Why we started our company in Malaysia

Renovation in progress for the development room, so much to get done still.

There is a whole heap of practical questions a founder may ask themselves when deciding on which country to launch their new business. I’m not going to list them off here, there are plenty of websites out there doing a great job of covering all that kind of information. Right here I just want to share with you my personal view on Malaysia as a country to start a new business in, and ultimately why we decided to start here.

Contrary to the cliché we all hear too often, the strength of (or lack of) the local currency had nothing to do with our decision to begin our adventure in Malaysia. As a matter of fact, Malaysia from a cost perspective was extremely inconvenient due to the range of countries the founders were originally located in. We had the choice to launch in any of the South East Asian countries, all of them had their price for admission in upfront capital and give or take a few coins they punched roughly the same. Having lived in Singapore for about 8+ years I was always captivated by the giant nation next door, Malaysia. Along with that fact, we have a founder who is a Malaysian, she had spent her school years in Singapore, and her University years in Australia, but as the young shepherd in Paulo Coelho’s novel the Alchemist learnt, home is often where the heart is. Now before we packed our bags and headed to the nation referred to as ‘Truly Asia’, we spent quite some time forming our business concepts in both Japan and Singapore. So, the decision was yet to be concluded on, what we had decided though, was we would move to Malaysia and see how we felt about the place. So off we headed, riding one of Malaysia’s own carriers, Air Asia, because let’s be honest, at that price point you really do get fantastic value for money.

The outside view of our Kota Damansara Office, Selangor, Malaysia.

Now when I arrived in Malaysia it wasn’t long before I was sold on the place, yes you are right, that does sound a little bit romantic, but I believe we could all do with a bit more romance in our life don’t you think. Anyhow, the way I felt then is still the same way I feel about it today, this probably shouldn’t be surprising given it wasn’t that long ago. You see, when I walk down the streets of Malaysia, I see construction everywhere. New buildings are cropping up every day, everywhere, and I just happen to be sitting in a new building as we speak. This is an exciting time for Malaysia, to see growth and change all around you is an intrinsically exhilarating experience. The very mention of such a sentence sometimes sends people into a frenzy of complaining about property prices, land allocation, empty buildings and other similar depressing downcast views, and no doubt they exist to some small degree, but that is just the nature of all things, that there are both positive and negative aspects of everything. So, when I see all this construction, I just imagine the people that one day will work in these buildings, I imagine the capital systems that will provide the liquidity to fuel the businesses employing those people, and I imagine all forms and permutations of the fantastic products and services which will sprout forth from those buildings. It’s hard not to let the imagination run wild when observing the constant eruption, of seemingly lifeless, massive slab mixtures of concrete and steel. Never-the-less carried away with it all I allow myself to be. Starting a business is all about growth, personal and professional, and what better garden to grow in than that of which is flourishing all around you.

Having lived in South East Asia for over 12 years, and having originated from New Zealand, I have a learned sense of appreciation for space, nice empty, non-people clogged space. Now we must be flexible with space, high population densities are, and should be expected in modern cities. These seemingly cramped scenarios are often a positive sign of a bustling, busy growing centre. But here in Malaysia, you’ve really got it all. Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, or even Justin Bieber (if we must) could walk, hop, skip and dance a jig down the street without needing to concern themselves with bumping into every Tom, Dick and Harry they pass. It’s hard to put a value on space, it really is invaluable, both from its stress-reducing benefits and its allowance for future growth. Now as you might have astutely pointed out, the pursuit of either of those two factors means the diminishment of the other, but I don’t see this inverse correlation as anything other than a chance to make a choice, and to practice balance. Malaysia really has massive amounts of land to grow into, it could comfortably accommodate a population many times over it’s current, it could receive serious foreign investment, experience the corresponding growth, enabling the nation position itself as a stable and safe powerhouse for businesses while setting the standard for its neighbouring countries. So, from being able to dance in the public unhindered through to the geographical characteristics of the continent, I believe Malaysia offers so much opportunity and adventure and will offer an even whole lot more in the near future. Additionally, if you love hot sticky weather like myself, and let's be honest, who doesn't? Well then, my friend, I can assure you that Malaysia, is an absolute slam dunk in that respect. And for those of you who do not relish in the relentless, around the clock, warming rays of sunshine, fear not, for Malaysia is the land-of-cool, and air-conditioning your home, mall and office is a national sport, and they play it well indeed.

Our new room for the development team, needs some renovation work!

Now I mentioned in the beginning that I wouldn’t be sharing all those typical pragmatic angles with you, but I will need to diverge momentarily from that rule because I think this point is important. Having observed Malaysia first hand over the last 10 years during sporadic trips from Singapore, I believe the Malaysian government has struck the perfect balance between oversight and nurturing independence in its citizens. That is to say, and in very real terms, our ability to move here, register a company, find high-quality low-cost office rental, employ great engineers, access high-speed fibre optic internet and operate day to day, it really was a painless experience end to end. That to me is the true reflection of a country whose leaders are supporting their capitalist system, with of course small business at the forefront. I think this is an important and precious thing, and I don’t think we hear enough about it. I mentioned the term citizen earlier, and what I mean by that is that I believe Malaysian people have retained a unique, distinct and individual personality, and this comes from living in a country which offers a healthy level of self-reliance.

Now let’s get right to the question at hand, and I will try my best to answer directly. Why did we start Kreloses in Malaysia? Because Malaysia is a country of opportunity and adventure. Because Malaysia has a government which supports the provisioning of infrastructure and services which allow so many people to take advantage of the abundance of opportunity. Because Malaysia has a soul, in an age when governments are nurturing every need and want of its citizens, the individual is becoming less self-sufficient and less unique. It is through the endeavours presented by the quest to become self-sufficient that we find reward and growth, and it is through the uniqueness of the individual that we find something new and exciting in tomorrow and the days ahead. Service businesses can and will thrive in Malaysia, and that is precisely why we started here.