T. Ananda Krishnan, a low profile Malaysian tycoon

It is almost universal among Malaysian Indians that the image of one of the nation's pride- The Petronas Twin Towers, is immediately associated with the image of a certain man named Anandha Krishnan, or to be more precise- Tan Sri Tatparanandam Anandha Krishnan, known famously with the abbreviation of TAK.

 

Well, those are not the only prominent products in this country that are associated with this man- the name Anandha Krishnan does ring a bell when you mention the Maxis Telecommunication Services- the largest telecommunication service provider in whole of Malaysia as well as the country's most prominent and only satellite television provider- Astro.

 

Not to forget the man is also the man responsible behind the Malaysian satellite MEASAT, and also the chain of multiplex theaters known by the name of Tanjong Golden Village (TGV) across Malaysia.

 

And when we were storming through our options to profile a prolific figure for our first profiling in this site, we felt that it is only apt that we use Ananda Krishnan as our first figure- it would almost be an insult not to consider his name as among the first while talking about Malaysian Indians.

 

Born in 1938 in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Ananda is of Sri Lankan origin, with his family hailing from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. He holds a Masters in Business Administration, attained from the renowned Harvard University in 1964, before beginning his entrepreneurial ventures through an oil trading company called Exoil Trading, which formed the basis of him climbing the ladder of success.

 

However, Anandan's success aside, what sets him apart and keeps him as a natural myth to the eyes of most Malaysian Indians is the very fact the man does his best to stay away from the spotlight, instead pulling the strings from behind the scenes, and ultimately building an empire that currently ranks him as among the 150 richest individuals in the world. Anandan has been ultimately synonymous with Malaysia's progress for the past two decades- the final chapter of the 20th century and the first chapter of the 21st century- his contributions to helping enhance media opportunities and services in this country so far have been unwavering. Maxis and Astro are two brands that are known by almost each Malaysian regardless of race or ethnicity, yet they are only a handful who knows enough about the man who has built these brands.

 

Anandan, for all his fame and publicity around his name alone, has been fairly apolitical in his whole life- yet he brokered a peace deal between former Malaysian Prime Minsiter Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad and his former political nemesis Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah- such was his ability and elegance in making the unlikely happen. There are little doubts as to why he is one many aspiring Malaysian Indian businessmen should look up to- for he is the man who literally gave birth to the  idea that placed Malaysia at the top of the world, albeit temporarily- through the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers which used to be the world's tallest building.

 

Anandan is a great personality to follow up to- he uses his business skills when necessary, and does what he does best at regular intervals- but never talks or reveals himself too much- A true epitome for the phrase 'actions speak louder than words'. For many, he remains a name that impresses them having not known the person enough- but the underlying truth is simple- he is a Malaysian Indian who has been a huge reason as to why Malaysia is now a 'developing' country in the world's eyes.