NCS Science Sdn Bhd has been recognized at the Asia Halal Brand Awards 2025, marking a significant achievement in the health and wellness manufacturing sector. The recognition highlights the company’s commitment to quality, compliance and innovation, while reinforcing its position as a leading Halal food supplement manufacturer in Malaysia and across the region.

The recognition also reflects a broader shift in the industry. Brands that focus on quality, transparency, and long-term consumer trust are increasingly standing out in a competitive market. NCS Science’s growth shows how these factors contribute to building a sustainable and trusted brand.

A Legacy of Brands

NCS Science brings over 15 years of experience in Original Brand Manufacturing (OBM) and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM). The company has worked with more than 900 brands, supporting businesses in developing and launching their products.

A key focus for NCS Science is the development of Brands, which emphasize trust, natural ingredients, and long-term value. This includes the use of carefully sourced, quality-assured ingredients under stringent supervision to meet the expectations of today’s health-conscious consumers.

The company provides end-to-end services, covering formulation, sourcing, branding, packaging, and regulatory compliance. This integrated approach allows businesses to streamline their processes and build stronger, more consistent brands.

Elevating the Consumer Experience

The Asia Halal Brand Awards 2025 recognition reflects NCS Science’s focus on customer success and product quality. In today’s market, consumer experience plays a key role in brand growth and retention.

NCS Science operates facilities certified with HALAL, HACCP, GMP, MeSTI, FDA, ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 standards. These certifications ensure that products meet strict safety and quality requirements across food supplements, functional beverages, gel and jelly categories.

This level of quality assurance supports consumer confidence, while giving business owners a stronger foundation to build trust and long-term loyalty.

Why This Matters for Brands

For entrepreneurs and companies planning to enter food supplement market, this recognition highlights the importance of working with a reliable and experienced manufacturing partner.

NCS Science provides access to the growing global Halal market, along with innovative product formats such as powders, jellies, chewables, and liquid sachets. Its full-service capabilities also allow businesses to focus on branding and growth while manufacturing processes are handled efficiently.

Ultimately, a strong product remains the foundation of any successful brand, and manufacturers like NCS Science play a key role in supporting that process.

IMPORTANT

RE:      SME Digitalisation Engagement Plan – Property Insight & enterpreneur insight

We, Armani Media Sdn Bhd are the sole owner and/or operator of Property Insight and Enterpreneur Insight. By way of authorisation and collaboration with MDEC and Penjana, we have crafted and offered certain packages via Property Insight and Enterpreneur Insight (“our package”) to assist SMEs pursuant to the SME Digitalisation Engagement Plan (“the grant”).  

It has came to our attention recently that there have been third party(s) collecting payments from the public through marketing and/or offering our package to the public. To clarify, we have not authorised nor collaborated with any third party to market or promote the package, nor is there any referral and/or recommendation services that can be provided by any third party in relation to our package.  

Our management has taken steps to engage legal advices on the necessary steps forward. In the meantime, all our clients and any interested member of the public are advised to exercise caution by dealing directly with us to avoid any loss and damages. We shall not accept any form of liability and responsibility arising from any engagements made through any third party. 

Thank you.

ARMANI MEDIA SDN BHD

9^TH FEBRUARY 2021

Of this, five are owned by this enterprising 34-year-old who pioneered this new food concept in Malaysia while the rest of the outlets belongs to his franchisees whose sizes range from 1,500 to 2,500 sq ft. Kiosk concept with 100 to 250 sq ft are also available.

While many of the MyeongDong Topokki outlets are housed in shopping centres such as One Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya , Palm Mall in Seremban and Sunway Putra Mall in Kuala Lumpur, there are also those located outside of the malls like its eateries in Terengganu and SS15, Subang Jaya in Selangor.

Vincent revealed plans are underway for MyeongDong Topokki to further expand its franchise restaurant chain, including into the states of Kedah and Kelantan. His move into the East Malaysian market is expected to take place next year.

Come this December, MyeongDong Topokki will be making his first overseas foray into Jakarta in view of Indonesia’s huge market and strong demand.

To catch up with his expansion plans and future directions, Entrepreneur Insight met up with him recently at the latest MyeongDong Topokki located on ground floor of the integrated Bangi Gateway shopping complex in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor where its franchisee was doing a trial run-in prior to its opening of this latest that weekend.

Describing MyeongDong Topokki outlets as “a piece of art”, Vincent said unlike the traditional restaurants with their four blank walls, they capture the vibrancy of MyeongDong, with its shopping outlets and casual eateries.

Even the door of its open kitchen concept is used to creatively depict MyeongDong Toppoki as a station being linked to its Bangi Gateway stop.

Featuring an open kitchen concept, where its customers can not only see the crew preparing their food, its outlets have been designed to encourage the millennials, its targeted group, to actively post and share their pictures eating here on their social media platforms. Thus, it is not surprising to see the millennials depicted on one side of its wall.

Vincent recalled, “When I was at Myeongdong Street in Seoul, South Korea five years ago, I was amazed by its colourful and attractive display of street food. I was very excited to try the street food here from stall to stall and they tasted awesome!

“Upon returning to Malaysia, I craved for them and went around the Klang Valley in search for something similar but was sorely disappointed that nothing came close to what Myeongdong has to offer.”

Feeling it was high time for Malaysians to enjoy some authentic Korean street food, he flew back to South Korea in search of a five-star chef and researched further on Myeongdong’s street food.

He wanted his first fast-casual Korean restaurant catering to the millennials whose spending habits and lifestyle are different from the baby boomers or Gen X to be differentiated from other Korean food that are in the market.

“Generally, Korean food is divided into two market segments: barbeque stuff and fried chicken. With no strong players for Korean street food in Malaysia, that is where our forte lies,” adding that his other ammunition
lies in the use of quality ingredients for his MyeongDong Topokki recipes.

After gathering the recipes and ingredients needed to create delectable Korean street food, Vincent returned home to start MyeongDong Topokki as a fast-casual dining concept with the tagline, Eat Once, Crave More.

The success of his first two outlets in Sunway Pyramid and 1 Utama Shopping Centre, which opened in 2014 and 2015, saw steady growth of its client base and positive response from the market. In 2016, he opened his third, fourth and fifth outlets. Franchising MyeongDong Topokki was the next natural step from then onwards for him.

On why he selected the food the beverage (F&B) of all industries, Vincent replied, “I saw its untapped potential. When you think of coffee, what comes to mind is the Starbucks brand and for burgers, it is McDonalds but for Korean street food, there is no dominant player. Thus, began my MyeongDong Topokki journey.”

He also believes in pandering to the local market’s needs where Malaysians enjoy spiciness in their food, which resulted in the Pedasss Chick-Yun Challenge at Paradigm Mall in August. Pedasss Chick-Yun Challenge is a yearly event by MyeongDong Topokki.

In line its casual street food in a restaurant setting and to create an inviting appeal, Vincent said its dishes are garnished and high quality is maintained. For instance, our topokki are made using rice instead of flour.

“At the same time, we also provide value meal sets, which cater to the local demand. Innovation is our company’s core value and key to our survival and success.” “When coming out with a new menu, we always look at global trends and remove the obsolete items in our previous menu. Merely doing market study is not the answer. You have to listen closely to the market to find out what is most suitable to push out and customers are always open to try new things.”

On the importance of branding for MyeongDong Topokki, he saw winning Asia Halal Brand Awards (AHBA) under the Best Fast Casual Korean Street Food Restaurant category as a leap forward. “It establishes us as the best halal fast-casual Korean food in the market.

“With halal being an important aspect of life for the majority-Muslim population in Malaysia, we believe we can create confidence among our Muslim customers to enjoy the best Korean street food without any qualms.”

A recent report valued the global halal food industry at US$1.6 trillion in 2018 and forecast it to reach US$2.9 trillion by 2024. “MyeongDong Topokki intends to enter into the fast-moving consumer goods industry to distribute halal Korean food into the market,” disclosed Vincent, who is also on a expansion drive to expand his franchise business beyond Malaysian shores to other countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

He had explored other business avenues before venturing into F&B. They included trading and oil palm but then Vincent realised these two industries are very mature and are controlled by the big boys. He also invested in real estate before but had moved out from the property market in 2013 and 2014 when he saw its prices started to slide.

With the entrepreneur spirit burning within him, Vincent confessed he had felt restless during his banking days when he was handling the private wealth of his bank’s crème de la crème customers. “I was exploring my options already at that time. Since most of them were successful entrepreneurs, a topic commonly discussed was how to solve the problems at hand. It was not about their company’s profit and loss. That triggered the entrepreneur spirit in me as I enjoy finding solutions to problems.”

On some of the challenges faced in his own entrepreneurship journey, Vincent cited funding as one of them during the early years. To overcome this, he would join forces with others in pull in more monetary and financial resources.

At one stage, he was doing everything himself and did not even have time to enjoy a cup of coffee. Having lost his father at a tender age of 11, Vincent had been brought up to be very independent.

He learnt the art of delegating tasks to others later when he turned entrepreneur. “Getting a strong team together, nurturing and giving them career growth was another challenge that I faced.”

With a staff force of about 300 employees including those in operations, he shared, “We have built up a strong team of talented individuals who are focused, passionate and specialised in their own fields to propel our business forward.

“Monthly, we imbue into them our company’s direction and remind them that they are important as I believe a sense of ownership is vital to our company’s success.”

On how he has got to be where he is today and whether there was any mentor behind him, Vincent responded, “No one specifically but I read voraciously. I can finish a book weekly, be it in finance, literacy, business, properties, F&B or a novel. That is where I gain the knowledge and information to thrive in this real and tough world.

“As I mentioned earlier, entrepreneurship involves solving problems, and the keys to its success are perseverance and persistence. It is determined by the number of people the enterpreneur brings up along in his life’s journey.

“While a businessman’s objective is to make money, an entrepreneur is one who builds a brand and a future for his people. He or she is constantly innovating. However, this does not always mean the most talented or knowledgeable individual will be successful.

“The story of the tortoise and the hare is a good example. The hare was very confident in winning the race as it can run faster but lacks the perseverance and persistence of the tortoise, which finally won the race.

To the start-ups, Vincent’s tips for them are,

VStories about self-made success often start from hardship, but Vincent Nee’s path stands out for a different reason. His journey did not rely on dramatic poverty or inherited wealth. Instead, it was defined by bold decisions, early failures, disciplined learning and a belief that knowledge is the strongest foundation for long-term wealth.

Today, Nee’s rise is often highlighted in entrepreneur malaysia news because his journey reflects the kind of determination and strategic thinking seen in many modern founders. His story continues to inspire young people seeking business opportunities in Malaysia, especially those who may not follow a traditional academic route.

A Young Man Who Wanted More Than a Conventional Path

Like many students, Nee once imagined the familiar route of completing a degree and pursuing a stable career. But classrooms began to feel unfulfilling. He wanted to earn money, learn quickly and understand how real wealth was created. It soon became clear to him that a college degree was not the only path forward.

His turning point came after reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. The book opened his eyes to real estate investment and the concept of passive income. It sparked a question that would change his life: How do property owners earn so much from rent?

He soon discovered that some landlords were earning returns as high as 70 percent from a single property. This insight became the seed of his entrepreneurial journey.

The Hostel Concept That Changed Everything

With no savings of his own and only pocket money from his parents, Nee explored the idea of creating a hostel by renting homes and subletting rooms. The strategy was simple, but the execution required courage and conviction. He partnered with college mates who believed in the idea and turned them into business partners.

Within a short time, they began earning impressive rental returns. Encouraged by their results, Nee made a decision that would define his early career. He dropped out of college to focus entirely on the hostel business.

Massive Setbacks and a Painful Loss

Success did not come without cost. Nee faced one of the biggest challenges of his life when he lost RM150,000 in multi-level marketing and forex schemes. To repay his debts, he took on three jobs while continuing to grow his hostel business, expanding from ten to twenty houses.

He regained financial stability with RM40,000 monthly income, only to be hit again by a second crisis. His own business partners and staff swindled RM500,000 from the company. The emotional toll was immense, especially coming from people he trusted deeply.

Yet Nee refused to let betrayal define him. He said:

“Without pain and suffering, we would never learn from our mistakes. To make it right, going through pain and suffering is the key to all windows of our life.”

Instead of withdrawing, he doubled down on self-improvement.

Turning Setbacks Into Wisdom

To rebuild himself, Nee invested heavily in property investment courses and corporate management training. He believed that the only way to grow was to increase his personal value through knowledge.

He admitted that no one could give him the guidance he desperately needed during his setbacks. Looking back, he refuses to blame anyone. Instead, he acknowledges that his earlier mistakes came from poor management and misplaced trust.

“I learned to be more aware of corporate partners and team members. Trust is the key in a business.”

This mindset is now a core part of his philosophy and something he teaches through his academy.

Building Vince Academy |  A Platform for Financial Education

With renewed purpose, Nee founded Vince Academy, an educational platform designed to teach individuals how to create wealth through real estate. The academy focuses on practical knowledge, combining real-life experience with professional guidance. This aligns with the growing trend of Malaysians seeking financial literacy and alternative pathways to wealth creation.

Vince Academy’s philosophy is simple:

• Real experience matters
• Knowledge must be shared
• Wealth creation is a skill that can be taught

Today, the academy has more than 700 participants and aims to help at least 1,000 individuals become millionaires in the coming years. Nee even envisions turning Vince Academy into a public-listed company one day.

Empowering Others Through Knowledge

Unlike old-fashioned business cultures that hoard information, Nee believes that sharing fuels progress. With information available at everyone’s fingertips, he argues that teaching others does not reduce one’s own success.

He says:

“Having one more person doing what I do is not going to take anything away from me. It will only make that person more prosperous. Sharing is always greater than withholding.”

This principle has become central to Vince Academy, guiding its mission to uplift aspiring investors and business owners.

A Vision Built on Teamwork

Nee attributes much of his progress to the people around him. He strongly believes that teamwork accelerates success.

“Alone, we can only do so little, but together we do more than you can imagine.”

He is committed to ensuring that his team grows alongside the company. To him, employee recognition and shared success are essential to a healthy corporation.

Conclusion | Success Without a Traditional Blueprint

Nee’s story challenges the belief that success requires a strict academic path. His achievements serve as a reminder that passion, discipline and continuous learning often matter more than formal qualifications.

For many young Malaysians seeking business opportunities in Malaysia, his journey shows that setbacks do not define the future. Instead, resilience and knowledge can transform a struggling entrepreneur into a leader who uplifts others.

Vince Academy’s rapid growth and Nee’s commitment to education continue to be featured in the business media company malaysia space, inspiring many who are still finding their way.

His story proves one thing: with the right mindset, even the toughest chapters can become stepping stones toward a stronger, more purposeful future.

By: Jotham Lim

Mingling around the property investors’ community, several names of property educators or “gurus” have been brought up multiple times. Some malicious ones have brought investors down a rabbit hole, spreading misinformation and deceit within the community. However, some have genuinely helped turn people’s lives around for the better, triggering true rags to riches stories.

Several community members have recommended Entrepreneur Insight the “Property Knight” who goes by the name KY Lim. KY is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of KYY Empire, a property investment consultancy that specializes in market-leading solutions that focus on maximizing returns and offer high capital growth.

KY goes beyond just the property market and is actively involved in the entrepreneurship community, conducting multiple workshops and sharing sessions on the subject matter.

We decided to reach out to KY Lim, to learn more about his company, his thoughts and his vision. It was no easy feat trying to schedule an interview with KY, as he was travelling all over the country and around the world in an attempt to help as many people as possible.

But fortunately, we managed to have a conversation with KY. Speaking with KY Lim has certainly taught us many things about what it means to become an entrepreneur. One thing is for certain, the amount of energy radiating from his personality is none like the other entrepreneurs we have interviewed before.

You were popularly known as the “Property Knight”. Why is that?

People called me the “Property Knight” because I always love to provide step-by-step guidance for both first-time homebuyers and new investors on how to purchase a property without forking out a hefty downpayment.

At KYY Empire, we believe that property investment is for everyone, which is why we are dedicated to building one of the most influential property investment platforms in Malaysia, in order to empower and sustain the buyers’ community.

How does the current property market climate affect your business?

Undoubtedly, the current property market condition presents many challenges for property investors and buyers. However, we view all these challenges as an opportunity for both developers and house buyers, to compromise and come to a win-win solution.

For instance, if developers could adjust their pricing and implement cooling measures to cushion the property market, it will certainly capture the attention and interest of potential home buyers and investors who are facing issues with cash flow management.

That is why we are here to extend further assistance in bridging the gap between property developers and home buyers, to help our clients navigate the difficult and murky property landscape we have here today.

There are many property investment consultancy firms in the market. How does KYY Empire stand out amongst the crowd?

We are nothing but unique amongst the circle of property investment consultancy firms. We adopt a one-of-its-kind “green ocean strategy” in today’s saturated property market, by strategically creating shared value among all stakeholders on our property investment platform.

By green ocean strategy, I meant that we are taking advantage of the environmental pressure in the market. Through innovative solutions such as property “bulk purchases”, we are able to help our clients or business partners such that they do not have to pay any or hefty initial deposit, legal fees, renovation costs and other miscellaneous costs when buying properties.

We are unique in such a way because we are a one-stop service hub. We provide services ranging from bank loan applications, property management and to monthly bank loan instalment servicing. Through that, we will sell off the properties at higher prices and share the profits yielded amongst our investors.

By leveraging facilities provided by financial institutions and utilizing the advantages through bulk purchasing, we take pride in helping our clients to invest through our strategies, which include No-Money-Down, Three-Year-Zero-Instalment, Zero-Legal-Fees and Zero-Renovation-Cost.

Please share a successful case study of your company.

We have a proven track record of helping our clients to build a property portfolio from scratch, even for those who are knee deep in debt, to owning three properties on average. Nowadays, getting a bank loan approved is no easy process. The most frequent problem faced by people first tapping into property investment, is that they always get turned down by banks when it comes to loan applications.

These people need to pay more attention to the small details that could negatively impact their credit score. For instance, delaying or skipping their monthly utility bills and mobile phone bills will severely affect their credit score.

That is why we are here to help them restructure their debt and build a better financial portfolio, so that they could get the loan approved with fewer obstacles and resistance.

We have grown rapidly in these four years. We started out with only one project in 2017, and now we are working with various renowned property developers and property agencies on 21 projects, with an investment portfolio value of R M235 million this year alone. We are aiming to reach R M1 billion by the year 2020.

Being an entrepreneur, what are the main contributing factors to your current success?

When KYY Empire first started out, we strived to build a sustainable property ecosystem to better meet the discerning needs of our people today and beyond. But how were we able to achieve that? The answer, of course, lies in our attitudes and talents.

We foster an environment of continuous improvement and learning, not merely limiting ourselves to just absorbing the knowledge from reading books. We travel around the world to learn from the experts in their respective fields, gain global insights, recognize their unique standards and best practices, all of which are key factors to our success.

We are being certified for the IS09001 and IS014001, adhering to industrial quality standards. In other words, our hundreds of millions of investment portfolio are recognised as highly reliable and trustworthy.

Of course, I would like to thank my awesome team as well. We recruit more than just a team with high performance. We also grow and nurture each and every one of them with, developing their entrepreneurial mindset.

This is, in fact, our golden secret. By embodying this mindset, they would better position themselves to meet different challenges and experience growth every day. To date, we have reaped multiple awards and recognition for our unprecedented growth and creative branding strategies.

We have earned the Young Emerging Business Excellence Award by Sin Chew, Grandeur International Business Award 2017/2018 by Elegante International, as  well as The 100 Most Influential Young Entrepreneurs Award 2017 by your publication.

Do you, at one point in your career, have to make an important business decision?

First, some context of the situation. When I first started the KYY Empire business, I was a lone ranger. The downside of working alone is that you are not able to accomplish as much as you wish, and it is harder to get involved with projects on a larger scale with renowned developers.

The hardest decision I’ve made is to trust others, delegating several tasks to my team members, evolving from an investor mindset to an entrepreneur. I have slowly cultivated and build a super-efficient team that excels at providing excellent services to our clients.

Being an investor is self-serving, all about helping myself or the people that helped me grow wealth. The entrepreneurship mindset, however, holds a greater vision and promise, aimed at building a better and much more sustainable global society. Such a grand vision speaks directly to my heart.

Speaking of your talent, how do you qualify and select your team members?

I believe in the importance of human capital. At KYY Empire, we value talents with the following traits and qualities:

• Professional competency
• Dedication
• Persistence
• Innovative thinking,
• Commitment to the team’s goals and stakeholders
• Last but not least, A genuine love for contributing to society

Talent is our greatest asset. For those who are lacking, we educate and coach our team members in terms of soft skills and knowledge in their area of expertise. We ensure a fun, healthy and joyful working environment to inject positive attitude, energy and allure amongst the team members. Satisfied and happy employees will eventually breed a successful company.

The term “overleveraging” has been thrown around often in the property community. What are your thoughts on the topic?

Overleveraging is associated with carrying too much debt or the inability to afford the monthly instalment payments. I absolutely do not condone such practices.

It all boils down to what I said earlier about mindset, and how to be creative and think outside the box in how you manage your investments in order to skyrocket the return on investment (ROl). Just to give an example, by providing short term rental options to both leisure and business travellers, it will potentially help increase your rental yield.

If you are not careful and start to overleverage, you might run the risk of becoming bankrupt which will result in a whole new set of problems.

Being an entrepreneurship speaker, do you find it difficult teaching both property investment and entrepreneurship at the same time?

Not at all! I have always had a burning passion towards educating people, both in property investment and entrepreneurship as well. I believe that educating others is the right thing to do, to help as many people as possible to build their wealth, even if they were once impoverished.

Challenges in handling both sides are unavoidable, and it comes together with the job. But the burning passion inside me provides me with such motivation and energy, I have no option but to keep moving forward and never stop.

You have been flying all around the world. Are there plans on taking KYY Empire global?

Since 2018, we have been welcoming investors from neighbouring countries, such as Singapore and China, to invest in the Malaysian property market. Our concrete and solid relationship with established property developers in various ASEAN countries also open the door to global investment opportunities for clients from all ASEAN countries.

Thus far, we have been offering property sources in emerging markets such as Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and of course, Malaysia as well.

What advice would you give to budding property investors?

The first thing you should ask yourself is “why do I want to become a property investor in the first place?”

Once you have the vision and drive in you, you must then be mentally prepared for the exciting investment journey that awaits you. It will be tough, but always have that vision and goal in mind.

Remember! Never, ever stop learning. The thirst for knowledge will fuel your drive to keep up with the recent updates about property investments. Diversify your channels by attending courses, reading books, getting a mentor, just to name a few. From there, identify the factors within the property that will add to its value, because why would someone want to invest in a property that provides no ROI?

Finally, what advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Being an entrepreneur, you should be very passionate about what you do and must have a strong sense of purpose in the business that you’re building. You want passion to wake you up every morning, not the alarm clock.

Passion creates energy, but energy alone can only bring you so far. You must build a team that shares the same vision and goals as you, so that you could grow in scale, doubling and tripling your output and eventually cause such a significant ripple effect, that leaves a positive difference and impact all over the world.

KY Lim left immediately right after the interview for an event, probably to help as many people in their investments journey as much as he can. How far will KY go in the coming future? How much of a legacy is he going to leave behind?

“More and more people are unable to finance their new homes. This has long-lasting implications, not just for the homebuyers, but for the entire industry itself. Property developers are unable to make sales without the bank’s support in giving out loans to home buyers. There is a gap in the market, and SMART Financing aims to bridge that gap by teaching and educating people on how to increase their chances of getting house loans.”

Introducing Mr Gary Chua, the Chief Executive Officer of SMART Financing. Entrepreneur Insight had the pleasure of conducting an exclusive interview with Gary Chua to learn about his entrepreneurial journey and to better understand his business and what it stands for.

SMART Financing started as an education platform, organising talks and courses on property purchases and bank financing. Throughout the years, the business has expanded to include interior designing services, property management, group investments, retail management and so much more. “The goal of SMART Financing? I want it to be the one-stop centre for everyone’s property investment needs,” said Gary Chua.

The Story

Gary Chua started out working for local and international banks for most of his career as a banker. In those eleven years, he slaved and climbed up through the ranks, being promoted multiple times; from senior management all the way up to higher management. Being in the position he was, he had plenty of time to grasp the inner workings of the banks’ operations and internal policies, giving him an edge when it comes to applying for bank loans and the sort.

With the knowledge he accumulated, Gary Chua started his property investment journey in 2007 with a small amount of initial capital. It seems that a decade of banking experience is not enough, as he spent the next several years learning more about property investments through books and courses. He has compiled his knowledge into bite-sized, easy to understand principles and established a system, which became the foundation of SMART Financing. In 2013, Gary Chua has managed to increase his net worth to RM20 million in just one year through the system that he has created and fine-tuned.

“It is true though… At first, I kept the system mostly to myself, but I eventually shared my knowledge with some close friends and family members. After teaching them what I know, they came up to me one day and told me the results were fantastic! They then started down their journey to property investment, and by the end of 2014, they became full-time property investors. They told me that the system works and has helped them build up a significant amount of wealth. That is when they suggested that I should start a training programme in order to help others.”

The Gap In The Marketplace

“A common misconception that plagues most first time home buyers face is that it is difficult to qualify and apply for a house loan. In reality, it is not as difficult as they think! Most homebuyers are just unfamiliar with the bank’s qualifying process and their requirements when it comes to mortgage loans. The majority of SMART Financing members I teach are actually eligible for a housing loan, but because they have not secured the necessary documents needed to prove that they have the ability to pay off the monthly installments, the banks do not recognise their eligibility,” shared Gary Chua.

“Another issue that I come across regularly is that many people are not taking their credit reports seriously. Credit cards, car loans, PTPTN loans, payment history, default amount and durations… All of this information is laid out clear as day in your credit report, but many people don’t even know that credit reports exist! They do not know how to build an attractive credit history in order to qualify for a house loan.”

“There is also a significant portion of homebuyers that are not well-versed in financial literacy. It is common for them to overestimate or underestimate the type of property that they can afford. It is very discouraging for them to spend a significant amount of time and effort in house hunting, only to realise that they are unable to qualify for a loan because it is outside their budget.”

“This is what I meant by the gap in the market – The gap in consumer knowledge when it comes to home buying. Here at SMART Financing, we aim to fix this problem by providing the marketplace with a learning platform, building a community that shares the same interest while providing support and assistance to those who need them,” says Gary Chua.

Core Values

“Property investment has always been my passion. It was, and still is the cornerstone in building my own personal wealth. I have always thought to myself ‘wouldn’t it will be great if I can help other people as well?’ In turn, I hope that the people that I have helped will help those in need too. We at SMART Financing have donated to several charity organisations. We have donated to Charity of Rumah Hope and The Dignity for Children Foundation, to name a few. It is quite fulfilling to help others and leave an impact on other people’s lives.”

Gary Chua highlights and stresses the importance of continuous learning multiple times throughout the interview. According to him, learning should never be a one-off thing. “An academic certificate can only bring you so far. It is important that you apply what you know into good use, and earn a good penny out of it. Just like the Joker said in The Dark Knight movie, if you are good at something, don’t do it for free! ” laughs Gary Chua.

“People call me a property investment guru, as property investment is the best kind of investment. Property is safe, provides better returns, and it generates passive income. But do you know which development project I believe would be the best to invest in? Personal development, of course! Strip away all your wealth and assets, and what is left is what I consider to be ‘true value’. The only way for you to increase your value is through meeting the right people, and non-stop learning,” expresses Gary Chua.

Gary Chua even incorporates honesty in his company values as well. The team is encouraged to give suggestions and provide insights on how to further improve the business. The company is run with an open door concept, where stakeholders’ inquiries are quickly answered with transparency.

“If there is one thing that I wish I knew when the business first started, is that you can’t run a company alone. The team make up the backbone for the entire business. If I could, I would like to be able to spend more time with the team. As a practice, I will make sure that I maximize the impact I have while interacting with them. I have to set an example for them. I have to walk the walk, and talk the talk,” Gary Chua expresses.

Future Expectations

Gary Chua is very optimistic about the future of the property landscape in Malaysia, despite the movement, or lack thereof in the industry. He says that he will slowly shift his focus onto the other arms of his business outside of home financing. “Soon, you will see an expansion on property management, interior designs, commercial strategies and so on,” says Gary Chua.

“I want to see my business grow and expand because I believe my personal growth is reflective of the company’s growth as well. The day we stop growing is the day we stop being happy. I’m always excited to learn new things and explore areas unfamiliar to me. Personally, my happiness stems from making progress of any form. I do not think I will ever stop learning.”

“The day we stop growing, is the day we stop being happy.” – Gary Chua

Last Words

“Ability means nothing when paired with the wrong mindset. You must be crystal clear when it comes to what you want to achieve in life. Be like a starving dog – Bite onto something and never let go. There will be people who will discourage you from trying to achieve your dreams. Listen and learn from them, but keep the momentum moving and never stop. Finally, there are no shortcuts when it comes to success. Work hard, and you will achieve great success, for sure,” says Gary Chua with a cheerful smile.