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ย To know Malaysia is to love Malaysia: Having witnessed the countryโs growth has taught Ameer to not take its economic stability for granted.
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PETALING JAYA: Growing up in Kota Baru, he and his six siblings and their parents would huddle together for meals, pinching morsels from one small fish to eat with rice. โI treasure that memory because it taught me a lifelong lesson on humility. Iโll never forget where I came from,โ said Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, 62. โMy mother wouldnโt take any fish, of course ... a mother always sacrifiยญces ... oh, we were so poor during those years,โ recalled the managing director of Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad (Mydin). โOur country was poor when I was poor,โ he said, adding that his father told him stories of people having onlyย ubi kayuย (tapioca) to eat during the Japanese Occupation. Over the years, as the nation prospered, so did the fortunes of Ameerโs family as their one little shop selling toys and general goods set up in 1957 โ the same year the country achieved independence โ mushroomed and grew to become the homegrown empire of 322 outlets, including Mydin supermarkets, hypermarkets and the upmarket SAMโs Groceria outlets nationwide. Mydin celebrates its 60th anniversary today with a big bash at its USJ Subang outlet. He added that having witnessed the countryโs growth taught him to not take Malaysiaโs economic stability for granted. He has a strong kinship and love for the country.It is this love for the country that prompted him to support Star Media Groupโs Raise The Flag initiative, which seeks to strengthen national pride among Malaysians.
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โAs a true Malaysian and helming a Malaysian company, if I do not support such a noble act as raising the flag, who would do it then?โ he asked, adding that the Jalur Gemilang would fly proudly near the gate of his house every National Day. Ameer, who regularly travels abroad for work, said his trips always reminded him of how special Malaysia was. โI can say that there is no country like Malaysia. There is moderation here, which is difficult to find in other countries, and tolerance for all religions and races,โ he said. He added that every time he came back from a trip, he would head for his usual fix ofย teh tarikย andย roti canaiย at a mamak shop in Bangsar. โYou know, Malaysians are more Malaysian when they are overseas!โ he added with a laugh. The Raise The Flag initiative will run until Malaysia Day on Sept 16. Aset Kayamas is the main sponsor while Malaysian Resources Corporaยญtion Bhd is the co-sponsor. Under the Raise the Flag campaign, special four-page spreads will enable Malaysians to assemble their own mini flags. There will also be T-shirt templates incluยญded in the newspaperโs centrespread. Decorate the T-shirts with a Malaysian motif and be photographed โwearingโ it while holding the flags. Best poses should be hashtagged #RaiseTheFlagMY on social media. On Facebook, you can also share it as: raisetheflagmy. Refer to the exciting list of prizes that include staycations and dining vouchers in the centrespread. To bulk order any of the remaining Raise The Flag issues slated for Aug 21 and Sept 14, contactย The Starโs Customer Care unit at 1-300-887827 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Source : The Star Online