By Juliana June Rasul

MULTI-MILLION dollar projects are nothing new to him. But entrepreneur Haji Abdul Hamid Mahadi, 55, is a simple man.

He lives in the same four-room flat in Marsiling he has owned for 12 years and drives a modest Hyundai.

New curtains for Hari Raya? Only once every three years.

His lifestyle belies his success - starting with just $2,500, Mr Hamid has grown his building and engineering business to one that raked in $6 million in sales last year.

He currently heads two companies here, MBE Building Technology and Manbuild Engineering Technology, and has expanded to Malaysia and Indonesia.

At present, he is involved in seven projects, altogether worth around $5 million.

But it hasn't been the easiest of journeys.

'I can't even count how many recessions I have been through,' he said. In 1993, he lost $300,000.

It was after this that he moved to the Marsiling flat.

'I threw away everything from my old house, even utensils and furniture. I wanted to start from zero,' he said.

He even did some of the renovations on his own; building the cupboards and shelving, including the kitchen cabinets. The table on which he and his family eat dinner in front of the TV - 'Japan-style' on the floor - was also made by hand, as is a decorative wooden frame behind his TV set.

'See? I told you I'm very hands-on,' he chuckled.

Buying a private house, he said, was never an option. 'What for? I'd rather live simply and comfortably,' he said.

He recounted how he had met two families who 'suffered' for their expensive private houses. One family, he said, ate cup noodles regularly, while another cooked tiny portions of food in a frying pan 'smaller than a construction helmet'.

'What's the point of living in a nice house, but living like that? I'd rather enjoy myself, even if it's in a small home.'

His success story began when he struck out on his own in the '80s after various jobs, including a stint at the Public Works Department. He was told by an ex-colleague that his business would last just six months.

He smiled, recalling the incident.

'I'm not afraid of challenges.'

While he was still an employee at a multinational corporation, he took three years to get three licences - electrical, building and plumbing, all of which he knew would serve him well as a contractor.

In 1979, he started helping out in his father's business, doing maintenance and repair work.

His first $2,500 investment went towards buying the company's first van.

In 1987, his firm landed a $900,000 sub-contract for part of the construction at the Mandarin Gardens condominium site.

Mr Hamid then struck gold when he decided to look into the then relatively unexplored field of solar heating systems.

In 1989, his firm was awarded the $2.4million solar heating installation project for Changi Airport's Terminal 2.

'It's not impossible'

'I wanted to prove to society that a Malay business could succeed,' he said. 'It's not impossible.'

Part of his business plan includes taking on projects that are not profit-making.

In some projects for local Malay-Muslim organisations, he absorbs some costs.

Mr Hamid is planning to hand over the business to his children - three sons and a daughter aged 18 to 30 - and is looking to expand into watering systems and waste management.

Another secret to success? Being a 'hands-on boss'.

'I know lots of younger ones who start their construction business and just want to plan and oversee,' he said. 'That's not how you should do it. You have to get your hands dirty.'

On Saturday, he flew to Jogjakarta, Indonesia, to oversee the completion of a mosque he is building. He travels to Indonesia monthly to give out food and cash to some 300 families in various villages.

'I have led a very fortunate life, so I am always reminded that it is important to give back,' he said.

This article was first published in The New Paper.