MALAYSIAN entrepreneur Liow Ren Jan, 44, has the remedy for rumbling tummies – quickie meals.
He has come up with Malaysia’s first microwaveable, halal, frozen and ready-to-eat Malaysian meals. In just four to six minutes, diners will have a piping hot meal to beat those hunger pangs.
Sold under the Sri Kulai label, the meals are manufactured by his barely two-year-old company, AYS Sdn Bhd, in Bandar Sri Damansara, Petaling Jaya. The meals have no preservatives or added monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Hungry? Have a ‘quickie’: AYS Sdn Bhd CEO Liow Ren Jan showing the freezer where the microwaveable meals are stored at -18°C. These convenient meals manufactured in Bandar Sri Damansara, Selangor, have a shelf life of one year.There are also Western meals such as Spaghetti Bolognese, Honey Glazed Chicken, Fish With White Sauce, Grilled Black Pepper Steak and Grilled Chicken Chop.
Next year, Liow plans to include Asian favourites like Nasi Padang, Thai Green Curry Chicken Rice or perhaps Singapore Laksa.
“Our convenient meals are offered at two Sri Kulai Lifestyle Concept outlets in Petaling Jaya, Selangor and Kluang, Johor. They are also sold in major hypermarkets and on low-cost airline carriers,” says Liow, chief executive officer of AYS.
Last year, Sri Kulai’s Coconut Rice With Rendang Chicken garnered the Product Innovation Gold Award.AYS won for Best Halal Product at The Halal Journal Awards 2009 and one of its products, the Sri Kulai Nasi Lemak With Rendang Chicken, garnered the Product Innovation Gold Award from the Malaysian Institute of Food Technology.
This year, Sri Kulai won the Power Brand for Microwaveable Halal Food Industry in 2010 from the Asia Entrepreneur Alliance. On June 1, AYS was recognised as one of the top 100 most innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia.
A few days later, Liow flew to Beijing to receive the Outstanding Chinese Business Leader Award given by Hongqi Pictorial, a leading and signature Chinese magazine on current affairs in China and around the world. He was one of several finalists from 60 nominees picked from outstanding business leaders in the world.
The former chief operating officer of UNZA in Jakarta, Liow was involved in halal personal care products in his 14 years with the company. He has a degree in commerce (with a major in finance) from University of Otago, New Zealand. He also has a Master of Science in international marketing from University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
On his desire to venture into his own business, Liow says: “I wanted to create a new category (of products) and be a leader.” He found his “blue ocean” or niche market in halal convenient meals prepared under stringent conditions.
“Microwaveable meals are excellent solutions for busy urban people,” he says, adding that such meals are also great for sahur (breaking fast) during Ramadan because Muslims do not need to wake up early to cook but simply heat up the meals.
By including halal dim sum, Muslims will also get to enjoy these tasty steamed Chinese dumplings.
Liow, his wife, two daughters aged seven and 11, and a maid also rely on Sri Kulai when they have no time to cook and are in a rush. “These meals are easy,” he says.
“Over the next five years, I plan to have 100 such outlets in Malaysia under a licensing programme,” he says.
Liow foresees that Malaysians overseas will get to enjoy Sri Kulai convenient meals in the future.
“We’re ready to export our products but need to find the right partner,” he says.
Spice of life
The brand Sri Kulai is named after Liow’s hometown while the company’s name, AYS, are the initials of his wife’s name, Ang Yoong Sun.
Liow says: “We have 130 meal recipes but have commercialised 20. However, only 10 are available in supermarkets. The shelf life of these meals is one year if kept at –18°C. Whilst the meals can be taken out from the freezer and popped straight into the microwave oven, his advice is that the meals must not remain at room temperature for more than two hours.
Since being in business, there are four questions that Liow is frequently asked.
The first is whether microwave-able food is harmful.
He says: “We’re using the microwave to heat up the food; it’s safe.”
Next, consumers want to know if the food is fresh.
“Try it,” he says.
People also want to know what the meal tastes like.
“The food is made by Malaysians to cater to Malaysian taste buds. Eating is believing,” is Liow’s answer.
And finally, people want to know what they can do with Sri Kulai meals if they did not have a microwave oven.
“The meals are packed in a biodegradable tray with food grade film. Remove the food and place it on a plate and reheat in your oven or steam it for 15 minutes,” he suggests.
By MAJORIE CHIEW
maj@thestar.com.my
On June 23, AYS will conduct the Sri Kulai All-Time Favourite Recipe Search 2010 at Sunway University College to find new entrepreneurs and new recipes for the 1Malaysia dim sum, dessert and dish. Go to ays.com.my, call 03-6272 1707 or e-mail info@ays.com.my for details.
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