In 1968, a 15-year-old boy in Kluang, Johor, embarked on a transformative journey inspired by his science teacher, Ms Marion Teo. Her captivating story of a cousin at the prestigious Royal Military College Malaysia (RMC) ignited a burning ambition in Datuk Seri Michael Yam. He navigated the fiercely competitive RMC admission process, underlining the institution's commitment to building character alongside academic prowess and sporting excellence. This young cadet thrived in the regimented RMC life, which instilled discipline, leadership and a strong sense of responsibility, moulding him into a remarkable individual. His post-RMC life saw him excel in the construction and real estate industry.

Fostering camaraderie

Yayasan Kesenian Orang Asli (YKOA) was founded in 2002 to continue the great works started by Dr Andre Ratos’ father who was deeply passionate about the Orang Asli cause. Andre runs the foundation with his fellow board of directors — Datin Pearl Jai Mohan (a recipient of the Margarette Golding Award for her involvement in multiple charities) and Datuk Wong Yew Kai (an executive director of Asian Kitchen Sdn Bhd and key partner of the Atmosphere 360 revolving restaurant at KL Tower).

It takes a village

In the realm of visionary F&B entrepreneurs, one name shines brightly: Datuk Wong Nam Loong or Tony to his friends. The experienced property developer added managing director of the upscale Grand Imperial chain of Chinese restaurants to his portfolio after taking over the 15-year-old business at the height of the pandemic in August 2021. He was, after all, renowned for his audacious risk-taking aptitude and demonstrated — time and again — his remarkable foresight by fearlessly acquiring and transforming restaurant chains amid turmoil.

Life’s a feast

In Malaysia, where English football clubs enjoy immense popularity, five devoted fans (K Raman, the managing director of Microsoft Malaysia; Datuk Johan Ariffin, chairman of Mitraland Group; Peter de Kretser, founder and chief executive officer of Go Communications; Mahmood Razak Bahman, head of group strategic communications of DRB-Hicom, and Datuk Azman Shah Mohd Yusof, CEO of Northport Malaysia) embark on a roller-coaster journey of unwavering loyalty, as the new English Premier League season commences.

Embracing both agony and ecstasy, these ardent supporters share their passionate experiences, celebrating victories and enduring heart-wrenching defeats with unbridled enthusiasm. They may support different teams, but they are united in the collective thrill of The Beautiful Game.

Men of the match

The past few years have thrown the watch industry a little out of kilter, but with Covid-19 in the rearview mirror, it is now charged with newfound energy. The thrilling effects were palpable at Watches & Wonders 2023, the world’s largest horological fair held in Geneva, Switzerland, from the animated conversations between reunited journalists and retailers to the wide-eyed wonderment of the public, who were welcomed for the first time to the event.

Calibre: Discovering the latest and greatest watches of 2023

KUALA LUMPUR (July 23): Starting out as a piano lounge in 2015, Bobo KL became a cherished haven for artistes and art enthusiasts alike over the years. Here, you can really let your hair down. However, the story took an unexpected turn when the pandemic struck, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the entire world. Bobo KL, like countless other establishments, found itself navigating through the treacherous waters of lockdowns and restrictions.

Music to his ears

When the financial crisis bankrupted his wealthy family, Itthipat “Tob” Peeradechapan dropped out of college and took to the streets to sell chestnuts. Before long, he switched to seaweed, a snack he enjoys, and built up his brand from scratch. Taokaenoi – meaning "little boss" in Thai — is named such because Tob’s father joked that his son, then 18, would become one when he heard about his business plans. Taokaenoi turns 20 this year and Tob celebrated with a global fun fair in Bangkok recently. He talks about his plans for the company, developing new flavours, expanding within Thailand and the region, going global and the importance of the “secret sauce” behind his seaweed.

Laver lover

How people live around their furniture in different parts of the home intrigues David Woollcott. The pandemic has affected consumer behaviour, leading to a shift in priorities and needs, King Living’s new chief executive officer shares during a quick visit to Kuala Lumpur. Woollcott also talks about his 3Ps — planning, people and products — and his role in the Australian company founded in 1977 by David King and his mother Gwen. King noticed poor-quality furniture discarded by the curbs and destined for the landfill.

Best seat in the house

KUALA LUMPUR (July 2): It was the Greek statesman and orator Demosthenes who proclaimed how “small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises”. Few would have guessed how, two millennia later, a plucky young American teenager in Bangkok would embody the very essence of that s...

Empire state of mind

KUALA LUMPUR (June 25): Driven by the desire to uphold the provenance of champagne, Ludovic du Plessis, the visionary and forward-thinking president of Telmont, is pushing for unprecedented innovations in the way grapes are grown, the wine aged and bottled, and even transported around the world. He talks about the maison’s new ultra-light bottles which weigh 800g, a good 35g lighter than traditional ones, and his desire to totally eradicate packaging and gift boxes from the luxury beverage’s equation.

Grape expectations

KUALA LUMPUR (June 11): It is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity extended to privileged clients of Tiffany & Co, as the preeminent New York jewellers take a cache of 35 exceedingly-rare pink diamonds from the now-closed Argyle Mine in the remote East Kimberley region of Western Aus...

Rock star

Sabahan artist Yee I-Lann uses her work to talk about communities celebrating their cultures and differences. She also focuses on connections and one way towards it — that is, to share a tikar. The mat, usually woven by women, represents egalitarian, communal and feminist politics. It is flexible and can serve as a meeting place, like the tamu or weekly market, where people exchange goods, stories and ideas. Stripped of hierarchy, it is a space where people can find the others, and learn from different views and ways of looking at things.

The heart of the matter

Hannah Yeoh has been busy as a bee with various meetings, engagements and appearances scheduled ever since she was sworn in as the youth and sports minister in December. In between catching up with athletes and speaking about initiatives rolled out by the ministry under her care, she talks to us about her Road to Gold programme, which she hopes will yield a gold medal at the coming Olympics in Paris next year.

Raising the game

With Mother’s Day on the horizon, we catch up with respected corporate figure and philanthropist Datuk Anne Eu and Cannes-nominated filmmaker daughter Amanda Nell on supporting and inspiring each other.

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