Datuk Seri Garry Chua: A Retrospective

He has been MRCA President from 2016 to 2020 and his passion and willingness to dedicate his time and effort to the association were quickly recognised. As he ends his tenure, we look back at his achievements as President.

aving been an industry H stalwart for a few decades, Datuk Seri Garry Chua has been a part of MRCA for more than 20 years. His passion and willingness to dedicate his time and effort to the association was quickly recognised.

Soon, he was elected vice-president, a position he held for more than 10 years. His vision for MRCA was evident, leading him to be elected president in April 2016.

After accepting the role, he laid out plans to strengthen MRCA’s role in the Malaysian business community. The plan included: • Boosting membership • Strengthen governmental and stakeholder engagement • Enhancing media exposure for MRCA and members • Encouraging more training by the MRCA Academy • Bigger CSR events • MIRF, conferences, CEO Night • Talent development

Being true to his words, Datuk Seri Garry has delivered his promises over and beyond. Now, MRCA has more than 500 member companies, many of which are industry pioneers and leaders in their own fields. The respective heads of these members companies also serve in the MRCA committee board and on the board of advisors.

MRCA has also secured corporate patrons such as Maxis Berhad, Fusionex International and RHB Banking Group, and connecting with the nation’s largest associations such as MACEOS, PIKOM, Malaysia Shopping Mall Association, Malaysia Gift Premium Association and Kuala Lumpur Chinese Chamber of Commerce, among others.

MRCA has also been in constant engagement with relevant ministries, governmental agencies, regional trade associations and business chambers.

This has led to many overseas mission and familiarisation trips to Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia and many more.

With such trips, MRCA members are in a unique position to meet other governmental bodies and the business community in each country. This greatly helps members to navigate the business landscape as well as gain insights into other business opportunities in each country.

This has resulted in several collaborations and joint ventures between Malaysian and oversea companies to expand their businesses in Malaysia and their home countries.

“As a trade association of this size, MRCA has a lot of pull. After hearing feedback from our members, we can present their issues, concerns and suggestions to other industry stakeholders and government policymakers.

“It also gives us leverage to secure meetings with trade associations in other countries. It is not something a single company can pull off in a short timeframe,” said Datuk Seri Garry who also initiated three local MRCA chapters, in the states of Johor, Perak, and Penang.

Representing MRCA, Datuk Seri Garry has sat in many meetings with policymakers to ensure the voice of the retail and franchise industry is taken into account. The level of engagement has not been affected despite the changes in the federal government.

Apart from regular events and press releases, Datuk Seri Garry has pushed for a dedicated annual media engagement programme, inviting top editors of all media platforms – print and online – to an afternoon get-together.

“We have more than 100 events every year. While some are held inhouse, we have many large-scale events that are of great benefit to the industry and public. Through this special media engagement programme, we are able to get the word out while helping to garner publicity for our members.

“I hope that our members will continue this tradition as it has been proven to work very well,” said Datuk Seri Garry.

Members are able to directly meet the press to exchange views on how to better secure media coverage and publicity. This also includes MRCA’s Malaysia Retailer magazine. Published every quarter, the magazine features interesting members on the cover, sharing their experiences and life stories. The magazine also shares the numerous events and training MRCA organises.

Another great publication is the MRCA Who’s Who Directory, collating the association’s history, development, personalities and information on all members. It allows those who are interested in working with MRCA member companies to get to know every one of them.

Speaking of training, Datuk Seri

Garry has made efforts to improve the MRCA Academy, providing better resources to conduct relevant training programmes. These programmes have benefited staff members in areas such as management, sales, human capital, consumer habits and spending, digital marketing, social media and many more.

They are conducted by certified trainers all year round at the MRCA head office.

Meanwhile, corporate social responsibility has always been the core of MRCA. Under Datuk Seri Garry’s leadership, the association has boosted charity events, dispensing much-needed fund to deserving charity organisations.

“There are always segments in society that needs a helping hand. We are fortunate to be in a position to offer help. So, it is our duty to extend as much time and resources to the most underprivileged in Malaysian society.

“With our MRCA Charity Foundation, I’m confident that our members will always be ready to carry out their corporate social responsibility when the need arises,” he said.

Among the flagship annual CSR programmes are the MRCA charity run and golf tournaments. In conjunction with festive member dinners, MRCA also allocates funding for charity purposes. The disbursement is overseen by MRCA Charity Foundation.

Another feather in MRCA’s cap is the Malaysian International Retail and Franchise Exhibition (MIRF). The exhibition is an ambitious undertaking, attracting top industry players to Malaysia. It is a good springboard to market in Asia as well.

Popular sectors in MIRF are food and beverage, retailing, education, beauty and health, among others.

Since its first edition in 2017, MIRF has grown leaps and bound, expanding not just in revenue but in shaping and cultivating new business models, strategies and innovation. MIRF 2019 transacted more than RM80 million business revenue with over 11,000 visitors from all over the world.

Held alongside MIRF is the MRCA Retail Conference which brings together interesting speakers, sharing insights, highlighting future trends and their unique business acumen. It has attracted participants from all walks of life and recognised as an event not to be missed.

These flagship events came to fruition under Datuk Seri Garry’s strong leadership. With the support of the organising committees, he has been able to grow these events year on year, pushing MRCA to truly represent the industry in the region.

Among the anticipated annual events are CEO Night, CNY Banquet Night, Anniversary Gala and so on. Each of these mega events provides networking opportunities for members.

“We don’t exist in a vacuum and every one of us at some point will need help and collaboration. MRCA events are a good time to build those networks and relationships, especially in a social setting.

“I hope these events will continue to anchor our calendar year and I hope to see more and more members coming together every year.”

In addition, Datuk Seri Garry has enhanced the MRCA Youth chapter, allowing better talent development and mentoring. The youth members are able to learn the ropes more closely from their seniors while sharing their views on e-commerce, e-tailing, social media marketing and other new and innovative business tools.

Personally, Datuk Seri Garry has provided a steady hand in leading MRCA to greater heights during his tenure as President. His active industry involvement and vision have greatly contributed to the growth of the industry even in these challenging times.

But not to fret, as the Immediate Past President, his presence is always needed to continue to push for MRCA to lead the retail and franchise industry in the midst of a pandemic and possible global recession.