Suhaimi Sulaiman is a man of many hats. Despite his age of 60, he does not stop collecting hats; rather, he moves forward, collecting as many as he can. Leading an inspired life, he shares his motivational stories and past accomplishments.
An entrepreneur, a reporter, a designer, an author, a media strategist, a cook — Suhaimi Sulaiman is a man who wears many hats.
His most recent one is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for TVS, the first television station owned by Sarawak.
He will soon put this hat away and move on to other hats. Nonetheless, he never forgets the hats he has worn throughout his life.
He believed that every human being is wired for achievement. “I believe that we may be a jack of all trades and a master of all trades because we are wired to do things in a variety of ways. Sometimes, we don’t give ourselves enough credit and don’t fully explore our potential. I believe that if we push ourselves and experiment with what we love, we can excel in many areas.”
Having gone through 60 years of life, he recalled becoming interested in numbers when he was seven years old.
Suhaimi revealed that as a child, full of curiosity about the world, his father, who came from a low-income household, often encouraged him and his siblings to work hard.
Despite his young age, he knew the thrill of selling his first batch of kangkung (water spinach).
“That experience made me realise how much I enjoyed doing business. Later, when studying in the United States, I sold curry puffs, samosas, and capati to American families and students. There were times when I provided catering services,” he said.
With the money, Suhaimi said that he had bought a second hand car during his studies. The experience had fuelled his desire to make even more money.
He joined the Bank of Commerce Berhad (CIMB Berhad) in 1987 upon his return to Malaysia as a recent graduate with a Master in Business Administration.
Three years later in 1990, at the age of 28, Suhaimi was given the chance to work in Malaysia’s media industry through TV3.
As a firm believer in putting effort into all he does, Suhaimi’s dedication in the industry saw him climbing ladders and becoming the person he is now.
Life in the media industry
Suhaimi, a well-known figure in the broadcasting world, developed his reputation over the course of his media career.
Having anchored for TV3 and hosted a number of television shows, he recalled the three biggest stories he has ever covered.
“The most memorable was when I covered the Highland Towers in 1993. It was on a slope in Ulu Klang, Selangor. The building collapsed as a result of a landslide caused by continuous rain. Many residents perished. I was there, covering the story. The smell of the corpses was unbearable,” he shared.
Suhaimi added that after the experience, he has trouble falling asleep.
“I’m only human. People were in grief because their loved ones had perished. On one hand, as a reporter, I should acquire this story. On the other hand, I want to console them.” He added that this was just one of the many stories that had affected him personally as a reporter.
Suhaimi joined Astro Awani in 2007 as part of the pioneering team that launched Malaysia’s first 24-hour news channel. He served as the editor-in-chief there.
The man of high-calibre saw through the reports of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in 2014 and the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in the same year.
“These were all the memories I valued the most,” he said.
Suhaimi, who has worked in the media industry for three decades, pondered on how different technology was back then compared to today.
He recalled how he used to type on a typewriter and thought back to the times when he had to start over every time he made a mistake.
When it came time to research a story, the friendly entrepreneur recalled days spent cutting newspaper articles for reference.
“Google didn’t exist back then. So you must carry out research. For me, I have a tendency of cutting newspapers. It is a habit I have up to this day,” said Suhaimi.
Monetising his hobbies
Another habit Suhaimi has developed throughout his life is to make money from his hobbies.
He has already been instilled with a business-oriented way of life since he was a child. Suhaimi, an opportunist, finds money in every hobby he pursues.
He also believes that if you are working on something you enjoy, “you will never complain and you can go for long hours.”
“I love cooking, so I made money from it. I love teaching and imparting knowledge, so I established a consultancy company. Designing is also a hobby of mine; I love sketching and drawing. I also know how to make batik (mencanting batik). And that’s where my fashion brand Su & Ash enters the picture,” he said.
Suhaimi, a businessman at heart, started his consultancy company in 1993 to train people on how to present themselves professionally on television.
In 2015, he assisted a friend in building her kitchen so she could sell food to nearby factories. That’s when he decided to open his own local cuisine cafe in Malacca — Sambal and Style.
In the process, his business partner had suggested opening a backpackers hostel above the cafe to cater visitors to the state.
Sharing further on his fashion brand with his partner, Asyraf Amir, Suhaimi said that the motivation for him to create his own batik line came from the size of his body.
“As you can see, I’m fat. So it is difficult to look for nice clothes. So I’d design the patterns, and Asyraf would do the computer design editing.”
His creations were initially exclusive to him because they were not commercialised. However, he quickly became the talk of the town when people wondered where he acquired his batik top.
“I told them I did it on my own. I also printed the designs on linen and cotton. It is uncommon and comfortable to wear in our hot Malaysian weather.”
He began selling them in 2017. “I had no idea that the large sizes of my batik clothes would open up a market for European countries and Americans.”
As things came together, Suhaimi found the ideal location in Malacca, his hometown, to house all of his businesses: a pre-independence-era shophouse.
“Our cafe is located there. Our boutique is right next to it. Our hostel for backpackers is on top.”
The lessons learned
Suhaimi learned a lot in his 60 years of life. He learned to walk in the shoes of his editor as a cadet reporter.
“There have been times when being a reporter has been difficult. We want to be detailed, but our editor needs the story right away. Also frustrating is the fact that our stories are edited differently from our writing.
“But I’ve always believed that you need to put yourself in other people’s shoes in order to lessen life’s hardships. We usually assume that others will share our viewpoints, but we actually need to learn how they perceive the world,” he said.
Suhaimi said the second lesson he learnt as he built his ladder was to raise the bar.
“By doing so, you are always improving yourself. You must also create more opportunities for yourself and others. Life will become more interesting from there.”
The exuberant man also emphasised the importance of being a good person. He has interacted with many different people throughout his life.
Nonetheless, he constantly strives to be nice and friendly since he believes in good karma.
“If you emit positive energy and help others along the journey, you will receive kindness in return. Even though I don’t consider myself to be religious, I believe that good deeds grow. When running a business, you must do so with sincerity and kindness.”
As a leader, he learnt to put his trust in others through delegating work. “For instance, don’t micromanage everything if you have 10 tasks to get done in a day. Three of them you can micromanage and the rest you may delegate. People appreciate it when you believe in them.”
He also advised against procrastinating because it could delay things. Instead, he said, it is preferable to complete tasks before relaxing.
An adventurous future ahead
Though the future is uncertain, the author of ‘I Hate Reading the Teleprompter’ knows he wants it to be exciting.
“Coco Chanel, a French designer and businesswoman, relaunched her brand at the age of 70. I’m 60 now. Maybe I’ll pass away at 88. But before that, I know I’m capable of great things. I have 20 more years till I am 80 and officially retire,” he said, adding that he aims to build an empire before leaving.
Suhaimi, who loves challenges, encourages people to go deeper into their passions.
“Keep asking yourself, ‘What have you done with your life? What are your strengths?’ After that, I’d like to continue establishing an empire of things I enjoy doing.”
Being a people person, he also hopes that his job would benefit society.
Suhaimi is picking another hat as he sets down his TVS CEO hat. In addition to wanting to establish a goat farm to benefit the community, he is considering opening a cattery to be among cats.
Regardless of what hat he dons next, he will always remember to make others smile.
