The Best Leadership Quotes

1.  When people feel trusted, they'll do almost anything under the sun not to disappoint the person who gave them the gift of trust.
2. There are three kinds of people; Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who ask, "What happened?"
3. Sometimes the most powerful and meaningful things come from words that touch our heart and lead us forward to our potential. Life is about discovering who we are; leading is about striving to become better than we are, and helping everything and everyone around us to become better too. let these words inspire you, motivate you, encourage you and empower you to be the best you can be.
4. Every time you have to speak, you are auditioning for leadership (James Humes)
5. You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand (Woodrom Wilson)
6. A good leader leads the people from above them. A great leader leads the people from within them. (M.D. Arnold)
7. Don't follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you. (Margaret Thatcher)
8. We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. (Kurt Vonnegut)
9. Leadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work. (Seth Godin)
10. The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets people to do the greatest things. (Ronald Reagan)
11. To add value to others, one must first value others. (John Maxwell)
12. A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. (Douglas MacArthur)
13. ......

STORY 1666 POLITICS, SEX & RELIGION

In 2008, I arrived in Miri, Sarawak, to begin a new chapter in my career as a Mill Manager at a palm oil mill owned by a Government-Linked Company (GLC).

The mill was located quite far from Miri, approximately 120 kilometres from the city. Travelling along the Miri–Bintulu Highway, I would reach Bekenu before turning towards Bakong, a small town. From there, the journey continued along gravel roads, passing through another small settlement, Lapok, before finally reaching the plantation located beside Loagan Bunut National Park.

Previously, I had spent several years in the interior of the Kinabatangan River in Sabah. Now, I was moving to another remote location, this time in the interior of the Baram River in Sarawak.

Having spent the previous four years working in the challenging environment of Lahad Datu, particularly with the notorious Jalan Jeroco, moving to Long Lama was nothing unusual. It was simply another journey in my life in the palm oil industry.

In 2009, my eldest child turned five and was ready to start preschool. My wife, who has always been very meticulous with her planning, began reminding me of the arrangements that needed to be made.

For many years, we had been living in plantations. Now that our children were growing up, their education had become an important consideration. We could no longer simply think about where I worked. We also had to think about where our children would go to school.

Early that year, I started looking for a rental house in Miri.

Alhamdulillah, I was fortunate to get to know Cikgu Hasan and his wife, who were both very friendly and welcoming. He had served at the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) in Miri for more than 20 years. To many people who had moved to Miri, he was almost like a community leader, someone who helped newcomers find their way around the city.

Almost everyone who had spent some time in Miri would know Cikgu Hasan.

I managed to rent a house next to his. The following year, I moved into the house that he had previously rented to me, as he had retired and returned to Pasir Mas, Kelantan.

That first rental house marked another important milestone in my life.

For the first time, I had a home with an internet connection.

Between 2004 and 2009, I had spent most of my working life in remote plantation areas where internet access was either unavailable or extremely difficult to obtain. Having an internet connection at home was something I found incredibly exciting.

It opened up a completely new world for me.

In the same year, I started my blog, Kembara Insan, and opened my first Facebook account.

Through Facebook, I began reconnecting with many old friends from school and university whom I had not heard from for years. It was an opportunity to rebuild friendships that had been separated by distance, work and the passage of time.

I also reconnected with Cikgu Sabaraddin, my friend from matriculation, PALAPES and the Engineering Campus. At that time, he was serving in Belaga, Bintulu, Sarawak.

I was simply fascinated by the possibilities offered by the internet, social media and blogging.

However, like many people who were discovering social media for the first time, I became extremely active. Almost everything that crossed my mind was something I wanted to share. Every issue seemed worth discussing, and every subject appeared to deserve my opinion.

Politics, religion and almost every other topic became part of my conversations.

Sometimes, it felt as though I was an expert in every field.

Several years later, after moving back to Sabah in 2012, I met Salahuddin Abdul Majid. He was quite vocal during our preparation for the Steam Engineer examination at the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (JKKP) Sabah.

During one of our conversations, he gave me some advice.

He reminded me not to become too active in commenting on political issues.

His words were simple, but they left a deep impression on me.

In 2013, I joined Toastmasters Club in Sandakan. Interestingly, the club emphasised a similar principle when preparing speeches and selecting topics for public speaking.

Members were generally advised to avoid discussing three particularly sensitive subjects: Politics, Sex and Religion.

The idea was to create a comfortable and inclusive environment where people from different backgrounds, beliefs and perspectives could communicate, learn and develop their public speaking skills without unnecessary controversy.

Since then, I have gradually changed the way I use social media.

Instead of commenting on almost everything, I started focusing on subjects that I understood, had experience in and was genuinely passionate about.

I concentrated on writing about the palm oil industry, engineering, leadership, management, personal experiences and lessons from my journey through life.

I continued writing on my blog for the next 18 years.

Last month, the blog recorded more than 102,000 pageviews, bringing its cumulative total to approximately 2.3 million pageviews.

In September 2026, I published my first book, My Journey in Palm Oil Industry.

I have also created more than 260 songs, sharing them through several TikTok and YouTube channels.

Looking back, all these achievements began with something as simple as getting an internet connection at a rental house in Miri back in 2009.

More importantly, I have learned that having access to social media does not mean we need to comment on everything.

Whenever we open Facebook or other social media platforms, there is always something that catches our attention. Sometimes, our emotions encourage us to respond immediately. We feel the urge to express our opinions, correct others or become involved in discussions that may have very little relevance to our lives.

But have we ever stopped to ask ourselves a simple question?

Does our comment bring any benefit to ourselves or to the people reading it?

If the answer is no, perhaps it is better to pause and think before responding.

Not every issue deserves our attention. Not every disagreement requires our involvement. And not every opinion needs to be expressed publicly.

Sometimes, silence is a better decision.

Avoiding unnecessary discussions about Politics, Sex and Religion has had a significant impact on my life. It has allowed me to focus on what I know, what I enjoy doing and what I can contribute to others.

I would rather spend my time sharing knowledge, documenting experiences, writing stories and creating something meaningful for the next generation.

After all, social media should be a platform for sharing knowledge, building friendships and creating positive contributions, rather than a place where we constantly engage in unnecessary arguments.

Thank you, my friend, Salahuddin Abdul Majid, for the advice that changed the way I look at social media.

Sometimes, a simple piece of advice from a friend can change the direction of our lives.

That is my story for today.

STORY 1666 POLITIK, SEKS & AGAMA

Pada tahun 2008, saya tiba di Miri, Sarawak, untuk memulakan satu lagi lembaran baharu dalam kerjaya saya sebagai Pengurus Kilang di sebuah kilang sawit milik Government-Linked Company (GLC).

Kilang sawit tersebut terletak agak jauh dari bandar raya Miri, kira-kira 120 kilometer perjalanan. Melalui Jalan Miri–Bintulu, saya akan sampai ke Bekenu sebelum memasuki simpang menuju ke Bakong, sebuah pekan kecil. Dari situ, perjalanan diteruskan melalui jalan gravel, melewati sebuah lagi pekan kecil, Lapok, sebelum tiba di ladang sawit yang terletak bersebelahan dengan Taman Negara Loagan Bunut.

Jika sebelum ini saya menghabiskan beberapa tahun di kawasan pedalaman Sungai Kinabatangan, Sabah, kini saya berpindah ke satu lagi kawasan pedalaman, iaitu di sekitar Sungai Baram, Sarawak.

Setelah menghabiskan empat tahun sebelumnya bekerja dalam persekitaran yang mencabar di Lahad Datu, khususnya melalui Jalan Jeroco yang cukup terkenal dengan cabarannya, berpindah ke Long Lama bukanlah sesuatu yang asing bagi saya. Ia hanyalah satu lagi perjalanan dalam kehidupan saya di industri sawit.

Pada tahun 2009, anak sulung saya genap berusia lima tahun dan sudah tiba masanya untuk memasuki prasekolah. Isteri saya yang sememangnya sangat teliti dalam setiap perancangannya mula mengingatkan saya tentang beberapa perkara yang perlu diuruskan.

Setelah bertahun-tahun hidup di kawasan ladang, kini anak-anak semakin membesar dan pendidikan mereka menjadi satu keutamaan. Kami tidak boleh lagi hanya memikirkan tempat saya bekerja. Kami juga perlu memikirkan tempat anak-anak mendapatkan pendidikan.

Pada awal tahun tersebut, saya mula mencari rumah sewa di bandar raya Miri.

Alhamdulillah, saya berpeluang berkenalan dengan Cikgu Hasan dan isterinya yang sangat ramah dan mesra. Beliau telah berkhidmat lebih 20 tahun di Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG), Miri. Bagi ramai perantau yang baru sampai ke Miri, beliau ibarat seorang penghulu yang banyak membantu mereka menyesuaikan diri dengan kehidupan di bandar tersebut.

Hampir semua orang yang pernah menetap di Miri pasti mengenali Cikgu Hasan.

Saya mendapat sebuah rumah sewa yang terletak bersebelahan dengan rumah beliau. Pada tahun berikutnya, saya berpindah ke rumah yang pernah disewakan oleh beliau kepada saya setelah beliau bersara dan pulang ke Pasir Mas, Kelantan.

Rumah sewa pertama itu sebenarnya menjadi satu titik permulaan yang cukup bermakna dalam kehidupan saya.

Buat pertama kalinya, saya mempunyai sebuah rumah yang dilengkapi talian internet.

Dari tahun 2004 hingga 2009, kebanyakan masa saya dihabiskan di kawasan pedalaman ladang sawit. Kemudahan internet ketika itu amat sukar diperoleh, malah ada tempat yang langsung tidak mempunyai kemudahan tersebut. Justeru, apabila mempunyai rumah dengan talian internet sendiri, saya berasa sangat teruja.

Ia seolah-olah membuka satu dunia baharu kepada saya.

Pada tahun yang sama, saya mula menulis blog Kembara Insan dan buat pertama kalinya membuka akaun Facebook.

Melalui Facebook, saya mula berhubung semula dengan ramai rakan sekolah dan universiti yang sudah lama terpisah. Ia menjadi peluang untuk mengeratkan kembali persahabatan yang terputus akibat jarak, pekerjaan dan perjalanan kehidupan masing-masing.

Saya turut bertemu semula dengan Cikgu Sabaraddin, rakan semasa matrikulasi, PALAPES dan Kampus Kejuruteraan. Ketika itu, beliau bertugas di Belaga, Bintulu, Sarawak.

Saya begitu teruja dengan kemudahan internet, media sosial dan dunia penulisan blog.

Namun, seperti kebanyakan orang yang baru mengenali dunia media sosial, saya mula menjadi terlalu aktif. Hampir semua perkara yang terlintas di fikiran ingin dikongsi. Setiap isu dirasakan menarik untuk dibincangkan dan setiap perkara seolah-olah memerlukan pandangan daripada saya.

Politik, agama dan pelbagai perkara lain menjadi bahan perbincangan saya.

Ada kalanya, seolah-olah kita merasakan diri ini pakar dalam semua bidang.

Beberapa tahun kemudian, selepas berpindah semula ke Sabah pada tahun 2012, saya berkenalan dengan Salahuddin Abdul Majid. Beliau juga seorang yang agak lantang bersuara semasa kami membuat persediaan menghadapi peperiksaan Jurutera Stim di Jabatan Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (JKKP) Sabah.

Dalam salah satu perbualan kami, beliau memberikan satu nasihat.

Beliau mengingatkan saya supaya tidak terlalu aktif memberikan komen berkaitan isu politik.

Kata-katanya ringkas, tetapi cukup mendalam dan meninggalkan kesan kepada diri saya.

Pada tahun 2013, saya mula menyertai Toastmasters Club di Sandakan. Menariknya, kelab tersebut turut menekankan prinsip yang hampir sama ketika menyediakan ucapan dan memilih tajuk untuk aktiviti pengucapan awam.

Ahli-ahli lazimnya dinasihatkan supaya mengelakkan tiga topik yang agak sensitif, iaitu Politik, Seks dan Agama.

Tujuannya adalah untuk mewujudkan suasana yang selesa dan inklusif, membolehkan ahli daripada pelbagai latar belakang, kepercayaan dan pandangan berkomunikasi, belajar serta meningkatkan kemahiran pengucapan awam tanpa mencetuskan kontroversi yang tidak perlu.

Sejak itu, saya mula mengubah cara menggunakan media sosial.

Daripada memberikan komen terhadap hampir semua perkara, saya mula memberikan tumpuan kepada topik yang benar-benar saya fahami, mempunyai pengalaman dan minat yang mendalam.

Saya lebih menumpukan penulisan berkaitan industri sawit, kejuruteraan, kepimpinan, pengurusan, pengalaman peribadi serta pengajaran daripada perjalanan kehidupan saya.

Saya terus menulis di blog selama 18 tahun.

Bulan lepas, blog tersebut mencatatkan lebih 102,000 pageview, menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan kunjungan mencecah kira-kira 2.3 juta pageview.

Pada September 2026, saya menerbitkan buku pertama berjudul My Journey in Palm Oil Industry.

Saya juga telah menghasilkan lebih 260 buah lagu yang dikongsikan melalui beberapa saluran TikTok dan YouTube.

Apabila menoleh ke belakang, semua pencapaian ini sebenarnya bermula daripada sesuatu yang cukup sederhana, iaitu apabila saya mendapat kemudahan internet di sebuah rumah sewa di Miri pada tahun 2009.

Lebih penting lagi, saya belajar bahawa mempunyai akses kepada media sosial tidak bermakna kita perlu memberikan komen terhadap semua perkara.

Setiap kali membuka Facebook atau platform media sosial yang lain, pasti ada sesuatu yang menarik perhatian. Ada kalanya emosi mendorong kita untuk memberikan respons dengan segera. Kita berasa ingin menyuarakan pandangan, membetulkan pendapat orang lain atau melibatkan diri dalam perbincangan yang sebenarnya tidak mempunyai kaitan langsung dengan kehidupan kita.

Namun, pernahkah kita berhenti sejenak dan bertanya kepada diri sendiri?

Adakah komen yang kita berikan membawa sebarang kebaikan kepada diri sendiri atau kepada orang lain yang membacanya?

Jika jawapannya tidak, mungkin lebih baik kita berhenti seketika dan berfikir sebelum memberikan sebarang respons.

Bukan semua isu memerlukan perhatian kita. Bukan semua perbezaan pendapat perlu melibatkan kita. Dan bukan semua pandangan perlu diluahkan secara terbuka.

Ada kalanya, berdiam diri merupakan satu keputusan yang lebih baik.

Mengelakkan perbincangan yang tidak perlu berkaitan politik, seks dan agama telah memberikan kesan yang cukup besar dalam kehidupan saya. Saya dapat memberikan lebih banyak tumpuan kepada perkara yang saya tahu, perkara yang saya minati dan perkara yang mampu saya sumbangkan kepada orang lain.

Saya lebih suka menghabiskan masa berkongsi ilmu, mendokumentasikan pengalaman, menulis cerita dan menghasilkan sesuatu yang bermakna untuk generasi akan datang.

Akhirnya, media sosial sepatutnya menjadi platform untuk berkongsi ilmu, membina persahabatan dan memberikan sumbangan positif, bukannya tempat untuk kita terus terlibat dalam perbalahan yang tidak membawa sebarang manfaat.

Terima kasih kepada sahabat saya, Salahuddin Abdul Majid, atas nasihat yang telah mengubah cara saya melihat dan menggunakan media sosial.

Kadangkala, satu nasihat yang ringkas daripada seorang sahabat mampu mengubah arah perjalanan kehidupan kita.

Itulah cerita saya hari ini.

STORY 1165 – ACT OF GOD

The monsoon season arrives towards the end of every year. Thousands of hectares of oil palm plantations begin to receive continuous rainfall, sometimes lasting for days or even weeks. Gravel roads become muddy and slippery, while some develop potholes and eventually become impassable.

In oil palm plantations, the annual rainy season is one of the most challenging periods of the year. Almost every plantation operation begins to feel its impact.

The most critical issue is accessibility. Thousands of kilometres of plantation roads connect the office to every corner of the estate, stretching across valleys, lowlands, foothills and slopes. Even the main access roads to the plantations can be affected by floods. Bridges may collapse, roads may become submerged, and vehicles may break down or slide into roadside drains.

Palm oil mills are equally affected by these disruptions.

When roads become damaged or access is cut off, harvesting rounds become longer. Fresh fruit bunches (FFB) begin to over-ripen, and loose fruits fall to the ground. Even harvested FFB may take several days before they can be transported to the mill.

Eventually, rotten and deteriorated fruit bunches begin arriving at the mill.

At the mill, however, every tonne of FFB received still needs to be processed, whether fresh or unfresh. Decades ago, badly deteriorated fruit bunches might simply have been separated and discarded. Today, every single bunch represents money, and everyone wants to recover as much value as possible from the available crop.

Unfortunately, the quality of crude palm oil (CPO) begins to deteriorate.

Free Fatty Acid (FFA) levels increase, sometimes exceeding the 5% threshold specified by PORAM. When better-quality CPO is available, we try to blend it with the poorer-quality oil to minimise the overall impact before delivery to the refinery.

Any CPO with an FFA level exceeding 5% may attract a price penalty from the refinery.

However, not every quality parameter can be corrected through blending. One example is the Deterioration of Bleachability Index (DOBI). When CPO originates from severely deteriorated or rotten fruit, its DOBI value is affected, and blending alone cannot reliably restore it to an acceptable level.

Another challenge is the mill's limited CPO storage capacity.

Ironically, the monsoon season often coincides with the peak crop season. Just when harvesting activities are at their highest, transportation becomes increasingly difficult. Eventually, CPO storage tanks approach full capacity. Regardless of the quality, the CPO must still be sold and transported to the refinery to make room for continuous mill operations.

When the refinery imposes quality penalties, the pressure starts coming from another direction.

The Head Office, particularly the Marketing Department, begins questioning why the mill is delivering CPO with poor quality. As the mill manager, I inevitably become the person facing the pressure from both sides: the plantation teams struggling with harvesting and transportation, and the Head Office demanding better CPO quality.

To ease the situation, I decided to bring the issue to the attention of a Senior General Manager (Sr GM). I explained the challenges involving deteriorated FFB, high CPO FFA levels and the resulting penalties imposed by the refinery.

The Sr GM was known as a very strict and fierce senior management figure.

Without wasting much time, he immediately instructed the Marketing Department to visit the mill, together with all Estate Managers and the Plantation Controller.

One morning, the meeting began in the mill's meeting room. After the discussion, everyone was instructed to proceed to the FFB ramp.

There, hundreds of tonnes of fruit bunches had already been segregated and left for several days. Most of them came from plantations that had been severely affected by flooding.

All the Estate Managers stood quietly, looking at the piles of deteriorated fruit bunches.

Nobody said a word.

Suddenly, the Sr GM broke the silence.

"All of you, look at this!

It has been raining for weeks. Plantation roads are damaged. Bridges have collapsed. The fruits are rotten. CPO FFA is high.

There is nothing much we can do.

THIS IS AN ACT OF GOD!"

That was it.

Everyone returned to their respective plantations.

The Marketing Department, which had travelled all the way from Kuala Lumpur to visit a remote plantation area, approximately 90 kilometres from Lahad Datu town, was left somewhat speechless.

That is my story for today.

STORY 2222: PALM OIL MILL

 

After working for several months as a Sales Engineer at a newly established company, earning a net salary of RM700, I received an offer to work at a manufacturing plant in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Towards the end of 2003, with the blessings of both my parents, I embarked on another journey in life.

Afis Mohamed, a fellow PALAPES member and university coursemate, kindly offered me a place to stay at his rented flat in Damansara Ara. I shared the house with him and his other housemates. At that time, Afis was working in the Development Division of University Malaya Hospital. Travelling by motorcycle, it took me only about 30 minutes to commute from our flat to my new workplace in Subang Jaya.

After several months working at the manufacturing plant, I received an unexpected piece of news from a fellow villager, Shahrizan Sulaiman. He informed me about a vacancy for a Cadet Engineer at a palm oil mill in Lahad Datu, Sabah, under the same company he was working for.

Without hesitation, I submitted my application and received an interview invitation the following week.

Using my Honda EX5 motorcycle, a gift from my elder brother during my university days, I travelled to the company's office in Puchong for the interview.

In early 2004, I received the call I had been waiting for. I was offered the position of Cadet Engineer at a palm oil mill that had only been operating for about a year. The mill was located deep in the interior, approximately 90 kilometres from Lahad Datu town.

Just a few months earlier, I had sought my mother's blessing to leave my hometown and venture into Selangor. Now, I had to seek her blessing once again, this time to travel much further, across the South China Sea to the island of Borneo, a place I had never set foot in before.

I was about to enter the palm oil industry, an industry I knew absolutely nothing about.

It was a major decision that would change the direction of my life. There were uncertainties ahead, unfamiliar surroundings and a completely new industry waiting for me.

Eventually, I made my choice. All I could do was take that first step, accompanied by a prayer that the path I had chosen would lead me towards something better.

Little did I know that this decision would become the beginning of a much longer journey in the palm oil industry.

That is my story today.

STORY 2221 BOILER

My First Encounter with the Boiler Industry

After graduating from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Engineering Campus, Nibong Tebal, Penang, in 2003, I started working at a steel manufacturing factory in Seberang Perai.

The factory produced various steel products, including 4' × 8' mild steel sheets, metal decking, flat bars, expanded metal and special-sized plates.

Within just three months, I experienced two workplace accidents. One injured my finger, while the other involved my neck. The wound on my neck required nine stitches, leaving a scar that remains with me to this day.

Following these two incidents, I was asked to leave the job. Fortunately, I had managed to save some money from my few months of employment, which was enough to cover the expenses for my graduation ceremony in August that year.

After the ceremony, my mother, who had missed having her son around after so many years of living away from home, asked me to return to our hometown and look for employment opportunities there.

I eventually returned to Kampung Tebing Tinggi, Pengkalan Chepa, just a ten-minute drive from Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kota Bharu.

I had left home at the age of sixteen to further my studies at MRSM Kuala Terengganu. From there, I continued to matriculation before pursuing my first degree at university. After so many years of studying and living away from home, I was finally back where I started.

There was plenty to keep me occupied. I began doing various small projects around the house. As usual, whenever a light needed repairing, a pipe was leaking, or a table or chair needed fixing, I would be the one called upon to do the job. My mother and relatives knew that I could handle such things.

Around that time, my elder brother had recently married. His father-in-law was a fresh chicken businessman. This eventually gave us an idea: perhaps my mother could stop working as a trader at Pasar Siti Khadijah in Kota Bharu.

Every day, she had to travel from home to the town market to sell various products, including salted eggs made from the ducks raised by my father.

We decided to build a small roadside stall beside our house so that she could start selling fresh chicken from home.

It was a modest structure, built using whatever timber we could find around the house. Even the roofing was made from available recycled materials. Nothing fancy, just a simple little stall built with whatever resources we had.

While I spent my mornings helping the carpenter construct the stall, my afternoons and evenings were dedicated to searching for employment.

I submitted applications to various companies and made it a habit to buy newspapers, especially The Star, every Saturday. I particularly looked forward to the third Saturday of each month, hoping to find suitable job advertisements in the recruitment section.

Eventually, the stall was completed, and my mother started her new business.

As for me, I also managed to find some temporary work. A new housing development was being constructed directly opposite our house, with dozens of terrace houses and semi-detached units under construction.

I joined one of the construction workers as a general labourer, earning a daily wage. Interestingly, he was the same carpenter who had helped build my mother's chicken stall.

I cannot remember exactly how long I worked there, but I still remember the experience fondly. For someone who had just graduated with an engineering degree, earning a daily wage as a construction labourer was certainly a different experience.

Nevertheless, it provided me with some pocket money while I continued searching for a proper job. It also taught me that there was no shame in doing honest work while waiting for better opportunities.

A little while later, I received an offer to work as a Sales Engineer with a company in Panji, Kelantan.

During the interview, I met the CEO, a businessman involved in several different ventures. He was planning to establish a new business specialising in boiler servicing for ships.

At that time, there were discussions about the development of the shipping and maritime industry around Bachok and Tok Bali. Seeing a potential business opportunity, he wanted to establish a company that could provide the necessary boiler maintenance and servicing for vessels operating in the area.

That was when I first heard the word boiler again after my university days.

The last time I had encountered the subject was during my Thermodynamics lectures, where boilers were discussed as part of the engineering curriculum.

Little did I know that this familiar engineering term would eventually become such a significant part of my professional journey.

And that was how my story with boilers began.

WHY DO WE NEED TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER?

Engineering is a lifelong learning journey.

Why should we pursue Professional Engineer (PE) competency through the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) or Institute of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) ?

In my opinion, the answer goes beyond obtaining the prestigious title of Ir. or adding professional credentials to our names.

I see it from a much broader perspective.

It is part of our continuous learning journey as engineers.

We may have spent 5, 10, 15 or even 20 years working in the engineering industry. We have managed projects, solved technical problems, handled operational challenges, managed people, dealt with equipment failures and made decisions that affect our organizations.

But one question remains:

Does having many years of experience automatically make us competent professional engineers?

I believe experience alone is not enough. We must continuously evaluate, improve and expand our knowledge, skills and professional judgement.

1. Understanding Our Legal and Professional Responsibilities

In Malaysia, the engineering profession is regulated under the Registration of Engineers Act 1967 (Act 138).

The Act is not merely about establishing registration requirements for engineers. It provides a regulatory framework to ensure that engineering practice is undertaken by appropriately qualified and registered individuals.

Under Section 10(2), eligible engineers may be registered as Professional Engineers, subject to the prescribed requirements, including practical experience and professional assessment.

Section 7 also establishes restrictions on engineering practice by unregistered persons, subject to the provisions and exemptions under the Act.

This sends an important message: engineering is not just a job. It is a profession that carries responsibilities towards public safety, health and welfare.

2. Reassessing Our Professional Competency

The journey towards becoming a Professional Engineer requires us to reflect on our own professional experience.

• What engineering problems have we successfully solved?

• How do we make decisions when facing technical risks?

• Are our decisions supported by data, engineering analysis and sound judgement?

• How do we balance operational requirements, cost, safety and environmental considerations?

• Do we understand the limitations of our own knowledge and expertise?

These questions require more than technical knowledge.

They require maturity, integrity, professional judgement and the ability to justify our decisions.

3. Developing a Broader Engineering Perspective

When we first started our engineering careers, our priorities might have been straightforward: ensuring machines operate properly, maintaining process efficiency, achieving production targets and resolving technical problems.

However, as we gain experience, our perspectives should also evolve.

Our responsibilities are not limited to machines and processes. They extend to people, occupational safety, environmental protection, organizational assets and business sustainability.

We must understand that a single engineering decision can have significant consequences for many stakeholders.

This is one of the important differences between someone who has engineering experience and someone who truly understands the responsibilities of the engineering profession.

4. Professional Ethics and Integrity

In engineering, making the right decision is not always easy.

Sometimes, we need to priorities safety even when there is pressure to reduce costs.

Sometimes, we need to communicate an uncomfortable truth, even when it is not what management wants to hear.

Sometimes, we need to acknowledge that our previous decisions were incorrect.

Being a Professional Engineer does not mean that we will never make mistakes.

Instead, it means having the courage to acknowledge mistakes, learn from them and ensure that corrective actions are taken.

Professional integrity is not demonstrated only when things go well. It is demonstrated most clearly when we face difficult decisions.

5. Lifelong Learning – Learning Never Ends

This is perhaps the point closest to my personal philosophy.

We should never stop learning after obtaining an engineering degree.

Neither should we stop learning after becoming a manager, department head or even a registered Professional Engineer.

Technology evolves. Standards change. Regulations are updated. Management approaches develop. Industry challenges become increasingly complex.

Therefore, engineers must remain willing to acquire new knowledge, listen to different perspectives and continuously improve themselves.

For me, pursuing Professional Engineer competency is also an opportunity to become a student again.

A student who learns from personal experiences, other people's experiences, failures, achievements, professional standards and technological developments.

MY PERSONAL REFLECTION

I believe that the journey of becoming an engineer is not about proving that we are better than others.

It is about proving to ourselves that we still have the willingness to learn, improve and accept greater responsibilities.

We may have accumulated many years of industry experience. However, yesterday's experience does not necessarily guarantee tomorrow's competency.

Do not make the professional title our final destination.

Instead, let it be a reminder that the higher the professional recognition we achieve, the greater the responsibility we must carry.

A degree gives us the foundation to become an engineer. Experience develops our judgement. Professional competency strengthens our responsibility. And lifelong learning keeps us relevant.

At the end of the day, the greatest achievement is not simply having the title of Professional Engineer.

It is becoming a better engineer, a better professional and, most importantly, a better human being.

LEARN. UNLEARN. RELEARN.

Because engineering is not just a career.

IT IS A LIFELONG LEARNING JOURNEY.

#ProfessionalEngineer
#BoardOfEngineersMalaysia
#BEM
#EngineeringProfession
#LifelongLearning
#ProfessionalCompetency
#EngineeringIntegrity
#ContinuousImprovement
#BORNEORIDER

Three Kingdoms of Ancient China

Leadership and Management Lessons from the Three Kingdoms of Ancient China

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义) is much more than a story about ancient Chinese warfare. It is a study of human nature, leadership, organisational management, strategic thinking, political influence and decision-making under pressure.

Although the events took place nearly 1,800 years ago, many of the challenges faced by Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan and Zhuge Liang remain relevant to today's corporate leaders.

Imagine replacing an ancient kingdom with a modern corporation:

* The emperor represents the board of directors or ultimate authority.

* The king represents the CEO or managing director.

* The generals represent senior management.

* The strategists represent corporate planners and technical advisers.

* The soldiers represent employees.

* The kingdom's resources represent capital, technology, assets and human resources.

* Battles represent competition, business challenges and organizational crises.

The central question is not simply who has the strongest army, but who can organize people, understand circumstances, allocate resources and make the right decisions at the right time.

Let's examine six major lessons in detail.

1. LEADERSHIP – Building and Managing an Organization

One of the most interesting aspects of the Three Kingdoms is that the three major leaders had very different leadership styles.

A. Liu Bei – Leadership through relationships and trust

Liu Bei was not initially the strongest military leader. He did not possess a powerful army, a large territory or substantial financial resources.

However, he had one important advantage: his ability to attract people.

He built relationships with capable individuals, including Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and eventually Zhuge Liang.

His leadership philosophy was associated with:

* Building personal relationships.

* Demonstrating concern for people.

* Inspiring loyalty and commitment.

* Creating a shared purpose.

* Attracting talented individuals.

Management lesson:

People do not always follow a leader because of their position. Sometimes they follow because they believe in the leader's character, direction and purpose.

In modern organizations, employees may comply with instructions because of authority, but they become genuinely committed when they respect their leaders.

For example, a Head of Facilities may have authority over maintenance engineers, technicians, contractors and operators. However, successful facilities management requires more than issuing instructions.

A good leader must:

* Understand the strengths and weaknesses of team members.

* Listen to operational problems.

* Recognize good performance.

* Provide opportunities for development.

* Establish mutual trust.

B. Cao Cao – Leadership through competence and performance

Cao Cao was an ambitious, pragmatic and highly capable military and political leader.

He was particularly effective at identifying talented individuals and rewarding competence.

He understood that organizational success depended on having the right people in the right positions.

His leadership strengths included:

* Strong organizational discipline.

* Fast decision-making.

* Talent identification.

* Efficient resource management.

* Clear strategic direction.

Management lesson:

Do not recruit or promote people simply because they are personally loyal to you. Recruit and promote them because they have the competence to perform.

In engineering management, this means appointing people based on their technical capability, safety awareness, experience and ability to solve problems.

A technically strong engineer may be suitable for an engineering role but may require additional development before becoming a manager.

The right person in the wrong position can weaken an organization.

C. Sun Quan – Leadership through continuity and teamwork

Sun Quan inherited a foundation established by his father and elder brother. He successfully maintained and strengthened the Eastern Wu kingdom for decades.

His strength was not necessarily being the most brilliant military commander. It was his ability to maintain a stable leadership structure and work with capable advisers and generals.

Management lesson:

A successful organization must not depend entirely on one individual.

Develop successors, establish systems, document knowledge and empower people to make decisions.

If an organization collapses whenever one senior manager leaves, the organization has a leadership development problem.

Practical application:

For a facilities department, establish:

* Clear organizational responsibilities.

* Maintenance procedures and standards.

* Competency matrices.

* Succession planning.

* Asset management systems.

* Performance indicators.

The objective is to build a department that continues performing even when its leader is absent.

2. STRATEGY – Winning Without Relying Entirely on Strength

One of the greatest strategic lessons comes from the Battle of Red Cliffs in 208 AD.

Cao Cao commanded a considerably larger force and intended to eliminate the alliance between Liu Bei and Sun Quan.

On paper, Cao Cao appeared to have the advantage.

However, Sun Quan and Liu Bei formed an alliance and used their knowledge of the local environment, naval conditions and enemy weaknesses to defeat Cao Cao.

The outcome demonstrated that numerical superiority does not guarantee victory.

A. Understand your opponent

Before making a major decision, understand:

* The opponent's strengths.

* The opponent's weaknesses.

* Available resources.

* Operating environment.

* Possible risks.

* Constraints and limitations.

In business, competitors may have larger budgets, more employees, better technology or greater market share.

However, a smaller organisation can compete through efficiency, innovation, customer relationships and operational excellence.

B. Use resources intelligently

A company with unlimited resources does not necessarily perform better than a company with limited resources.

Strategic resource allocation is essential.

For example, consider a palm oil processing facility with limited CAPEX.

Instead of immediately replacing every old machine, management should identify which assets create the greatest operational risk and financial impact.

A rational priority may be:

* Critical safety and statutory compliance.

* Equipment with high failure probability.

* Equipment affecting production capacity.

* Energy efficiency improvements.

* Long-term asset replacement.

This is strategic thinking: directing resources towards the areas that produce the greatest organisational value.

C. Timing is as important as strategy

A good strategy implemented at the wrong time can fail.

The Red Cliffs alliance benefited from understanding the environmental conditions and selecting the appropriate moment to act.

In corporate management, timing matters when:

* Implementing major shutdowns.

* Commissioning new equipment.

* Introducing organisational changes.

* Negotiating contracts.

* Executing CAPEX projects.

Key lesson:

Do not confuse activity with progress. A leader must know when to act and when to wait.

3. LOYALTY – Trust, Commitment and Organizational Culture

The relationship between Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei is among the most famous elements of the Three Kingdoms story.

Their legendary Peach Garden Oath symbolises brotherhood, loyalty and shared commitment.

Although they were not biological brothers, they pledged to support one another.

Guan Yu became particularly famous as a symbol of loyalty and righteousness.

A. Loyalty must be supported by integrity

Loyalty is not simply agreeing with everything your superior says.

A truly loyal employee should have the courage to communicate risks, challenge poor decisions and protect the organisation's interests.

For example, imagine an engineering manager proposing to continue operating a boiler despite an unresolved safety concern.

A loyal engineer should not remain silent simply to avoid upsetting management.

The engineer must communicate the risk professionally, provide technical evidence and recommend corrective action.

That is professional loyalty.

B. Trust is built through consistency

Trust takes years to establish but can disappear through one serious incident.

Leaders build trust when they:

* Keep their promises.

* Treat people fairly.

* Accept responsibility.

* Give credit to their teams.

* Do not take advantage of employees.

* Remain consistent during difficult situations.

C. Loyalty should not become blind allegiance

This is an important distinction.

In the Three Kingdoms, loyalty sometimes created personal conflicts and difficult decisions.

In modern organisations, excessive personal loyalty can produce:

* Favouritism.

* Internal politics.

* Resistance to change.

* Protection of underperforming employees.

* Suppression of professional opinions.

Management lesson:

Build a culture where people are loyal to the organisation's purpose, values, safety and integrity, rather than simply loyal to an individual manager.

4. POLITICS – Understanding Power, Alliances and Negotiation

Politics is one of the most important themes in the Three Kingdoms.

Here, politics does not refer only to government or political parties. It refers to the management of relationships, influence, competing interests, authority and power.

In any organisation, people have different priorities.

* Finance focuses on cost control.

* Operations focuses on production output.

* Engineering focuses on reliability and technical integrity.

* HSSE focuses on safety and regulatory compliance.

* Procurement focuses on purchasing costs and contractual conditions.

* Senior management focuses on business performance and profitability.

All these departments may work for the same company, but their priorities are not always aligned.

This is where organisational politics becomes important.

A. Understand the interests of different parties

One of the great political realities of the Three Kingdoms was that alliances were often formed because of shared interests rather than personal friendship.

The alliance between Liu Bei and Sun Quan against Cao Cao is a good example.

They had different ambitions, but they recognised that cooperation was necessary to address a common threat.

Modern management lesson:

You do not need to agree with everyone on everything to work together.

You need to identify common objectives.

Instead of presenting only technical specifications, present a business case that addresses the interests of all stakeholders.

B. Build alliances before you need them

In the Three Kingdoms, leaders who understood relationships and alliances had considerable strategic advantages.

The same principle applies in corporate environments.

A manager should establish professional relationships before a major crisis occurs.

For example:

* Build good relationships with production managers.

* Maintain open communication with finance.

* Work closely with HSSE.

* Establish reliable relationships with suppliers and contractors.

* Maintain constructive communication with regulators.

When an emergency happens, established relationships can make the difference between a coordinated response and organisational confusion.

C. Understand the difference between influence and authority

A senior manager may have formal authority, but that does not mean everyone will automatically support their decisions.

Influence is earned through:

* Technical credibility.

* Professional communication.

* Consistency.

* Good judgement.

* Relationships.

* Demonstrated results.

A leader who relies entirely on authority may achieve short-term compliance but struggle to gain long-term commitment.

The lesson: Authority gives you the right to make decisions. Influence gives you the ability to bring people along.

5. HUMAN BEHAVIOUR – Ambition, Ego, Jealousy, Betrayal and Integrity

Perhaps the most valuable lesson from the Three Kingdoms is its understanding of human nature.

The story demonstrates that the success or failure of an organisation is not determined by technical capability alone.

It is also determined by the behaviour of the people within it.

Let us examine five important human characteristics.

A. Ambition – The motivation to achieve greater things

Cao Cao was highly ambitious.

He wanted to consolidate power and establish a strong political and military position.

Ambition can be a positive leadership quality when it is directed towards organisational improvement.

A company needs ambitious people who want to:

* Improve productivity.

* Develop new technologies.

* Reduce operational costs.

* Build stronger teams.

* Achieve higher standards.

* Create new business opportunities.

However, ambition without ethics can become destructive.

Some individuals pursue promotion, recognition or personal power at the expense of teamwork.

Lesson: Ambition should be guided by purpose and integrity.

B. Ego – When personal pride becomes a weakness

The Three Kingdoms contains several examples of individuals whose personal pride affected their judgement.

One particularly important example is Guan Yu's defeat at the hands of the forces of Wu.

His confidence and reputation were enormous, but his military position became increasingly vulnerable. His difficult relationship with neighbouring political and military leaders also contributed to his isolation.

The wider lesson is that past success can sometimes create overconfidence.

In corporate management, this can happen when:

* A manager refuses to accept criticism.

* An experienced engineer dismisses new technology.

* A department refuses to cooperate with another department.

* A leader believes that only their decisions are correct.

* A successful project creates a false sense of invulnerability.

An experienced professional must remain willing to learn.

Your experience should make you more capable of recognising your limitations, not less willing to listen.

C. Jealousy – The hidden enemy of teamwork

Zhou Yu, a leading military commander of Wu, is traditionally portrayed in the novel as being frustrated by Zhuge Liang's exceptional intelligence.

Their relationship illustrates the destructive potential of professional jealousy.

In organisations, jealousy can appear when:

* Someone else receives a promotion.

* Another department receives recognition.

* A junior employee demonstrates greater technical ability.

* A colleague receives praise from senior management.

* A project succeeds under another person's leadership.

Instead of appreciating other people's contributions, jealous individuals may attempt to undermine them.

Management lesson:

A good leader should not feel threatened by talented subordinates.

In fact, a leader should be proud of developing people who eventually become more capable than themselves in particular areas.

The strength of a manager is not measured by how indispensable they are, but by how capable their team becomes.

D. Betrayal – The danger of misplaced trust

The Three Kingdoms is full of shifting alliances and political betrayals.

These events remind us that trust must be supported by sound judgement.

In business, trusting people is necessary, but management must also establish proper controls.

For example:

* Financial approvals should have clear authority limits.

* Critical maintenance activities should have proper verification.

* Contractors should undergo competency assessments.

* Procurement should follow transparent procedures.

* Safety-critical equipment should have documented inspection records.

Trust and governance must work together.

A good organisational culture does not mean assuming everyone will always behave correctly. It means creating an environment that encourages ethical behaviour and prevents misconduct.

E. Integrity – The foundation of lasting respect

The character of Guan Yu became a powerful cultural symbol of loyalty, righteousness and honour.

His historical legacy and later literary portrayal demonstrate how strongly people value integrity.

In modern leadership, integrity means doing the right thing even when nobody is watching.

For an engineering leader, integrity includes:

1. Never manipulating inspection results.
2. Never hiding safety incidents.
3. Never compromising statutory compliance to save money.
4. Never approving work that has not been properly verified.
5. Being honest about project delays and cost overruns.

The lesson: Competence may earn you a position, but integrity determines whether people continue to respect you.

6. DECISION-MAKING – Knowing When to Fight, Negotiate, Retreat or Wait

This is perhaps the most practical lesson for senior management.

The Three Kingdoms demonstrates that leaders constantly face difficult decisions with incomplete information.

Sometimes they must act quickly. Sometimes they must negotiate. Sometimes they must retreat. Sometimes they must wait for a better opportunity.

A good leader must understand the difference.

A. Know when to fight

A leader should stand firm when the organization faces issues involving:

1. Safety.
2. Integrity.
3. Legal compliance.
4. Serious operational risks.
5. Unacceptable ethical behavior.

For example, if a contractor proposes to bypass an important safety interlock to speed up commissioning, the engineering manager must be prepared to stop the work.

The cost of delay may be significant, but the consequences of an accident could be far greater.

There are situations where compromise is unacceptable.

B. Know when to negotiate

Not every disagreement requires confrontation.

Suppose the engineering department requests RM2 million for equipment replacement, but finance has allocated only RM1.2 million.

A confrontational approach may create unnecessary tension.

A better approach would be to:

1. Identify the most critical equipment.
2. Conduct a risk assessment.
3. Separate essential work from desirable improvements.
4. Present the financial consequences of delaying replacement.
5. Propose phased implementation.
6. Agree on a realistic execution schedule.

This approach protects organizational interests while recognizing financial constraints.

C. Know when to retreat

Retreat is not necessarily a sign of weakness.

Sometimes abandoning a poor strategy prevents greater losses.

Consider an engineering project that is experiencing:

1. Repeated technical failures.
2. Uncontrolled cost escalation.
3. Inadequate design verification.
4. Major safety concerns.
5. Poor contractor performance.

A leader must have the courage to stop, reassess or redesign the project.

Continuing simply because substantial money has already been spent is a common management mistake.

This is related to the sunk cost fallacy: previous expenditure should not determine whether a project remains viable.

D. Know when to wait

Timing is an important part of decision-making.

Not every problem requires an immediate major investment.

For example, a machine may experience increasing vibration.

Rather than immediately replacing the entire machine, engineering should:

1. Investigate the vibration trend.
2. Check alignment and balancing.
3. Examine bearings and lubrication.
4. Review operating conditions.
5. Conduct appropriate condition monitoring.
6. Evaluate the remaining useful life.

A properly investigated decision is often better than an expensive reaction.

E. Learn from failure

One of the important characteristics of effective leaders is their ability to recognise mistakes.

The fall of a kingdom is often the result of several small mistakes accumulating over time.

In modern facilities management, a major incident may also have multiple contributing factors:

1. Inadequate risk assessment.
2. Poor maintenance.
3. Weak operational discipline.
4. Inadequate training.
5. Defective equipment.
6. Ineffective emergency preparedness.

A good leader does not simply ask, "Who made the mistake?"

A good leader asks:

"What allowed this mistake to happen, and what must we change to prevent recurrence?"

This is the foundation of a learning organization.

7. AN ADDITIONAL LESSON – Succession Planning and Building a Legacy

There is another lesson worth adding: a leader's success should not be measured only by what he achieves personally, but also by what happens after he leaves.

The Three Kingdoms illustrates how leadership transitions, succession disputes and the loss of experienced leaders can change the destiny of an entire kingdom.

Consider the different experiences of the three kingdoms.

* Wei eventually fell to the political power of the Sima family.

* Shu struggled after the death of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang.

* Wu experienced internal political instability and declining leadership towards its eventual conquest.

These developments demonstrate that establishing an organisation is one challenge. Maintaining it across generations is another.

What does this mean for corporate management?

A good manager should develop people who can eventually take over their responsibilities.

For an engineering or facilities department, this means:

1. Develop competent engineers and supervisors.
2. Transfer technical knowledge to younger employees.
3. Establish standard operating procedures.
4. Maintain accurate equipment histories.
5. Build a strong safety and maintenance culture.
6. Encourage independent decision-making.
7. Prepare potential successors for greater responsibilities.

A manager who keeps all knowledge and authority to himself may become important temporarily, but he creates organizational dependency.

A truly successful leader makes himself less indispensable over time.

The ultimate leadership achievement is not merely building a successful department. It is building a department that remains successful without you.

8. Applying the Seven Lessons to Modern Engineering and Facilities Management

Let's bring the lessons together in a practical management context.

Imagine you are managing an integrated palm oil industrial facility with a solvent extraction plant, refinery, boilers, power distribution, wastewater treatment, cooling systems and other supporting utilities.

You face operational challenges, financial limitations, ageing equipment, safety risks and production expectations.

How can the Three Kingdoms principles help?

| Three Kingdoms principle | Modern engineering application                           

| Liu Bei – Relationships - Build trust and teamwork across departments              

| Cao Cao – Competence  - Appoint people based on capability and performance       

| Sun Quan – Stability  - Develop systems, succession and continuity               

| Zhuge Liang – Strategy - Use data, technical analysis and risk-based planning     

| Guan Yu – Loyalty - Protect professional integrity and organizational values 

| Red Cliffs – Alliances - Collaborate with stakeholders and contractors            

| Sima Yi – Patience - Think long-term and avoid premature decisions            

Five practical management scenarios

Scenario 1: A boiler experiences repeated failures

Strategy and decision-making

Do not simply replace components repeatedly. Investigate the root causes, operating conditions, combustion performance, water chemistry, maintenance history and operator practices.

Use evidence to decide whether to repair, overhaul or replace the boiler.

Scenario 2: Production and engineering disagree

Politics and negotiation

Production wants continuous operation while engineering recommends a shutdown for maintenance.

Understand both perspectives. Present the operational risks, production consequences, maintenance requirements and financial implications. Develop a mutually acceptable shutdown plan.

Scenario 3: A junior engineer challenges an experienced manager

Leadership and human behaviour

Do not dismiss the junior engineer because of age or position.

Evaluate the technical evidence. If the junior engineer is correct, acknowledge it.

This creates a culture where technical competence matters more than hierarchy.

Scenario 4: A major safety incident occurs

Integrity and accountability

Focus on protecting people, controlling the situation, investigating the causes and implementing corrective actions.

Do not hide problems to protect departmental reputation.

A leader's credibility is often tested most severely during a crisis.

Scenario 5: CAPEX is insufficient for all improvement projects

Resource management

Rank projects according to safety, regulatory requirements, asset criticality, financial returns and production impact.

Do not simply prioritise projects that are most visible or personally favoured.

Allocate resources based on organisational priorities.

9. Comparing the Four Great Leadership Personalities

The most interesting way to understand the Three Kingdoms is to compare the different strengths of its major personalities.

| Character         | Dominant quality                     | Leadership lesson                                     |

| -----------          | -------------------------                | -------------------------------------                |

| Cao Cao           | Ambition and execution           | Get things done and reward competence |

| Liu Bei             | Relationships and empathy      | Win people's hearts                                  |

| Sun Quan         | Stability and continuity            | Build a sustainable organization              |

| Zhuge Liang    | Intelligence and planning         | Think ahead and prepare for risks            |

None of these leadership qualities alone is sufficient.

An organisation needs the combination:

* Cao Cao's ability to execute.

* Liu Bei's ability to inspire.

* Sun Quan's ability to maintain stability.

* Zhuge Liang's ability to plan.

However, there is an important distinction: these are interpretations of characters in the literary novel. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms blends documented history with literary invention, so not every episode or personality trait should be treated as an established historical fact.

10. My Seven Principles of Leadership Inspired by the Three Kingdoms

If I were to extract the most important lessons into a practical leadership philosophy, I would formulate them as follows:

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES

Leadership is not about power. It is about responsibility.

01 Know your people.

Understand their capabilities, limitations, motivation and aspirations.

02 Think before you act.

Strategy and preparation are often more valuable than reacting to every problem.

03 Build relationships, not enemies.

Cooperation and mutual respect create opportunities that authority alone cannot achieve.

04 Never allow ego to overpower judgement.

Listen, learn and acknowledge when others are right.

05 Protect integrity above personal interests.

Reputation is built through consistent ethical decisions.

06 Know when to fight, negotiate, retreat or wait.

Good judgement is knowing which response the situation requires.

07 Develop people and leave a legacy.

Your greatest achievement is the capability you build in others.

11. My Final Reflection: The Real Battle Is Within Ourselves

Perhaps the greatest lesson from the Three Kingdoms is that the biggest enemy of a leader is not always another kingdom, competitor or opponent.

Sometimes, it is within ourselves.

* Ambition can become greed.

* Confidence can become arrogance.

* Loyalty can become blind obedience.

* Intelligence can become manipulation.

* Authority can become oppression.

* Success can create complacency.

A leader must therefore manage not only the organisation but also his own character.

The Three Kingdoms reminds us that kingdoms rise and fall, powerful leaders eventually disappear, and even the greatest military victories do not guarantee lasting success.

What remains is the legacy of how people were treated, how decisions were made and what was built for the next generation.

A thought worth remembering:

A great leader does not need to be the smartest person in the room, the strongest person in the organisation or the most powerful person in the company.A great leader knows how to bring different people together, recognise their strengths, make difficult decisions, protect their integrity and lead them towards a common purpose.

For someone leading engineering and facilities operations, this philosophy is particularly relevant: technical excellence keeps the plant running, but leadership, trust, integrity and strategic thinking keep the organisation moving forward.

Suggested further reading

* Romance of the Three Kingdoms – For the complete story, characters, leadership and strategic lessons.

* The Art of War – For strategy, competition, intelligence and winning without unnecessary conflict.

* Records of the Three Kingdoms 

STORY 1164: MARRIED TO A SABAHAN

I met my wife while studying at the USM Engineering Campus in Nibong Tebal, Penang. She was my junior in PALAPES TD (the Territorial Army Officer Training Programme) and a student pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering.

She once told me that she had initially considered pursuing a degree in medicine. However, after attending a degree course briefing during her matriculation years, she eventually chose Aerospace Engineering. She was attracted by the Dean of Aerospace Engineering, who was promoting the relatively new faculty at USM at that time.

I once teased her, saying, “If you had been accepted into medical school, we would never have met. The USM Medical Campus is in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.”

She smiled at my little joke.

In 2005, after being engaged for a year at her village, Kampung Serusup, Labuaya, Tuaran, Sabah, we finally got married. Many of my family members travelled all the way from Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, to attend both our engagement and wedding ceremonies.

I come from a family of eleven siblings, while my wife comes from a family of sixteen siblings. Yes, we both grew up in very large families.

Nowadays, when people are surprised to hear that I have five children, I sometimes feel that I should be the one feeling embarrassed. After all, our parents raised even more children than we have!

Many of my relatives were delighted because it was their first time visiting Sabah. During our engagement and wedding ceremonies, they also had the opportunity to explore Kundasang and several places around Kota Kinabalu. For them, it was more than attending a family celebration; it was also an opportunity to discover a part of Malaysia they had never visited before.

Alhamdulillah, we became a bridge between two worlds separated by thousands of kilometres across the South China Sea.

I left my hometown at the age of sixteen to pursue my studies. After graduating, I continued moving from one state to another for work, travelling, building my career, and eventually establishing our own little family.

Immediately after our wedding ceremonies in Tuaran, Sabah, and Kampung Tebing Tinggi, Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, we returned to the oil palm plantation to begin our life as husband and wife.

We did not have a honeymoon. There was simply no opportunity for one, as we could not afford it amid the many constraints we faced at that time. We had responsibilities to fulfil and a life to build together.

From 2005 until early 2025, I spent almost twenty years travelling and working across Sabah and Sarawak before finally transferring to Peninsular Malaysia.

That is one of the reasons I chose Borneo Rider as my pen name.

Ironically, whenever I return to my hometown during festive seasons, some relatives begin asking questions.

“Who is this?”

“Whose son is he?”

“Which one of the children is he?”

Then someone will eventually explain, “Oh, he is the one who lives in Sabah!”

Yes, that is me.

In Kelantan, my nieces and nephews call me Pok Ju. And believe me, I have plenty of nieces and nephews!

After spending almost two decades away from my hometown, it is understandable that some relatives need a little reminder of who I am. Life has taken me far from where I began, but my roots remain firmly connected to my family and hometown.

Looking back, my journey has taken me from a small village in Kelantan to university life in Penang, then to the plantations of Sabah and Sarawak, and eventually back to Peninsular Malaysia.

Along the way, I married a Sabahan, built a family, and became part of two large families connected by love, marriage, and countless journeys across the South China Sea.

Perhaps that is what life is about. Sometimes, we travel far from home, meet someone from a different world, and create a home of our own.

And sometimes, after all those years away, we return to our hometown only to hear someone ask, “Who is this again?”

That is my story today.

STORY 1164: BERKAHWIN DENGAN ORANG SABAH

Saya berkenalan dengan isteri semasa belajar di Kampus Kejuruteraan USM, Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang. Beliau merupakan junior saya dalam PALAPES TD dan seorang pelajar yang sedang mengikuti pengajian Ijazah Kejuruteraan Aeroangkasa.

Beliau pernah bercerita kepada saya bahawa pada asalnya, beliau menyimpan hasrat untuk memilih ijazah perubatan. Namun, selepas menghadiri satu sesi penerangan mengenai program ijazah semasa di matrikulasi, beliau akhirnya memilih Kejuruteraan Aeroangkasa. Beliau tertarik dengan cara Dekan Aeroangkasa pada waktu itu mempromosikan fakulti yang masih baharu di USM.

Lalu saya mengusiknya.

“Kalau kamu terpilih masuk ijazah perubatan, sudah tentu kita tidak akan bertemu. Kampus Perubatan USM terletak di Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.”

Beliau hanya tersenyum mendengar usikan saya.

Pada tahun 2005, selepas setahun kami bertunang di kampungnya, Kampung Serusup, Labuaya, Tuaran, Sabah, akhirnya kami disatukan sebagai suami isteri. Ramai ahli keluarga saya dari Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, datang ke Sabah untuk menghadiri majlis pertunangan dan perkahwinan kami.

Saya mempunyai sebelas orang adik-beradik, manakala isteri mempunyai enam belas orang adik-beradik. Ya, kami berdua berasal daripada keluarga yang sangat besar.

Hari ini, apabila ada orang terkejut mendengar saya mempunyai lima orang anak, kadangkala saya merasakan bahawa sayalah yang patut berasa malu. Mak dan ayah kami dahulu membesarkan anak yang jauh lebih ramai!

Ramai ahli keluarga saya berasa gembira kerana itulah kali pertama mereka menjejakkan kaki ke Sabah. Mereka bukan sahaja datang untuk menghadiri majlis pertunangan dan perkahwinan kami, malah berpeluang berjalan-jalan ke Kundasang dan beberapa tempat menarik di sekitar Kota Kinabalu.

Alhamdulillah, kami berdua menjadi jambatan yang menghubungkan dua dunia yang dipisahkan oleh ribuan kilometer Laut China Selatan.

Seawal usia 16 tahun, saya sudah meninggalkan kampung untuk melanjutkan pelajaran. Selepas tamat belajar, saya terus berhijrah dari satu negeri ke negeri yang lain untuk bekerja, merantau, membina kerjaya dan akhirnya membina keluarga kecil kami sendiri.

Sebaik sahaja selesai majlis perkahwinan di Tuaran, Sabah, dan Kampung Tebing Tinggi, Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, kami kembali ke ladang sawit untuk memulakan kehidupan sebagai suami isteri.

Kami tidak berpeluang berbulan madu. Bukan kerana tidak mahu, tetapi ketika itu kami memang tidak mampu, ditambah pula dengan pelbagai kekangan yang perlu dihadapi. Kami mempunyai tanggungjawab dan kehidupan yang perlu dibina bersama.

Bermula tahun 2005 hinggalah awal tahun 2025, hampir dua puluh tahun saya merantau dan bekerja di Sabah dan Sarawak sebelum akhirnya berpindah ke Semenanjung Malaysia.

Ya, hampir dua dekad saya menghabiskan sebahagian besar kehidupan di Borneo. Itulah antara sebab saya memilih nama pena Borneo Rider.

Ironinya, setiap kali saya pulang ke kampung ketika musim perayaan, pasti ada saudara-mara yang mula bertanya.

“Ini siapa?”

“Ini anak siapa?”

“Ini anak yang mana satu?”

Kemudian, akan ada seseorang yang menjelaskan.

“Oh, yang duduk di Sabah itu!”

Ya, itulah saya.

Di Kelantan, anak-anak buah saya memanggil saya Pok Ju. Dan saya mempunyai ramai anak buah!

Selepas hampir dua puluh tahun merantau jauh dari kampung halaman, tidak hairanlah jika ada saudara-mara yang memerlukan sedikit bantuan untuk mengingati saya. Kehidupan telah membawa saya jauh dari tempat asal, tetapi hubungan dengan keluarga dan kampung halaman tetap menjadi sebahagian daripada diri saya.

Apabila menoleh ke belakang, perjalanan hidup saya bermula dari sebuah kampung di Kelantan, kemudian ke alam universiti di Pulau Pinang, seterusnya ke ladang-ladang sawit di Sabah dan Sarawak, sebelum akhirnya kembali ke Semenanjung Malaysia.

Sepanjang perjalanan itu, saya berkahwin dengan seorang wanita Sabah, membina keluarga sendiri dan menjadi sebahagian daripada dua keluarga besar yang dihubungkan oleh perkahwinan, kasih sayang dan perjalanan merentasi Laut China Selatan.

Itulah cerita saya hari ini.