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TerInspired

We just started our writing project with our favourite agency. Meeting to discuss the project was on Wednesday afternoon, Thursday morning we had to interview the Chairman of the first company. (note: sigh, selalu last minute...). At first rasa macam nak cancel and reschedule je sebab we didn't have much time to prepare - research, prepare questions, etc. But then, dah client suruh pergi, kena lah kan...

I was so glad I went. I was so glad I followed the video crew (before our interview session). I told myself - this person is what God made human beings for. We met the Chairman of PSI Incontrol - Mr Harvinder Singh. Our piece was supposed to be more casual than the video. The office was in Sg Buluh in this dusty industrial area, nothing to shout about. The office was also quite modest (for a company making hundreds of millions!). The moment I saw the Chairman's office, I knew this person is someone special. His office was glass all around. He can see his staff, his staff can see him. One of the shooting scenes was him sitting at his desk. He arranged the photo frames on the table behind him to make sure that the shot also captured the photo of his parents.

During our interview session, we focused on his experience. This is a person who has once hitched hiked from KL to Golok at 17 with only RM50 in his pockets for a week and came back with RM30. This is a person who helped his mother cook and help the unfortunate at the temple since he was very young. This is a person who started a non-profit private school for poor children of all races to study. And this is a person who during weekends coaches a marching band of youngsters with the vision to create future youth leaders so that they don't go astray.

Such a down to earth person, I was at awe when he describes his philosophy which is simply = helping people sincerely. I was struck by this resemblance to Tan Sri Mukhtar Al Bukhary - "Allah bagi rezeki melalui kita untuk tolong orang lain". And he treats all his staff the same, no discrimination. He told us one time they hired a new receptionist. One day he notices that the glass  door was smudged and told the HR person to get the receptionist to clean the door (since she's nearest to the door). For the next few days the smudge was still there. He asked the HR person why the receptionist didn't clean the door and was told that she said it's not her job scope. He said to us - this is not the culture he wants for his company. So the next day, he cleaned the door himself (watched by the receptionist - in horror I guess). And he cleaned the door 3 days in a row himself until the receptionist came to see him, apologised and begged him not to do the work anymore. Since then, the receptionist does the cleaning.

Of course I won't be writing all that interesting anecdotes in the article. Or may be I should... One thing for sure, he is such an inspiration. So much was my respect and awe for his success not only as a successful businessman (who also made 15 of his staff millionaires - I should get a job at this company!) but also as a human being. I wish more Muslim entrepreneurs are like him.

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