Equipped with a Master of Pharmacy Degree, Mr David Ho successfully leveraged his talent as research pharmacist, inventor, and entrepreneur to build a home-grown pharmaceutical and biotechnology business. His list of “firsts”– first to extract tocotrienols from palm oil, first to invent and market dispersible ampicillin tablets, first Malaysian soft gel plant, to name a few. Mr Ho developed the only process known to-date of extracting tocotrienol, a powerful anti-oxidant believed to have applications in anti-cancer and tumour treatment and reducing cholesterol build-up. The Group is now the largest supplier of tocotreinols in the world with the US being its largest market, and is also the largest exporter of locally manufactured drugs, exporting to more than 30 countries. Mr Ho and his team designed in-house the Group’s production plants which have been conferred prestigious international accreditations.

Mr Ho’s keen interest in R&D is evident; apart from having the largest number of personnel with 2 in-house research centers, Hovid has formed alliances with research scientists in prestigious overseas universities. He actively serves in the Malaysian Organization of Pharmaceutical Industries. @ Sept 04

YM Tengku Dato’ Ibrahim Petra’s exposure to oil and gas began when he started his career with Petronas. After a couple of years of employment and a brief service as the Consul General at Los Angeles, Tengku established Petra Resources to re-connect his passion with the oil and gas business. Over the years, the Group grew from strength to strength on principles founded on a coherent growth approach. YM Tengku lays great store upon exceptional and consistent quality services to customers. Along the way, the Group clinched long term service contracts from several oil majors, received many excellence local and international awards as well as becoming listed on the Bursa Malaysia in 2000. Corporate social responsibility is also a top priority and the Group has won numerous awards for best practices.

Today as a fully fledged integrated service provider, the Group provides a comprehensive range of products and services to the upstream sector in Malaysia, Republic of Sudan and the North Sea. Under YM Tengku’s leadership, Petra is well positioned to be recognized global oil and gas service provider. @ Sept 04

A true rags to riches story, Mr James Lee Yoon Wah started working odd jobs during the day at aged 15 and toiled the nights at his own venture, manufacturing TV antenna brackets and air-condition pulleys with rudimentary equipment. Taking cue from the infrastructure development boom in the country then, he ploughed into the cable management scene through savings and borrowings painstakingly procured. Working under the most trying of times, he established himself a reputation as a reliable manufacturer producing high quality products. In 1999, he ventured into manufacturing of integrated ceiling system and soon thereafter into the manufacturing of roof battens.

Mr Lee steered his enterprise through successive periods of recession, each time emerging stronger than his competitors, and each time investing into state-of-the-art technology during these periods.

Mr Lee’s hands-on approach to quality and reliability over the last two decades resulted in U-Li Corporation being listed in 2002 on Bursa Malaysia. Having garnered a significant share of the domestic market, the Group is now poised to expand overseas. Mr Lee actively supports many charitable causes. @ Sept 04

In response to the worldwide demand in the early 90s, Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Dr. Lim Wee-Chai and his wife founded Top Glove in 1991 with the vision of exporting Made-in-Malaysia gloves to every corner of the world. The price slump in the mid 90s which drove many players out of the industry was a significant hurdle which Top Glove overcame with perseverance and shrewd management.

In a little over 13 years, the Group now has 7 factories in Malaysia, 2 in Thailand and 1 in China, with a production capacity of more than 9 billion pieces of gloves per annum and exports to 145 countries worldwide. A strong advocate of knowledge, Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Dr. Lim Wee-Chai favourite personal philosophy is “Must Know, Must Do, Must Teach”. Listed on the Bursa Malaysia in 2001, Top Glove has won numerous local and international quality accreditations and excellence awards.

Recently Top Glove overtook Kimberly Clark to become the world’s Number One disposable latex and synthetic glove manufacturer. Under Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Dr. Lim visionary leadership, Top Glove is poised to remain in this position for many years to come. @ Sept 04

Trained in textile engineering, Mr Ma Wong Ching started in Singapore as a fabric supplier and thereafter set up a textile factory in Malaysia. To overcome increasing costs of imports, Mr Ma then set up his own spinning operations in 1990. Over time, he diversified the business into a vertically integrated state-of-the-art production setup supplying products to the likes of Nike, Sears, and Wal-Mart. Its setup, coupled with strategically located factories, render it the cost effective edge crucial in fending off fierce competition from manufacturers in India and China.

Today, Ramatex is by far the largest textile company on Bursa Malaysia with a market capitalization in excess of RM1.4 billion. Manufacturing plants span 7 countries from Namibia to China, with an annual production capacity of 50 million kg of yarn, 40 million kg of fabrics and 8 million dozen apparel, employing over 22,000 employees with annual revenue exceeding RM1.2 billion.

Under Mr Ma’s leadership Ramatex continues its global push and is poised to achieve its target of meeting 0.1% of the global demand in the near future. @ Sept 04

In 1973, Dato’ Teo Chiang Kok, then 26, an electrical engineer equipped with a Masters in Management Science, took the helm of the budding property development division of a family-owned business, the See Hoy Chan Group.

Under Dato’ Teo’s leadership, the property division spearheaded numerous highly successful housing development projects reputed for exceeding buyers’ expectations such as Damansara Utama, Damansara Jaya, and Bandar Utama delivering an aggregate of 15,000 units of residential homes. Commercial projects spanning 15 million square feet of commercial space created throughout Malaysia were also much sought after. The highly successful 1 Utama Shopping Centre was awarded the coveted FIABCI Award for Distinction in Retail Development in 1997, further strengthening their brand name.

Another feather to the cap is KDU College founded in 1983, one of the first private Colleges in Malaysia and which pioneered the American Universities Transfer Programme. Now MSC accredited, the College prides itself with its impressive alumni of more than 25,000 graduates.

Deeply conscious of social responsibilities, Dato’ Teo participates in numerous commerce and green causes and contributes generously to charitable bodies. @ Sept 04