4.1 BIOGRAPHY OF BOON SIEW
|
Ø Name
|
Loh Boon Siew
|
Ø
Place of birth
|
Chiah Cheo, Fujian Prowince, China
|
Ø Year
of birth
|
1916
|
Ø
Father
|
Loh Hui Chai
|
Ø Mother
|
Saw Kit
|
Ø Eldest
brother
|
Loh Seong Siew
|
Ø Sister
|
Loh Lun
|
Ø
Younger brother
|
Boon Chuan
|
Ø Wives
|
Oh Guat Sim,Ong Lay Wah
|
Ø Daughters
|
Loh Ean, Cheng Yean, Phoy Yean, Gim Ean
|
Ø Sons
|
Kar Bee, Kah Kheng
|
Ø Favourite
food
|
Char Koay Teow, Nasi Kandar, KFC
|
Ø Favourite
tid bits
|
Roasted Peanuts
|
Ø Favourite
drinks
|
Hennesy, Wine, Kopi-O
|
Ø
Favourite fruit
|
Oranges
|
Ø Hobbies
|
Collection Of Antiques, Fishing
|
Ø
Favourite movies
|
Martial Arts Dramas, TV Serials
|
Ø Previous
cars
|
Skoda, Chevrolet
|
In
about 1980, practically 10 motorcycles are on the roads, 7 of which are from
Honda Boon Siew. Conscious
or not the name of Boon Siew Honda motorcycles this is not coming from Japan but it is the name of the individual
responsible for bringing Honda motorcycles involved to Malaysia, the late Tan Sri Dato 'Loh
Boon Siew Historically, Tan Sri is an
illiterate and cannot read. Although he cannot write or read, but memory
Tan Sri is very good and he often relies on his memory and judgment in making
any decision. In addition, he was also a
visionary who always go out and be able to anticipate and prepare. This is the key to success today.
LIFE
Figure 1 : Family Loh Boon Siew
Tan
Sri Dato' Loh Boon Siew (1915–1995) also known as “Mr Honda”, was a Penang site
tycoon and the first sole distributor of Honda motorcycles in Malaysia. Datuk
Loh Boon Siew Hui comes from the village, district Fujian, a region that is
considered the poorest in China at one time. Family life Datuk Loh very poor
result he had never had the opportunity to go to school. Since childhood he worked collecting animal
dung as fertilizer in agriculture and fishing for sale as a supplement the
family income. When he was 12 years old,
his father took him to Penang to migrate and find a source of income. He was
told by his father worked in a mechanic shop.
They
both do not have the slightest time to have fun but to work hard to send money
to families who are in China. To earn
more, on the night he washed his bus and wage 10 cents per bus. At the age of 18, he decided to run their own
business and often figure out a way how to get the opportunity to do so.
As a
result of the money saved little by little, he then bought some mechanical
equipment, worth RM10.00 and 8 buses worth RM200.00 to be repaired and used as
a passenger bus. Every little while the
remaining profit be retained Rollover capital. In the past 7 years he has 40
buses and opens a store spare batteries and vehicles. After the Second World
War ended, Datuk Loh expanded its
business by opening a second-hand car shop and become distributors of some sort
of British motorcycles. In 1958, he
visited Japan for outings. In Japan he
saw a Honda motorcycle that has never been used in Malaysia and think maybe get
a good market if brought to here. After
detecting the producers who, he made a deal to order 12 units. This bike was later sold to his friend
without taking any profit.
Honda
motorcycle was carrying ridiculed by people who consider it useful and fast is
broken, but it did not dampen his desire to introduce the motorcycle so that by
the year 1963, Honda became the most sought after vehicles.
Figure 2 : Honda’s logo and motor
He
was the one who managed to put the Honda as the third largest vehicle sold in
the country since 3 years ago. He has reason to be proud of its success in the
business and corporate leaders, putting him as one of the richest in Penang and
from 10 leading figures in the Malaysian entrepreneurs. To this day, the name of Tan Sri is still on
par with corporate members while other prominent died in 1995.
Up
to now the legacy of Tan Sri is still strong in Malaysia as long as the Honda
brand motorcycles were on the road in Malaysia. This task will explore the
characteristics of entrepreneurship that exists on Tan Sri and he succeeded in
making him as one of the successful entrepreneurs even illiterate and do not
have any high academic background.
4.2 FEATURES ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Among
the features identified entrepreneurship Tan Sri is able to make her be a
successful and highly respected in Malaysia are:
4.2.1 OBSERVANT
During
a visit to Osaka, Japan in 1954, Tan Sri seen a small motorcycle or 'cub' found
to be suitable to be brought into Malaysia. Historically, Tan Sri able to
pursue these bikes to look more closely involved motorcycle
characteristics. This is because he
believes that the Honda motorcycle is very convenient to use because of its
small size and light weight suitable for Asians average small compared with
European-made bikes. At that point, Tan Sri can see motorcycles Honda 'cub' as
an opportunity for him to be sold in Malaysia.
Thus, Tan Sri had managed to convince the involved motorcycle
manufacturers Honda Motor Japan Limited to appoint him to be the sole
distributor of Honda motorcycles in Malaysia.
With this opportunity orientation features have succeeded
in making Tan Sri as a successful entrepreneur. Ability to sniff out opportunities clearly be
advantageous for an individual to become a successful entrepreneur.
4.2.2 VISIONARY
As a successful entrepreneur, Tan
Sri seen as a highly visionary for the company she set up to bring in Honda
motorcycles in Malaysia. This can be
seen from the construction of the first motorcycle factory in Malaysia, namely
Assembly Plant Boon Siew Boon Siew Sdn Bhd owned in Mak Mandin Industrial
Estate, Pulau Pinang. With the
construction of this plant in 1969, Honda motorcycle is no longer installed in
Japan but it was installed in Malaysia so as to save the cost of installation
and sales. With the construction of this factory, Boon Siew Sdn Bhd has also
introduced several new models of Honda motorcycles began in 1971, which Honda
model S90Z. On this day, there are
various types of Honda motorcycles in the market. With high-minded attitude is
what drives Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew to continue to succeed in the field of motoring.
Not all entrepreneurs have the ability to look ahead like Tan Sri. A positive attitude is the main weapon in his
efforts to continue to move forward in the motor industry in Malaysia.
Although
Tan Sri is an illiterate and do not have high academic background and formal,
this does not mean he cannot be a successful.
Armed with a powerful memory and spirit to move forward and succeed is
high, Tan Sri managed to manipulate his memory skills to become
successful. This is evidenced by the
success of Tan Sri to affect Japan's Honda Motor Limited appointed him as the
sole distributor of Honda motorcycles in Malaysia. His ability to influence the management of Honda Motor Limited
Japan is seen as a great success for the people of Malaysia. This is due not easy to influence the
management of Honda Japan let alone to bring their products to countries that
have been colonized by the Japanese. With
a negative perception of Malaysians in which arise may not want or do not want
to buy goods produced in a country that once colonized Brazil, Japan, to some
extent, do no interest Tan Sri to sell Honda motorcycles in Malaysia. Armed with high confidence that
there is at Tan Sri against this Honda a motorcycle, Honda motorcycle sales in
Malaysia have already reached over 2 million units to date. Confident
attitude for success, optimism and positive thinking is what has made the
Chairman of a successful entrepreneur.
Figure 3 : Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew riding
Honda motorcycle
Tan Sri is also seen as someone who has a high level of
commitment in the field of motoring. From a mechanical apprentice at the beginning
of his arrival in Malaysia until he managed to become the sole distributor
authorized to distribute and sell Honda motorcycles. His commitment is not only focused on selling
Honda motorcycles but solely on the basis of interest and commitment he set up
the first motorcycle factory in Malaysia, which is located in Mak Mandin in
1969. To become a successful entrepreneur like Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew, a person
must have a level of commitment and enthusiasm is very high on the field. With this commitment, it can help individuals
to become someone successful in their respective fields.
4.2.3 OPEN RISK TAKER
We
also found that Tan Sri is an entrepreneur who takes moderate risks. This can
be seen from the construction of motorcycle factory located in Mak Mandin. With
the construction of this factory, the sales and demand for motorcycles can be
met consistently. This is because in the
event of a problem in Japan, Honda motorcycle can still be issued and sold as
it is made in Malaysia alone. It also
indirectly reduce the cost of sales as a result of the import tax imposed on
each motorbike imported directly from Japan.
While Boon Siew Sdn Bhd has managed to become a
well-known and respected company in the field of motoring, Tan Sri decided not
to include a Boon Siew Sdn Bhd on Bursa Malaysia. To this day, Boon Siew Sdn
Bhd still be a private limited company. This in turn will ensure stability of
the company because the company's shareholding is limited to the family of Tan
Sri or stakeholders with Tan Sri alone.
4.2.4 OPEN CULTURE
This factor is also very important to the attention
of entrepreneurs. This is because the customer is what will determine the
success of a business. If the products provided fail to meet consumer
needs, a business could fail. The user is also the marketing
arm is best for businesses because if a superior product quality and meet their
needs, of course, the product will continue to be a concern them. Although Honda motorcycles from
Japan, the country that was once the colonial Malaysia one time, Tan Sri
believe that the motorcycles would be sold to the public interest. This was evident with only 12 years in the
field of motoring Malaysia; Honda motorcycles have gained status No. 1 Best
Seller Motorcycle in 1970. By leveraging
the motto "You meet the nicest people on a Honda", it indirectly
makes the Honda brand is very popular in Malaysia at the time.
Socio-cultural
factors are divided into two, namely changing demographics and social conditions
of local communities. Both of these
factors should be perfectly predictable it can help entrepreneurs to identify
potential and business opportunities. Socio-cultural factors can also identify
consumers' purchasing power. After the country gained independence in 1957, people on social trends when
it began to change. With only a bicycle
to a place like the office, the people of Malaysia at that time was introduced
by the colonial motorcycle before independence. But most of the motorcycle brought in by the
colonizers is large like Norton brand which is not in accordance with the size
of a small body of Malaysian society.
By looking at the socio-cultural situation that is changing this,
Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew had been successful in identifying new business
opportunities, namely by selling motorbikes small size and light weight, better
known by motorcycle 'cub'.
Figure
4 : Loh Boon Siew with his partner
4.2.5 PROACTIVE
Although Tan Sri is an illiterate and do not have high
academic background and formal, it does not prevent Tan from becoming a
successful entrepreneur. This can be
seen with the success of Honda motorcycle to become the number one bike in
Malaysia until today. Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew
is a person who has a level of very high memory. With high confidence of
success, Tan Sri seen has successfully identified a clear product is needed by
the people of Malaysia, namely small and light motorcycles. When Tan Sri
to Osaka, Japan in 1957, Tan Sri had seen a motorcycle that is small in size
and light in the streets of Osaka, Japan. And there was Tan Sri idea to
try to sell this type of motorcycles in Malaysia.
Thus, Tan Sri keeps in touch with Honda Motors of Japan
Limited for the rights to be the sole distributor in Malaysia. Tan Sri is also
seen to generate ideas that by building a motorcycle factory in Mak Mandin.
These proactive measures to make sure the bike Honda has managed to keep
demand in Malaysia. With the
construction of this plant, it can guarantee the stability of the selling price
of Honda motorcycles in Malaysia where factors increase import duties can be
minimized because the production of Honda motorcycles manufactured
domestically.
Besides active in the field of motoring, was also
expanding its retail business in property development, farming and hospitality
through its investment of Oriental Holdings Sdn Bhd. Oriental Rubber and Palm
Oil Sdn Bhd is a subsidiary of Oriental Holdings Sdn Bhd to develop business
ventures in the oil palm plantation sector in particular to Indonesia in 1994.
It showed Tan Sri is a creative person where he does not want to rely on one
business sector (motoring) only.
Through the above, we can see that the process of
creativity is needed to become a successful entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs do not have to be too creative
in identifying products that are marketed.
As Chairman, he just raised the idea during his visit to Osaka,
Japan. Ideas that arise suddenly or
"prompt idea 'This has made him a successful entrepreneur.