From engineering to building the largest golf retail empire in Malaysia and the region, Ng Yap and K. P. Low are celebrating 25 years of an amazing journey.
They were both the best of friends, almost inseparable like Siamese twins in Sekinchan, a quiet town with vast padi fields and fishing village.
From racing on bicycles to motorbikes into adulthood, Ng Yap and K. P. Low were just like any other good Sekinchan folk – they were ambitious and hard working individuals.
Other hometown heroes from Sekinchan include model Amber Chia and the “father” of the pen drive, Datuk K.S. Pua, CEO of Taiwan-based Phison Engineering Corp.
Golf Digest Malaysia last carried an interview with Ng and Low in 2008 (November issue) and lot has changed since then.
This joint Q & A commemorates and honours their dedication and contributions to the golf industry.
When was MST Golf founded?
The company was incorporated as Masinthai Marketing Sdn Bhd in 1989 and subsequently changed its name to MST Golf in 1992.
Can you please tell us how MST Golf was started?
A chance encounter upon some used golf clubs in New York City led to a decision to ship a batch of the clubs to Malaysia for re-selling in 1990. It proved to be successful and thus, the road to golf began to take shape. In 1991, the first retail outlet was opened in TTDI KL. The fate in golf business was further sealed with the official changing of the company’s name to MST Golf Sdn Bhd in 1992.
Did your parents ever object your decision to be in golf since they sent you both to study engineering in the USA?
We both started our careers as engineers that lasted for five years. Our parents were very supportive of us getting into own business even though it was not our major of study.
Was being in the golf retail business ever your ambition?
We always wanted to be in own business. After trying our import and export of a couple of products between Malaysia and USA, we ended up importing and started a golf retail business. We realized then the golf retail industry is relative small in Malaysia, and therefore, we set our sights on being a regional player.
After the first shop in TTDI opened, how long did it take before the second shop opened?
In 1992 we opened our second store at Ampang Pont.
What convinced you both to enter the wholesale side of the golf business and what year did you start?
We started our shop selling used clubs imported from the USA. To be a more complete retail shop, we also carried golf accessories such as gloves, bags, tees and etc supplied by local wholesalers. With limited wholesalers at that time, we saw an opportunity in wholesale which would eventually contribute to better margins to our retail business. In 1993, we decided to do our own accessories brand which we would design and source from factories directly to sell in our own stores and wholesale to other shops.
“K.P. WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY STAFF WHILE I WAS STILL IN THE USA. WE HAD FAMILY MEMBERS OVER TO HELP OUT.”
Both of you did not know how to play golf in the beginning. How long before you both learnt how to swing the golf club?
We started to learn golf the day we started our business as we needed to know golf to sell golf equipment. We both were quite athletic and played many sports in school. We were pretty much self-taught. It was more of business and work requirements.
What are your handicaps now?
KP is 16 and I am happy to break 100.
Which is your favourite golf course?
KP’s favourite golf course is the Old Course at St. Andrew’s. Standing on the first tee box just before tee off gave him goose bumps. I enjoy playing at any course.
In your own words, which memories would be your favourites during your 25-year journey?
Three things come to mind. Firstly, our very first sales in the Taman Tun Dr. Ismail shop selling used clubs was unforgettable. Both the customer turnout and sales were beyond our expectations. At closing, we were counting the day’s takings and we could not stop laughing with sheer happiness coming from within. Secondly, we faced uncertainty when the Asian financial crisis of 1997 hit. We decided not to give our staff a year-end bonus and the staff were very understanding. Over the next few months, we both travelled the country, visiting all the key golf clubs to conduct our own assessment of the crisis and the impact it had to our business. We discovered that golfing activities were actually much more active and the clubs recorded more rounds during that period. With the findings, we reversed our own decision to issue bonus to all staff. We also took opportunity of the availability of retail space at low rental to open our first SuperStore in 1999. Lastly, the best memory was when we moved into the MST Golf Plaza on April 2011, a two-acre site with a 100,000 sq ft corporate head office with warehousing and a flagship golf superstore and a SportsDirect.com store. It provided a sense of security and continuity for the company and all our staff to grow.
When you started the TTDI shop, how many staff did MST Golf have?
K.P. was the first and only staff while I was still in the USA. We had family members over to help out.
And how many staff do you have today?
Currently we have 440 staff in Malaysia and just over 500 staff including Singapore and Vietnam.
Why and how did you both decide that it was time to branch away from golf with the setting up of SportsDirect.com?
As a company, we need to continue growing on a long-term basis. As the golf market is relatively small, we need to go further overseas (China and etc) or alternatively, we stay home looking at a different industry. We saw very good opportunities with much bigger market size as well as lower risk in sports retail in Malaysia and SEA, compared to that of golf and by embarking overseas. After exploring a few options on sports retail brands, we concluded that SportsDirect.com’s business model which is very successful in the UK and Europe was the best for our region. We are pleased that SportsDirect.com Ltd which is a PLC in London Stock Exchange is our joint venture partner in SportsDirect.com Malaysia. We now have onboard the second man who is the Group CEO as one of our board members.
Has SportsDirect.com grown according to projections and how many stores do you have now?
We have set an aggressive growth plan for SportsDirect.com in the next three years. We currently have five stores and are happy with the results.
“CURRENTLY WE HAVE 440 STAFF IN MALAYSIA AND JUST OVER 500 STAFF INCLUDING SINGAPORE AND VIETNAM.”
How many stores or wholesale partnerships does MST Golf have now in the Asia/SEA region?
Over the years, MST Golf has carved its name solidly as the leading golf company in the region with integrated golf services comprising retail, wholesale, driving ranges, a golf academy, a golf tech shop, corporate sales, event management, golf vacations and golf course design and construction management. Retail remains as the backbone of the company and currently we have over 50 stores in Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. We distribute or products to over 80 accounts in Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar. Furthermore, we are supplying to over 600 corporate accounts in Malaysia and Singapore.
What is the next step for MST Golf for the next 25 years?
Our vision is to be the leading golf service provider in Asia. We are further investing in our staff, system and procedures to better manage our company and business. We continue to be aggressive in the retail front to gain more market share in Malaysia and regionally. We are in a good position to manage brands and golf related services regionally and will look for opportunities to do so. We are taking a very pro-active role in driving and building the golf industry on a national level. We have our infrastructure set to build the biggest golf community in the region with our ‘ilovegolf Members Program’. With solid 25 years track record behind us, we will continue to strive forward to bring the best of “Everything Golf” to serve golfers and realize our vision.
There seems to be a lack of new golfers in the market now and a low numbers of golfers nationwide. What do you think must be done urgently to curb this problem and create more awareness for the game?
As a country, Malaysia is a key golfing nation in Asia with five major tournaments (CIMB Classic, Sime Darby LPGA, EurAsia Cup Presented by DRB-Hicom, Maybank Malaysia Open, Iskandar Johor Open) and over 200 golf courses with unique characteristics. As a company, we have done many things both in taking the lead and assisting from behind the scenes to promote the game of golf in Malaysia. In addition to our shop activities, we have created and brought activities to the consumers including the Golfest (KL, Johor, Perak) and the Golf Fair at shopping centres that has injected more excitement and created more buzz for the industry. The opening of our golf academy in 2001 wasn’t commercially driven but more to promote the game, especially amongst the juniors. We are happy that MST Golf Academy is currently supporting the industry well in all levels of players including working with PGM and SIME Darby on the most elite training programs for Malaysia’s best men and women golfers. We are extremely vocal on calling for the clubs to open up their courses for juniors to play. Understanding that most of our golf courses are underutilized and need more golfers to play, we pushed to include golf tourism as part of Malaysia key economy growth area to 2020 under the government’s Pemandu initiative of the NKEA’s EPP 9B. We initiated the Malaysia Golf Tourism Association to promote and sell Malaysia golf clubs and resorts worldwide. We support and work closely with all major tournaments especially the CIMB Classic, SIME Darby LPGA, EurAsia Cup Presented by DRB-Hicom to create more impact and better fan experience. We also are actively promoting to Corporate Malaysia to use golf as their key marketing platform which will encourage more new and young executive golfers.
In our view, all the essential infrastructures including all associations are well in place to promote golf as a sport, a lifestyle, an effective business tool and a great promoter of tourism. However, joint and concerted efforts from all relevant parties are needed to drive the industry as one and bring more golfers into the game as common and national interest. Perhaps, a joint committee should be set-up or at least scheduled meetings of the minds of all key stakeholders may be organized in future to address the various issues and create a road map.
FAST FACTS
- MST Golf was started after its CEO, Ng Yap visited Austad, one of the largest mail-order companies in the world then.
- Ng Yap holds a Master’s Degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Iowa.
- Managing Director K. P. Low owns a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from the same university.
MILESTONES
The company was incorporated on November 13, as Masinthai Marketing Sdn Bhd. Operations began with three staff.
| 1991 | The first retail shop opened in Taman Tin Dr. Ismail |
| 1992 | On April 22 changed company name MST Golf Sdn Bhd/Appointed agent of Austad in S.E.A. |
| 1996 | Acquires ten soles distributorship rights |
| 2000 | Opens first Singapore store |
| 2002 | Enters Thailand market with news outlet |
| 2005 | Opens store in Vietnam |
| 2008 | Owned or co-owned 40 active retail outlets across S.E.A. |
| 2011 | Moved into MST Golf Plaza in April |
This article was originally published in Golf Digest Malaysia, Volume 8, No. 6 (June/2014)