Steered towards a life in shipping

SHIPPING is and will always remain Mohamad Yaacob's 'first love', career-wise that is.

Although the executive director of Gugusan Maritime Sdn Bhd has worked elsewhere including as an executive in a bank and in a firm which builds bus coaches, the jobs never lasted long.

Despite going 'off-course', he somehow seems to get 'steered' back to shipping, a profession which he entered into by "chance".

Interestingly, one of the reasons why Mohamad says he has stayed in this line since his first brush with it is the people.

According to him, people in this industry are different from those in other businesses.

"Most of the shipping kaki are outgoing people. I suppose it has got to do with the fact that many have international exposure and they meet people from all over the world.

"After all, shipping is a global business.

"Furthermore, many of them were former seamen, and they probably continued their outgoing lifestyle even after coming ashore," he quipped, adding it suits his outgoing nature.

Mohamad, or Mat as he is more fondly called, adds that the shipping community is also closely knit.

"Everyone knows one another in the circle of friends and the bond is there," he said.

He first encountered shipping when he did tanker chartering for liquid petroleum gas and petroleum products for Petronas.

At that time he was in charge of operations and looked into cargo and vessels calling at the port.

After eight years, he decided to venture out and joined a friend in a small shipping company as general manager.

Later, he worked in a firm which manufactured bus coaches, but finding the draw of shipping too strong to resist, he left to join a ship broking company in Shah Alam. He then bought a stake in Gugusan Maritime, which specialises in ship broking, chartering and consultancy, among other things.

"My job in Petronas was a good experience as it was there that I learnt the functions of shipping and got to attend many courses overseas," he said.

Forty-four-year-old Mat, who was born in Kota Baru is married to Ilham Ibrahim, 36, a bank officer.

They have four children aged between three years to 11 years.

Mat spends most of his weekends with his family and he enjoys social golfing.

"We also go to hilly places such as Frasers Hill and Cameron Highlands to relax.

"Although I sometimes go to the seaside, my wife prefers to go to colder places to take in the fresh air and cool surroundings," he said.

Mat admits that shipping is not always rosy and has its upwards and downwards cycle, but says he will continue working in this line as it is the "thing I know best and have grown to like it".

"Ship broking does not require much capital to invest in expensive equipment but rather requires knowledge and good networking.

"However, it is still in the infancy stages in Malaysia and needs to be given a push by all sectors concerned.

"Nevertheless, if not for the love of shipping, I would not be here today and would have retired early," he said.

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