Othman Abdullah
I always aim to be the best at whatever I do. What drives me then is the desire to be the best.
What was your earliest ambition?
Coming from an uneducated family and living in a small town during my younger days, I was not exposed to the various exciting professions out there. My late mother had always wanted me to be a teacher, and that became my earliest ambition. But all this changed when one day during my final year at secondary school, I was asked by my Physics teacher what my ambition in life was. She wasn’t too excited with my answer as she believed I had so much potential. She instead advised me to be an engineer. Thanks to her, I actually became a computer engineer.
What was one of your most defining moments in life?
My most defining moment was when I emerged as the Best Student, Graduating Class of July 1993 after completing a 3 year American Degree Program (AAD) as preparation to be transferred to a university in the US. As the top student,
I was given the honour to give a valedictorian speech. After the convocation ceremony, I was interviewed by a newspaper journalist. The next day, a photo of me and my family was in the News Straits Times Malaysia with my graduation story entitled “Slogging pays for top student”.
That memorable experience had boasted my confident tremendously because during the initial stage in the AAD program, I was very scared that I could not make it due to my poor proficiency in English. I was accepted into the programme with my English just meeting the minimum entry requirement. After enrolment, I had to sit for TOEFL of which if I did not pass after three attempts, I would be expelled. I managed to pass with a score slightly above the passing marks, only after my second attempt.
From a very low confidence level of not being able to make it to graduating as the best student, it was like a wild dream to me. The whole episode taught me a very valuable lesson. Nothing is impossible if you are determined and set your mind to achieve your goal. Of course you have to work hard to get there.
What ambitions do you still have?
I would like to be successful in the corporate world and sit on the board of various companies. I would also like to get a PHD and contribute in academics as an adjunct professor and later become full-time academician after I retire from the corporate world. I also want to publish books.
What drives you?
I always aim to be the best at whatever that I do. What drives me then is the desire to be the best.
Who has inspired you in your life and why?
I am inspired by all the successful people that started from nothing especially so for those people who came from humble family backgrounds. Such people are typically very determined and perseverance all the way to get to where they are today. Not to forget, a lot of sacrifices will have to be made along the journey.
How do you define success?
For me success is when you have peace of mind- you are financially secured, you live happily with your family and you can afford to do what you like. Most importantly, you are in good health to enjoy your life in the company of your family and friends. And when you are no longer around, people remember your legacy and have nothing but good things to say about you.
What is your philosophy towards your work?
To produce excellent results, we have to be passionate about our work, be proactive to make our work interesting, assume responsibilities and try new things. We shouldn’t shy away from seeking help when we need it. No excuse if we don’t make it as we have only ourselves to be blamed.
What is your best childhood memory?
My life was mundane until I completed primary school. It only became more interesting during my secondary school days. I was active in co-curricular activities and was an excellent student. I was a school prefect, class monitor and a committee member of few clubs. I represented my school in Malay language speeches and debates competitions. I also took part in some drama and traditional dance competitions. By the time I was in the final year of my secondary school, the school principal and most teachers knew me in person and I was quite well-known among the students too. Looking back, I would say those were some of my best memories towards the later part of my childhood.
How would your friends describe you?
My friends would probably describe me as a good teacher. Thanks for Allah’s blessing on me for being able to articulate well, some friends actually told me that they liked it when I explained something to them as I could make it easier for them to understand.
If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?
- Al – Quran for my spiritual purpose
- My smart phone for communications and to look at memorable pictures
- My laptop to do my work
- My passport to be able to go to places in this world
- My diplomas/certificates as proof of my credentials that I had worked hard for
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?
My work has taken me to quite number of places. I like Europe especially the stunning architectural designs and New Zealand for the natural sceneries. I have never been to Morocco but would love to visit. There is so much to see and learn about Morocco with the history spanning several millennia and Islamic footprint all the way back to the Ummayad Caliphate’s time.
If you had a chance for a “do-over” in life, what would you do differently?
I would take up accountancy and become a professional accountant. I have observed that people helming top positions in big public listed companies especially in financial services industry are mostly qualified accountants. If I am a qualified accountant, I would like to be a CEO of an Islamic financial institution.
If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
“The Islamic FinTech Man”
What is your favourite quote and why?
“Richness is not having many possessions, but richness is being content with oneself”(Prophet Muhamad s.a.w.) We will never think that we have enough of material possessions. Real happiness comes when we are content with what we have.
If your 20-year-old self could see you now, what would he say?
He would probably congratulate me for the choice that I had made to create a niche in Islamic finance which uses technical knowledge that I started gathering since my early twenties and complement it with Islamic finance knowledge that I have been gathering for the past 20 years.
