TRAVEL to any major town in Peninsular Malaysia and chances are you will find a Mydin store in the area. Known for being "good value for your money", Mydin's stores today — in particular its hypermarkets — are competing against international players like Carrefour and Tesco.

Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, managing director of Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd and son of founder Mydin Mohamed, not only remembers the company's humble beginnings but is also proud of it.

"It goes to show that you can succeed in this country if you work hard. Our business began in the pasar malam, my father was a trader and then in 1957, he opened a store in Kota Baru.

"In those days, if you have a store it means you are already a towkay. We were very fortunate but my father did not stop there… he worked hard. Today, there are 25 Mydin stores all over the country."

To illustrate his father's thrift, he tells a story about lime.

"This is not a 20-years-ago story… this happened just one or two years ago in Bangsar. We went to eat at a neighbourhood shop and my father ordered mamak mee and warm water. You know, how the mee comes with lime? Well, he asked for more lime and then squeezed the lime juice into the water.

"I asked him why. If he wanted lime juice, we could order it. But he replied that it was the same. He said why waste money even though it was just a little more than one ringgit. I suppose you can laugh and say he is stingy but there it is. He was always very careful about money and he taught us to be the same."

Values like these have taken the company so far from that small shop in Kota Baru. Today, Mydin operates the largest wholesale hypermarket in Malaysia and employs about 6,500 people.

Throughout the interview, Ameer told funny stories from his past, shared his experience running the business and his observations of Malaysia.

After all, the story of Mydin is very much like that of Malaysia.

"Yes, both Mydin and Malaysia are 50 years old. As the country grew, we also grew. We have not reached the peak, and neither has Malaysia. We are a big company now so we can afford to take some shocks. We are able to survive these setbacks. Same for Malaysia. We have to go through this, all a part of growing pains."

Q: In many ways, your company's progress mirrors Malaysia's pro-gress. Can you tell us some of the lessons you have learned along the way which helped you steer the company forward?

A: We believe that we know our customers and what they want. After all, we are Malaysians. I will give you an example. When we decided to open a hypermarket in Subang Jaya, I went to the bank to get a loan and the banker asked me: "Are you sure you want to open next to Giant? Are you sure you can compete? They have deep pockets."

He also suggested that it was risky for us to open in Subang Jaya. After all, we are better known for cheap products and our market has traditionally been in low-income areas like Jalan Masjid India or smaller towns.

I told him: "Malaysians love to go to pasar malam, right? Why? Because they can get things at a cheaper price. I live in Bangsar and that is quite an upper middle-class area. Have you been to the pasar malam there? People still want a good buy.

(Just one year on, the business in Subang Jaya is so good that a bigger parking space has been added for customers.)

Q: Are there any values you hold on to which you try to pass on to your employees?

A: Work hard. Opportunities are abundant in this country. You can get somewhere if you work hard. But if you don't, don't blame others when you do not succeed. You have to work hard to earn this! (He laughingly refers to his grey hair and the fact that people often think he is older than 52.)

Q: What is it about Malaysia that you cannot find anywhere else?

A: I always tell people I am very grateful to the government. I was a Mara scholar and without the scholarship, I would never have had the chance to study abroad. I am the only one in my family who was lucky enough to go to university.

Malaysians are very friendly. In this country, it is still possible to get access to politicians, to complain to them or send some business proposals. Mydins did not succeed because of political connections but there were many times I had to approach government officials on business, and I was impressed by how quickly they turned around to help.

Sometimes, it is easier to meet the top guys than the ones on the ground (he laughs). People may not know it but a lot of sincere effort is being made by the government. But of course, not everybody is happy. That is life.

Q: You have spoken often of that entrepreneurial spirit in all of us. Do you think many among the younger generation have lost that? What happened to our "can do" spirit?

A: I think it is because they have not suffered enough. They have things too easy now. They have not gone through the pain but, of course, we cannot turn back the clock. So what do we do?

In our family, we no longer allow the younger generation to just join the business after school or university. You have to work outside for about three years, learn about the real world. And only then can you come into the business. Or else, they just come in and become management straightaway. It's too easy.

Q: Who is your hero?

A: My father. Do you know, my father does not own anything? No car, house or any property. You see, he was always afraid to owe people money so he never bought anything.

He likes to tell people that he has four gems, referring to us, his four sons. But I always tell him that my three sisters are gems, too. He taught us that we can succeed by being honest and working hard.

I remember how he would take great pains to return or pay for any extra products the supplier accidentally delivered to us. He really lived by his principles.

Q: What is your wish for Malaysia as we head towards 2008?

A: Keep doing the right thing. You will get there. We are not doing too badly and we have to remember that our relationship with our country is like a marriage.

We have to work together for a better future. You don't just abandon each other when something goes wrong. If we accept each other — for better or worse — then we will be happy. You simply cannot give up.

Q: Would you please share with us a quintessential Malaysian experience?

A: Eating. Where else can you find people of different races enjoying each other's food? Just walk around Bangsar on a Sunday morning, you will see a Chinese eating thosai, a Malay or Indian eating dim sum.

I also think we have passed a certain level in our relationship with each other. Thirty years ago, my mother would not let my sister wear a baju kurung because it was not our culture. Today, you can see a Chinese wearing a Punjabi suit, an Indian wearing baju kurung and a Malay girl wear cheongsam. It's wonderful.