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A Retail President for All Seasons The right voice of reason will never go out of season as exemplified by the capable leadership of MRCA President Datuk Seri Garry Chua.
atuk Seri Garry Chua has emerged as a strong voice of reason during the most trying Movement Order Control (MCO) season ever faced by the retail industry and all other spheres of businesses in Malaysia recently. Following the unexpected lockdown imposed nationwide during the MCO period stretching initially from April 18 to 31, 2020 which was further extended to June 9, 2020 that was imposed by the Malaysian government – it was clear from the very onset that not only would all sectors and businesses be hit – but the face of retail too had hit a fatal blow and would probably also never be the same again. The dire situation, however, was not just unique to Malaysia – but prevalent worldwide. The extent of the massive shut down across all industries – to the level of witnessing even international borders to other countries being completely shut down to curb the deadly spread of the threat to humankind in the form of a common invisible enemy named as the Coronavirus or Covid-19, undoubtedly cried out for unprecedented measures during this extremely turbulent times. During this trying season as the MCO forced businesses to shut operations, many online digital platforms started emerging to voice concerns on behalf of their respective industries. When the government’s first PRIHATIN package was launched as a response to the crises facing the nation, Datuk Seri Garry Chua’s voice was one that was among the most sought-after. Representing the voice of the
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Malaysia Retailer Vol 8 No 2
retailers and presenting their plight at this moment in time is no easy task. And, where others lost their cool expressing their viewpoints live, the seasoned class act sailed through with a level head and with flying colours. His ability to handle crises by painting an overall picture of the entire landscape with the brush stroke of a pen while propositioning pivotal solutions clearly showed forth that he was indeed the man for the urgent hour to address the plight of the retailers. The significance of understanding the importance of creating awareness of issues covering the retail and franchise industries has always been something pivotal in the president’s manifesto since helming MRCA – what more during this time. Like many others, he too was distressed about how their business operations, which came to a sudden grinding halt, would operate in the days, weeks, months and even years to come. But, his cool and collected composure spoke volumes of how to handle crises. He acknowledged that the Covid 19 crisis was an unprecedented dilemma, unlike any of the previous economic recessions that previously plagued the nation. Covid-19 brings with it untold ramifications spanning the socioeconomic sphere – beyond just how businesses and retail would operate to generate profits and footfall. The nation and the world are all already
on the brink of a huge global meltdown of untold proportions. And herein, lies the dilemma. It is said that the true measure of a man’s character is reflected in two scenarios. One, how he reacts to having amassed great wealth and, two, how he responds when he has lost great wealth. The MRCA president has made a name for himself with his thriving businesses revolving around the food and beverage as well as the building industries as reflected under the Rotol Group of Companies which he established in 1994. Under his F&B business are different brands such as Chakri Palace and Rainforest, including Sanoook and Raintree. Adept at undertaking exterior building facade services to the next level, the Rotol Group is able to basically “take, restore, repair” and give the properties back to clients in mint-like condition. The technology behind the group’s exterior façade building materials, he explained came about from a joint venture with a US partner over 20 years ago, during which time a sector was established here while the group holds a licence in Japan. Ever the visionary, he has already set goals, working on mentoring his son Max Chua to expand the business operations to China and other countries which have many high-rise buildings while his daughter Caleen Chua is running the F&B business including overseeing Chakri Palace.
