SM Nasimuddin SM Amin

SM Nasimuddin SM Amin was a Malaysian businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Naza Group, a conglomerate with diverse interests in the automotive, property, plantation, engineering, and hospitality industries. He was born to a Minangkabau family in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, on 27 January 1955. He had 10 siblings and received his early education from local schools. He was interested in cars and the automobile industry from a young age. He started his career as a building contractor in his father's construction company. In 1974, when he was 19, he had RM80,000 in his bank account which he saved from his remunerations from helping out his father. He started his automobile business with an allocation of Approved Permits (APs) to import foreign cars. APs are government-issued permits to import cars for bumiputras. He made his first million in about a year. He flew to Japan where he spent three months purchasing his first 20 units of used Japanese cars. Upon his return to Malaysia, he sold off all 20 units within three months. His automobile business began with a shop lot in Taman Maluri selling 10 to 15 units of cars each month. In 1979, he opened a branch in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur doing retail and selling 40 to 60 cars monthly. He faced some challenges, including financing and how to convince customers to buy used cars when many were then not keen on foreign cars. He later expanded his business to include new cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles. He also ventured into other sectors such as cigarette distribution, credit and leasing, engineering, hotels, insurance, machine tools and parts, manufacturing, property, transport services, plantations and water craft. He owned TTDI Development which is one of the most prominent real estate companies in Kuala Lumpur. The Naza Group currently holds the Malaysian franchise for South Korea's Kia vehicles, and France's Peugeot vehicles. It also holds the import permits for Mazda vehicles. Naza has now also become the biggest and most prominent importer of luxury high-end vehicles like Mercedes Benz in Malaysia with endeavours such as Naza-Brabus. He was reported to be interested in buying a 40% interest and taking over Malaysia's national carmaker, Proton, which was reported to be in financial turmoil. He stated that he had already drawn his plan in turning around Proton if the Malaysian government gave the nod for him to buy a controlling stake of the company. He was also involved in various charitable and social activities, such as donating to mosques, orphanages, and schools. He was awarded several titles and honors by the Malaysian government and other organizations for his contributions to the nation and the industry. He was married twice and had 11 children. He died of stage four lung cancer at a private hospital in Long Beach, California, US on 1 May 2008. He was 53 years old. His body was brought back to Malaysia on 4 May 2008 and taken to Masjid Wilayah, Jalan Duta. More than 6,000 people came to pay their last respects including the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. The body was later taken to Batu 9 Muslim Cemetery in Hulu Langat, Selangor to be buried next to the grave of his beloved mother, Salbiah Abdul Majid. He was widely mourned and remembered as a visionary and a pioneer in the Malaysian automotive industry.