Like many people in China, his childhood was extremely difficult. Because of his poor family, he dropped out of school in the second grade of junior high school. He cuts rubber in the rubber plantation, pineapples in the cannery, sets up stalls and repairs bicycles.
1February 1965 13, Tan Khai Hee was put into prison as a political prisoner and spent eight years in prison. But eight years in prison did not kill his will, but made him stronger. After Tan Khai Hee was released from prison, he was as poor as a church mouse, not to mention wanting to make a fortune, and it was difficult to make ends meet. He was advised to work or set up a stall to make a living.
Analyzing the current situation, Tan Khai Hee believes that Southeast Asian countries have entered a period of peace and economic development, and so has Malaysia. People don't want unrest, but want a stable social environment.
Tan Khai Hee believes that joining the economic field at this time is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, if you want to travel in the business sea, it will be difficult to talk about it! Some people say that his idea is simply a fantasy.
Tan Khai Hee was not discouraged. He found several friends named Zuo Zi at that time, and each of them went out alone. A * * * raised 80 minority shareholders, raising 6.5438+0.6 million ringgit (Malaysian currency name), and opened a small shop in Klang, a small county town on the west coast of Malaysia. This shop mainly deals in porcelain, including medicinal liquor.
Tan Khai Hee has a unique eye for China health products. From the macro environment, China and Malaysia have established diplomatic relations, China and Ma Youyi are increasing day by day, and business contacts are becoming more and more frequent; At home, with the development of economy, people's living standards have improved over the past decade, and people have turned from living to fitness and longevity. Especially for the elderly and women in China society, the demand for health care products is increasing day by day.
To our surprise, this store did not have a smooth sailing when dealing in medicinal liquor, and it lost money in the first year. Shareholders have offered to withdraw their shares. But Tan Khai Hee didn't lose heart. He thinks that his judgment is not wrong. The first battle was unfavorable because customers still lacked understanding of them.
Under extremely difficult conditions, Tan Khai Hee continued to start a business. Finally, luck changed, and soon, they obtained the exclusive right to use silkworm moth wine. At this time, the store has officially changed its name to Seagull Company. According to the "Seagull" spirit put forward by Tan Khai Hee, the employees of the company increased their publicity: "We should be different, dare to do what others dare not do, have perseverance and courage like seagulls, determine our life aspirations and strive to fly high." Silkworm moth wine was gradually accepted by consumers, and Seagull Company began to turn losses into profits.
In order to further open the market, Seagull Company boldly found another way to introduce Chinese medicinal liquor into Chinese medicine shops in a way different from other businesses. In Malaysia, there are many Chinese herbal medicine shops, even on the roadside, Chinese herbal medicine shops can be seen everywhere. The number of Chinese herbal medicine shops greatly exceeds that of wineries and restaurants. This is equivalent to opening thousands of retail outlets.
On the other hand, Tan Khai Hee vigorously strengthens advertising, and the company employs qualified Chinese medicine practitioners and experienced designers to take charge of the propaganda department. The propaganda department has come up with many good ideas, such as holding a banquet for thousands of people, drawing a lottery, and promoting cooking competitions. And publish special issues, distribute leaflets, give away recipes, and distribute publicity materials to thousands of households.
Under the strong advertising and effective market planning, the Chinese medicinal liquor represented by Seagull Company has sold hundreds of cases a year from 18 years ago to more than 100, and sold tens of thousands of cases a year, accounting for more than half of the Malaysian Chinese medicinal liquor market.
Seagull has now become a large enterprise group, with more than 20 subsidiaries, 5 chain stores and 18 retail outlets. The business scope has also expanded from medicinal liquor to foreign trade, credit industry, catering industry, entertainment industry and tourism. But the main commodity is China's. Commodities in China account for 85% of the commodities currently in operation. Seagulls have grown up. Tan Khai Hee naturally became rich and became a famous tycoon. But his ideological realm is still the same as before, that is, thinking more about the general public.
From the beginning of his business, he has always adhered to his own business management ideas. He said: "the group loves money and takes it properly; Take it from society and use it in society. " This philosophical management mode is also one of the secrets of seagull's success. In the local society, Tan Khai Hee is most praised for its charity. Over the years, his Seagull Company has never stopped sponsoring educational, charitable and cultural groups.
199 1 year, China was seriously flooded, and Seagull Company donated 200,000 ringgit successively.
Every year when Seagull Company holds its anniversary, it always makes donations to social welfare. Outside the anniversary, whenever social groups hold activities and special issues, Seagull Company will either pay for advertising, give them away, and sometimes pay for printing, make posters for these social groups, and even send people to help sell tickets. As the director and general manager of Seagull Group, Tan Khai Hee took time out to participate in various social activities in addition to his busy business activities. He has held a series of social posts, such as President of Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Director of Business Group of Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, and Consultant of Malaysian Chinese Writers Association.
Chen has many friends in the cultural circle, and he is willing to do something for them. In recent years, the activities sponsored by Seagull Group in Malaysian Chinese cultural circles include "Literature Night with Flowing Water at the Source", "Literature Night with Evergreen Pine and cypress", the first and second Malaysian Chinese Literature Festival, the delegation of Malaysian Chinese Writers Association to China, the delegation of Malaysian newspapers to China, the delegation of Tea Culture Festival, and the delegation of famous Malaysian painters and painters to China.
China cultural delegations sponsored and received by Seagull Group include China National Art Troupe, China Crosstalk Troupe, China Song and Dance Troupe, Shanghai Model Team and China Acrobatic Troupe. 1993 1 At the beginning of the month, when the delegation of writers from China, Jiangsu and Shanghai arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Tan Khai Hee specially hosted a banquet for the guests from afar. At the banquet, the host and guest get together, some sing, some tell jokes, and the laughter is constant, just like a family. When taking a group photo, Tan Khai Hee took the arm of 80-year-old Mr. Ling Ke and said, "I have read your works for a long time. I am honored to meet you today. "
Tan Khai Hee not only provides direct economic support for the development of Malaysian Chinese culture, but also provides a place for them to learn from each other. This place is a Broadway ballroom. It is different from other dance halls in Malaysia. Seagull Broadway dance hall is permeated with the mood of Shanghai Broadway in the 1930s. The stills of movie stars and singers in 1930s and 1940s, such as Zhou Xuan, Bai Guang, Yao Li and Gong, are hung on the wall around the hall with a square meter of 100. The singers on the stage sang the famous works of these stars with the Shanghai Bund as the background. Broadway provides an elegant and warm environment for people.
Many local Chinese, Malaysians and Indians are willing to come here to listen to music and dance after a busy day, so as to get rid of daytime fatigue and get spiritual enjoyment. Malaysian cultural circles regard this place as a home of activities and often come here for parties. Writers, actors, scholars and journalists from China often come here for parties.
Tan Khai Hee is keen on social welfare donation and support, and has his own ideas. He believes that literature, art and education are indispensable to the progress and prosperity of a society. In real life, people engaged in cultural and educational undertakings are not very rich and do not have enough funds to carry out these meaningful undertakings. Comparatively speaking, the situation of industrialists and businessmen is much better. Since an industrialist and businessman is busy with his own business and has no time and conditions to carry out these activities, giving a little money to support others to organize these activities should not be regarded as a charity, but as a moral responsibility of an industrialist and businessman and a concrete action to promote social progress and invigorate social culture.
On the evening of June 20 1 4,65438+10/KLOC-0, speaking at the dinner of the China delegation, he said that after consulting with his family, he decided to donate his personal property to charity after his death, so that charity can be passed down forever. Tan Khai Hee said that although charity should not be announced to the world with drums and gongs, if it is to promote charity and benefit the community, he thinks it should be publicized in a big way to attract jade. "I hope this announcement will encourage more people to respond to charity and benefit more institutions and groups in need."
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