Kang Xinda’s grandfather, Mr. Kang Ah Lek, came to the Malay Peninsula from China with his great-grandfather to make a living. Since young, Mr. Kang Ah Lek worked many jobs, e.g., repairing bicycles, motorcycles, then transitioning to machinery, small hardware, and iron and steel. At that time, his boss wanted to move the business back to Penang, and decided to entrust the business in Alor Setar to his grandfather who was hardworking. The boss even provided him with supplies. 

Adhering to the principle of ‘utmost integrity,’ his grandfather founded Sin Tah Sdn Bhd. With exceptional perseverance, the company went from a small hardware store, brick by brick, into a highly reputable steel supplier in Northern Malaysia.

“From my grandfather’s friends, I learned that he used to visit clients one by one, building relationships, hoping clients would open accounts for small companies like ours to sell iron and steel.”

Later, his father Mr. Kang Min Chur became the second successor of the company. On the other hand, Kang Xinda, spent a few years gaining work experience in an oil company as an assistant manager in the accounting department.

Due to employee resignations and a shortage of manpower, his father asked him to come back and help. So, he quit his job, returned home with high ambition to inherit the family business, only to find unexpected culture shock.

“When I worked in an established company, there were systems, rules, and processes, and business operations were streamlined accordingly. When I took over, I found the company was chaotic. Our staff wasted a lot of time on unnecessary work, leading to unnecessary hidden costs.”

“Usually, the boss would kick in, and sometimes had to handle the stock ourselves. The service quality of our senior staff who had been with the company for decades was very poor; they didn’t even attend to customers’ inquiries. Most employees remained silent with the adversity faced by the company. To make the situation worse, there was no consensus among family members. Everyone is a commander, whose instructions should our staff follow?”