A section of the over 500 participants at the talk.
KUCHING: Prominent local entrepreneur Tan Sri Datuk Tiong Su Kouk is living proof that success is possible through ambition and perseverance.
He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he gradually built up his business empire from the RM3.40 his father gave him at the age of 15.
With that insignificant amount of money, he began his career as a fishmonger, expanding his business every step of the way.
CCTV4, a 24-hour Chinese international channel, featured Tiong in 2014 as a successful businessman in Malaysia and called him ‘Malaysia’s king of frozen (aqua produce) industry’.
The CCTV4 interview was screened during a motivational talk conducted by the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Sarawak (Acccis) at the Islamic Information Centre here yesterday.
There, Tiong shared his success story with over 500 people from all walks of life.
During that interview, Tiong recalled that he started working as a rubber tapper from the age of eight until he turned 13 before receiving the capital of RM3.40 from his father.
Asked whether he did rubber tapping regularly, he quipped: “Not regularly but every day, except rainy days.”
Sibu-born Tiong was the youngest fishmonger at Sibu wet market in 1957.
As he expanded his business, he found that it was wasteful to throw away unsold aqua- produce so he imported frozen technology from outside Malaysia, venturing into processing and cold storage industries.
Tiong is said to be the first businessman in Malaysia to go into the cold storage business and today, his businesses range from aqua-produce processing and cold storage to shipbuilding and property development.
He is president of SK Tiong Group of Companies, chairman of CCK Consolidated Holdings Bhd (listed on Bursa Malaysia) and executive chairman of Nam Cheong Ltd (listed on the main board of the Singapore Stock Exchange).
In the interview, Tiong said he felt sorry for himself for having to quit school at such a young age, but he became more successful than many others who had tertiary education.
He had to give educational opportunities to his siblings, while he himself worked day and night to support his family.
As consolation, he could not have been more pleased today that all his (seven) siblings had turned out well in life.
“I have asked: ‘Why I should be the one quitting school?’. But I guess at some point in life, we have to make sacrifices,” he said during the interview.
With his bare hands, determination and farsightedness, Tiong was able to change the destiny of his family and make his fortune.
Presently, there are over 60 CCK outlets across Malaysia. After succeeding in the cold storage business, Tiong ventured into shipbuilding by partnering with China shipbuilders, and formed Nam Cheong.
He invested in property development through various projects in Sibu, Kuching, Bintulu, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.
The successful businessman is also a philanthropist who has set up a tertiary education fund named ‘Datuk Tiong Su Kouk and Datin Wong Bak Hee Tertiary Education Fund’ under Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Tiong has also contributed to Christian ministries through Tiong Kung Chuan Ting Chuo Kiew Methodist Theological Education Fund, which is named after his parents.
He is also the honorary president of Acccis. In 2005, he was leading four Foochow organisations – Sibu Foochow Association, Federation of Foochow Associations of Sarawak, Federation of Foochow Associations of Malaysia and World Federation of Fuzhou Associations. Among those attending the talk were Acccis president Hu Yu Siong and organising chairman Alex Ho Siew Hua.