The Fall Before the Rise
When Amir graduated from USM in 2003, he never imagined his first job would almost end his career before it even began.
Fresh out of school, he joined a steel manufacturing plant in Penang. He had never heard the word safety in a workplace context. Within three months, he suffered two accidents — the last one so severe that the Production Manager looked him in the eye and said:
“You don’t belong here.”
It was brutal. It was humiliating. But it was also the spark that lit the fire.
Amir walked away with nothing more than a small SOCSO claim and enough money to buy his graduation attire. Yet, the sting of those words — “you don’t belong here” — would stay with him for years, driving him forward.
A Detour Through Struggle
Back in his hometown, Amir helped his mother build a small stall selling fresh chicken. His mother, a seasoned hawker who had braved the chaos of Pasar Siti Khadijah for decades, now had the chance to run a business at her doorstep. That stall became more than income — it became a family legacy.
Meanwhile, Amir kept searching. Every second Saturday, he bought The Star newspaper, circling job ads, sending resumes until he burned through almost a ream of paper. To survive, he worked as a construction laborer.
Eventually, he landed a role as a Sales Engineer earning RM700 a month, selling air-conditioners and chasing projects from government offices in Kota Bharu. That job taught him the art of selling — and the art of perseverance.
A Leap Into the Unknown
By the end of 2003, Amir was offered a job at a CD/DVD manufacturing plant in Subang Jaya, Selangor. He moved to the city with nothing but his EX5 motorcycle, living in a shared flat, surviving on RM1600 a month.
But destiny had bigger plans.
One day, a friend called with an unusual opportunity:
“There’s an opening at a palm oil mill in Sabah.”
Amir had never set foot in Borneo. He had never lived on a plantation. Yet, something in his heart whispered: Go.
In February 2004, he packed his bags, said goodbye to his mother, and flew across the South China Sea.
Borneo: A Land of Trials
The journey from Lahad Datu airport to the Snergy Palm Oil Mill took three hours through the infamous Jeroco road — gravel, dust, endless rows of oil palms. Amir stared out the car window, exhausted and uneasy.
“Is this where I’ll spend the next few years of my life?” he wondered.
The first three months nearly broke him. He suffered an accident while repairing the main gate, shattering his finger. He spent five days in Lahad Datu Hospital, alone, hiding the truth from his family to spare them worry.
But Amir refused to quit. He returned to the mill earlier than expected, throwing himself back into work. He told himself:
“If I can survive a year, I can survive three. If I can survive three, I can survive five.”
Love, Family, and Purpose
By June 2005, Amir was married. His wife became his greatest pillar — raising their five children with dedication and sacrifice. Though a housewife by title, she was, in reality, a builder of futures. Every report card, every achievement of their children, was her silent victory.
Climbing the Ladder
Amir’s career became a relentless climb:
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Earned his Steam Engineer Grade 2 license within three years.
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Completed MPOB’s Diploma in Palm Oil Milling (DIPOM) in 2007.
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Managed a 90 mt/hr mill, processing 457,000 tons of FFB annually.
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Earned Steam Engineer Grade 1 and Internal Combustion Engine Grade 1.
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Completed his MBA in 2014.
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Held leadership roles across Miri, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Nilai, and Pasir Gudang, from mill management to refineries and solvent extraction plants.
Every move sharpened him. Every setback hardened him.
The Dark Valleys
Success was never linear. Amir faced storms:
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Betrayed by a boss.
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Sued for RM1 million.
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Placed on a six-month probation.
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Struggled with depression for years.
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Lost his house to legal costs.
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Spent hours in a prison cell.
But in every valley, he found a way to climb again.
The Transformation
Amir was not born a leader. He was an introvert, sensitive, quick to sulk, uncomfortable with people. Yet, life in palm oil mills forced him to speak, lead, and command. From morning assemblies to managing 120 workers, Amir learned to do what once terrified him.
“I never planned this life. But perhaps this life was planned for me.”
The Next Horizon
Now, in 2025, at the age of 46, Amir looks back at two decades in Borneo. What began as an accident-prone engineer lost in the wrong industry has become a seasoned leader — a mill manager, a steam engineer, a mentor.
And the journey isn’t over.
Next month, Amir will pack his bags once more. This time, not for Sabah, not for Sarawak, but for Indonesia — his first international posting.
He smiles as he reflects:
“I never chose this road. But I walked it, step by step. And every step was written for me. The road ahead is long, but I am ready.”
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