SHE spent her entire working life with the automotive industry. ZURAIMI ABDULLAH pays tribute to Malaysia's "Iron Lady" of the industry.
Malaysia's automotive world was shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of Datuk Aishah Ahmad last Thursday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She was 71.
She was laid to rest in the kingdom on Friday.
The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) president was healthy. She had just finished performing umrah (mini haj) and was due to return home last Saturday.
Aishah might have been the "Iron Lady" of the country's automotive industry, but she was also known as a sweet and kind-hearted top executive in a world ruled mostly by men.
Her "iron" demeanour came to the fore when talking and springing into action on anything automotive, be it policies, regulations, measures or strategies.
"Anyone who has worked in the car industry either as a journalist or a dealer or for a car company would have known of Datuk Aishah," former motoring writer Faisal Shah, who is now attached to Proton Holdings Bhd, wrote on his Facebook page.
"Her job as president of the MAA was a tough one as a woman in a male-dominated industry but she handled the pressure with grace and would always ensure she spoke to you if you caught her eyes and she had met you before."
PETITE VERSUS TOUGH
This writer had his first "four-eyed" interview with Aishah more than 23 years ago.
"The petite Aishah Ahmad was up against four tough guys, and yet, she came out of the fight the victor. Nine years later, she still wears the crown," this writer started the article from that interview published in mid-November 1999.
"Aishah was neither a tae-kwan-do exponent with a black belt nor did she practice silat (Malay martial art). Yet, she was able to defeat them all. The fight was for the chairmanship of the highly-respected Malaysian Motor Traders Association (MMTA) in 1991."
The soft-spoken Aishah had beaten four other strong candidates including the late Tan Sri Yahaya Ahmad, chairman of the DRB-HICOM Group.
She became the first woman to be MMTA chairman, a remarkable accomplishment and recognition in an industry very much dominated by the opposite gender.
The MMTA was later merged with the Malaysian Motor Vehicle Assemblers Association in 2000 to form MAA.
The 202-member MMTA, including 27 ordinary members (franchise holders) in 1999, was an influential body in safeguarding the interests of players in the country's highly competitive motor industry.
The MMTA decided, among others, on whether the industry should support or oppose any regulations or other measures affecting the members as well as cooperate with and make representations to any government department or authority.
Recounting her early days during the 1999 interview, Aishah said: "The four candidates for the chairmanship in 1991 included three CEOs (chief executive officers). They're all great guys.
"When the decision came, people were very surprised to see a lady being elected. My friends could not believe it."
Even the then managing director of Amim Holdings Sdn Bhd who nominated Aishah for the post, told her that he was not sure whether she could handle the job well.
"After his comment, I was determined to prove my ability and at the same time, show that a woman can handle this job," said Aishah, then the general manager (sales) of Amim Holdings which held the Ford franchise.
SUCCESS
The MMTA's initial success under Aishah's guidance was in 1992.
That was when the hire-purchase policy for vehicles was curbed by the government. The repayment period was five years while the upfront payment was 25 per cent of the vehicle's value.
"We kept lobbying for six months and eventually the government allowed the repayment period and upfront payment back to the previous seven years and 10 per cent respectively."
Being a team worker, Aishah was reluctant to solely accept credit as the key figure behind the progress of the MMTA and industry, saying that "various parties had made greater contribution."
Paying special tribute to the MMTA's committee members, she said: "I cannot work alone. It's the committee members who have worked very hard to ensure the members' interests are protected. They work well as a team," she said.
Besides being the first woman to lead the MMTA, she was the president of the Automotive Federation Malaysia and vice-president of Asean Automotive Federation.
Her illustrious career started in the mid-1970s with Inchcape Group of Companies in Malaysia, followed by positions in Ford Malaysia and Tractors Malaysia before retiring at Sime Darby Motors.
Aishah continued to serve as a board member at the Sime Darby group even after her retirement.
Her last media engangement was on Jan 19 this year, where she announced the industry's best sales and production performance in its history last year.
TRIBUTES
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah was among the many expressing condolences and paying tributes to Aishah.
Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah also conveyed her condolences on Istana Negara's Facebook page on Saturday.
"Their Majesties greatly appreciate Allahyarhamah's service and deeds for the country and regard her death as a great loss for the country's automotive industry," the post read.
DRB-HICOM Bhd group managing director Datuk Seri Syed Faisal Albar said Aishah was irreplaceable and that her legacy was the impact she made on the industry she so loved.
"Her leadership, vision and dedication in running the MAA have made a lasting impact on the industry and she will be remembered as a tireless champion for the growth and development of the automotive sector in Malaysia.
"Her passing is a great loss to the industry and the entire community," Syed Faisal said in a statement on Friday.
DRB-HICOM subsidiary Proton also mourned her passing.
"As the president of the MAA, Datuk Aishah played an important role in helping Malaysia's automotive grow while ensuring the interests of members were highlighted to the authorities. Her passing is a great loss to the industry and her leadership will be missed," the national carmaker noted.
NST Business offers Aishah's family our deepest condolences. May Allah bless her soul and place her in Jannah.