Tiong works as hard as he talks

Kenneth Tiong Chin Ang, chief executive officer of Tropical Maritime Logistics Sdn Bhd is a big thinker.

He has big ideas for the freight forwarding business and constantly advocates computerisation and innovation in the industry.

Such is his enthusiasm that people sometimes tend to brush him off as someone who just "talks big".

But he is definitely not the all-talk-and-no-action kind of person. His active involvement in a number of local and international associations is testimony to this.

On the homefront, he initiated the setting up of the Federation of Malaysian Freight Forwarders (FMFF) and is now secretary general of the Association of Forwarding Agents Port Klang.

At international level, Tiong is vice-chairman of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association, Customs and Facilitation Institute, in which he chairs the Facilitation Working Group.

Besides this he is also a resource person of the UNCTAD for the TRAINMAR programme and UNESCAP for the multimodal transport programme.

As impressive as it all sounds, Tiong insists that personal gain or fame is not the reason why he is involved in these organisations.

"My involvement in these organisations is for the benefit of the industry and I wish to share the knowledge I gain with local forwarders.

"To be successful today, forwarders need to change their mindset and provide total transportation and logistics and develop with the changing trends.

"This includes adapting and incorporating the use of information technology into their daily businesses," he said.

The eldest in a family of seven children, Tiong has more than 20 years experience and has worked in various sectors of the maritime industry including

shipping agencies, ship management, stevedoring, ship chartering, customs brokerage, freight forwarding and transportation.

Tiong, 45, said he entered the shipping industry by 'accident'. It was the first job that he took and has stuck to this line ever since.

"I was actually interested in taking up electronic engineering and was supposed to start an engineering course in Britain after completing my A Levels.

"But after working in shipping for one month, I liked it and decided to make it my career," relates Tiong who was born and bred in Telok Intan.

After working for people, he decided to put his skills to the test by starting his own business and opened Tropical Maritime Logistics when he was in his late 20's.

His keen interest in shipping is still very much alive today and he continuously keeps on expanding his knowledge and skills about shipping.

Tropical Maritime is a total logistics company, offering a full range of services and is one of the better known freight forwarders in Johor Baru (JB).

Although he lives in JB, Tiong often commutes to Port Klang and Kuala Lumpur to check on his other businesses.

However, he makes it a point to be at home with his family during the weekends.

He practices meditation for his overall health and is member of a group which travels to Nepal almost every year to meditate and to do charity.

They have built several schools in remote villages.

Tiong also enjoys stamp collecting as he says it is a disciplined hobby and helps him to be at peace and in harmony with himself.

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