RISE UP

Datuk Sirajudin Y Mohamed Mydin is the Group CEO of Kayu Group, which began operations in the 1950s as a small eatery run as a family business on Penang’s Macalister Road by his father Mr. Y Mohamed Mydin. With well-planned corporate expansion over the years, the company surpassed many of its competitors and spiced up its brand and quality in the culinary sector.

The brand Kayu Group has remained successful over the years, and the word Nasi Kandar can now be found all over the states of Malaysia. Kayu Nasi Kandar is one of the largest and most popular restaurants in the country.

Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar began in 1974 as a stall in a coffee shop in SS2 Chow Yang and has since grown to become one of the most prominent Penang Heritage Cuisine

Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar Sdn Bhd

TOP HOMEGROWN ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR www.originalkayu.com.my restaurants in Klang Valley and Penang. Many of these restaurants have grown from modest booths around the corner to much larger operations, with some owning chains of restaurants under the same brand. The Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar is one of those who made the A-list. www.davidstloh.gallery/

Datuk Sirajudin Y Mohamed Mydin anticipates Kayu Group remaining devoted to ensuring that his customers’ experience and engagement with Kayu Group as a business would continue for at least another five decades under his leadership. Datuk Sirajudin Y Mohamed Mydin collaborates with his team to continuously engage and develop new markets and innovations that emerge in the ever-evolving community and engrave Kayu’s history within the culture of their team, as well as the role they play in the community.

David ST Loh is an award-winning photojournalist and aerial landscape artist who has worked in the media for over 30 years, most of which was spent at the prestigious news organisation Reuters Ltd. He debuted as a photojournalist before joining Reuters’ award-winning global photos department as an editor before leaving in 2016. Kuala Lumpur, London, and Singapore have all hosted exhibitions of his work. He has been featured in numerous books and newspapers worldwide, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, UK Times, and others. The 2016 China International Press Photo Competition included David on the jury.

For his clientele, David is known for creating iconic and compelling photographs. David and his wife, Rebecca Lee, launched Elaton Asia Services and Elaton Publishing after returning to Malaysia after more than 20 years in Singapore.

They released Over Penang in July 2019, which featured unique and famous aerial photographs from across Penang. The book became a best-seller after selling 2,000 copies in just four months. In the English category, the book won the Malaysia National Library Book Award 2020. Simply Penang, their second book, was released in October 2020 and highlighted the life of Penang through its population, festivals, arts and culture, and, of course, its food. Over Penang and Simply Penang are now widely regarded as the best pictorial books on contemporary Penang.

The company’s talent and production level for producing iconic images, exhibitions, and books were recognised overseas, having been invited to Myanmar and Western Australia tourism to deliver a similar project as Over Penang. David and Rebecca also run a successful fine art photo gallery in George Town, Penang, that house Ilford’s only second print gallery in the world. David has held several solo exhibitions in Malaysia and Singapore, including Langur: Building Bridge Between Our Worlds group show at Penang State Museum and Art Gallery, Malaysia.

ByRCW

Rozita Che Wan, the Founder and Executive Director of ByRCW Sdn Bhd was born in Alor Setar, Kedah, on March 9, 1973. She began her career as an actress, model, host, and brand ambassador for well-known Malaysian and international brands.

Rozita Che Wan began her business in a structured manner in June 2016 as she began selling Precious perfume from her house in 2015, with encouraging sales and positive responses. Che Ta aspires to offer inexpensive products for the target audience to ensure that everyone can afford to be beautiful and healthy, which is also accompanied by the vision of disseminating beauty and health awareness to the public. Che Ta is currently endorsing perfumes, handbags, sanitary napkins, energy drinks, hijabs, and other products through ByRCW. Che Ta is committed to providing people with only inexpensive and high-quality goods.

Many consumers have favourable feedback and outcomes from ByRCW items, both excellent and efficient. Rozita Che Wan hopes that the business she started will be more developed and flourishing in the future. She aspires to assist more Malaysians, particularly women, in creating businesses and generating income to improve their living standards through the agent, stockiest, and drop-ship systems, which offer profits of up to 50% with very little capital. Che Ta understands the core notions of beginning a business while satisfying the target audience’s demands, owing to her years of experience in entrepreneurship.

Quality is an entire focus, as are economical rates, to maintain long-term relationships with clients. When a product is of excellent quality and cost-effective, she believes customer trust will grow, and purchases will continue. She intends to expand her company’s product line and conquer the international market with the slogan “Made by Malaysians, Loved by the World.” www.byrcw.com.my

Datin Selwin has dedicated years to assisting and aiding women’s development, including the personal growth of women from underprivileged homes or broken families and financial support, including housing and food. She also visits many orphanages in need of food and supplies daily. She serves as a judge for the Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation (MUMO) and previously served as a judge for Miss Tourism International. This is where she contributes to the contestants’ personal character development and personal grooming for them to make it big on stage.

Datin Selwin actively selects these young adult women from various retail outlets, getting to know them to understand their backgrounds and life challenges better. They are then provided shelter, food, and training to help them break free from their emotional and mental divots and work as clinic assistants, account clerks, human resources clerks, and administrative office clerks, for which they are compensated. Datin Selwin personally accompanies them through their everyday lives and is there for them morally, emotionally, and financially. It is a 24-hour commitment that Datin Selwin fulfils with zeal and exceeds all expectations.

The Miss Universe Malaysia Pageant is a yearly commitment, and Datin Selwin personally oversees the contestants’ personal development and character building, which appears to be lacking in today’s youth. These young women require self-esteem and emotional and mental strength training, as well as genuine self-love. Datin Selwin has extensive experience in significantly contributing to these critical areas of personal development, which are critical in positioning each individual woman for a brighter future.

Datin Selwin Olikh is a rare example of a woman who reaches the heart of every woman’s fundamental wants and crises, extends her helping hands to them, and travels with them. This exceptional woman continues to devote her undying love and efforts to the personal growth of women in need in some way, and this is her life’s work, passion, and dedication.

Shaheizy Sam is a well-known Malaysian actor, singer, entrepreneur, and producer who debuted in the film industry as a young star in the 1990s before rising to prominence in the 2009 films such as Adnan Sempit. Syatilla Melvin is a Malaysian actress and model who debuted in 2012 and has since acted in several dramas and television programmes.

Since then, they have ventured into business, with Syatilla co-founding KEKASIH, a cosmetic line for women who want to add zest and colour to their daily lives, with her sisters. Shaheizy Sam has entered the business world, specifically selling Syokotube, a chocolate product.

Shaheizy Sam had been an actor for almost 25 years when he decided it was time to branch out into business. When Sam was visiting

Switzerland with his family in 2018, he had the idea for a chocolate product. Shaheizy Sam was pleasantly surprised when he spotted a Malaysian chocolate brand in a supermarket. He imagined how incredible it would be to create high-quality food products that could be marketed globally.

On the other hand, Syatilla Melvin co-founded a cosmetic brand, KEKASIH, with her sisters, Syifa Melvin and Syida Melvin. KEKASIH is the perfect cosmetic line for women who want to add zest and colour into their everyday lives. KEKASIH is a cosmetic brand located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. KEKASIH aims to give the customers a new meaning of confidence and enhance the users’ beauty. Today, the duo is not just a strong couple in the entertainment industry but also in business.