Inspiring Stories: People that change the world

               

 There are many inspiring people and stories that changes the world. All we know are those successful people from other countries such as President of the United States, Mr. Barrack Obama who is the first African- American to take the seat, Abraham Lincoln, former President of the United States who helped end slavery in US, Nick Vujicic, who was born with tetra- amelia syndrome where he has a rare disorder without the four limbs, and many more. How about in Malaysia? Do we have someone that is truely inspirational and successful person?

                Undoubtly, the most inspiring to us is the world famous businessman, who is now a billionaire, crown with the Malaysia’s richest man, 2nd richest man in South East Asia, and ranked 76th place in the Forbes’ list of the richest men of 2013, and given a nickname: “Sugar King”. Yes, he is none other than Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien. Tan Sri Robert Kuok was born in 6th October 1923 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. He started his carrer as a merchant of sugar, wheat flour, and rice upon completed his study in Raffles Institution in Singapore. Between the year 1942 to 1945, he served in Japanese Industrial Conglomerate Mitsubishi’s Grain department. During the year of 1949, he founded the Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd to invest in sugar refineries only age 20+ years old at that time. Soon after 1961, he successfully controlled 80% of sugar market in Malaysia, and 10% of world sugar market. In the year 1971, Tan Sri Robert Kuok established the first Shangri- La Hotel in Singapore. In the year of 1992, Tan Sri Robert Kuok announced his retirement from Kerry Group, but it is a retirement without rest where he still keep on managing the day to day operation of his empire.

                Tan Sri Robert Kuok married to his first wife, Xie Bi Rong (Unknown English name, direct translate from chinese pin yin), and have 5 children with the first wife. But after the first wife passed on, Tan Sri Robert Kuok married the second wife, Ho Poh Lin, and the couple have 3 children. The 5 out of 8 of Robert Kuok’s children all are holding key positions in the Kuok group of companies. Tan Sri Robert Kuok’s eldest son, Khoon Chen, take the executive chairman position replacing his younger brother’s position in Shangri- La (Asia) due to the latter could not bear with the high pressure and required to take a long leave to rest. Meanwhile, Tan Sri Robert Kuok’s youngest son, Kuok Khoon Wah been placed as his private assistant and follows the Tan Sri to go everywhere to meet important busnessmen. The eldest daughter of Robert Kuok, Kuok Hui Kwong, in charge of the South China Morning Post as Executive Director. Recently the youngest daughter of Tan Sri Robert Kuok, Yen Kwong, founder and CEO of Guiltless International Limited, joined in Kuok Group.

                Tan Sri Robert Kuok currently is struggling to choose his heritance for his empire as he has 8 children from 2 wives. But according to Next Magazine, Tan Sri Robert Kuok placed more favour to his second wife’s children. Although from what the article said, a unnamed fund manager for the Kuok Foundation stated that during the Kuok’s family meeting, Tan Sri Robert Kuok casually said that Kuok Khoon Hong, nephew of Tan Sri Robert Kuok, will be the successor for his empire.

(by Foo Chi Hong) 

                Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nienhad inspired me as he is changing the world by founded in Malayan sugar manufacturing company. His sugar manufacturing contribution produces 80% of sugar in Malaysia market and 10% of world's sugar market. He control almost high percentage of sugar amount in Asia, that why Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien got his nick name as the sugar king of Asia. He seeking the opportunity and take the chance to contribute on sugar field while the time which is only British people controlled for the trading and don't have any of Chinese business man in the sector. He is one of the legends in Malaysia who bring the proud to his country because of the sugar production contribution to the worldwide. He is a clever person and always think from the perspective of business man, he import the cheaper sugar from India as backup to wait for the rising of sugar price, after that having natural disaster typhoon in Cuba hit the plantation place which is the bigger sugar supplier to all the world. The situation for that time is having lower supplier and higher demand. International sugar price kept rising due to lack of sugar supplier to worldwide.Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien wisely used this chance to sell all the sugar which stored on last time. On that period, he had maximized his profit to the maximum. From the status above, Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien hadhelped the world on emergency period by supplying sugar to every country due to sugar is one of the main side ingredient for cooking.

                He not only paid off his hard work on the sugar stage, he is also expanded his opportunity to other industry such as animal feed, palm oil, mining, flour and hotel business. The one most recognise hotel which is mostly known by everyone is Shangri-La hotel. Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien had built up his first Shangri-La hotel in Singapore and then slowly expanded the hotel business to the worldwide which is having 71st hotel total.Besides that, he also having separate investment in different country such as palm oil in Singapore and having property based on the Hong Kong which is on top3 world's most expensive cities after Monaco and UK, London. Hong Kong's TsimShaTsui is top of attraction for local and foreign must visit places. Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien buy a plot of land and newly reclaimed become TsimShaTsui East waterfront where this is a place for him to build up their second Shangri-La hotel business. Shangri-La 5stars luxury hotel have change the world by brings the premium and enjoyable life to every guest who needs the best quality of services which the hotels are provided. Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien said that good opportunity is seldom presented and is easily lost. To become a successful entrepreneur, you need to keep your eagle eyes, ready for a good opportunity and seize it at a right time.

(by Lee Chia Ching)

                Robert Kuok is a very quick learner, when he is not has their sugar business he is a helper of rice trading department, and he is learn about the trading business. He is feel that the beside the rice and wheat granulated sugar was very important in the food sector, and he also feel that when children threw tantrums at night, you just had to give them some sugar to calm them, otherwise the parents would not have the energy to work the next day, so they could set the prices high, so Robert Kuok feel the sugar business could really make profits. But in 1963, Robert Kuok became too bold, in May or June he took 100,000 until 200,000 tons of sugar in preparation for the futures market. At that period he understand, if the country became shortage of sugar they will be a change to earn more and more profit. Robert Kuok when he is young he can speak English, The businessmen in London and New York were curious that he is a young Chinese, but he can speak a good English, so he was easy to approach them. 

                Not only for the sugar the hotel he also become a famous brand name around the world, Robert Kuok feel that the China will have the world’s most prosperous tourism industry because China has many historical relics and sites. These idea his came out is when he first went travel in China but he feel the facilities, especially toilet, were very poor, and China was unable to attract international tourists, so Robert Kuok feel that the China’s tourism industry must be developed, so he must help them develop. In 1984 years, when Chang’anAvenue in Beijing was about to see huge changes. Mr. Kuok and the ministry of foreign trade invested US 500 million to build the China World Trade Center.

                Robert Kuok become a monopoly in sugar production space of Malaysia producing 80% of Malaysia’s sugar and 10% of world’s sugar. That’s precisely how Mr. Kuok got his nick name, that is “ the Sugar King of Asia” Naturally, this ambitious and immensely clever business did not just stop at that. He started a chain of hotels, the famous “Shangri-la” which is now spread out through the world and is all set to open its 71^st hotel. Not only Mr. Kuok has sugar and hotel business, he also got bread-MASSIMO brand, oil-Sari Murni brand, even Golden Screen Cinemas also is his business. All of the business he has is got related and his business more focus on the product or service we are needed, the consumer can’t live without the necessary product. Robert Kuok also has help the people and their employee, because he has their own plan and strategy, when the company treat their employee good, give them a good benefit, then the employee will more effectiveness, then the consumer will satisfaction, the profit the company can earn sure will increase.

(by Khor Yeow Ping)

Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien, he claims he began in business as an office boyafter that he started a business with relatives support. Upon graduation, he worked as a clerk in the rice trading department of Japanese industrial conglomerate Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha between 1942 and 1945. In Singapore, a conglomerate which with the help of Japanese military unit monopolized the rice trade in Malaya during the occupation period. He was soon promoted to head the rice trading department. After the war, he took the skills he learned from the Japanese and back to his family business in Johor. Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien senior died in 1948 and he with his two brothers and a cousin Kuok Hock Chinfounded Kuok Brothers SdnBhd in 1949 with trading agricultural commodities. In 1949, he formed Malayan Sugar Manufacturing Co. Bhd together with two prominent Japanese partners and he also brought many influential Malay elite into his company as director and shareholder which include UMNO politician and Malay royalty. In 1961, he made a coup by buying a cheap sugar from India before the sugar prices shot up and he also continued to invest highly in sugar refineries. Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien controlled 80% of the Malaysia sugar market with production of 1.5 million tonnes which equivalent to 10% of world production so that he earned his nickname “Sugar King of Asia”. Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien companies have investments in many countries which is Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Mainland China, Indonesia, Fiji and Australia. His business in China include 10 bottling companies for Coca Cola, and he also ownership of the Beijing World Trade Centre. 

Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien is the richest person in Malaysia, he exited the media business in December 2015 when he sold Hong Kong South China Morning Post to Alibaba for $265million and he had purchased a 35% stake in the now 112-year-old newspaper from Rupert Murdoch in 1993. The deal also included the Hong Kong editions of Esquire, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazzar and other titles. The Chinese Malaysian tycoon’s Kuok group controls an empire the high-end hotel chain Shangri-La, Kerry Properties and commodities trader Wilmar. Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien starts trading rice, sugar and wheat flour in Malaysia in 1949 and in Singapore 1953. A big source of his wealth is stake in palm oil giant WilmarInternational, which is run by his nephew Kuok Khoon Hong a Singapore billionaire. His political influence is attested by his having selected as one of the Hong Kong Affairs Advisors in the run up to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong and his minority stake in CITIC Pacific. He was also an instrumental in conveying information and setting up the meeting between Malaysia and China governments to leading full diplomatic cross recognition of the two countries. In February 2014, Kuok’s Singapore based oil services company PACC Offshore Services Holding (POSH) started pre-IPO talks with investors to list on the Singapore Stock Exchange to raise $400 million.

(by Lai Jordon)

Cheers!! Have a nice day