Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Aris Othman, the Chairman of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad holds a Bachelor (Honours) Degree in Analytical Economics from University Malaya, and a Masters Degree in Development Economics from Williams College, Massachusetts. While working for the Economic Planning Unit of the Malaysian Government, he earned another Masters Degree in Political Economy from Boston University and added a PhD in Development Economics at Boston.

After his tenure as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance, he moved to The World Bank in Washington as Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Group. Soon afterwards, Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Aris Othman took up his present post as Chairman of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad – a post he describes as “very different but extremely interesting and challenging.” Here he bids Routes delegates a special welcome.

“To see why Malaysia is called ‘the Heart of Asia’, you only have to open up an atlas or check the maps on the Internet. Geographically, Malaysia is in the middle of Asia, with India on one side, China on the other side, and Australia down below. More specifically, Malaysia sits right at the centre .of the ten ASEAN nations of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

“Aviation-wise, Malaysia commands the most strategic air-routes for the region, as well as between Europe and Australasia on one hand, and South Asia and North America on the other. Apart from its flagship international gateway of KLIA, there are five other international airports that route-planners can choose from, and each offers unique advantages for airlines and their passengers. What was well-known by ancient Chinese seafarers, European explorers and Arabian traders is a fact that is being happily re-discovered by astute airlines of the modern world.

“Culturally, Malaysia has the most cosmopolitan population in all of Asia, where most of its people can trace some or all of their ancestry from Indonesia, India, China, Thailand, the Philippines, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as parts of Europe and the Middle East. Although Islam is the official religion, Buddhists, Hindus, Catholics, Taoists, Christians, Sikhs, Bahais and other religious adherents practice their faiths freely and avidly in this secular democracy. “Linguistically, besides the national language of Malay, most Malaysians speak English quite well, but every major Asian language can be heard in the cities! For visitors from China and the global Chinese Diaspora, Mandarin is quite widely spoken and Chinese cultural items are quite noticeable in many shopping districts of Malaysia. Local TV channels feature half-a-dozen languages!

Visitors from the Indian sub-continent will find that about 6% of the Malaysian population speaks fluent Tamil, and they might also hear Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Malayalam, Sinhalese and other familiar tongues. Apart from English and Malay, in some parts of Kuala Lumpur, you will find lots of signboards in Chinese, Tamil, Korean, Japanese, Arabic or even Nepali! “Cuisine-wise, Western fast-food joints and restaurant chains proliferate, and apart from the uncountable number of Indian Muslim restaurants and Chinese food-shops across the country, visitors will also find Arab, Thai, Korean and Japanese restaurants quite readily in most major cities of Malaysia. Malay food-shops serve perennial favourites like satay, nasi lemak, fried noodles and rice with curry, competing actively with traditional Hindu banana-leaf restaurants. Vegetarian food is easy to find, while all food at the five-star hotels is Halal. In Malaysia, there is literally something to suite every taste!

“At Malaysia Airports, we believe that as custodians of the nation’s international gateways, the welcome that visitors receive must reflect the multi-cultural hospitality of Malaysia, where peoples of different creeds and colours live in harmony. We make announcements at all our airports in Malay and English, with Arabic, Japanese and Mandarin being used at key airports during specific seasons. The Malaysian airport community itself is one of the most cosmopolitan in the world, speaking over a dozen ‘own’ languages and dialects, and as airport operators we cherish this diversity and affirm it in every way we can.

“Malaysia Airports celebrates the festivals of every major racial and religious group in the ccountry, so you will receive a festive welcome if you come during the various Muslim celebrations, the Chinese Lunar New Year, the cosmopolitan Malaysian Christmas, the Hindu festival of lights called Deepavali, the Kadazan Dusun Harvest Festival and other national and local commemorations. More importantly, this daily interaction between peoples of different cultures, creeds, languages and religious beliefs make Malaysians uniquely able to welcome visitors from all over the world with empathy and efficiency. And this is what we mean when we greet all arrivals at our airports with a heartfelt Selamat Datang! “

Recently appointed President of Airports Council International Asia-Pacific, Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad is one of the few airport bosses in the world who has worked in practically every aspect of the aviation industry. His decades with the national flag-carrier exposed him to numerous aspects of airline operations and management, while his stint as civilservant at the top levels of government provided invaluable insights into the requirements of national and international administration. He explains here the innovation behind the Next Generation Hub.

“In the five decades or so since commercial aviation took off, airports have undergone a major paradigm shift from being rudimentary transport terminals to becoming comprehensive destinations in their own right – complete with every conceivable convenience one would expect in a self-contained minimetropolis that never sleeps.
“Now, Malaysia Airports has taken the bold step of taking the airport industry to a third level – a new phase which we believe will pave the way for a global change in the way airports are viewed – and utilised. This is the concept of the Next Generation Hub: an exciting innovation which integrates the changing requirements of this millennium’s air-travellers with the latest innovations in aircraft design, Internet development, airline management and airport operations; all in one exciting, practical package.

“At World Routes last year, we launched KL International Airport (KLIA) as the world’s first Next Generation Hub, a premier airport that will enable passengers to connect seamlessly amongst all types of carriers including full service airlines and low-cost carriers, and maximise the use of IT technology. We launched the web portal www.flyklia.com, which provides an itinerary builder that integrates all airlines schedules and fares, including full service carriers and low-cost carriers.

“Currently, there are 55 airlines in KLIA featured in the website, and more will be added as they come online at KLIA. The Flight Planner, which is free-to- use, searches more than 660 airlines worldwide for the best flights and connections available. The search results include links to airlines and other travel portals where air-travellers can book flights directly. Besides flight booking options, the website also features information such as operating airlines at KLIA (on Malaysia), facilities available and environmental efforts at KLIA.

“The portal would be continually enhanced and for the next phase of development, Malaysia Airports is already looking at including a hotel booking engine which will compare prices for properties in and outside Malaysia. Malaysia Airports also plans to add an Airport Frequent Connector Loyalty programme, which is aimed at rewarding frequent travellers.

“We want to come out with facilities that enhance airlines’ productivity, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. We want to be the airport that sets world-standards in meeting customers’ expectations, and to do this we constantly innovate and initiate fresh uses for new technology, while also implementing practical measures like our Airline Recovery Programme which won us the IATA Eagle Award for Best Airport in the World.

“People have a misconception that the airport of the future will simply focus on megajumbo aircraft and futuristic technology alone. It is much more complex and holistic than that! Malaysia Airports has introduced the Next Generation Hub to the world – where an airport sets world-standards in airline-productivity, customer-convenience, connectivity, environmental responsibility and optimum use of technology in one integrated facility. To all airline-delegates at World Routes, I would invite you to talk to us – and discover how you can benefit from the exciting advantages at the Next Generation Hub!”

KLIA – The World’s First Next-Generation Hub!
- Optimum E-Connectivity
- Optimum Use of Technology
- Optimum Customer Convenience
- Optimum Enjoyable Travel Experience
- Optimum Environmental Responsibility
- Optimum Cost-efficiency for Airlines and Passengers

Bosphorus Fine Turkish Cuisine
Lot No. : 6.33.00 & 6.34.00, Level 6
03-2142 4000
www.bosphorus.com.my

The Bosphorus is of course the famous strait that divides the great city of Istanbul in Turkey. The historic piece of real estate is home to millennia of culture and history, perhaps one of the most enchanting places in the world. All this is nothing new for the well-informed amongst us, but to understand Bosphorus the restaurant and indeed Turkish cuisine, it demands us to appreciate its context.

The Ottoman Empire stretched far and wide, uniting most of Western Europe, North Africa and Eastern Asia and Istanbul was the very centre of that empire. Hence the dishes with which we relate to Turkey in modern times, echoes an ancient tradition. There are no coincithe dences in the manner with which these recipes have stayed alive. They are the culmination of centuries of refinement in the greatest Turkish kitchens.

Take the starters for instance; there is no other famous export from the region than Humus (RM16.80). Such a simple dish – a blend of a few ingredients, yet so revered for its smooth, savoury and slightly tangy feel on the tongue. But it must have taken the chef at Bosphorus years to perfect one that was so well balanced, as befits a purveyor of fine Turkish cuisine.

What surprised was the Hot Antep Dip (RM12.90), which was a dip made from finely chopped tomatoes and pomegranates with just coincithe right hint of heat and plenty of aroma from flat-leaf parsley. Both dips were wonderfully mopped up with lavash bread, a kind of soft, thin flatbread that was puffed up under the grill and decorated with black sesame seeds on top – the perfect accompaniment for such savoury starters.

But the star of any refined Turkish meal has to be the Imam Bayaldi (RM19.90), a cold dish with grilled aubergine, onions, tomatoes and garlic. Legend has it the Imam was so taken by this dish that he fainted from the pure joy of the experience, which is a very approximate translation of the name of the dish. Besides being a great story, it could well be true once you sample the excellent smoky flavour of the aubergine and its velvety smooth texture without any hint of bitterness at all. This was surely another triumph of a recipe developed through the centuries.

The meal was clearly lavish in nature yet contained flavours that were simple and fresh. The Coban Salad (RM16.90) is a great example. Looks suspiciously just like a Greek salad, and it shouldn’t be surprising considering the proximity, but just that extra hint of oregano and paprika made it much tastier.

Main courses stayed on the same path with nothing more than simply good quality meat, prepared well and grilled to perfection. A popular choice is the Iskender Doner Kebab (RM49.90), an excellent sliced lamb kebab with a rich tomato sauce and fresh homemade yoghurt, served on pide bread.

If you can’t decide which one of their excellent kebabs to go for, try the monstrous Mix Grill for Two (RM128.80). You will get a chance to try the doner kebab in addition to lamb and chicken adana kebabs, land and chicken shish kebabs and our personal favourite the lamb kofte with its mild cumin flavour and irresistibly soft yetmeaty texture, just like a good burger patty. This gigantic meat heaven comes with grilled tomatoes, chillies, yoghurt dip and rice for a meal certainly fit for an Ottoman Emperor.

by Lee Chan Wai

Frangipani Restaurant & Bar
25 Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 Kuala Lumpur
03-2144 3001
www.frangipani.com

Named after the frangipani tree that used to stand in front, Frangipani Restaurant & Bar is a maestro when it comes to serving contemporary French cuisine, offering one of the city’s best dining experiences. Having been around for nine years and still going strong, it is a favourite among many. From its art deco façade to the still black pool in the middle of the dining room, from its perforated stainless steel walls to the skylight,Frangipani is the epitome of understated style. It is modern, sexy and sophisticated while exuding intimacy and warmth.

I was speechless upon entering the premises, as it was a manifestation of utmost elegance and class. At the same time, the friendly smiles and warm greetings by its staff put me at ease at once. Known for its array of scrumptious delicacies, this restaurant’s menu not only has the listings of all the courses but also details and preparation methods of the dishes.

I had the pleasure of savouring Frangipani’s signature dishes and that started off with the warm tea-smoked salmon with confit potatoes crème fraîche and salmon roe (RM50). The salmon was slowly cooked with new potatoes in fat, to attain a higher level of existence and taste. As it was smoked, the salmon was free from the raw, fishy smell. It was fresh and tasted soft and chewy with a tinge of smokiness to it.

Next came the pan-roasted duck confit with mustard cream and mashed potato on a crisp potato couronne (RM70). Cooked with duck fat, the confit is quite easy to make but is time consuming. The duck was crispy on the outside while being extremely soft and tender on the inside. The mashed potato just melts in your mouth and the taste is divine. The combination of this whole dish with the cream is a match made in heaven.

Last but certainly not least was dessert, which was the iced green apple soufflé withcinnamon crumbs and a tarte tatin on the side (RM30). Held in an apple liqueur-soaked thin génoise, it is a superlight and airy, deeply flavoured green apple soufflé covered with crunchy cinnamon crumbs. A spoonful of the rich, creamy soufflé followed by a bite off the baked apple tart will transport you straight to paradise. The dishes here come in small portions but the taste leaves you with a huge desire of wanting for more. Sophisticatedly presented, it adheres to the saying “all good things come in small packages”.
So, if you want some passion, then dine in with delights from the most romantic city in the world at Frangipani that caters one of the best French kosher and exquisite French wines.

Due to its strategic location, Malacca ascended to become a major trading centre, back in the 1500s. It welcomed the arrival of the Portuguese who brought along their culture together with their products. One of them was Branyo, a dance they introduced, which was adapted by the locals to what is known as the Joget.

One of the prominent ones is the Joget Serampang Laut. This dance involves a lot of coordination between the hands and feet as well as between both male and female. The basic hand movement is called an ‘incomplete fist’ where the tips of the thumb and forefinger on both hands touch each other and the remaining fingers are curled in. The female dancers keep their elbows low to portray elegance while the male dancers keep them high as a sign of strength.

Then there is the ‘terancang’, which is energetic and upbeat. The upper body has to face a 45-degree angle with one leg pointed outwards in the same direction as the body is then crossed over the other leg. In this movement, the hands do not change positions.

The female wear a ‘kebaya labuh’, matched with a songket sarong. Songket is a rich fabric with gold thread patterns weaved through it. There are brooches down the front of the traditional blouse. Other ornaments include earrings, necklace and a gold hairpiece called ‘cucuk sanggul’. A fabric is draped over one shoulder, across the body. The male dancers wear the traditional ‘baju Melayu’ with a ‘sampin’ around their waists and a ‘songkok’ on their heads.

by Prema Jayabalan

Kicking off on June 11 in South Africa which is half way across the globe, the World Cup may seem far away but the pandemic and addictive football fever has hit the whole nation and it is no wonder that it has landed right here at The Summit, Subang Jaya. One of the only ways to cure the football fever would definitely be an exciting match to commemorate the World Cup and that would be the Bola Mania PS3 Soccer World Cup Challenge.
The Summit management and Gamer’s Hideout, which provided the PS3 game 2010 World Cup Fifa software, sponsored the event. Bola Mania began on June 12 and had four qualifying rounds. Each round had 16 pairs ofparticipants. The only requirement for participation was for a visitor to the Summit Square to produce a RM20 receipt of purchase receipt from any of the Summit outlets.

According to Gary Thanabalan, the director of Music Scene Production Sdn Bhd, which happens to be the event’s organiser, the response from participants was truly overwhelming. All the brawny and tough boys and men were taken in by surprise when female challengers graced the event. All you people who thought that football was a man’s game, think again! The venue at the centre court on the ground floor of Summit Square was decked out with footballs hanging from the high ceilings and a stage that held four giant flat screen TVs for the event.

The game was simple. Two players competed with each other and the winner moved to the next round. The events were timed to coincide with the World Cup matches in South Africa.

The final of Bola Mania was held on Sunday when the World Cup finalists met for the deciding match.
The Summit Bola Mania champion received RM3,000, a PS3 console worth RM1,299 and the PS3 game 2010 World Cup Fifa valued at RM189.

The World Cup 2010 was indeed an unforgettable and memorable on for all at The Summit.

PS3 Soccer World Cup Challenge

Champion
Hazni Hafiz Mohd Tony
1st Runner-Up
Jerry Satah
2nd Runner-Up
Liaw Way Gian

by Prema Jayabalan

Galeria Sri Perdana
Jalan Damansara, Kuala Lumpur
03-2072 0032. www.arkib.gov.my
Exhibition date: Jul 3 – Sept 30, 2010
Free admission

The Aliya and Farouk Khan collection represents the largest collection of contemporary Malyasian art in the country, private or public. The collection consists of more than 800 works of art representing more than 50 artists from the 80’s until today. The collection includes later developments of young contemporaries who are to be the next wave of important artists who will dominate the art scene for the next 10-20 years, including Multhalib Musa, Umibaizurah Mahir, Choy Chun Wei, Chin Kong Yee, and Yau Bee Ling. The collection is based on the strong belief that the works of contemporary Malaysian artists are of international standard.

Ahnad Shukri Bersatu Teguh Bercerai Roboh 200 x 200cm 2002 Mixed media on canvas

Mohd Noor Mahmud Kala Kota Bharu Wok Sohok Cherut Rumput 168 x 137cm 2007 Acrylic on wood

Anuar Rashid Begining of the End (Ascending The Golden Peacock I) 244 x 183cm 2008 Oil on canvas

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia

First of all, allow me to thank the Ministry of Tourism for the invitation to address this gathering of artists and art lovers, as well as members of the tourism industry. It is a great pleasure for me to be with all of you today to launch the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Festival 2010. I am pleased to note the growth of Malaysia’s tourism industry in recent years.

Last year’s tourism performance had been especially encouraging – Malaysia managed to pull off a positive growth despite the miserable tourism outlook forecasted by UNWTO. I believe that it was the concerted effort of all parties in the industry that led to Malaysia posting a growth in tourist arrivals. This remarkable performance in the face of adversity only demonstrates the fact that the tourism industry is capable of greater growth. With resilience, innovation, product quality and excellent service standards, the tourism industry, as part of the larger services sector, is seen to have a critical role in our journey towards making Malaysia a developed nation by 2020.

In tabling the 10th Malaysia Plan, our honourable Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Najib Mohamad Razak, mentioned that the government will focus its economic growth efforts on several critical National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs). Among the 12 potential NKEAs that have been identified is the tourism sector.

The government aims to improve Malaysia’s position to be within the top 10 countries, in terms of global receipts by 2015. The target is to increase the sector’s contribution by 2.1 times, contributing RM115 billion in receipts and providing two million jobs in the industry in 2015.

On top of that, the Prime Minister has many times reiterated his desire to see Malaysia advance to a high-income economy, and I believe the tourism industry has the potential to play a much more prominent role in the economy’s growth. With the creation of meaningful and high-value products, accompanied by excellence in service quality, I have no doubt that the tourism industry will be able to attract greater numbers of high nett-worth tourists willing to pay a premium price for a first-rate experience. As such, I welcome joint initiatives by the public and private sectors in creating new and innovative tourism products such as this 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival, to boost the nation’s profile as a top tourist destination, and simultaneously contribute towards the nations’ economic growth.

The organising of the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival – for the first time – is in line with the government’s target in promoting differentiated strategies to cater for unique and distinctive travellers, in this case, high-yield tourists who can afford the finer things in life.

On a side note, I wish to say that this festival combines the best of both worlds – tourism and art. While at first it may seem that the two are totally separate, closer observation reveals that indeed they both strive for the same. Tourism and art open the eyes of the world to a society’s culture, social structure and history. Both encapsulate the life, spirit, culture and heritage of a country and its society. Art opens up a world of imagination and creativity to people and can instil in them a love and appreciation, which can last throughout their lives.

To be truly developed, Malaysia must look into the arts and cultural offerings that many Malaysians and foreign guests clamour for. The global traveller today is not looking for destinations but experiences, and a strong art tourism offering will enhance our global appeal and keep our tourism offerings fresh, new and exciting.

To achieve this, it cannot be left entirely to the government. The responsibility lies in Malaysia’s private sector initiatives. The 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism is just the first step towards this goal. Malaysians – the artists involved, the art gallery operators, art promoters, art critics, art lovers and art collectors – need to lend their support to making Malaysian art an iconic product that is desired, pursued and collected worldwide.

I believe that Malaysian artists are of world-class standing and their works are on par with other artistic works around the world. I am told that since 2006, prices for the better-known Malaysian modern artists have soared – 100 fold in extreme cases such as the internationally known Ahmad Zakii Anwar – as the general demand for Asian works have reached international markets. Moreover, over the last two years, many major art exhibitions by Malaysian artists have been sold out! Malaysian artists are winning more commissions from Japanese and European museums and being invited to prestigious biennales around the world.

Over the last few years, international auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s have also started auctioning Malaysian paintings. This has no doubt contributed to the growing acquisition of Malaysian art both for its aesthetic value and investment.

To those active in the art industry – I appreciate your efforts in creating, appreciating and collecting beautiful artworks. To the artists, especially, you bring meaning to man’s mere existence with your keen observation of life using simply colours and brush.
In the words of Pablo Picasso,

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

It is now my most pleasant task to officially open the inaugural 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival 2010.

Thank you.

In life, not many people are able to follow their heart’s desire and at the same time make a good living out of it. Yusof Majid heeded life’s calling and embraced art and Malaysia. He battled all odds and is today reaping the fruit of his labour and courage.

The Path of Art
Born in the UK, Yusof realised that he could paint at about 15 years of age. With a reference letter from his art teacher and some samples of his work, he was accepted into the Chelsea School of Art in London. Within five and a half years, he completed his foundation, bachelor’s degree and Master’s.

“I was quite lucky because while doing my degree, I was also attached to an art gallery in City Square, Kuala Lumpur back in the 1990s. The gallery owner was actually selling my work. So, I was able to travel to Malaysia and did some exhibitions here while I was still studying,” says Majid during an interview at Pace Gallery which he owns.

“Upon finishing my Master’s, I worked in London for about a year and a half before moving to Malaysia permanently and become a full-time artist.”

Making A Living With A Paintbrush

Yusof’s art became very different after he completed his Master’s. It became very minimalist and abstract.“The gallery in City Square was unsupportive of my abstract works. That time, a new gallery – Valentine Willie Fine Art opened and gave me the opportunity to hold a show, “Quiet Concerns”, which was quite successful. Immediately after that, the 1997 economic crisis happened and demand for my paintings became really low, so I decided to apply to Lim Kok Wing University and became a full time lecturer,” Yusof recalled.

He actually enjoyed his tenure as a lecturer as it stabilised him by providing him a fixed income and plenty of free time to paint. He was thus able to hold a solo almost every year at Valentine Willie.

High, Plantations Series, 2010 122 X 122cm Oil on canvas Price: RM 18,000

Then, came the transition point of Yusof Majid the abstract artist to Yusof Majid the figurative artist. “This is one of the most important episodes of my career. It was a very conscious choice. I love doing abstract art but they were not selling very well. At one point of time, I even thought of giving up painting because my career wasn’t going anywhere.” Fortunately for him, his works began to starttaking off. “Restaurants began commissioning me to do paintings and this did not end for about two years.

“Best Beloved exhibition in 2004 marked the change of my style from abstract to figurative. What I really liked about the change was that now I could understand what I was painting. Some collectors of my art were not too happy with that, but I managed to create a whole new group of collectors.

“Best Beloved was also my break. That show sold out. For some pieces, I even managed to sell over ten thousand ringgit each.

“Whenever a piece was sold, there would be a red sticker on its label. It was an amazing experience, as I walked up the stairs and entered the door of Valentine Willie during the opening night, seeing all the red stickers on every piece of my work! I actually had to go to the toilet and pinch myself. I kept asking myself, ‘this is true? Is it really happening?’ It’s a most amazing feeling!” Majid smiled as he talked of a most memorable chapter in his career.

Venturing Out

With the money earned from his exhibitions, Yusof took the risk and set up Darling Muse art gallery with a friend. “We spent so much on the furniture and renovation that I was completely broke. The first six weeks was the most terrible. I was sitting in the gallery worried about what would happen if everything didn’t work out,” he shared.

Fortunately, things started picking up. More and more works were sold and money started coming in. About a year or two they were not making any profit as they tried to stabilse the business and keep the gallery going. In the third year, the gallery was doing really well, especially for Yusof who was the main artist. Soon after that, he and his partner, who was a businessman, began to drift apart. Yusof already saw this coming and had a plan in mind. “I told him OK, I’m going to look for somewhere else to set up my own gallery.”

Yusof was born in London. His father is Malay and his mother, English. He came to live in Malaysia permanently in 1995. “I love the food and the fact that people here are completely different. In London, it’s a big city but everyone doesn’t seem to know each other. They are always in their own groups and that’s it. But KL is so different. People are mixing around and interacting more freely. They are more trusting and less reserved. I really fell in love with that.
“As I am half-Malay, I really wanted to know more about that part of me. When I was young, my family brought me to my father’s kampung in Taiping, and I went to swim in the river and play with my cousins. It was so different from England, and it was just fantastic. I always knew that one day I would be living in Malaysia.”

He went looking around for a suitable place and found the perfect one in the form of a bungalow in Jalan Kemajuan, Petaling Jaya. That marked the beginning of Pace Gallery. “I rented the place initially and finally bought it after three years. When I began renovating it upon paying the deposit, all the money I had saved had to go, and again, I was completely broke.

“I remember clearly, that a miracle happened again on my birthday, Sep 25. A couple walked in and bought my paintings and works of other artists as well. This really saved me and from then on, things started rolling again.
“This whole journey of being an artist to an art gallery owner has really been of various stops and starts. However, it’s been an amazing journey. The great thing is, now this is my business. I don’t have a partner. Everything Ido in the gallery, I control it. Whenever I want to have a show, I can do it in my own place,” he said, beaming with pride.

Sea Sand Panorama Series, 2003 23 X 23cm X 3 Oil on canvas Price: RM 2,500 per piece

Yusof was quick to note that whenever an artist was having an exhibition at Pace Gallery, he would make sure that the artist had the whole gallery for his works during that period. “I know that I will not do myself a favour by plastering myself everywhere (smile).”

He said it was fantastic being a gallery owner. “I enjoy being an artist, but I also enjoy being a curator and holding shows for other artists because I am able to help young artists develop. I gave some of the successful artists today, like Ilham Fadli, Ali Nurazamal and Daud Rahim, their first break. I got to meet so many prominent people as well, including the Sultan of Selangor, Tun Daim, ambassadors and many celebrities. Being a gallery owner has opened up a lot of opportunities. “If I knew it back then that I would be here one day having my own gallery, I would not have believed it.”

Yusof said the decision to come to Malaysia and become an artist actually made no sense. “I suppose that when you are young, you don’t really think. If it is now, I will probably think, ‘You want to go to Malaysia to be an artist? It’s so small you would be better off doing this in New York or somewhere else! For one thing, I wanted to come to Malaysia, and I also wanted to be an artist, so I just did both of that! “Luckily it did work out. And it is a most exciting time to bein Malaysia’s art market now!” he remarked.

The Malaysian Art Market

“For a long time in the country, art was undervalued. Regionally, such as in Vietnam and Indonesia, art pieces had been selling for hundreds of thousands for a long time but there was no confidence in the Malaysian art market,” Yusof commented. “But now is the renaissance of Malaysian art. People have started to take Malaysian art more seriously. There’s no confidence in Malaysian art and the artworks have become marketable. “Even the government realises that contemporary Malaysian art is something that can be promoted, and it is going all out to support the art market.”

Yusof thinks that Malaysia has some of the very best artists in the region. “It is my desire that these artists will
be recognised for their works regionally. At the moment, no one externally is looking in at Malaysian art. But once other countries start to purchase Malaysian art actively, prices are really going to go up.

“I hope that Malaysians will buy their own art now when it still affordable, because in the future when that happens, a piece of art work brought at about fifteen thousand ringgit today will probably be worth a hundred and fifty thousand,” he advised.

As for his future plans, opening a gallery in Dubai has always been on his mind. “When the world economic bubble burst about a year ago,I had to put those plans on hold. But I really want to bring Malaysian art to the Arabs,” he said. “If I do a show in Dubai, people from all over the world who are in Dubai will see the works of a Malaysian artist, and that will be a really good thing,” he beamed.

Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Fook Ling

The story of Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Fook Ling tells the remarkable journey of a boy who came from the small town of Pusing, near Ipoh, Perak, who not only dared to dream big, but had the grit and substance to see through the realisation of his dreams and visions. Cheah’s father was a lorry driver, who became a mine worker, later mine manager, and ultimately mine owner. His mother, meanwhile, took care of 10 children, of whom he was the sixth.

Cheah studied in Batu Gajah until secondary school and furthered his studies at the Footscray Institute of Technology, now Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. “My parents were illiterate and could not guide me (on my career). I decided to go to Melbourne to study when a friend of mine decided to go there,” he reminisces. The decision had given him a head start in business.

Upon his return to his home country, he started his first job as an accountant in a motor assembly plant. “Working for Asian Motors for two years, I soon realised that I was not cut out to be a professional accountant because I am someone who cannot be desk-bound. I’m more of an entrepreneur. I enjoy making things happen. I wanted to venture out on my own. And I did just that,” he says.

In 1974, Cheah set up what was to become the conglomerate giant of the nation – the Sunway Group of Companies, with the establishment of a small tin-mining company with a paid-up capital of just RM100,000.

Turning Vision into Reality

Sunway Group’s tagline, ‘Turning Vision into Reality’, fully embodies the man Cheah is. His business acumen, complemented by his passion and determination, shuttled him to where he is today. Work is to him, a hobby. He dipped into quarrying, trading, manufacturing and building materials, civil engineering and construction, healthcare,

information technology, leisure, entertainment and hospitality, property development, education and more.

Sunway Group’s flagship development, Bandar Sunday – a 350-hectare former tin mine disparagingly called The Hole – is now one of the region’s best known tourist destination. It was awarded the world’s best leisure project by the International Real Estate Federation, Paris (FIABCI) in 2002.

Sunway Lagoon, located in Bandar Sunway, is the first theme park in Malaysia. The recent addition is Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat – the first-of-its-kind luxury wellness retreat. “When Bandar Sunway was first envisaged, we looked at developing a township from a holistic perspective. At that time, we felt that Malaysia lacked community-focused developments and we were committed to paving the way for change in this area. “This led to planning of not only housing but other infrastructure in an integrated environment that was clearly beneficial to the community,” Cheah says.

Today, standing tall in the township are two world-class universities, a service-oriented medical centre, top-rated hotels, an eco-friendly theme park and an 800-outlet themed shopping mall among other amenities. All these were built, developed and managed solely by the Sunway Group.

Looking back at the list of achievements of the group that spanned over three decades, Cheah notes that the Group always sets a target and monitors its results. “For example, we want Bandar Sunway to be an eco-friendly township that provides its community with facilities to live healthily and safely. So, we invested a good amount of money into greening Bandar Sunway, providing free shuttle bus service and have our own auxiliary police among over 800 security personnel that the Group employs and deploys in various Sunway areas.”

Rising Above Adversity

Throughout three decades, Sunway Group, like every other business, went through three recessions. The first one in 1979 was manageable but the one in the mid-eighties hit them badly. “Out of the 32 million ringgit in paidup capital, we lost 30 million. We were nearly wiped out,” Cheah recalls.

Their share price dropped from RM8.50 to 25 sen. “There was a party which wanted to  ake 51% of the group. But I said, this was the monster I created, let me continue to manage it. They said 51% or nothing. I said never mind then. I wanted my playground,” Cheah tells of his resoluteness in sustaining his company during the difficult time.

“Many people asked me later how I could remain so calm and poised (and even retain my sanity) when I had lost so much,” he adds. “My answer to them was: ‘Like a swan, I may look calm and dignified above the water, but if you look under the water, you will see that I am paddling away like crazy just to stay afloat’.

“Calmness and clarity of thought are key qualities of good leadership in challenging and trying times. If the leader falls apart, so will his people,” explains Cheah.

Due to good reputation and the loyalty of Sunway Group’s management team members, the company ultimately got back on its feet. Cheah’s philosophy in doing business is:

“Be at the right place at the right time and be entrepreneurial, and you will have business. But I have often told my people that Sunway must always practise principled business philosophy, which is to create and add value to the society we live in and serve.

He stresses that there is no shortcut to success. “Newcomers have to be careful and must identify with what is relevant. In big business, especially in property development, location and timing are very important. It is also very important for aspiring entrepreneurs to build a good reputation and have integrity.”

Heart for Education

With all his entrepreneurial and business success, Cheah has his heart and mind set on education.

“It was the government’s aspiration to make Malaysia the regional centre for excellence in education and the economic crisis in 1996/1997 that prompted me to look in the direction of providing affordable tertiary education for our youths.

“When I ventured into the field of education, I did not think of it as a business venture but a way of contributing back to the society and community.

“Sunway College, as it was previously known, was set up to help reduce the outflow of foreign exchange and to provide more tertiary education opportunities for our youths. Sunway College pioneered the ‘twinning concept’,” he says, adding that his vision then and today is to continue to run Sunway University College without a motive for profit. That was the reason he transferred his shares of the institution into a Trust in 1997 when it was financially selfsustainable.

This is my playground. I like to see things being built, being accomplished and managed well. And I will continue with it over time until I am unable to do so. – Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah

The Trust was then converted into a fullfledged Foundation called the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, a move inspired by John Harvard in bequeathing a legacy that has had a farreaching impact on society. All funds received and administered by the foundation are solely for the purpose of education, research, science, medicine and charity, as well as upgrading facilities that will benefit students and staff. Since the education trust fund was set up, he had awarded more than RM55 million in college scholarships. Recently, he gave away his entire equity stake worth RM700 million in the Sunway Education Group to the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.

To date, the Group has contributed RM11 million towards school restoration and adoption programmes. Recipients of the donations include SK Convent Klang, SMK Bandar Sunway, SJK(C) Chee Wen, SMJK Yuk Choy, Ipoh, and SJK(C) Gunung Hijau, Pusing.

In 1996, Cheah was appointed to the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Council in recognition of his contribution to education. In 2009, he was placed on the Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list.

Soaring Ahead

Sunway City’s property development division has delivered over 17,000 properties with a gross development value of RM9 billion. The internationally-acclaimed Sunway Integrated Resort City, the crowning jewel for SunCity popularly known as Bandar Sunway, will soon be complemented by the development of the RM5.2 billion Sunway South Quay project which is set to be an international lakeside metropolis.

Sunway Group has also set its sight on international endeavours. Already, it is making its mark in countries such as China, India, Vietnam, Australia, the Middle East, Trinidad and Tobago. In the next 10 years, Cheah hopes to make Sunway Group a more global entity that still continues with its core business.

“I am always excited and motivated by the idea of doing transformational things that have the potential to help develop a community and take it to a higher level,” says Cheah.

“I find the journey in achieving these results most satisfying and that drives me towards wanting to make things happen.”

As for his children – Sarena and Evan who are currently working for the Sunway Group, Cheah notes that they are being put through the mill. “If my children are able to grow the business, then it’s good to have them running it.

“I’ve walked every inch of the ground (of my developments). I tell my children that they can’t manage a business from a chair, they need to get out and walk the ground,” Cheah says matter-of-factly.

Under the lead of this man with loads of vision, passion, compassion and wisdom, it would be an understatement to say that the empire of Sunway Group will continue to stand and flourish. The world can certainly expect many more ground-breaking projects to come that will enhance and make a difference to modern living.