building in PJ New Town. “There were quite a lot of distractions to our studies, compared to the campus at Bandar Sunway that we have today. Almost every weekend we would end up going to DV8, a disco near the college for dance and drinks.”

Swimming Ahead

The Manhattan FISH MARKET brand is gaining popularity. Recently, another outlet was set up in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

With the aggressive growth, Ang expects Revenue Valley Sdn Bhd will hit a turnover of RM100 million for the financial year ending 2009. The company currently owns 100% of MFM Restaurants Sdn Bhd which operates The Manhattan FISH MARKET restaurants in Malaysia. It also owns 100% of MFM Restaurants Pte Ltd, which operates The Manhattan FISH MARKET restaurants in Singapore, besides owning 50% of MFM Restaurants (Thailand) Co. Ltd which operates The Manhattan FISH MARKET restaurants in Thailand.

In 2005, the company set up Grandpolitan Sdn Bhd (with 100% equity) to operate the Master Franchise of Tony Roma’s in Malaysia. Revenue Valley now owns 100% share of Sushi Groove Sdn Bhd, which operates TOKYO.g restaurants in Malaysia.

“I hope to continue building great retail brands, which again may not be necessarily in the food business. Despite an accounting background, I enjoy reading Marketing books more than any other literature, and recently, I had a rare opportunity to meet Mr Philip Kotler, the Father of Modern Marketing himself!”

As far as Ang is concerned, he is prepared to face any challenges in bringing his business to new frontiers. For young entrepreneurs, he advised: “If you have to swim against the tide, it’s better than to give up and end up in the fish market.”

Resource :

1. http://sunway.edu.my/success/2009/06/nothing-fishy/