HARD WORK MAKES FOR SUCCESS

Razak’s home in Bukit Gambir has tranquil surroundings.

 

 

Abdul Razak Minhat (second from left) hands over a cheque to a representative to aid victims of a storm in Ledang, Johor.

HARDLY anyone will believe me if I tell them I was a rubber tapper and a sundry shop assistant.

That was me about four decades ago, and the experience and hardship I had to endure during that period has made me a better person today.

I was born in Kampung Parit Pelampong 50 years ago, but my parents moved to Kampung Sialang in Tangkak to run a sundry shop and a coffee shop when I was only a year old.

As a young boy I would often assist my parents in the sundry shop, as a result I picked up some basic accounting skills which later influenced my career.

At the age of 13, my parents returned to Kampung Parit Pelampong again to concentrate on rubber and paddy cultivation.

That was when I helped them to tap rubber trees early in the morning.

When I studied at SM Ledang in Tangkak, I was a school cadet and a state-level football player.

I also took up silat as a youth.

I started my career in 1982, working as a technician in Telekom Malaysia in Malacca.

I had to go to Malacca as there weren't many career opportunities where I was in those days.

Three years later, I enrolled as an off-campus student at ITM Mara in Malacca to study accountancy which I completed in three years.

With a diploma in accountancy, I was then promoted to accounts assistant in TM Kuala Lumpur.

I pursued a degree course in accountancy in 1991, and a Master's degree in business management in 2006.

My persistency in upgrading myself has also paved the way for me to ascend the corporate ladder in TM and experience the life of an executive, including having the opportunity to travel.

After serving in TM for 25 years, I have decided to call it a day and set up my own accountancy firm in Bukit Gambir and in Bangi.

During the course of my career, I also participated in social work as I love helping others.

For example, I was involved in youth activities, scouts, and the Malaysia Red Crescent Society.

Actually, the setting up of my accountancy firm is quite a coincidence.

The idea for my own firm came about as I had been helping several farmers do their accounts in Bukit Gambir and in neighbouring areas.

Seeing the need for this service, I decided to open my own accountancy firm in Bukit Gambir.

In addition to this since I had received sufficient religious education from a young age from my grandfather Datuk Nordin Mohd Amin, who was a former imam in my hometown, the Johor Religious Affairs Department also sanctioned me to become an imam in Ledang.

Therefore, when I was fielded as a candidate for the state seat in the last general election and won the seat, I knew it meant that it was an opportunity to serve the people as an assemblyman.

Despite my hectic daily schedule, I always find time for myself and my family.

In fact, I like to go fishing.

It provides the opportunity for me to meet villagers and listen to their problems at the same time.

I believe in lifelong learning and I am currently pursuing a doctorate degree in business management as an off-campus student in Universiti Utara Malaysia.

Abdul Razak Minhat, 50, is a certified chartered accountant and the Serom state-assemblyman. He is staying at Bukit Gambir and has five children.

Interview by Sim Bak Heng

 

SOURCE: NST STREETS JOHOR, OCT 01, 2013