Built To Last

Father-and-son Datuk Seri Michael Yam and James Yam believe in sticking to old-fashioned ethics and principles to build properties which add value to the community around them, writes Lily Ong

- Lily Ong

WHEN I LAST interviewed Datuk Seri Michael Yam, he had just stepped down as president of the Real Estate & Housing Developers’ Association (REHDA). Then, he shared about his eagerness to enjoy life as a retiree, by spending quality time with his family. Therefore, you can imagine my surprise when it was announced in 2017 that he was taking on the role of chairman at property development company, Triterra Group.

“It’s not a full comeback, you know. I am still semi-retired; I am doing my part to pay it forward to the next generation,” explains Datuk Seri Michael to me over breakfast at the showroom of Triterra’s commercial project in KL Metropolis called The MET Corporate Towers.

A veteran in real estate, Datuk Seri Michael built his career in big corporations such as Sungei Wang, Peremba Malaysia, Country Heights Holdings, and (now UEM) Sunrise in the past four decades. Countless job offers came knocking on his door after his ‘retirement’ due to his impressive track record and reputation, but he stuck to his guns by working on an ad hoc consultant basis, through his company Impetus Alliance Advisors.

It was his wife, Datin Seri Cindy, who unintentionally set the motion rolling for him to re-enter the property arena. “One day, out of nowhere during our meals together, Cindy asks me, ‘Have you ever thought about the legacy you want to leave behind?’ Now, legacy is a big word—it denotes the impact of what I do to give back to the community around me. It made me realise, I might have ‘retired’, but who’s to say I can’t still contribute to society?” he points out.