Amin is a good samaritan to the core

Although Mohamed Amin Kassim's working experience in the maritime industry may be as vast as the skies above, one can be sure that he has his feet firmly planted on the ground.

This is because the deputy group managing director of Century Logistics Holdings Sdn Bhd is still very much in touch with his roots eventhough he seems to be at the peak of his career.

For him, traditional values and virtues still play an important part in his daily life, and he tries to share these qualities with his customers, colleagues and peers whenever he can.

"I am an advocate of values such as respecting your elders and teachers, and being grateful to those who have helped you along the path of life.

"Thus, true friendship and mutual respect are things I treasure and hold close to my heart," he reveals.

This may sound cliched to those who do not know him, but his frankness and down-to-earth personality comes across as genuine after one gets to know him better.

He believes in helping people come up in life, and business, as he sees it, is one of the ways of achieving this aim.

As he himself puts it: "Business is not the be it and end of it all, but it also offers me a chance to help my friends become better persons."

Perhaps this 'good samaritan' attitude of his may be due to the environment that Mohamed Amin, or Amin as he prefers to be called grew up in.

"I was born and raised in the town of Nibong Tebal in Perak and is the third child in a family of 13 children.

"My father was a fireman and although life was not easy, I was lucky enough to have completed a tertiary education and did the Chartered Institute of Transport (UK) in Mara Institute of Technology," he said.

After that he started work in 1975 as a trainee executive in Guthrie/Boustead Shipping Agencies and it was during those two years that he was exposed to the ins and outs of the industry.

Since then, he has slowly moved upwards professionally in his career.

He has assumed various positions including that of shipping manager, manager of a freight forwarding division, marketing manager and general manager of several companies before venturing out to open his own firm.

He now runs the total logistics company together with his business partners, one of whom is former national bowler Richard Phua.

"To me, success is relative and how you measure it depends on the person himself.

"I am of the opinion that all of us exist in this world for a reason.

"I find deep satisfaction in contributing back to society the best way I can, not necessarily in a materialistic way," said the 45-year-old father of three boys.

It is therefore not surprising that Amin loves meeting and helping people.

He is currently trying to set up an alumni for the old students of Methodist School Nibong Tebal, his former school.

He recently organised a get together for former students and teachers.

"It was a success and just seeing them meet up and reminisce about old times was very fulfilling," he said.

He is also personally involved in getting donations for a two-year-old toddler who has a hearing handicap.

He is sending out notes and press clipings to his friends to get them to contribute to help this unfortunate child.

Amin, who is married to Nurmala Abdul Hafiz, a homemaker, jogs and works out in the gym to keep fit.

He is also vice-chairman of the International Ship Owners Association and sits on the board of directors of the Marine Department's Light Dues Authority.

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