Happy Birthday !!!
Today, 11-11-2007 is my 55
th birthday as well as my official retirement day from employment. Come to think about it, I have been in employment for as long as 36 years. This day reminded me of the past ......
I was a drop out from the then the Lower Certification of Education examination, I managed to secure a place in the Vocational School for further my form 4 & 5 education in Ipoh between 1969-1970 where I took up a Vocation Certificate in Electrical Engineering. After completed my vocation education, I took up a part time work as a construction work in Ipoh Garden.
While working temporary in construction, I wrote numerous letters to seek employment with companies listed in yellow pages.
In 1971, I managed to get a full time job in
Ayer Hitam Tin Dredging, in
Puchong as an apprentice. Due to my education background in Electrical Engineering, I was send by my employee to sit for A Electrical
Chargemen Certificate and I passed.
Soon after, I resigned from my "first full time job" in 1994 and hop to a Palm Oil Mill in a
Kemaman town in
Trengganu State to seek for higher certification in Electrical
Chargemen. I stayed in this "estate of nowhere" for 2 years and resigned in 1996 upon obtained the higher certificate without a job.
I am lucky enough to get a job in Motorola
Sungei Way Free Trade Zone within a month. It
was a total change of work environment from a hot and sweet to an air conditioned work place. Though have to work on three shifts, I managed to get upgraded to an administrator and transferred to
Seremban for its new factory setup.
I stayed with Motorola for about 10 years before I took up a "
VSS" in 1985 and ventured into a direct selling business as a partner. The business was lucrative but lasted for only 2 years. In 1988, one of my ex-boss offered me a job to start up a new factory in
Penang which I took up without hesitation.
Penang was yet another new environment both in work and lifestyle. At work, it was a fast pace computer industries. Business was very competitive. After work scenario, being know nothing about
Hokkien, it took me quite a while to pick up the language but confined to coffee shop lingo.
Started in
MNC work environment from 1976 till 1994, I though for a moment that I may settle down. However, somehow
Penang was not a place for me. So in 1994, I moved down to Shah
Alam to join
OYL Manufacturing Co. in its air conditioner manufacturing. It is a subsidiaries of
Hong Leong Group.
Then in 2000, I decided to move out from my 30 years of manufacturing / operation work environment and asked for a transfer to
Hong Leong corporate office to pursue training and consulting nature of work.
Here I am today, still attached with
Hong Leong, doing similar training / consulting type of work but has move up to its value chain to look into profitability of companies. I found my work life in
Hong Leong are satisfying and challenging. Gained tremendous exposure to business world. This was enhanced by the fact that my scope of work covers all companies within the
Hong Leong Group.
During my employment era, I continued to pursue higher learning in academic qualifications. It began with an Advanced Diploma in Business Admin in 1992. Then in 1998, I pursue to a Master in Business Administration in TQM. In September 25, 2006, after a lengthy 7 years hard work and sleepless nights, I was conferred to a Doctor of Philosophy in business Administration majoring in Total Quality Management.
From a form 3 dropped out student, suffered the regular teenager life, got into the employment world. Gone through numerous ups and downs and my life turned to the better when I got into employment in
Penang. Got really exposed to the corporate world in
Hong Leong Group and here I am carried a title "
Dr."
infront and a "
PhD" behind my name respectively. What is more self satisfaction when people around including high ranking officials address you as
Dr. FoongToday marked my 55
th birthday, an official retirement age in
Hong Leong as an employee. Many working class looked forward for this very big day as they take it as a
big relief from the 9 to 5 routine. A kind of freedom if you like and this is true if you are financially independent and able to support the rest of your life.
Is retirement really fun and freedom? I am not sure. What was sure is that I had many concerns and worries about post retirement lifestyle and financial dependency !!! Besides, many of my friends advised me not to stop work or else aging is the consequences.....
To my parents, brothers and sisters. To my wife and sons. And to all my nephews and nieces. Stay in good health and happiness.
To those who are employed, work hard and work smart to climb the corporate ladder. To those who are in business, learn enough business tricks and safeguard your finance and cash flow.
To myself, well..... someone has asked me, what is my plan ?? em..... I will tell you in my next blog !!! ha....ha...
Dr. LM Foong
