BFM 89.9 and Mydin

I am on station hopping (again) now that I listen to Fly FM (95.8), BFM (89.9) and Traxx FM (90.3). Amongst those 3, my darling for the moment is BFM 89.9. You could see its quirky, eye-catching, tongue twisting ads on our taxis (e.g. Bankers Flee Mortgages, Bacteria Free Minute, Bankers Financiers Moneymakers etc.).

A cutting edge station, this business radio station allows you to know what’s happening in business – locally and globally – through your ears. It has snapshots of market updates, brilliant interviews with business leaders, great tips from money gurus intermingling with myriad selection of music that always reminds me of Datuk Idris Jala (because I think he likes this kind of selection).

On morning, I was running late for work – traffic jam, as usual, was the culprit - (again...shish…sure dapat surat cinta bulan ni) with not a tinge of stress (I’ve mastered not to fuss about this because those who do are simply senseless and brainless) and I came across BFM’s interview with Mydin Mohamed Holding Berhad MD, Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin. If I wasn’t in the bus, I knew I would have cried my heart out (though a drop or two ran streamed down my cheeks).

So, why he touched me so much (err…I know I make crying as one of things to do on weekly basis)? His words give me hopes (when hopes are fast depleting nowadays in my life) – a person who believes in persistence, hard work and Allah’s guidance to grow his family business, to help local traders marketing their products, providing jobs to many (especially now when others are laying off their staff, Mydin is hiring more staffs). He said that they chose to use their father’s name as the company name so that they won’t tarnish the good name of his father through their business misbehaviour and they should keep the company alive and growing in honour of their beloved father, who started their first Mydin in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, in 1986.

If any of their children wanted to join the company, they have to work somewhere else first when they finished their studies (if I’m not mistaken for about 5 years for exposure and gaining expertise) and be married with kids (perhaps, to have that sense of responsibility and accountability i.e. they can’t be playing around with the future of their kids and many more family breadwinners working for the company).

I wish we could have more CEOs like him out there in Malaysia. He is indeed a rare species of CEO who cares for the people his company deals with- the staff, the traders - and not merely P&L, and one who works towards fulfilling his fardhu kifayah.

p.s. - Ops, did I tell you he graduated from Western Michigan University in Chemistry? Yours truly got her Biochemistry. I wonder if it takes an outsider to set the business right. Look at what the capitalists have done to many innocent people all over the world - losing their jobs, their homes, their moneys, and sadly, their dignity too.

There’s 5-Minute Interview with Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, which I want you to read. I like it so much when he mentioned, “As a son, no money can buy the quality time I spend with them. The moments I truly cherish now are the ones I spend with my parents”.

My salute to those people who think highly of their parents, when they themselves have attained more than their parents.