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EP 13: Dr. Edwin Pang: From Malaysia to Germany on Continental Tires
28 Plays16 days ago
This week Dr. Edwin Pang, a noted automobile tire expert, joins The Auto Ethnographer to discuss his journey from student in Malaysia and England to tire development engineer in Germany.
Born and raised in Malaysia, Edwin opted to study with the University of Nottingham both on their Southeast Asian as well as UK campuses. It was his first time living outside of Malaysia and a big step in gaining personal independence in his life and career.
On graduating with a Ph.D. in Engineering he took a role in Malaysia with Bosch, the world’s largest automotive supplier. Here he had first close exposure to the German culture through experiences with German upper management as well as interns coming in from Germany. He recounts some of his observations, including the impact of German expats eating spicy Malaysian dishes! He even recalls the emotional challenge of sundowning an acquired factory in the United States and migrating the product’s production to Malaysia.
Although the product he supported in a manufacturing environment was not automotive-related, the experience led him to the next step in his career, and something that would become a passion, automotive tires.
Edwin’s career truly gained traction at Continental Tire. He worked 8 years for Conti with 2.5 years spent in Malaysia and 5.5 years worked in Hannover at Conti’s engineering headquarters. During these years he mastered both the manufacturing, design, and testing of automotive tires.
After deciding to return to Malaysia as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Edwin opted to turn passion into entrepreneurial career. He started TopTireReview.com, a tire testing and review service targeted at Malaysian customers that did not have a good understanding of the importance of tires on their vehicles. He performs annual tests on the newest tires then rates and compares them for consumers. In addition, he works with dealers and wholesalers to educate consumers in on-site workshops and seminars.
From student to professional to entrepreneur. From Malaysia to the UK to Germany and back to Malaysia. Join in to hear Edwin tell his story and the observations he made along the way. Ultimately, he recommends others to do the same, to see the world and experience new cultures when provided the opportunity.
For more information on The Auto Ethnographer, please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com
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Transcript
Introduction to The Auto Ethnographer
00:00:00
Speaker
One thing I realized is even for most German companies, they really like acronyms. So they like to do any acronyms for everything. Hello and welcome to The Auto Ethnographer. I'm John Steck, your host on this journey. We travel the globe to bring you stories about culture and the global automotive industry.
00:00:18
Speaker
Fasten your seatbelt and let's get started.
Guest Introduction: Dr. Edwin Pang
00:00:22
Speaker
Hello and welcome to this week's episode of The Auto Ethnographer. I have a guest coming in from Malaysia.
00:00:30
Speaker
It's Dr. Edwin Pang. He is a noted tire expert, both on the side of manufacturing as well as tire rating services.
00:00:41
Speaker
He was educated both in Malaysia and England at the University of Nottingham with a master's degree and a PhD, which led him, quite frankly, to be an expert in tire manufacturing and tire development.
Dr. Pang's Career Journey with Bosch and Continental
00:00:55
Speaker
He spent two and a half years with Bosch in Malaysia as a group leader in manufacturing engineering. He then parlayed that into an eight-year career with the German tire manufacturer Continental or Conti.
00:01:08
Speaker
He spent two and a half years of that in Malaysia, but then had a fantastic opportunity to work with them in Germany at their engineering headquarters for five and a half years. About four and a half years ago, he started his own business, TopTireReview.com, where he could take and leverage his knowledge about tires and review tires and their performance for consumers who, he says, don't understand so much about tire and tire technology in Malaysia.
00:01:40
Speaker
Today we'll talk about Edwin's experiences with the German culture, a little bit about his experience in the UK as a student, and now working in his native Malaysia and his startup business, Top Tire Review.
00:01:55
Speaker
Edwin, welcome. It's really nice to have you on the podcast today. Thanks, John. Happy to be here. We're gonna start a little bit ah in the roots of Edwin's you know international adventures.
Cultural Experiences in the UK and Germany
00:02:10
Speaker
His first time living abroad was in the UK as a student at the University of of Nottingham. Edwin, tell me about this experience. This was your first time abroad.
00:02:22
Speaker
I mean, yes, there there is, I mean, of course, when you go, you go a few places with your family, but this is my first time going abroad, living independently.
00:02:33
Speaker
So that that is, I mean, for for for me, I think my main takeaway, especially when I go, um I mean, living abroad independently is you you learn to take care of your shit yourself. um So,
00:02:48
Speaker
There's this great saying always, you know people's people's um success is people's success, but people's failures is also people's failures. But that's also on to you, youre you're you're the same way. If you make decisions yourself, you you get to own those decisions.
00:03:08
Speaker
And I think that that is ah just an infant step um to to actually real life. you know I don't know whether you know this, but Asian culture wise, we are very connected to the family. So we we stay with the parents to quite late, different than Western cultures.
00:03:24
Speaker
And ah the that gave me, i mean, studying abroad, that gave me a preview of how how life would be and what Responsibility, you know, so you have to own your own on on decisions.
00:03:40
Speaker
And if you don't want to go to class, you don't go to class, but then you you just have to be responsible of not having that class. know, those things are super important as you build throughout your life, you know.
00:03:54
Speaker
And i mean from from the UK perspective, I think it was, mean, there are a lot of Asians in the UK. I mean, it's not a top secret, but the UK actually hosts a huge Asian population when it comes to studying.
00:04:09
Speaker
So you get very used to it. but ah I would say overall the general um say structure of of teaching and and also learning, it it gives you a bit of um let's say exposure. i mean And also how do different cultures actually collaborate together. So that's my first taste, where working on projects with different people from different cultures, you can actually um see this. i mean it's I would say it's like a mini preview of of life. you know
00:04:42
Speaker
work culture is the same. So it's just a meaningful life. But um and it's it's so it's an experience that I will not take back. And already i was i really I was really happy to to actually enjoy it.
00:04:59
Speaker
Now, it sounds like really a kind of a sink or swim situation where you you're on your own and and you have the the option to be successful or not successful. and And clearly you um you came out on the successful side of things.
00:05:13
Speaker
when When you started with the University of Nottingham, you had the opportunity to study their campus in Malaysia, and then the opportunity to go over to the UK. Did they prepare you at all in terms of culturally for the UK while you were still in Malaysia?
00:05:28
Speaker
Or was that something that you had to, again, sink or swim on your own? Interesting point. So I remember there was ah so today's a lecture who actually um a Malaysian lecturer who actually also studied there before, but he came back to to Malaysia as a lecturer.
00:05:46
Speaker
He actually voluntarily gave a small one-hour talk ah just to prepare people from my department a preview. So he was nice enough to tell him where he stayed and and what to expect you know and so on. So he he actually gave a few views but not that I know of ah um from from the the official Nottingham site. no So maybe there is now but it's more like a you have your flag tickets and and and and you you got your visa. Okay, chok chok, see you there.
00:06:20
Speaker
Something like that. I'm pretty sure it changed now, but that time it was just like this. You know, Chop Chop, you got a place to stay. Did you apply? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Then go.
00:06:31
Speaker
Now it sounds like you really had to take matters into your own hands to to get yourself situated.
Practical Engineering Experience at Bosch
00:06:37
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, if you want to go, yes. So you you finally graduated. You had your two diplomas, the master's and the PhD in mechanical engineering in your hand, and you've returned to Malaysia.
00:06:49
Speaker
And you ultimately landed with Bosch Malaysia, ah the largest German, actually the largest automotive supplier in the world. How did that happen?
00:07:01
Speaker
Was that something that you purposefully did to land with an international company in Malaysia? Or was that just a ah coincidence? I mean, of course, I mean, when you graduate, the first thing you you want to to get some experience, you know.
00:07:17
Speaker
So obviously there there is an option to to pursue the academia path. So be a lecturer. and and so But for me, I felt that working experience outside of this academia, it's quite important.
00:07:32
Speaker
And learning how to make stuff or at least seeing how people make stuff and so on, it's quite important. That's why I wanted to work for a company which, let's say, do stuff.
00:07:45
Speaker
And I applied a few few few companies and I got the interview with Bosch. I still remember, ah so obviously the German guy came and and and interviewed me and he he asked me one thing, which in hindsight, I never knew about it. He said, yeah, well um you you seem to be very loyal to Nottingham.
00:08:07
Speaker
I said, yeah, okay, I studied twice there. That's all. But they said, yeah, loyalty is very important. now And ah yeah, welcome to Bosch. That's all. That's all he told me. That's where i learned that I know a bit of of this German culture.
00:08:21
Speaker
Now, to my knowledge, Bosch does not manufacture tires. what What were the products that you were involved with at that point in time? In Malaysia, ah we were doing power tools.
00:08:33
Speaker
And there's one division where we call, they do the measuring tools. So basically electrically optimized powered tools that measure stuff. So one of one of my main project was the measuring range finder.
00:08:49
Speaker
So it's a laser range finder. You press a button, you measure the distance. They manufacture those. And in fact, um part of my job when I was in Bosch was Unfortunately, to to close down a bought over plant from Watsika in Illinois.
00:09:10
Speaker
that That's even more challenging. i mean Of course, working and producing at the plant is expected in Penang.
00:09:22
Speaker
But to go over to Watsika in Illinois to close down the plant and still tell the workers that yeah don't worry about it. They are here to support you. But we will take your job in one and a half year time and bring everything back Penang, Malaysia.
00:09:40
Speaker
Now, I can imagine, obviously, that overseas manufacturing and moving things back to the United States is a big topic nowadays. Yeah, exactly. But that I got the opposite
Workplace Cultural Differences
00:09:50
Speaker
end. So so I was tasked to to bring everything back to Penang.
00:09:55
Speaker
That was 2013 or 2014 before the current issue that's happening. And that time you can already feel a bit. And I would say technically it's challenging, but from the human aspect point of view, it's even even more challenging. I never really experienced this this kind of human side of things. and and And for me, it's a very humbling um experience.
00:10:26
Speaker
it It sounds like you had a similar experience to me that you went to university with a very technical degree and you're finding that afterwards, the more difficult and challenging issue are people and the soft side of business. That's always one of the more difficult ones that they don't necessarily teach you in the university.
00:10:49
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I don't expect them to teach you, but of course that's life, you know, and, uh, um You have to learn this through, I mean, obviously, if you you you have when you grow up, I was not exposed to this, but in hindsight, ah these things are super important.
00:11:04
Speaker
And to talk to people, to let them understand, and I mean, basically to to win over their side is not easy. And especially, I ought totally understand their point, you know, you are there to do a job.
00:11:17
Speaker
it was It was given an instruction to do it, but sometimes it's not just like this, you know. So, and we were there to the end and I can really feel their pain, you know.
00:11:31
Speaker
And for me, I still remember that the guy who still had the, who just bought a house and he still had the paper of, so it was, so Bosch basically bought over a company in 2008, just before the crisis happened.
00:11:46
Speaker
They bought over a measuring tool company and, and which has been based over there. And I still remember the guy who who for said who was forced to leave ah had that paper saying that, welcome to the Bosch family. brought over your company, nothing changed.
00:12:03
Speaker
And he showed it to me. That's hard. but that's that's That's a challenge. Exactly. and And for me, it's it's not um yeah ah it's it's very emotional.
00:12:16
Speaker
and and And if you ask me, I will ah will never want to to do such thing again. if possible. That's very understandable. um I've gone through similar processes where I had to release a lot of people from from a company. It's something that I'll cover it in a future podcast.
00:12:32
Speaker
Speaking about the soft sides of business, let's come back to Malaysia. at Bosch. So here you were, you had just experienced time in the UK, you told me how you had to learn about the culture.
00:12:48
Speaker
ah You did that on your own mostly. And now you're in a a huge German supplier. Were there a lot of German expats working in Malaysia at the time? Did you have a lot of exposure to them? Or was it a company that was primarily staffed by local Malaysians?
00:13:05
Speaker
I mean, there there is ah there are two different levels. So um the higher management are mostly Germans. So the plant manager, the finance director, and and maybe the HR director are Germans.
00:13:20
Speaker
So um having ah reporting duties to them, I do talk to them. um There are also, at that point, there are also a lot of interns also coming from Germany.
00:13:33
Speaker
and and and actually Penang is one of their major destinations. So, you know, Penang is a very touristy area and and they use this as the platform to to visit more other countries.
00:13:44
Speaker
And so so I personally had a few interns and I mean, at the time I don't really haven't been to Germany. I didn't really knew the mandatory internship and so on, so on that they did they do. But all I remember was they produce fantastic interns, even interns that are ah engineer capable or sometimes even better than an engineer of of Malaysia standards.
00:14:11
Speaker
And I remember I worked with one intern, I just told him, like I have some issue with the software, um maybe you just have to look at it and if you solve the issue, good, if not, then we discuss about it next week.
00:14:25
Speaker
ah Not only he he finished and solved the issue. He just he programmed everything that I needed for the whole whole whole life. Of course, the the the German culture and I've talked about the German culture on the podcast a few times.
00:14:39
Speaker
How did how did you find that? ah what What kind of adaptation did it take on your side? Germans tend to be much more direct. And and I know ah personally living in Asia that you directness is not something that you encounter every day.
00:14:52
Speaker
how How did that work for you? i think um Most of the Germans who actually came here, I think they they adapted a bit. During my business trips to Stuttgart, where they are based, then you can feel a bit more, especially feisty in the meetings.
00:15:10
Speaker
But back in Penang or Malaysia, it's actually more of adaptability. And of course, they are they are very straightforward. I picked that up. ah They don't just hide behind the bushes and and so on.
00:15:22
Speaker
But I feel that they they are doing a lot to adapt to the Malaysian side. And you don't feel it that much compared to when I was in Hanover in Conti.
00:15:34
Speaker
But I felt that I get their point. ah Things are are done. It's not an issue, especially when when you are when you're in Malaysia. i mean And of course, my so supervisor was also a German.
00:15:49
Speaker
who just came from Stukat. And I think he had also ah bit of hard time to adapt a bit in Pinaen Amphuos. He had a young family and working hours unfortunately at the time was super high with with the pressure of of producing x amount of of tools and so on.
00:16:11
Speaker
So i think he had a bit harder time. to to a adapt. But I think gets the gist. We all get the gist just that sometimes it's really hard doing the heat of the movement, especially in it's it's stress times.
00:16:29
Speaker
Was there anything that took you by surprise? Something that you struggled with, with interaction with the German culture, with be either with the directness? You're an engineer, so you're also very detail oriented and attention to um logic and and rationale.
00:16:47
Speaker
ah which which is quite often found in the in the German culture. Was that an area of of struggle for you or or any areas of surprise? That's the main problem because I'm so and technically, rationally focused. if it's It suits very well.
00:17:04
Speaker
I talk to the engineers, there's no issue. But the only issue was when I had the human side, when I had to close the plan, that you don't really need much engineer and knowledge. yeah You just need a good human side. And and that's where i struggle I struggle a lot, especially in America where people just say what they want.
00:17:24
Speaker
And yeah, it's not so easy. I mean, I can tell you the story when I went to of to the plant the first day, I was at the Met. So every town has a McDonald. So I went to the McDonald and first thing the guy was asking me, are you here to take over the plant?
00:17:39
Speaker
I heard about it yesterday. I just smile, yeah. She asked me what I'm here my and i were doing here. I mean, so I just know.
00:17:51
Speaker
No, that's that's certainly a challenge. And you' and you're right. ah Americans will also be quite open and and tell what they think when it comes to especially something, sort circumstance like that.
00:18:05
Speaker
Moving on a little bit. you were working on electronic measuring instruments. And then you moved into one of the world's most well-known tire manufacturers, the German company Continental or Conti.
00:18:23
Speaker
How did that happen? um it's It's quite a big change from electronics to tires. And obviously your most recent personal venture is still in tires. You've developed a love for it.
00:18:35
Speaker
Can you tell your backstory a little bit with with tires and and how you fell into that? So I was based in Penang, so been to US quite often. so a lot of traveling. But at the time, my girlfriend told me that, yeah I mean, I think you should be back in Kuala Lumpur.
00:18:53
Speaker
I got the message and ah after the plan closure, I decided I will i will move back to Kuala Lumpur. so i had So emotionally and mentally, ah had a huge toll and I said I wanted to to go back to Kuala Lumpur for sure.
00:19:09
Speaker
And that's where I got the interview
Transition to Continental and Learning Curves
00:19:12
Speaker
with Conti. and yeah Funny story that the the interview room that I was there, so um I don't know whether this but Conti gives gives you a one day whole interview process. So um I think they are one of a few that does it.
00:19:29
Speaker
So basically iqe tests, physical tests, ah mental tests, whatever, they try to do a whole day. And then the last part is the interview. and They talk to you and and get to know you and so and so on. So they do the whole whole day stuff.
00:19:44
Speaker
I think by the end of the you are all doing so. So that exact same room. So I met my my my future boss. So he's he's an Irish guy. ah but he works in Germany. so He considered himself as an expert.
00:19:58
Speaker
He decided to hire me. i mean Even though I know shit about tyres. I specifically remember he asking me a question, a technical one. and He was asking me, can you ask explain to me how tyres actually work in water? so there's There's a big part part of water. Can you explain to me how does tyre actually evacuate water?
00:20:24
Speaker
And then he started looking at my my my CV. It says that you learn computational fluid dynamics, right? So explain to me now. I gave him the worst, stupidest answer. I cannot remember what answer I gave, but he was like, I mean, that's bullshit.
00:20:40
Speaker
But okay, understood.
00:20:43
Speaker
In the end, it was it was just a leap of faith. and So I changed industry, but I actually like changing different industry to learn things from scratch. It's not not a big issue. So i I started already printing books about tyres during my holidays. So I had a one one month period.
00:21:02
Speaker
I print books to read about tyres and so on. And my Irish boss even called me during my first few days. heard about it. You know, are you serious? You brought some books over about tyres and you're reading about it in the office?
00:21:19
Speaker
said, yeah yeah, that's true. Yeah. I mean, of course, I thought I read something. and He stopped laughing. It's all in the preparation. i'm i'm a firm believer in preparation in advance so that you're not blindsided.
00:21:31
Speaker
i mean, at least I learned the fundamentals or mean at least I know that the stuff. But one thing I realized is even for most German companies, they really like acronyms.
00:21:42
Speaker
So they like to do any acronyms for everything, like This program is called, I don't know, you can call it COBRA. And then they will find the words for the COBRA, computational, ongoing, best, or whatever. now Now with AI, you can come up with all craps, but back then it took a lot of mental power to to actually come up with acronyms. And they like acronyms for everything, everything.
00:22:07
Speaker
And as a new guy, you go in, it's like, okay, what is this? What is that? What is FGC? Or what is this? What is that? We don't don't know and anything. And that's similar to Bosch as well.
00:22:19
Speaker
I don't know from your side, do you have a lot of acronyms as well? it's It's almost even worse in in the automotive industry at the automaker level.
00:22:30
Speaker
Everybody has a different acronym, but they also have different names for the different parts inside of a car. So one company might call ah an instrument panel. Another one calls it a dashboard.
00:22:44
Speaker
There are so many different terms. In fact, I think there was even a book published by Bosch, which was a a handbook for translating between English and German, the names of car parts.
00:22:57
Speaker
and And it gave all of the different variants of the German names for the different components, because even between companies, the names are different. If I may ask, ah did Did those two companies have a handbook of acronyms or did you have to always ask the question?
00:23:16
Speaker
So I usually ask. So i there's no handbook, but maybe in some slides there is. You have to find the kickoff slides or whatever slides that that that started it at the first.
00:23:27
Speaker
But usually usually you it will be a point, it will be so annoying you don't you don't really care anymore. So yeah, okay, you you this this system is XYZ, that system is ZAD or whatever, ABC, and then you just say, okay, it's sort of hard coded. But for me, it's just, yeah, it'ss it's really annoying.
00:23:49
Speaker
Well, tell me in Malaysia, is it common to use acronyms? Because like the United States loves them as well, the Germans, obviously. What about in Malaysia? I mean, if you talk about this normal mom and pop business or small companies, yeah you never heard of this acronym. No such thing.
00:24:09
Speaker
It's more of like a big corporate thing. you know It's like, can you do this in this? I mean, that's all.
00:24:18
Speaker
I meet the Cobra, I go to the BCD and then I finish the FGC or whatever. say, what? They describe things, you know just describe it. know so So you have to, number one, you have to learn the language and then you have to learn the acronyms.
00:24:35
Speaker
The funny thing is, I think Conti-wise, so I think a lot of the people I work in Conti or actually in Bosch, they have been there for very, very, very long time. so uh i mean it's it's it's sort of good and also i mean i think it's a double-edged sword so they they they know a lot so i learned a lot from them but most of them they also ask me like how is it on the other side you know how is it different in this company and so on so that's something i try to bring their perspective
00:25:07
Speaker
And what, to what differences did you find between Continental and Bosch? I mean, obviously every company has its own internal culture, but both of them happened to be German companies that you worked for in Malaysia.
00:25:22
Speaker
What, what differences did you notice and was any of them or either of them better or worse at dealing with the the local culture?
Cultural Observations and Adaptation
00:25:32
Speaker
I would say.
00:25:33
Speaker
Yeah, i I would say they they are pretty much quite aligned when it comes to these procedures. Most of the Germans that I met in working in Malaysia ah ah for for them are really direct. So they bring their own directiveness.
00:25:48
Speaker
But when I asked them a bit more, they told me, okay, yeah, they've been to one one class, to to to adaptability class or whatever they call it, you know, by consultant.
00:25:59
Speaker
And they tried to explain to to them, And one funny thing, I think it's the same. I don't know, did you do that when you started in Thailand? So, and you you know, the Germans, they are all about the the weather. you know they They check the weather temperature, they check the time, they check the week. And I was like, oh, yeah, it's like, first thing I remember, one of my German expected told me, yeah, I checked the weather, today it's going to rain.
00:26:21
Speaker
Oh, yeah, okay. Yeah, okay, rain. and after that tomorrow, yeah, yeah, I checked this week will be sunny or good sunny Saturday. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:26:32
Speaker
Okay. Six months later, he know he doesn't he never checks the weather app anymore. After six months, he realized it doesn't matter. It's always 50-50 chance of raining or sun, but nonetheless, you can't do much about it. It's not, you wear a T-shirt and that's it, you know, so nothing you can do about it. and This is also present in Bosch and also present in Conti.
00:26:57
Speaker
I find this very funny. So no training about ah this previous. i mean I mean, it's normal. Even when I was in Hanover, I looked at the the weather report quite closely, but it's not needed when you come to to Malaysia or Thailand. It's not needed at all. It's just a waste of your time.
00:27:15
Speaker
Well, it's very funny. you you You exactly described my behavior for the first few months in Thailand. I think my wife and I were the only ones carrying an umbrella on the days when there was a potential for rain.
00:27:26
Speaker
Yeah, they will naturally learn that you don't need to. But just... Looking at the process and and understanding and seeing, it's so funny. i mean No locals ever check the weather. i Maybe if you want to play golf at a certain time, maybe, but no nobody actually really uses it.
00:27:47
Speaker
it' That's why no weather apps actually go viral or have a big fan base in in in in at least this part of the Southeast Asia region. It doesn't really matter. Are there any other kind of curious or humorous traits that you noticed besides being very attentive to the weather?
00:28:06
Speaker
so So spiciness for us is is is something you train from young. So ah you you you you you slowly add a bit, a bit and a bit, a bit. ah but as I understand, it's not very available or they don't really use it at all.
00:28:23
Speaker
spic I mean, the spicy chili flakes or whatever, and you don't get this big jam. And suddenly you are someone who never ate anything spicy in their whole life. to try something our level, yeah it's not it's not possible. Obviously you you see the funny reactions.
00:28:41
Speaker
Then I understand why how it started because over there there's no exposure. You you cannot suddenly pump it up. ah To put it in different perspective, we jump straight. So when I was in Hanover or in Germany, you can't trust the spicy level over there. So as an Asian, you can't trust the spicy level because you can add a super spicy or or you know they give the chili chili star you know one is is is two and three so three you in Malaysia if you see one two three the three you better don't it's really serious you know I think you probably will go to the toilet after that but in Germany it's the opposite you see three probably tingles a bit if you put one no no feeling at all no feeling also like
00:29:26
Speaker
cleanliness so I don't know how how much food street you are exposed to but cleanliness is not a big thing in in Malaysia or Thailand.
00:29:38
Speaker
It took time for them to get used to it. And I know a guy who only eats at one restaurant every day because that's where he thinks it's the the most cleanest one.
00:29:50
Speaker
I used to joke around in the past that in Germany, it was actually illegal to import anything that was more powerful than black pepper and salt ah simply because nobody can handle the the spice over there.
00:30:06
Speaker
And then looking a little bit at the at the workplace, um were there any kind of let's say bit behaviors or or or customs or traits that they had in the office that you found curious. you know i've I've worked at companies where at exactly 4.59 PM, everybody is packing their briefcase so that when the clock turns five o'clock, they run out. um German punctuality and and the clock is but very well known.
00:30:38
Speaker
Was that something that you had to deal with? Because I know that in Asia, the clock is a little bit more flexible. When I was in Malaysia, my direct boss was also a German and he actually, let's say he he has a bit of tolerance. I think maybe he adapted a bit.
00:30:55
Speaker
So he he he he he has some tolerance, but of course you cannot be more than five or 10. Later than that, he will not accept, but he has some tolerance. But only when I was in Hanover, then I really felt the need to be exactly there on time.
00:31:11
Speaker
and and The funny point is you you cannot be there early and you cannot be there late. You need to be on time. so For example, if it's 11, you cannot be there at 10.50 and start wasting their 10 minutes. No, you have to be there at 10.59, maybe 50 seconds or whatever.
00:31:29
Speaker
and and and and That's what they are looking for. Not 10 minutes earlier, not 10 minutes later. yeah So I know, len I mean, obviously you had a lot of appointments in in Germany as ah as in the company or also outside.
00:31:43
Speaker
And that's what they are looking for. And that is something yeah that I really never really experienced. So how did that happen, by the way? You you were working for Conti in Malaysia, and then you had an opportunity to go to Germany for five and a half years.
00:31:59
Speaker
How did that come about? And was that something that you were looking for? So my direct boss, the Irish boss, after that, he had some fallout and he decided to switch department.
00:32:12
Speaker
When he was in in the other department, he had some openings, some people left and he said, why not you come over to Germany? i promise you, you will learn exponentially faster.
00:32:25
Speaker
That's the key word. He said, yeah, don't don't stay in in Malaysia. um I will promise you exponentially faster. That's what you're looking for.
00:32:36
Speaker
I can tell you this funny story. So my my first day of work in in Hanover, so like, okay, he's waiting for me. he The whole team is waiting for me. He said, like ah come have lunch. no So I took the flight and I checked into my temporary local hotel and I said, okay, I'm coming.
00:32:56
Speaker
I mean, I've been there a few times. It's not my first time, but, and he told me that, So I bought a ah month ticket. Obviously, I know that's stupid that you have to buy tickets, and even though there's no gates and so on for for the train, and you have to buy tickets. ah So, okay, this I understand, our Asian culture.
00:33:14
Speaker
We know that you don't get ah anything free. Okay, so I bought the tickets, and being from the UK side, I bought Zone 2. So Zone 1 and Zone 2, I thought Zone 2, if you are at the outer region, you cover anything that's inside.
00:33:32
Speaker
So that's the principle, at least in the UK at the time. So I said, okay, um I want to go to zone two, I buy zone two.
00:33:41
Speaker
Actually, you have to buy zone one and zone two. So, okay, it doesn't matter. I bought a like 60, 70 euro ticket. It's ah a monthly ticket, no problem. So I bought it.
00:33:52
Speaker
okay Then I said, let's go. Apparently, it was the first day of the month where people sometimes forget about their ticket. The ticket handlers or inspectors are very active every first of the month. whatever I've been to this the train and obviously he came to me and said, yeah ah you need to have zone one and zone two. or say honest mistake, I can't afford extra 5 euros. I'm not saving on this. you know I bought a month monthly ticket.
00:34:22
Speaker
But obviously, that's where I started with the communication issue. I speak English, he speaks German. We are talking about Gorillas and tigers, nobody understands each other.
00:34:35
Speaker
said, here you go. I have my ticket. You can see, obviously this is an honest mistake and i will I will rectify this. He started saying, no, it's not it' not allowed. I mean, typical street, it's not allowed. This is illegal.
00:34:52
Speaker
You should get fined. Okay, no problem. If you say so, then I said, yeah, my I said, take out your passport. I cannot remember. i Did I bring my passport? I said, yeah, you can write this down. Okay, so I wrote everything down.
00:35:09
Speaker
Then when it comes to the address, I mean, I it's my i don't really know German. And at the time, I said, what is your address? Then said, yeah, i I have no address now. So you can put it at the hotel.
00:35:20
Speaker
So hotel XYZ. Then he's like, hotel? You no stay here? I said, no, hotel. He ripped that thing apart and said, please don't do it next time. Okay.
00:35:35
Speaker
The funny thing is, so I was late to to lunch. Everyone was pissed. Everyone was hungry. On my way back, same thing can happen again. Obviously, I have to go back using the train to go to the city center, to go to the to the main stand station to change the zone one. I cannot i cannot afford to throw it away.
00:35:54
Speaker
So I have to upgrade my ticket with zone one. The same thing happened again. The same guy, someone else who are actively looking for people who are skipping for tickets, they actually came and see me again. I told him, yeah, the same shit happened again when I came.
00:36:11
Speaker
Then he's like, he asked someone to translate and I was telling him, I stay in the hotel also and you can ride if you want, but the same thing happened when I came.
00:36:22
Speaker
ah he He sort of didn't believe me and basically told me, please step up off the train. I said, oh shit, am I going to get arrested or what? Step out off the train. Okay, so I step off on the train and he laughed.
00:36:33
Speaker
Take the next one. Okay. okay That gave me a big preview of, I mean, at that time I didn't know but how the German culture actually works, you especially with the language.
00:36:45
Speaker
I mean, i'm I'm a strong proponent that, of course, if I go to this country, i will learn German. It's not not an issue. know Obviously, it's the most commonly spoken language.
00:36:56
Speaker
It's not a big deal. But, I mean, it's sort of a big deal. hypocrite where... so I have a lot of German friends going to China at that time doing XPEC as well.
00:37:09
Speaker
So they were given lessons, they were given one-to-one tutoring for for for Chinese language, Mandarin. and Of course, my plan was in China. We talked a lot. and and He told me one day, hey, I decided i would give up on on on on on on my one-on-one tutoring. I'm not getting anywhere.
00:37:32
Speaker
then i see this as a burden. I said, what? You get one-on-one tutoring. You get so much support. And and you you you give up on Mandarin? Yeah, I mean, not like I'm going to use it.
00:37:45
Speaker
i give up. said Wait a minute. so so so So a German who goes to China can give up on on this Mandarin, but an Asian who goes to Germany is expected to speak fluent German in six months.
00:38:01
Speaker
Conti is a quite global company. i mean, they have operations all over the planet. ah Wouldn't English be the kind of common language within the company? Would that be accepted?
00:38:12
Speaker
Conti's main official channel is English, for sure. So official, slides, everything has to be in English. this It was a big change 20 years ah before, but this is now well understood.
00:38:27
Speaker
But, i mean, i mean But, okay, two things. So you you get the pressure from from all of them, ah especially if there's a lot of German colleagues, they want to speak German.
00:38:41
Speaker
And they don't really care whether John knows how well are you, you know are you comfortable, they don't really care. They just want to speak German. That's certainly a high motivation for you to learn. and and And obviously you did learn quite well.
00:38:56
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, the thing is, I feel that i mean even for people who are just on short assignment, maybe six months, that's um that they don't also understand. you know so and um To put it in a different way, I felt the pressure also in the walls of Conti.
00:39:19
Speaker
but i mean If you need English, people will definitely speak to you in English. It's no issue. But if not, then then So you had the 5.5 years um in in Germany, which which clearly trained you in the tire technology.
Entrepreneurship with TopTireReview.com
00:39:37
Speaker
You were working in the development there and in in in product strategy.
00:39:42
Speaker
But then you decided to return to Malaysia and you started TopTireReview.com, which is a ah business that that you own and operate. Can you tell me a little bit about your journey of going from Germany at Conti back to Malaysia?
00:39:59
Speaker
During COVID, so it actually really hit really hard, especially I have a young family. COVID was really tough for me. I mean, relatively, I would say in Germany, you get much more freedom ah compared to the Asian countries. so Especially in Malaysia, there are constant lockdowns.
00:40:17
Speaker
In Germany, you are also freely able to do whatever you want. you know It's not a big issue. However, of course, being so far away, I don't have any grandparents support. I have no family support. So it's only me and my wife and three kids.
00:40:33
Speaker
And that really took a toll, especially when kindergarten had to close. You know, the kindergarten thing is is quite a big topic also, especially. But you had to close and um it got really stressful, especially when you have to juggle both the kids and also working sometimes.
00:40:52
Speaker
And my wife told me that she she wants to come back home after going through the COVID times, then she wanted to come back home, where at least some support is still available.
00:41:05
Speaker
Before the transition of coming back, I already thought about what my friend actually asked me. So I bespoke earlier, like, I mean, what is your strengths? What can you leverage on? And why are you good at?
00:41:16
Speaker
So that's where I decided, okay, I have programming background. I have... Tyres background, there's a big knowledge gap in Asia about tyres and I know tyres quite well, how to develop it and how to compare it and so on and say, okay, why not I start something about tyre knowledge and that's where it starts to say, okay, I would start writing articles about tyre knowledge, and find what what what is easy for people to read. So I have to tone down a lot from an engineer point of view to a more
00:41:51
Speaker
consumer seeking product point of view. And that's where i started. I know the market very well, especially in Malaysia and Asia. And I try to fine tune those things. And to be honest, there's nobody.
00:42:05
Speaker
mean, it's a good market because there's nobody doing tire stuff in Asia, at least. I like the the freedom of doing your own thing. I guess you are the same.
00:42:16
Speaker
You can do whatever you want, whenever you feel like doing. I mean, for me, after being through all this experience, especially tough times in Germany during COVID, I feel very it's very important. Of course, I want to spend time with my family and I want also to do things that I like, you know, and I think there was a famous saying, if you do things that you like, it it's not a job, you know, it's just something you like, you know, and, and I was looking for those things. And then I think I find it when doing it highest. Do you miss, um now that you're back in Malaysia, your home country, and really focused on a more local Asian market, do you do you miss that cultural interaction with with people from another
Embracing New Cultures and Final Thoughts
00:43:00
Speaker
country? Or it's ah you have that anyway from ah circle of friends?
00:43:06
Speaker
Actually, i mean I do miss the the German style of of working. especially i mean I miss my my my Irish boss a lot. He brings in a different perspective of of things.
00:43:19
Speaker
Technically very strong, but human resource-wise also very nice. um But I mean, I miss having him as a boss, but of course now I have ultimate freedom.
00:43:30
Speaker
But interaction wise, yeah, I do miss talking to to to my old German friends. So so we we we still talk. Well, we're getting close to the end of the episode, Edwin.
00:43:42
Speaker
Really great conversation about the cultural experiences that you had in Malaysia with German companies. And then, of course, going straight to the source, to Germany and Hannover. Any last point you want to make about these experiences, advice to somebody who is thinking about possibly following in your footsteps?
00:44:02
Speaker
If you would like to go, i mean, as i from an Asian side, if you'd like to go to Germany, ah go there with a open heart. um Don't be afraid of trying new things.
00:44:14
Speaker
And how should I That's it. be understanding of each person's culture and ideally you learn the good from you learn the good stuff from Germany, you keep the good stuff, what you have in Asia, and then you become a much better person.
00:44:30
Speaker
That's the ideal goal. Try to keep an open heart. and I know Germans complain a lot. that That's one of their past hobbies. But you have to think about the holistic approach, you know, like how things are there. i mean For instance, I really agree on a lot of things that what Germany is doing, like especially with the insurance policy, the the social insurance that you have and so on, which I think we could easily replicate in our country. So go there, absorb this absorb what what what you think is good, have a good independent assessment and maybe come back and make your own country better.
00:45:06
Speaker
With an open heart and open mind, I think you can really learn a lot, especially with your experience overseas. That's the most important. i mean, it doesn't matter you go Germany, somewhere in Europe, it doesn't matter.
00:45:18
Speaker
As long you are willing to talk and understand and see, I think it's definitely worth it. Those are very meaningful words. I think a lot of people can take those to heart.
00:45:31
Speaker
um It certainly is a big adventure to to move out of your home country into something that's much, much different. So thank you. Thank you for sharing that with us. So I think here we'll end the episode.
00:45:43
Speaker
I want to thank the listeners very much for joining us today. want to thank you very much, Edwin, for joining us and to share your experiences with your German companies ah in Malaysia as well as in in Germany.
00:45:58
Speaker
With that, we'll end the episode. So until next week, when we meet again, keep on driving.
00:46:07
Speaker
Thank you for joining us on today's journey.
Conclusion and Call to Action
00:46:09
Speaker
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00:46:19
Speaker
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