KUCHING: Success in business is decided by many different factors, but race is certainly not one of them. For entrepreneurial success, the bumiputera mindset has to be “adjusted and corrected”.
“This is because too many bumiputeras are easily overcome by negative thoughts even before they start venturing into business, and in that frame of mind they become fearful and quickly lose their confidence,” said Serba Dinamik Holdings Berhad (SDHB) group managing director Datuk Dr Mohd Abdul Karim Abdullah (pic) during an exclusive interview with New Sarawak Tribune and its sister paper Suara Sarawak yesterday.
“It very much goes back to the individual themselves, regardless of whether they are bumiputeras or not,” he added.
He noted that too many statements have been made which “belittled the bumiputeras”.
“This creates a psychological effect — a mindset of ‘I cannot be successful because I am bumiputera’.
“This mindset has to be adjusted and corrected,” Mohd Abdul Karim said.
“Everyone is created by God with similar body components — eyes, nose, hands, brain, and so on. So, what do you want to be?” he asked.
Being a recipient of the ‘Bumiputera Entrepreneur Awards’, Mohd Abdul Karim’s advice for Bumiputera entrepreneurs was to not put the blame on other people.
Using a health analogy, he pointed out that a person with hypertension would place the blame on salt, while a diabetic would point the accusing finger at sugar.
“The real issue here is — who is actually the one to blame? It is the respective individual himself or herself who consumes too much salt or sugar,” he stated.
Sarawakian Mohd Abdul Karim founded SDHB in 1993, starting as a service provider for rotating equipment and then rapidly developing over the years into a noteworthy global player.
The astute mechanical engineer-turned-entrepreneur has elevated Sarawak’s oil and gas industry to greater heights through his keen ambition and vision.
One of his most current achievements is becoming the non-executive director of Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad (SCIB) as of August 1, and also its non-independent chairman as of October 1.
