We speak to the head honchos of Poh Kong, Royal Selangor, Habib and Bonia on sustaining their family legacy while keeping the brands relevant in a changing world.

1. Dato' Eddie Choon, Chairman and Group Managing Director of Poh Kong

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Photo 1 of 2 Dato' Eddie Choon, chairman and group managing director of Poh Kong. (Launch the gallery to see products by Poh Kong)
Photo 2 of 2 Poh Kong Raya 2019 collection in yellow gold. (Photo credit: Poh Kong)

Poh Kong is a one-stop jeweller established in 1976 that continues to be at the forefront of the industry. In catering to diverse customers, Poh Kong produces exclusive in-house brand products such as Tranz and Anggun that are of exceptional quality and meticulous craftmanship.

Dato' Eddie says Poh Kong is committed to continuous improvement and innovation. "As a reputable market leader in Malaysia, reputation is a key parameter for success in the competitive and jewellery industry populated by several thousands of retailers."

Read also Poh Kong Raya Collection 2019: Charmingly Gold Fête. 

2. Yong Yoon Li, Executive Director of Royal Selangor

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Photo 1 of 3 The executive director of Royal Selangor, Yong Yoon Li. (Swipe to see the latest products by Royal Selangor)
Photo 2 of 3 The Star Wars chess set. (Photo credit: Royal Selangor)
Photo 3 of 3 Phoenix Arising figurine. (Photo credit: Royal Selangor)

For a 134-year-old company, Royal Selangor has a long heritage of pewter crafting and producing beautiful and well-designed products such as the highly-detailed figurine of fictional character Jean Grey from the Phoenix Arising collection. But what makes Royal Selangor strengthen as a sustainable brand?

"The company established practice of cross-collaboration between design, sales and marketing teams resulting in products that fulfil our customers' requirements. We are also constantly seeking out new areas of opportunities to extend our reach whether through brick-and-mortar stores or online," explains Yoon Li. 

3. Dato' Sri Meer Habib, Managing Director of Habib

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Photo 1 of 3 Dato' Sri Meer Sadik Habib at the launch of the Merdeka jewellery collection. (Photo credit: Habib)
Photo 2 of 3 Models posed wearing the latest Merdeka collection. (Photo credit: Habib)
Photo 3 of 3 The Miss Universe Malaysia crown designed by Habib in display. (Photo credit: Habib)

Founded in 1958 by Datuk Haji Habib Mohamed Abdul Latif, the jewellery company has evolved from a humble showroom in Penang to 31 stores nationwide. The first showroom has been transformed into a heritage museum, showcasing antique jewellery such as anting-anting penyapu and kerongsang toh

"To us, being a homegrown brand is synonymous with being a Malaysian. Our products and customer service are deeply rooted in our culture. This all comes down to the 61 years of tradition, passion and craftsmanship in jewellery," shares Dato' Sri Meer

Also read How The 70s Punk Movement Inspired British Jeweller Stephen Webster. 

4. Dato' Sri Daniel Chiang, Group Executive Director of Bonia

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Photo 1 of 4 Dato' Sri Daniel Chiang, Group Executive Director of Bonia. (Photo credit: Bonia)
Photo 2 of 4 A satchel bag from the Amalfi collection. (Photo credit: Bonia)
Photo 3 of 4 A mini satchel bag from the Amalfi collection. (Photo credit: Bonia)
Photo 4 of 4 A bucket bag from the Amalfi collection. (Photo credit: Bonia)

"Since 1974, Bonia has built a network of more than 100 standalone boutiques and more than 1,000 sales outlets in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and China. We have plans to extend our reach even further globally, on par with other significant luxury brands," shares Dato' Sri Daniel.

Since the inception of Bonia and its expansion outside of Malaysia and Singapore, the essence behind each new product and collections has been its quality and heritage. "Glocalisation" has allowed Bonia as a brand to focus on producing and distributing goods according to local tastes which go hand-in-hand with Italian heritage.

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