Inspiring Stories: People Whom Have Change The World

Mr Chiang Sang Sem the founder of Bonia and his son Chiang Fong Yee (standing)

Bonia Corp. Bhd. is an investment holding company, which engages in the market retail and distribution of leatherwear footwear men's apparel and accessories. It operates through the following segments: Retailing, Manufacturing, and Investment & Property Development. The Retailing segment designs, promotes and markets apparels footwear accessories and leather goods. The Manufacturing segment engages in the manufacture and market of leather goods. The Investment & Property Development segment consists of investment holding and rental and development of commercial properties. The company was founded by Chiang Sang Sem in 1974 and is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

He is the founder of BONIA. He was appointed to the Board on 16 June 1994 as Executive Chairman of the Company and is now the Executive Chairman cum Chief Executive Officer of the Group. His involvement in the leather industry spans a period of over 40 years. He possesses in-depth knowledge, skills and expertise in all aspects of the leatherwear trade. He is responsible for the overall business development and formulating the Group's strategic plans and policies. To ensure that the Group is very much in line with the trend of the fashion and technological changes in the leatherwear and fashion accessories industry, he travels extensively to Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Bangkok, Vietnam and Indonesia.He currently holds directorships in several subsidiaries of the Company and does not have any other directorships of public companies.His brothers, Chiang Sang Bon, Datuk Chiang Heng Kieng and his sons, Chiang Fong Yee, Chiang Fong Tat and Dato' Sri Chiang Fong Seng are also members of the Board.

BONIA Group has a network of over 1,200 sales outlets and 170 standalone boutiques throughout the world including countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei, Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Group continues to develop its global presence by forging strong networks with key partners around the world.In addition to its flagship fashion label, BONIA, the Group is also behind successful brands such as SEMBONIA and CARLO RINO, and holds the license to distribute international labels such as Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, Valentino Rudy, The Savile Row Company, Braun Buffel, Pierre Cardin, Enrico Coveri and Renoma.

-- Nadzreen Zulkilfi

Dato' Professor Jimmy Choo

Dato' Jimmy Choo, born Choo Yeang Keat, is a Malaysian fashion designer based in London, United Kingdom. He is best known for founding Jimmy Choo Ltd that became known for its handmade women's shoes.

Jimmy Choo's beginnings can be traced back to his workshop in Hackney, North London, which he opened in 1986 by renting an old hospital building. His craftsmanship and designs were soon noticed and he came to the verge of international notability when his creations were featured in a record eight pages in a 1988 issue of Vogue. Patronage from Diana, Princess of Wales, from 1990 further boosted his image.

In 1996, he co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd with British Vogue magazine accessories editor Tamara Mellon.

In April 2001, Choo sold his 50% stake in the company for £10 million. He has since concentrated his work on the exclusive Jimmy Choo Couture line produced under license from Jimmy Choo Ltd. The Jimmy Choo London line, also known as Jimmy Choo Ready-To-Wear or, simply, Jimmy Choo, is under the purview of Mellon. The ready-to-wear line has expanded to include accessories such as handbags

Choo lives in London and is currently involved in a project to set up a shoemaking institute in Malaysia, where his iconic status is often evoked to inspire budding shoemakers and fashion designers. Jimmy Choo Ltd. produces some of the most expensive high-end shoes. His success has really put Malaysia on the map, and has made his homeland very much proud of him.

-- Alexander K. Regelmann

Robert Kuok

Among the most successful tycoons who rule the business-world, Robert Kuok, the Malaysian billionaire, is a living legend. No one would perhaps have had as many businesses as him, all of them so big. Robert Kuok, 91, had tried his hand in sugar-cane, oil, mining, flour, hotels, publishing and animal feed businesses, striking a huge success in whatever he touched. 

Kuok’s story is one of those inspiring rags-to-riches saga. His up-hill climb started as an office-boy, after which he became the clerk of a rice trading department in Singapore. Robert Kuok however, was a quick learner. Three years in the rice trading department helped him learn the trading business. He later began back the same in his home town of Johor along with his brothers and a cousin. Shortly after that, he founded the Malayan sugar manufacturing co, which quickly gained popularity. It went on to 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 Kuok got his nick name, ‘the sugar king of Asia’. 

Naturally, this ambitious and immensely clever businessman 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 71st hotel. The 91 year old now has a lot of investments in huge businesses in nearly all of the Asian countries, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia and lot of other non-Asian countries. With so many businesses in so many countries, this incredible business man believes that he is the “little string that ties the rings together”. Experts would often say that his speed and cleverness led to that near-impossible success. Also, the man, they say, was never afraid to collaborate with the rest of the world unlike the eastern businessmen of the early 20th century and that was one more thing that led to him being one of the most successful businessmen of the east.

As per the Forbes list, Robert Kuok was declared the Richest Man of Malaysia and the Second Richest in South East Asia. In the Forbes’ list of the richest men of 2013, he was ranked at 76th place. Kuok, who is now retired, will always be revered as one of the foremost eastern business men who gave birth to multinational business ventures for Malaysia and the world. His talent in business is unparalleled and his story continues to awe and inspire a lot of businessmen throughout the globe.

- Louis Phuah -

In 1925, a young sailor from Lho' Seumawe in Acheh by the name of Teuku Nyak Puteh settled 

in Penang to marry a quiet lass from Butterworth, Che Mah Hussein.As the modest couple began a new life in a village, it is unlikely they could in their wildest dreams have imagined that they would have a son who would some day become a legend.P. Ramlee became just that; an icon whose stature rang across the continent, the most consummate entertainer actor, director, singer, composer, storyteller – Malaysia has seen or is ever likely to.

It all began at a tiny address in Penang island – 4A Caunter Hall Road – a humble house typical of a Malay kampung structure raised on stilts with attap-thatched roofing, corrugated sheets of iron, and wooden floors.The house still stands at the road, which some 10 years after his death was renamed Jalan P. Ramlee and now draws streams of curious visitors and tourists.

Lush, open-spaced and idyllic, the environment of the place, dotted with swaying coconut trees, was ripe for nurturing the spirited, romantic passion of an artistic heart.Ramlee was born in this house of his maternal grandmother on March 22 – on the festive day of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri – of 1929. After 44 days he was taken to his parents' home in Kampung Jawa, but in later years kept coming to Caunter Hall till his groundbreaking move to the illustrious studio of the Shaw Brothers in Singapore.

Ramlee is said to have taken to singing and storytelling very naturally at a tender age. Even as a teenager, his steady resonant voice so impressed his neighbours that he was frequently asked to be the muezzin and call out daily Muslim prayers at the Kampung Jawa Baru mosque.But it was the rendition of his celebrated song Azizah, composed in his early 20s for his first love, which thrust him on the threshold towards stardom.

In 1948, B.S. Rajhans, a Singaporean director scouting for talents, attended an agricultural show in which Ramlee's band just so happened to be invited to perform.Rajhans was instantly taken with the band and Ramlee's marvellous delivery of Azizah. He asked Ramlee and his friend Sukardi if they would be interested in a screen test for the Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Productions.

On the morning of August 8, Ramlee and Sukardi boarded a train at the Butterworth railway terminal, their excited minds set on the famed studio far south in Singapore.Rajhans himself later directed Ramlee's first movie called Chinta, which featured Siput Sarawak playing the female lead. Ramlee was cast as the villain and was also the background singer.

In his element – P. Ramlee and his wife, Saloma belting out a favourite accompanied by friends.

It is said that the young Ramlee eagerly took up any task during production and was willing to be cast in any role – hero or villain. With his beautiful voice, he later became the first Malay film star not to require a background singer.

It is understood that the days preceding Ramlee's sudden demise in 1973 were filled with strains in his personal life. But the impact he had made among his admirers was by then already indelible.

When he died of a heart attack at the age of only 45 years at his last home in Kuala Lumpur, he had acted in 60 films and directed 37.He has also crooned more than 250 original songs – including tunes that are now immortal classics such as Bunyi Guitar, Malam ku Bermimpi, Jeritan Batinku and the immensely melodious Jangan Tinggal Daku.

--Gurnaam Singh