Poverty may not be a bad thing if one learns the many life lessons that come with it. On many occasions, it can be a life changing impetus, or a blessing in disguise that toughens people and makes them stronger.

Boutique developer Trinity Group Sdn Bhd managing director Dato’ Neoh Soo Keat can attest to this as he has come face to face with poverty on many occasions in his life. He managed to overcome these challenges each time on his life’s journey to become who he is today.

When most boys and girls were still living sheltered lives at home, the young Neoh was already working a series of jobs whilst at the same time, trying to complete his primary school education.

At the tender age of 11, Neoh was selling vegetables at the Kuantan wet market to help with the family’s finances. He remembers having to cycle in the wee hours of the morning to wait for the trucks that transported the vegetables. He would help to clean and stack the produce ready for the day’s sales. He would then cycle back home to prepare for school.

Neoh also tried to help the family make some extra money by selling his mother’s fried noodles to his fellow school mates. This unfortunately incurred the wrath of the canteen operator and he was punished and sent to retention class by the school principal. The authorities later relented when they learned that he and his three siblings, who all attended the same school, would have to stop schooling. The family simply could not afford to pay for their studies if he was not allowed to make these small sales each day.

When the local authority started promoting the use of plastic bags for waste disposal, Neoh seized upon this opportunity to enter the small scale business arena by trading in disposable plastic bags.

However, all these jobs eventually had an adverse effect on Neoh’s studies. In 1986, he failed his Bahasa Malaysia paper in the Lower Certificate Examination (SRP). At that time it meant that he flunked the whole examination, and had to repeat Form 3. During that same year, his paternal grandmother passed away, his father lost his job and the family was evicted from their rented house. These were tough times for the young Neoh indeed!

Paternal support

Neoh was very upset and overwhelmed by the turn of events. A heart-to-heart talk with his father managed to help him see light at the end of the tunnel. The senior Neoh was rightly concerned about his son’s failure in his SRP examination. This situation seemed even more significant when compared to the success of certain family friends, whose children had managed to excel in these exams.

“Opening up to my father was a soulsearching and humbling experience for me. My father offered me our family savings of RM50,000. This was a big sum at that time. He asked whether I wanted to use it for my studies or whether I wanted to pursue a full time business career.”

That night, Neoh cycled to the nearby beach and shouted at the top of his voice seeking an answer to his dilemma. By the time he got home, he told his father that he wanted to continue with his studies.

“I resolved to pay more attention to my studies and prioritise my education over other endeavours.” He repeated his SRP examination and made it through on the second attempt. Neoh kept to his word and emerged as one of the top students in his school in Form 5. He went on to graduate in urban and regional planning from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia at the age of 27.

Despite graduating later than his peers, Neoh persevered and worked hard to catch up. Before starting out on his own in 2004, he worked for three property companies, including Kumpulan SPL. Two years into this job, saw him promoted to a general manager position. He resigned from this job to venture into property development with a partner.

It was not a bed of roses for Neoh as there were many hurdles to overcome. His business partner left him in 2005. Instead of taking the easy way out and selling his shares too, Neoh and his wife decided to take over the running of the company. “During those early days, there were many sceptics who did not believe that we would be able to succeed. The banks refused to extend any financing to us, and we ended up borrowing about RM300,000 from our respective fathers as working capital,” he recalls.

His first project, Heron Residency in Bandar Bukit Puchong, which featured high-rise serviced apartments, was met with scepticism. To attract buyers, the project had to be redesigned into smaller units and priced more affordably. “It taught me about the need to take risks and to tune in to market trends in order to succeed in the property arena.” Neoh explains. Their hard work and perseverance paid off. Today Trinity Group has a reputation as a developer of practical and modern property products offering living, working and recreational spaces that enrich the lives of communities.

Be of service to others

“We see our role as that of a master planner that offers both the hardware and software to build developments for wholesome community living. Trinity always emphasises the importance of value creation to enhance the capital appreciation of all its property projects,” Neoh says.

Given the many obstacles that he had to face and overcome, Neoh believes having a “recovery plan” helped to smooth out the path in many ways. His wish was to become a millionaire by the age of 30. This was a milestone that he was able to achieve when he turned 32.

“Although having a good tertiary degree is important, ultimately having the right human philosophy of integrity, honesty, fairness, sincerity, and a compelling desire to do well, are the traits that see us through the many challenges that come our way.”

Neoh, who turns 42 this year, believes that the hardships he endured during those early years have helped mould his character to become a responsible and reliable individual. In addition, they ensured that he is more appreciative and empathetic towards other people.

“Embracing those values have made me more result-oriented and taught me not to take things for granted. Life comes with both ups and downs, and the onus is on the individual to address these challenges, and make the best of any situation,” he reasons.

Neoh says his poverty-stricken childhood has helped him understand and relate to other peoples needs. “I can relate to the plight and needs of property buyers and understand what it is that is important to them. As developers, it is important to step into the shoes of the buyers and do our best to accommodate their needs,” he says.

His advice to his fellow Malaysians is. “Do not just look at everything from a monetary perspective. Truly successful people are those who do well in all aspects of their life. Be loving and caring to your parents, spouse, children and colleagues. One must also give back to society and help reach out to others who are in need.