Lorna Tan
Sun, Oct 28, 2007
The Sunday Times
MR SUJIMY Mohamad was one of Malay television's best-known faces in the late 1990s, along with his wife Haslinda Ali.
So when it came to personal investing, he did not hesitate to follow his passion, ploughing his savings into the world of TV.
Mr Sujimy, 37, likes his investments to yield returns fast, but he finds investment instruments such as fixed deposits and unit trusts too slow in showing returns.
'As a high-risk taker, I don't mind big calculated risks if I can see the returns fast. We always hear investment planners say that, with time, money will grow. But not everybody can wait, especially not me.'
He saw advantages in investing in a business he knew well. He had spent seven years with MediaCorp as a presenter on the Suria channel. With that experience under his belt, he decided to start his own TV and film production outfit, Screenbox, which was followed by three other start-ups.
He set up Screenbox in 1999 with his wife, Ms Haslinda, 36, who also worked at Suria, heading a current affairs programme. The going was tough as he had to compete with 30 other production houses.
Now, his firm owns a wide suite of facilities such as editing suites, studios and cameras, and it services Channel News Asia as well as Kids Central and Suria. He invests or co-invests with partners in TV programmes that he produces, so he gets a share of the royalties when the shows are distributed in the region or internationally.
So far, he has completed 35 TV series, each with eight to 13 episodes. They include The Million-Makers, featuring young millionaires, and The Peddlers Of Asia, which focuses on undiscovered street chefs. The former has been acquired by broadcasters in markets such as South Korea, Hong Kong and the United States.
Mr Sujimy's brush with the reel world began when a radio producer spotted him at a school debate. This led to a part-time job as a radio show announcer, and he became a TV newscaster during his varsity days.
He and his wife have two daughters, Qistina, five, and Qasrina, three.
Q What other businesses have you invested in?
A I enjoy watching good movies and it feels even better to get them from your own store. I put $150,000 into a video retail store called GilaMovies. The flagship store is at Novena Square 2 and there's a branch in Bedok North for heartland residents. I hope to have five branches in three years' time.
I also invested $60,000 in the Mibun Hair Studio in River Valley. I made the investment mainly because the styling director, who approached me, has 15 years of expertise in the industry. The studio is doing pretty well and I hope to open more branches.
The other reason I invested in Mibun is that artistes for productions at Screenbox need to be well-groomed, so it is relevant to my mainstay business.
I also co-founded a personal health and wellness firm with an investment of $30,000. I feel it has tremendous potential in the region and beyond.
Q What are your money management habits?
A I don't need a lot of money. If I do shop, I buy what I need at one go. I feel that savings are important, but the returns from savings are small compared with the returns from other investment instruments.
Q What financial planning have you done for yourself and your family?
A About 80 per cent of my income goes to savings: half for investments and half for rainy days. The latter is mostly in fixed deposits.
Q What about insurance planning?
A Insurance is a must for me. I have two life policies and I'm insured for $1 million. My children have an endowment plan so they will have an assured sum when they reach 18. My annual premiums come to $24,000.
I also have keyman insurance (which covers business loss in the event of either the death or disability of a key executive) for each of my businesses.
Q What do you look for when you invest in businesses?
A I need to fully understand a business before I invest in it. The concept has to be simple. There should be some certainty that I can recoup the principal within 1 1/2 years and get a stream of passive income after that.
Though I won't necessarily run it, I must be able to add value to the company through my knowledge and expertise. I also check for cross-promotion possibilities with my other firms.
The most vital thing is the talent and partners running the business.
I like retail and businesses in new economies. Currently, I am assessing some mobile and digital businesses.
Q Moneywise, what were your growing-up years like?
A I grew up in a very poor family of 15. I was the 12th child. We lived in a three-bedroom HDB flat and I slept in the hall with my siblings.
My dad would bring back one durian and everyone would rush over to get a bite. He had three jobs: as a gardener, petrol kiosk pump attendant and quarry worker.
To save money, I collected free bread crusts from a nearby bakery and ate those during recess in secondary school. I saved every cent of my $1.50 pocket money. I bought a bicycle and saved on bus fare too.
When you've experienced such a childhood, you want a better future. I believe that is what motivated me to work so hard for a better life.
Q What has been a bad investment?
A At university, I was already investing in stocks, mainly Clob shares. I had some wins, but at the moment, I have paper losses of $10,000.
Q Your best investment to date?
A Screenbox is my best investment. My wife and I set it up with just $10,000. Now, its annual turnover is about $2 million. I'm open to considering anyone who is willing to invest in our TV productions, but we are also selective. They must be ready to understand the business.
Q Any other investments?
A I have a freehold investment property: a 1,100 sq ft condominium in Novena that cost about $600,000 in 2001. The rental yield is 4 to 5 per cent.
I'm planning to get another one. I hope I can give each of my two children a home when they grow up.
Q What's your investment philosophy?
A If you want to invest, be sure to use your extra money and not rainy day money. You have to be prepared for losses as investments are ongoing and there are unexpected costs. You need to be a risk-taker too.
Q And your home now is...?
A I live in a three-storey terrace house in Taman Jurong that has a land area of about 5,000 sq ft. It was purchased in 2004 for less than $1 million.
Q And your car is...?
A A Mercedes E200.
