KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Business tycoon Mydin Mohamed Ghulam Hussein, who passed away on Monday, was a charitable man who believed that wealth should be shared with others.
His son, Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, 60, said his father, 88, had always insisted he and his siblings give freely to the needy instead of splurging on a lavish lifestyle.
“I remember this one time I wanted to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Penang but my father asked me to take the bus instead. He was infuriated when I told him I prefer flying as the seats were comfortable.
“He told me if I can afford to travel by plane, I surely have enough money to donate to others in dire need of financial assistance,” he told reporters at his father’s burial at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery here yesterday.
Ameer, who is Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd managing director, said his father lived a humble life and did not like to waste money on luxuries.
“Whenever we eat out, my father never ordered anything else but plain water for a drink.
“Even if he wanted to add some flavour to his drinks, he would just squeeze the lime wedge that came with the food into his plain water.”
He said the rest of the family also picked up on some of Mydin’s frugal ways.
Ameer said although his father owned a successful business with over 300 outlets nationwide, his favourite store was the one in Jalan Masjid India.
“At Masjid India branch, we carry a huge array of ‘minyak attar’ (Arabian oil perfumes) and he loved playing perfumer there.
“He would have the time of his life behind the perfume counter, mixing fragrances together and making new scents. He had the nose and the gift for it,” Ameer said.
He said his father was also witty when naming the fragrances he put together.
“He kept tabs on what’s trending. For instance, when Barack Obama became president of the United States, he immediately called his latest fragrance ‘The Obama’.”
Ameer said he and his siblings were determined to continue the Mydin legacy.
“My father worked hard all his life to build his empire. We will continue his legacy as he would want us to do — with honesty and perseverance,” he said.
He said he would always hold on to his father’s words and advice when it comes to business.
“My father always said expanding a business is much like climbing the stairs — it has to be done one small step at a time, otherwise we are bound to fall.
“I will always remember this advice, and I think every other businessman should, too,” he said.
Melancholy loomed at the cemetery as some 200 of Mydin’s relatives, peers and dignitaries shared the family’s grief.
He is survived by his wife, Rowshan Bai, 80, seven children and 19 grandchildren.
Mydin, Rowshan, and a daughter-in-law, were on their way to Pantai Medical Centre in Bangsar on Monday when he passed out in the car after a bad bout of coughing.
He was rushed to the emergency ward and pronounced dead at 5.06pm. On the day of his demise, he had just finished his “shift” at the Mydin store in Jalan Masjid India.
Mydin Mohamed originally came from a wealthy family but worked his way to the top when his father lost the family’s wealth during World War II.
Driven by ambition to become his own boss, he saved enough money to rent a small shop in Kota Baru, Kelantan in 1957, selling everything from convenience items to toys.
In 1979, with the help of his children, he spread the business to Kuala Terengganu before successfully putting his name on the map, eight years later, with a branch at Jalan Masjid India.
A press report last year quoted Ameer as saying the group’s annual turnover was at about RM2.6 billion.
