Personal Banking
Personal Banking

Father knows best

He didn’t see the need to impose the old "doctor, lawyer, engineer, or bust" expectations on his children.
THE EDGE, 14 JANUARY 2019
Nazir wanted his children to grow up to be decent people who valued family and integrity above all else.
It takes a village to raise a child. But what if your baby is a fledgling medical logistics business? In that case, it takes a father’s patience, guidance, and unyielding commitment to integrity.

That, plus a healthy dose of dad jokes, just about sums up the relationship between UML Cool Solutions’ Nizam Ariff and his dad, The Aspen Group co-founder and group executive director Datuk Seri Nazir Ariff.

"Our relationship has certainly evolved over the years," says Nizam, "But we have always been a family that cherishes each other." They’ve gotten even closer in recent years, thanks to his three children. Nizam, the oldest of four children, says his father adores the grandchildren. "We’re a very close-knit family; we go back to Penang every month without fail (Nizam’sparents live in Penang). Sometimes if I feel homesick, we’ll go back twice in a month. I think this is the least I can do for my dad – he’s taken care of us so well over the years, what with all the time and opportunities he gave to us. We must try and give some of that back to him."

"Quite frankly, I’ve treated my kids like my friends. I’ve always wanted them to have a happy home life," says the 72-year old patriarch, Nazir, who in late November celebrated his birthday. Home life was often boisterous given that Nazir had three sons and one daughter. But the family has never grown apart, and in fact, Nazir’s youngest son calls his father on a daily basis, Nizam says.

Allowing the kids to make their own decision.
Nazir trusted his children to make smart decisions about their future, and ever the supportive dad, was there to back them up. He didn’t see the need to impose the old "doctor, lawyer, engineer, or bust" expectations on his children. Nazir wanted his children to grow up to be decent people who valued family and integrity above all else. "I was quite happy to let Nizam go off to Hawaii to study for his degree," said Nazir, himself a trained accountant and proud product of the UK’s education sector. Nizam completed a degree in Economics in Hawaii, and later on, pursued a Masters of Finance in Australia, all with his father’s blessing and support.

Nizam adds, "I don’t want to boast of course, but dad took great care of us, and we never wanted for anything. Growing up in Penang, I absolutely loved the beach, so when it came time to deciding where to study, I really wanted to go to Hawaii in the USA.

"However, I think long after we had all graduated, my dad started to have second thoughts about this," Nizam jokes. "I remember about 10 years ago now, my dad remarked that he should have sent us to the UK, rather than to the ‘colonies’!" he quips. But really, Nizam adds, his dad had always just wanted his children to have good educations. There was never any pressure to achieve extremely high grades, so long as the children did their best.
"In addition to some property investments (from which I draw a passive income), I've bought a simple insurance plan and medical card combination for my children. And in addition to that, my amazing father bought savings insurance plans for all of his grandchildren." - Nizam
Imparting the same values to the next generation
Nizam who has 3 young children sees no reason to deviate from his own upbringing. "Sometimes, I do think about them becoming doctors or lawyers and such. I mean, that’s every parent’s dream. But really, I don’t have a specific expectation for them.

"I don’t feel it’s fair to impose these things on them. I’d like them to have the choices that I had, and I simply want them to do their best in order to achieve their own ambitions."

This will not be cheap by any means, and Nizam has been preparing for the costly endeavour of tertiary education for some time now. "In addition to some property investments (from which I draw a passive income), I’ve bought a simple insurance plan and medical card combination for my children. And in addition to that, my amazing father bought savings insurance plans for all of his grandchildren." Needless to say, he’s also banking on his business becoming a key contributor to his children’s tertiary education needs as well.

A young family man, running a growing logistics business. The going will no doubt be tough, and there are many challenges and uncertainties ahead of him. But the one constant he can rely on, regardless of what the future holds, will be a comforting word from his dad, and a shoulder to cry on.

Provide guidance when it’s needed.
Like any doting father, Nazir spoiled his children whenever he could. But he had one unflinching rule. "I didn’t want any of my children to join my business. This was something that I made very clear to all of them; they aren’t going to get easy directorships and powerful positions simply because they are my children. I want to support and be there for them, but I do not want to spoon feed them."

Nizam echoed the sentiment. He knew his father well enough to know that if he wanted to become part of a successful business, he’d have to build one from the ground up. "I don’t resent any of this. My dad is a man of deep integrity and is loyal to his partner. He wouldn’t have wanted to create any conflict."

Nazir fondly recalls how Nizam had an entrepreneurial streak that dates back to his schoolboy days. "My son used to charge people money for fixing their computers. I remember sometimes I’d come home late at night and I’d see all kinds of wires snaking out of his room and would be connected to our old dial-up modem in my bedroom!" he quips.

Right at the outset, Nazir knew that his son needed to get some years of working experience under his belt. "I have been in business long enough to know that what my son needed, that early on in his career, was experience."

For his part, Nizam thinks that his more than 10 years of working experience was the best possible training he could have had. "I’m so glad that I listened to dad and went to work for as long as I did. That was a blessing in disguise. So always listen to your parents!" Nizam says.

Eventually, Nizam felt that the time was right for him to set up his specialist logistics company. Needless to say, his father gave him his blessing. Like so many children from rich families, he could have very easily asked his dad for seed money. But Nizam didn’t. "I suppose that was the easiest thing for me to do, but I was in my mid-thirties by the time I was ready to start my company, and it just didn’t feel right for me to ask my dad for money. At that point in my life, what I really needed from my dad was his advice and blessing, both of which he was happy to bestow."

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