Tony Mariadass
Taking every challenge
with a positive approach see’s Kim Seng rise to conquer
BANTING: Former international
defender, See Kim Seng, is proof that there is life after football, if one
plans well, works hard, willing to face challenges, be prudent and keep one’s
feet firm on the ground always.
The 56-year-old father of five
daughters, who grew up at Kampong Kelanang, Banting, has come a long way to
establish himself as a successful businessman, since he last played for Negri
Sembilan in 1994.
He has managed a heavy machinery
business successfully from 1995 to 2013, before recession saw him fold the
business, then set up his own heavy machinery company for a few years, and
after his last job during the building of KLIA 2, decided to go into managing a
golf driving range at the Desa Driving Range at Shah Alam – his second, after
the first in Bandar Baru Kelang in 2015, where his contract of the range was
not renewed after three years - and now runs a seafood restaurant – Attapka –
since February.
Kim Seng who took up golfing after
football and was a single handicapper, also runs a coaching clinic for children
at his range, but now has asked his friend to run it, because he has to concentrate
on his seafood restaurant.
“I was lucky that I had people who
were willing to assist me and my name as a footballer helped. But in the end, I
had to prove myself and work hard to make the business successful,” said Kim
Seng who had a tough life growing up.
“For instance, it was friend and my
football fan, who asked to set up the heavy machinery business. The current golf
range owner - David Lee Cheng Chew – has given me a good rental price as his
business was down and wanted to turn it around. The seafood business belonged
to my youngest brother (Kim Huat), who asked me to take over as his health was
ailing.
“I come from a family of seven and
was the fifth. As a 12-year-old I used to follow my late father (See Thiam Sem)
who ran a fruit shop, to buy coconuts and fruits, from plantations by bicycle
first before he got a motorcycle.
“Coming from a small town and
kampong, I knew what hardship was all about and was always prudent and saved whatever
I could for a rainy day.
“It is not how much you earn, but how
much you can safe. A father can give his son 1 million ringgit, but it will all
come to nought if the son does not know how to utilise the money well.
“I was very careful not to be distracted
by the bright city lights when I played football. I did not earn much as
compared to players these days, but I managed to safe and did not spend unnecessarily
or spoil myself.”
Kim Seng said life was no different
in his football career where he had to work hard and make sacrifices.
“Nothing came was on a silver
platter,” said Kim Seng
Kim Seng started playing football as
a striker, as a kampong boy with estate players near his home.
Chinese educated at his primary
school SRJK Simpan Morib and later at SM Sg Manggis till Form Three and in SMK
Telok Datuk, he first played for his school teams, before turning out for the
Kuala Langat District team in the Selangor premier league.
It was with the district team that
Kim Seng was spotted by the late international midfield maestro Wong Choon Wah,
was who playing for Selangor Chinese Recreation Club (SCRC), when playing in
the league match in Banting.
“Choon Wah and the team officials
offered me a job and asked to come to the city and play for them. When I told
them I was only 16 and still in school, they were surprised,” said See laughing
aloud who said he was well built then itself from all the hard work he had to
undergo.
“They then asked me to play for them on
match days and I would travel to KL taking a bus on game day in the afternoon
and return home about 10pm. My older brother (Ah Hock) would wait at the bus
stand in Banting and bring me home on his motorcycle.”
Kim Seng went on to play for Selangor
schools in the Rahman Cup and Razak Cup and donned national colours in the
Asean Schools football championship for two years – 1981 in Jakarta and 1982 in
Bangkok where he captained the team.
It was in 1984, that he was selected
to the Selangor team and with a star-studded team with the likes of the late
Mokhtar Dahari, K. Rajagobal, Norbit Shah and other notable names, he warmed
the bench and only played one match against Armed Forces.
Next year, frustrated, he returned to
just play in the Selangor league for SCRC. It was here that late Chow Kwai Lam
spotted him and took him to play for Kuala Lumpur in late 1986.
See Kim Seng (right) in KL colurs in defence with teammate Chow Siew Yai
It was Dr Josef Veglos who took
charge of the KL team in 1987, that converted Kim Seng from a striker to a
defender. He played for KL till 1992 (wining the Malaysia Cup for a record
three times – 1987-1989), before moving to Negri Sembilan for two years before
he called it quits.
Kim Seng standing back row far right with KL Malaysia Cup team with their trophies 1988 treble champions Malaysia Cup, League Cup and Charity Shield
As a national player he has a
winner’s medal from the 1989 Sea Games under English coach Trevor Hartley and a
1993 Merdeka tournament medal under Australian coach Ken Worden besides playing
in the World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers and King’s Cup in Thailand where he
captained the team.
“I am glad that I have managed my
life well after football and in something totally unrelated to football. My
advice to young footballers is not just look at jobs related to football after
the playing days. Venture out and take whatever opportunities are available and
work hard it to make it a success.
“I am also glad that besides having
done well in business, I have also educated my children well and also got them
involved in sports,” said Kim Seng proudly, whose wife, Wong Show Mei was a Tanggak
district volleyball player.
His youngest daughter, See Wye, who
turns 13 on Aug 29, is his apple of the eye and competes in the SportsExcel
Junior Golf Circuit and has represented SportExcel at the New Delhi Junior Open
championship last year.
See Wye a student of SMK Bukit Jelutong, also excels rhythmic gymnastics having had podium finishes in
several events, including the Vitrigo International Championship, Pesta
Gimnastik (champion, group exercise) and the Selangor Schools Sports Council
(MSSS) competition.
Kim Seng
said he is equally proud of his other siblings, See Min, 26, (former Bukit
Jalil Sports School and wushu junior national champion and now nutritionist at
National Sports Institute), See Man, 23, (third year law student at Multimedia
University, See Moon, 22 (graduate in Language from Universiti Malaya specialising
in Italian) and See Won, 21 (waiting for entry to University). Both See Moon
and See Won, also represented Selangor schools in rhythmic gymnastics.
Kim Seng with his princess standing from left see Min, See Mon, See Man and See Won and seated from left wife Doris Wong Show Mei and youngest daughter See Wye
“I tried to get my other daughters involved in golf but they complained
it was too hot. See Wye was different. She didn’t complain about the heat at
all and from the way she swings the club and I saw natural talent” said Kim Seng
of See Wye whom he introduced to the game when she was eight.
While Kim
Seng admitted that he spends most of his time now at his seafood restaurant,
starting as early as 7am to buy the seafood from the fishing village and open
his shop from 11am to midnight, he was not going to neglect to see See Wye
become a top women golfer.
His wife
now manages the driving range besides her own business of cleaning services.
While Kim
Seng does not do the cooking and has hired experienced cooks, he is still busy
at the restaurant taking orders, managing the cash register and making sure the
food is served fast besides being the public relation man talking to his
customers.
Kim Seng
keeps his prices very affordable because most of his customers are from Banting
and not all of them are doing well.
He also
sponsors one or two tables each other for poor families around the area working
with the Community Service centres.
Among his
specialities and favourites among his customers are Pari Fish Curry, Fried sotong, Dried chilli chicken and Chilli Crab.
Nestled in a shed of trees, the
hut-styled seating for privacy or for bigger groups at the main restaurant, it
is Located at Lot 325, Jalan Pulau Banting, 42700, Banting, and open from 11.30am
to 11.00pm.
ENDS
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