Be passionate, be open to changes
How do you think the industry you are in will evolve in the future? Currently, the fire safety industry in our country is starting to follow in the footsteps of its western counterparts by placing higher standards for fire safety measure in buildings. However, there is still room for improvement. This is because commercial fire safety is purely based on compliance with guidelines rather than selfawareness.
My aim is to slowly evolve that mindset into one that sees fire safety as one’s responsibility rather than compliance. In addition to that, strong emphasis should be placed on residential fire safety as most Malaysians take fire safety for granted.
People are still not concerned enough, with many having a lackadaisical attitude towards fire safety. Most people think “what are the odds of it happening to me” but the reported stats on residential fire cases prove otherwise.
Yet again, I hope that this mindset will evolve for the better and more people would take residential fire safety more seriously as it doesn’t take much effort or money to prevent fire accidents at home.
What advice can you offer those looking to start their career/own business? My best advice is to be passionate and constantly open to new learnings in that field. Nothing is constant in life; thus we should always be prepared for changes. As long as you have the passion for something, that passion will drive you to be the best at what you do and when you are the best at what you do, success will not be far behind.
What do you want to accomplish in the next five years? I aspire to be a pioneer in the residential fire safety industry and for every household in Malaysia to possess a complete understanding of the risks they face in fire safety as well as be adequately equipped to deal with these risks.
Best piece of advice you ever received on your career. I can recall two quotes that I hold on to till this very day:
“Be humble, be hungry and always be the hardest worker in the room.”
“Work so hard that one day your signature will be called an autograph.”
Most-admired business leader? Why? Elon Musk. Despite being highly intelligent and rich, he keeps his ego in check and maintains humility. His passion and drive to serve humanity and change the future shows his genuine altruistic behaviour.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced? And what did you learn from it? The biggest challenge was to gain the trust of someone when you have nothing to bring forth but a vision. I’ve learned that in life success does not come easily and if you believe in yourself and work hard enough, eventually the world can’t help but to believe in you, too.
A must-read for every business owner/ manager is ... Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People Do! by Robert H. Schuller. A book that teaches you how to build a positive selfimage regardless of what issues you face.
What are the top three factors you would attribute your success to? Intrinsic motivation, a solid educational foundation, and good work ethics.