Gaya Interview
Giving Back Value to the Government and the People of Malaysia Badrul Hassan Mohamed Kassim, Chairman, Rangkaian Hotel Seri Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
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Gaya Travel team sits down with the Chairman of Rangkaian Hotel Seri Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Badrul Hassan Mohamed Kassim, on his company’s plans to move to the next level. Rangkaian Hotel Seri Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (popularly known as Seri Malaysia) started back in 1994 during the time when Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was serving as Malaysia’s fourth Prime Minister to provide affordable choice of accommodation for Malaysians and opportunity for local entrepreneurs to participate in the growing hospitality industry. Beginning as a franchise, over the years, Seri Malaysia has expanded to 21 hotels. Its shareholders comprise Malaysia’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) and eight state governments; the latter provided the land, while the former pumped in the money. According to Badrul Hassan Mohamed Kassim, Chairman of Seri Malaysia, the company has taken back 19 of the hotels from the franchisees and now run them directly, except for two that are still under franchise agreement. Once the agreement ends in late 2021, the company will take back the entire Seri Malaysia chain. The purpose of Seri Malaysia taking back the hotels is to rebrand and reposition them. “This is part of our
bigger agenda, which is to encourage more entrepreneurs to participate along the tourism value chain. Of late, we have been placed under the purview of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), which we are closely working together to enhance the tourism industry in Malaysia,” mentions Badrul. As part of the branding and repositioning effort, Seri Malaysia intends to work on a bigger business model. The basis will still be the same – hospitality – but the products and services will be enhanced. “As a start, we are looking at ways to scale up the hospitality business along the tourism value chain, which means we are talking about charter flights, hotels, restaurants and events – these four areas within the tourism value chain intertwine with one another, which we can fully maximise to enhance participation among entrepreneurs and leverage on the synergy within the tourism business community and the states where our hotels are located. The fact that we have eight Malaysian states as shareholders, and all of these states have airports, is pivotal to receiving the charter flights,” Badrul elucidates.
