Proactive - Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary

      Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary was born in Alor Setar, Kedah in 1951. His family came from Hadhramaut, Yemen. His father was always traveled till Southeast Asia to trade. In the mid 1940s, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar’s father decided to settle in Alor Setar, Kedah. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar is the third child of seven siblings. They are living in poverty as they live in wooden houses that do not have a bed, table or chair. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar started school in Alor Setar but when he reached the age of 9 years old, he was sent to live with his uncle, Syed Omar in Johor Bahru. He lived with his uncle until form two. Then, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar back to his hometown in Alor Setar and futher his studies up to form five in Saint Michael's School.

Due to his family circumstances who are less fortunate, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar helped his mother grow vegetables and sell them in the market located at Jalan Telok Wanjah to accommodate his family income. He also sells roti canai in the same market. After school, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar helped his father shearing the farm animals. However, in the 1970s, his father's livestock business decline due to the outbreak of foot and mouth. All animals die so soon. After that, he moved to the transportation business. In 1972, he succeeded in getting a permit for the four trucks of class A under Sentosa Motor Company. In 1974, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar bought its first house in Telok Wanjah Department, Alor Setar below under hire purchase agreement with Pebadanan Urban Development Authority (UDA). In 1975, he set up a company and apply for a license Shah trading of Bernas rice (formerly known as Lembaga Padi Negara). He managed to get a contract for the supply of rice to the FELDA MARA, Pernas trafficking and several subsidiaries of the Johor State Economic Corporation.

From supplying of the rice, he then expands to other commodities such as sugar by Bukhari Sdn Bhd. which remains till today. Now Bukhary Sdn. Bhd. reaching an annual turnover of £ 250 million. A year after Bukhary Sdn. Bhd. began operations, he established Bukhary (KL) Sdn. Bhd. for a contract to supply rice, tea, powdered chocolate, powdered milk, and ghee to the government. When he got the contract to supply it, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar set up Susu Mas Sdn. Bhd. in 1979, a joint venture with New Zealand Milk Products and markets its products under the brand Fernleaf and Ancor. However, due to the economic crisis, he was divest its stake in Milk Mas Sdn. Bhd, in the mid80s.

       Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar was invited to join the Canton Trade Expo, China in 1978. During his stay in China, he has performed with the barter system which converts the output of cocoa with tea from China. He subsequently had stepped into manufacturing military uniforms for the Ministry of Defence which is to supply the army of 120,000 pairs of shoes and 330,000 pairs of uniforms. As a result of this success, he founded Amtek Holdings to manufacture shoes and Oriental Garments Uniform Division to manufacture clothing. In 1998, Amtek Holdings was listed on the Second Board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE). The money raised from this listing Spark Manshop he had bought for the manufacture and marketing of branded apparel Crocodile. Now, a subsidiary of Amtek, Amtek Holdings Garments Sdn Bhd. has released military footwear and clothing designer Lee Cooper and Louis.

      He also has been involved with shipping business by establishing Bukhari Shipping and register with the Treasury. Bukhari Shipping acts as ships marker under the cabotage policy. Shipping Bukhari also via Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar bought a German-made ship which was 28 years in the US1 million dollars. The vessel was named Angsa Mas and used to transport rice from Thailand to Sabah and Sarawak. However, the business suffered heavy losses forced him to sell his ship at US600,000 dollars. At the same time, he began to get involved in a number of housing projects under Bukhary Development Company.

Tan Sri Mokhtar also involved in the privatization of Johor Port Sdn. Bhd. and Johor Tenggara Oil Plam Sdn. Bhd. He bought Johor Port through tender at a price of RM 330 million. Johor Tenggara Oil Palm Sdn. Bhd. was bought at the price of RM 135 million. Through the Johor Port Sdn. Bhd, he was successful in their projects Port of Tanjung Pelepas. He managed to popularize the port so that it can convince the two international shipping company, Maersk Sealand of Denmark and Evergreen Marine of Taiwan to be moved from the Port of Tanjung Pelepas.

      He also managed to establish Equiventure Sdn. Bhd. (the privatization of the water), a joint venture between his company, Business Dynamics and company Oneo of France. Dynamic Kembangan holding in the company stood at 49 per cent. He also bought the engineering company MMC Corporation at a price of RM 3 per share from Saham Nasional Berhad (PNB). Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar also owns 22.7 percentage stake in Malakoff Berhad, the electricity supply company and 20 per cent stake in IJM Corporation Berhad where the main business is manufacturing.

      In addition, he also has 18 percent of stake in Bernas and a 32 percent stake in Pernas International Holdings Berhad, a large conglomerate in the future. Meanwhile, 18.7 per cent stake in Fiamma Holdings Berhad, the marketing company and distributor of electronics and a 100 percent interest in the company's retail and distribution of books MPH.

      Lastly, its clearly shows that Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar is a proactive entrepreneur which always seems tend to take action and persevere in challenging situations. He is very good at locating opportunity and then pursuing it relentlessly.