Three of the most powerful women in Beijing’s hospitality industry speak out on running the town

Malaysia’s exports to China include palm oil, electronics and upper-level hotel and restaurant managers. Any look at Beijing’s major international hotels and you’ll see that they are deftly controlled by a low-key Malaysian hospitality force–The Malaysian Mob–and what better time to recognize them than during this month’s Malaysian culture festival.

Their rise to power started in the 1970’s when the Malaysian government began promoting tourism as a part of the national economic policy, creating one of the most skillful hospitality forces in Asia. The remarkable take-off of China’s economy created a shortage of qualified hospitality managers. Hence, the Mob.

Finella Siambun, Director of Public Relations for the Ritz-Carlton, came to Beijing for an adventure. She explains that “there’s a tendency for people to look to Malaysians” for hotel work in China, and many people get hired through recommendations, friends, and word of mouth. Siambum says that the predominance of Malaysians in China’s international hotels is due to language (many Malaysians speak Chinese and English), but also a mindset, “Malaysians are hospitable by nature … service is not a new concept for us.”

Elaine Chin, Director of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) at the Westin has seen the China boom first hand. She says that MICE is a fast emerging but very new market in China, and that her previous experience in Malaysia helped her land the position here. Chin, like nearly a quarter of Malaysia’s population, is ethnically Chinese and grew up speaking Mandarin and English. Because of her ethnic and linguistic background she feels at ease in China and plans on staying. Sue Meng Chan, Assistant Director of Communications at The Kerry Center Hotel, first came to Beijing to work as an editor. But it seems this wasn’t in the stars, and she was drawn into the hotel industry. Despite long hours, she finds her job rewarding and feels that she, like so many other Malaysians, is drawn to the industry, since “we have a warm and welcoming nature.”

Hospitality, it seems, flows in the Malaysian blood, which is why even far away from home, the field is kept in the family. These women are not as influential as the New York mob, but are equally determined to make sure that everything goes according to plan. Luckily for us their plan is to make us as comfortable as possible.

THE DETAILS

Malaysian Food Festival

Aug 20-31

Beijing Kerry Centre Shangri-La Hotel

Tel: 6561-8833 ext. 6636