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FeaturingUncleBugsonGEWMalaysia
MalaysiaAugust2010
GEWMalaysiaisveryproudtohaveMr.BugsTanasoneofourpartnerssinceourinceptionin
2008.UncleBugsasheisfondlycalledbyhisfriendsisan
awardwinninginventor. TodayUncleBugsiscloseto50
yearsoldbuthelookedalotyoungerthanhisage.Hisheart
isstillinhis20sinsistedthiscreativemanwhenwemetfor
thisinterviewattheWarisanGlobalofficeinKualaLumpur
recently.WarisanGlobalisthecountryhostforGlobal
EntrepreneurWeek(GEW)inMalaysia,andthanksto
peoplelikeUncleBugs,wehaveachievedthe3rdhighest
numberofeventsaftertheUnitedStateandUnited
Kingdom.
UncleBugstheCEOofUncleBugsCreationsSdnBhdwhom
isastaunchsupporterofGEWsmovement.Hehasbeen
verysupportiveofourcauseandhasbeenflyingtheGEW
flaginmanyeventstopromotecreativityamong theyoung
childreninMalaysia.
UncleBugshasmanychildrenproductsandoneofthemistheinventionworkshop.Thisinteresting
hands
on
workshop
is
designed
for
kid
age
7
to
12
years
old,
where
he
teaches
young
children
to
be
inventive.
Insuchworkshopchildrenlearnttobecreativeandcreatenewgadgetsonthestop.Itsreally
amazingtoseehoweasilythechildrenabsorbtheskillfromthismasterandcomeupwithmanynew
inventionswithinacoupleofhour.Itsreallyfunproclaimedthechildrenaftertheworkshop.
Figure2UncleBugshavingfunwiththekidsinainventionworkshopinKualaLumpur
Figure1
GEWMalaysiaPartner:UncleBugsreceivingtheNationalInnovatorAwardfromthePrimeMinisterofMalaysia
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Besidestheworkshop,UncleBugsisalsotheauthorfortheinvention
workbooksIvegotanidea.Theseworkbooksareuniqueinnaturenot
seeninthemarket.Therearestepbystepguideforparentsandteachers
toteach
young
children
to
develop
creative
thinking
skills.
According
to
UncleBugs,allchildrenarebornwiththepotentialtobecreative.He
claimedthathehasnotseenanykidwhoisnotcreative.Theyjustneed
someguidancefromteachersandparentexplainedUncleBugs.Andoff
coursethesebookshelpshecontinued.
Itpromotescreativethinking.
Andbyaskingthekidtosketchtheideaontheworkbook,itpromotesa
propermeanstoputconceptualideasintodrawings
Thismultitalentedmanhasalsowritten6storiesforkids.
Herealizesthatcompetitionistoughandchildrenarenot
thatkeentopickupabookandreadanymore.Thusthe
waytogoaboutreachinghistargetedsegmentistotake
adifferentroute.Hehasfoundanichebyconvertinghis
storiesintoePersonalisestorybooks.Here,parentcan
converttheirchildrenastheherointhestories.Have
themprintedoutandgivethesestoriestotheirchildren
asabirthdaypresent.Thekidwillbethrilledtosee
themselvesbeing
the
hero
in
these
stories.
Thebuckdoesntstopthere.Ialsohaveanimationfor
TVsaidtheselfmadeentrepreneur.UncleBugshave
recentlycompleted2animationprojects.Andheis
currentlyinnegotiationwithalocalTVstationtohave
themscreenedontelevision.Againtheseanimationsare
targetedforyoungchildrenage5to8yearsold.Uncle
Bugsexplainedthatheisveryexcitedtoseethese
animationsonTVbecauseitsupportsthegovernment
theme
for
this
year,
1
Inovatif
Malaysia
2010
OnewouldeasilybemistakentothinkthatUncleBugsmusthavehadhishandfullwiththesechildren
products.Wellwewerewrong.Wemissedthefactbyahundredmilewhenhestartedtoexplaintous
abouthiscorebusiness.UncleBugsisafulltimeinventorbyprofession.Hehasbeeninfieldofresearch
anddevelopmentforthepast12yearsago.Mostofhisinventionareintheareaofcivilandmechanical
Figure3InventionWorkbookforchildrentopracticecreativity
Figure4 RobotBolehTVAnimationSeries
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engineering.Andoverthedecadehehascollected11nationalawards.AFeastnotmatchbymany
inventorinthecountry.
Year NameofAward Inventions Organization Country
2000 NationalInventorAward MultilockingPulley
MinofScience(MOSTI) Malaysia
2001 ShortListed NationalInventorAward MinofScience(MOSTI)
Malaysia
2001
SilverMedal
Multi
locking
Pulley Geneva
Invention
show
Switzerland
2002 SilverMedal ExtrudedAluminumCoupling ITEXInventionshow
Malaysia
2002 BronzeMedal AlumLightWeightGrating ITEXInventionShow
Malaysia
2003 BronzeMedal MultilockingPulley Science&TechnologyShow
Malaysia
2004 NominatedSMIAward Innovator/Entrepreneur
SmallMediumIndustry Malaysia
2007 NationalInnovatorAward LitewalkGratingSystem
MinofScience(MOSTI) Malaysia
2009 IntExcellentInnovation BugsTan IndiraGroupofInstitutes
India
2009 IndustrialDesignAward LitewalkGratingSystem
IntellectualPropertyOffice Malaysia
2010 APICTAAward SureStreamer EcoDreams MDeC&PIKOM
Malaysia
Afterleavingschool,UncleBugsstartedoutasashopassistanceinhisfathercompanyinKlangdealing
insmallequipmentforagricultureandconstructionused.Businesswasgood.Andeventhoughlifewas
alsogoodbackthen,butBugsspreadhiswingsanddecidedtoventureintohisownduringhis30s.He
formedanenterpriseofhisownandstartedasmalltradingcompanyinKualaLumpurwherehe
suppliedequipmenttomajorplantationinMalaysia.
However,afterafewyearintothe
business,competitionbecame
tough.Everybodywassellingthe
sameequipment
and
we
have
to
competeagainsteachotheron
price.Eachtimewetenderedfora
job,thepricesgodownandIwas
fedupofthat.Thereisnoprofit
anymorelamentedUncleBugs.
Butnotdeterminedtogiveup,
UncleBugswentonestepfurther
wherenoneofhiscompetitordare
totake.Togetoutofthestringent
competitionUncleBugsdecidedto
createhisownengines.
Bydoingso,Iamontopofthesupplychain.Meaning,anyonewhowinsthetender,hastobuythe
equipmentfromme.Thatway,ImassuredofgettingthebusinessallthetimesaidBugsbeamingfrom
Figure5UncleBugsreceivingtheInternationalExcellentAwardforInnovationinMumbaiINDIA
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eartoear.BugsalsoexplainedthathewasluckythattheMalaysiangovernmenthassupportedhimon
hisprojectbyprovidingthenecessaryfundsforhimtodotheresearchwork.
Thingstookabigturnforhimwhenhebeguntowinininventioncompetition.HewontheNational
InventorAwardinyear2000fortheinventionoftheMultilockingPulley.Itwastrulyabigawardfor
himconsideringthefactthatthisisthebiggestawardgiventoaninventorinthecountry.Andhewasup
againsttoughcompetitorfromuniversitiesandestablishedindustryplayers.
BythenUncleBugsrealizedthathistalentisin
creativity.Hecontinuestocreatemoreinventionsfor
theneedsinthemarketandenjoyedwiningastring
ofaccoladesalongtheway. Amongthemany
inventionsthat
he
has
created
is
the
Extruded
aluminiumpulleyandcoupling.Thesearemechanical
devicesfortransferringofpowerfromamotorto
equipment.
WeaskedUncleBugswhatishismostpassionate
inventionandwithouthesitation,herepliedthe
Litewalkgrating. UncleBugshassuccessfully
inventedalightweightsteelgratingsystemrecently.
HecalleditLitewalk.Gratingarecommonlyusedon
oilrigs,
refineries,
petrol
chemical
plants,
power
plant
and
any
other
industrial
facility
thats
require
industrialwalkways.
Theinventorusesthesamesteelmaterialasthoseusedincommongratingbuthehassuccessfully
improvedthedesignandmadeLitewalkuniquewhereitisabletosaveitsweightby35%.Thiscomes
alongwiththesavingofmaterialalsoby35%,whichresultedinmakingthefinishproductforLitewalk
cheaperthanthosefoundinthemarket.ThedesignofLitewalkhasanarchshaped,thusmakingit
stronger.Litewalkgratingisabletotake12%moreload.Moreimportantly,thisnewdesignhasmultiple
roundembossedringsonthesurface.Andthisprovidesthetractiononourfeetwhenwewalkedonit.
Thisanti
slip
design
has
made
Litewalk
grating
the
safest
grating
in
the
industry.
Thisinventionwasdesignedincollaborationbetweentheinventorandawellknownlocaluniversity,ie.
UniversityMalayainKualaLumpur.Theresearchandtestingwascarriedover2yearsandtheprojectis
nowcompleted.Litewalkgratinghaspassedallmajorindustrialstandardsinrelationtogratingandstair
treads.
Figure6
OneoftheawardwinninginventioncreatedbyUncleBugs:TheextrudedAlumPulley
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TheproductshasmarketacceptanceandtheinventorhasmanagedtosellsmallquantitiestoPetronas
andMITCO.About140othercustomershavealsoapproachedtheinventorforthesupplyofthis
product.Butitwasmetwithdifficultybecausetheinventorlackedthefundingtocommercializethis
invention.
Atthis
stage
the
inventor
is
seeking
forsuitableinvestorforfundingof
USD1.6m(RM5m).Thisfundwill
beutilizedtosupporta
manufacturingfacility,staffsand
workingcapitalforthisbusiness.
Thesalesturn overisexpectedto
beYr1:USD1.9m,Yr2:13m,Yr3:
19m.Andexpectedtomakea
profitofaftertaxYr1:USD107k,
Yr2:4m,
Yr3:
6m
Gratingisamatureproductusedin
themarketforahundredyearand
itdoesnotrequireanypromotion.
Hence,withtheuniquefeature
createdbytheinventor,Litewalk
gratingisgearedtoeatintothe
presentmarket.PresentmarketleaderforgratinglikeBritishcompanyWebforgehasasalesturnover
ofGBP200.9m(USD319m)andhasachievedprofitaftertaxofGBP21.3m(USD33.8m)for2008.The
market
size
for
grating
in
Malaysia
is
estimated
to
be
about
RM200
(USD
62m)
a
year.
IfyoucaretoGooglethisextraordinaire,youwillgettoseeawholelotofinventionsunderhisbelt.You
willalsobeabletoseethecompassionatesideofhimwherehehascarriedoutvariousactivitiesto
promotecreativitytobuddinginnovatorinMalaysia.Youcanalsoreadabouthisthoughtsoncreativity
andinnovationonhisblogwww.unclebugs.blogspot.comThesuccessofUncleBugsinthisfieldhas
broughtpridetothecountryandhehasoftenbeenhighlightedbytheMinistryofScience(MOSTI)asa
rolemodelfortheyoungandaspiringinventor.UncleBugscanbereachedviaGEWMalaysia.Ifyou
havesomequestionyouwouldliketoseekhiscomment,hecanalsobereachedat
[email protected]
Bugs
also
welcome
discussion
for
investment
opportunity
for
his
range
of
childrenproductsandinventions.
Writtenby,
DhakshinamoorthyGEWMalaysia
Figure7UncleBugsseenhereonanOilplatformwherehehasjustinstalledthenewLitewalkgratingsystemonaskid
