We Do

Empower Series Sdn. Bhd. (Empower) is a Market Development consulting firm. We formed Empower with focus in East Malaysia and the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). Empower was formed based on the belief of megatrends and the industry forces impact on existing industries, challenging the current best practices and compel industries to re-assess its strategies to adapt in a new business world of constant disruption and economic shifts.

Whether it is to address the needs for Domestic Direct Investment, Foreign Direct Investment or Public Sector initiative, what holds true is this: Empower believes in the idea of 6 degrees of separation- having the social connections and business networking to the implementation of a robust, trusted and market development consulting offerings. Empower has strong BIMP-EAGA networks.

Empower is also capitalising its BIMP-EAGA network for market development opportunities under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The RCEP is a free trade agreement between the Asia-Pacific nations of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Empower is based on Sabah, East Malaysia. Our team consist of multi-disciplinary professionals and we collaborate with subject-matter experts to deliver market development consulting, operations and implementation assistance and deal advisory to benefit our client’s business requirements.

Services

Plantation Foreign Labour Supply

02-03

Marketing of Foreign Labour Supply Recruitment
Sourcing
Legalization
Capacity Building
Placement

Market Development Consulting

Market Feasibility
Market & Economy Intelligence
BIMP-EAGA Networking
Commercial Due Diligence

Operations & Implementation

Revenue Optimisation
Supply-chain Enhancements

Deals Advisory

Buy-Sell-JV
Fund Raising
Private Equity
Financial Modelling

Methodology

Industry Focus

Plantation & Agrobusiness

02-03

Energy & Natural Resources

Infrastructure

Construction & Building Materials

Logistics for Air, Sea & Land

Industrial Park Development

Tourism & Public Sector

People

Allen Chia

Principal

allen[at]empowerseries.consulting

Allen has over 20 years of working experience in the private and public sector. He began his career in logistics in the United States and Singapore before returning to Sabah, Malaysia. In Sabah, he spent over 12 year in the Sabah Tourism Board and later an O&G company. His outstanding stakeholder engagement acumen had enabled him to build trust and confidence with local leaders, prominent business figures and high-ranking government officials in Sabah to strengthen the relationship between public and private sectors served.

Allen is known as a decisive and resourceful leader with vast professional network across both private and public sectors. He is experienced in market research, business development, investment evaluation and stakeholder engagement for large scale projects. He’s industry focus includes Logistics, Tourism and Energy & Natural Resources (O&G).

He holds a B.Sc in Business Administration with a double major in Marketing and Transportation & Logistics from The Ohio State University.

Nazim Basiron

Associate Principal

mnazim.basiron[at]empowerseries.consulting | mnazim.basiron[at]gmail.com

Nazim has over 26 years of experience in diversified food industries value chain. Lead project management including operation in upstream to mix and industrial integrated development exercise, endorsed by PLAN Malaysia and Rancangan Malaysia. Served in two renown conglomerates in their agriculture, sustainability, strategic, business development and director ship. Transformed subsidiaries companies towards sustainable business achievement.

Nazim possess recognized rapport with the Malaysia government authorities’ bodies involved in regulatory, investment, planning and policies. Involved in international business exercise especially with Thai Agri Corporative, CP, Al-Dabbagh Group and Red Sea Housing. Collaborate with sister’s company related to GLC joint business program in sovereignty and security aspect.
Graduated from ITM and Open University Malaysia. Endeavour servant leadership approach as team player. Practice practical approach justified with sound analytical studies towards holistic result.

Chia Ah Theng

Head of Agri-Business

chia8152[at]empowerseries.consulting | chia8152[at]gmail.com

Chia Ah Theng has more than 25 years’ experience in Estate Operations and management in several large plantations including Hap Seng Plantations, Tradewinds Plantation and TSH Plantations. Exposed to rural land development, stakeholders’ engagement, best practices, plantation transformation and human capital development. Hit and recorded among best achievements of FFB yield and financial return recognized by MPOB. Graduated in Master in Plantation Management.

William Nyam

Senior Advisor

William has over 25 year of working experience and spent 18 years doing management consulting (a large part of his career was in KPMG). He is the Principal for Strategy+, a Strategy, Economics and Financial consulting firm in Peninsular Malaysia. Empower Series has invited William to be the first Senior Advisor to be part of a Advisory Board, comprising of only highly networked and experienced individuals. William has extensive experience in the management consulting space and is a sought-after coach and facilitator to entrprenuership programmes and policy-making studies.

Foreign Labour Supply

Plantation Foreign Labour Supply

The plantation industry needs more than 32,000 foreign workers to boost palm oil production in plantation and mills.

All the while, palm oil plantations have incurred recruitment costs to bring foreign workers — agency fee, air ticket, visa fee, medical fee, work permit. It’s a costly affair. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that this sector is heavily relying on foreign workers. While the outlook for 2022 is bright, the widening gap between the supply and demand has underpinned the skyrocketing price of palm oil recently. It is the shortage of workers that really needs to be addressed immediately.

Our services focuses on bringing foreign labour from Nepal. The advantages of Nepalese as labour resources for plantation are:

  1. Nepalese put passion into their work. They love to tackle their jobs if they feel sufficiently recognized and compensated for their effort.
  2. Nepalese generally like to think that there is always a better way to do things. They often spearhead and implement innovative ideas designed to improve work flow and processes.
  3. Nepalese have mastered the art of resourcefulness and creativity. Their character is evident in a lot of improvised devices, makeshift dwellings that are prevalently used particularly in impoverished provinces.
  4. Nepalese are well trained in their respective fields. They are capable of meeting high standards and comply with strict regulations in the performance of their duties.
  5. Nepalese workers are used to overtime work. They are hardworking, diligent and accomplish their work in time.
  6. Nepalese are competitive in nature this trait can be seen in their love for various competition including sports and being technically competent in what they do.
  7. More than hundred thousand workers annually fly to the Middle East countries for construction jobs. And there are more demands of them because of their hard work and trust. Therefore, for Nepalese workers to work in the plantation sector with proper training will bring the best result on recruiting plantation workers to Malaysia.

Our Advantage

We have onboarded well trained and experienced planters and development professionals to assist in plantation foreign labour supply from Nepal. The combined experience of professionals in the plantation industry exceeds 50 years and they are competent from all aspects of the oil palm plantation operations and supply chain.

Our Partners

We have partnered with 2 established firms to be the main providers of Nepalese foreign labour supply to plantations.

  1. Universal H.R. Solution Pvt. Ltd. (Govt. Lic. No.: 1209/073/074)
  2. Agensi Pekerjaan Ideal Reliance Sdn Bhd (519301-K | JTKSM 468 Lesen C)

 

For enquiries on Nepalese foreign labour supply, please contact En. Nazim Basiron at mnazim.basiron@empowerseries.consulting / mnazim.basiron@gmail.com or Mr. Chia Ah Theng at chia8152@empowerseries.consulting / chia8152@gmail.com.

Contact Us

Empower Series Sdn Bhd

Registered address:
Lot No 1.5, 1st floor, Wisma Kolombong
88450 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah

Offices:

East Malaysia
Lot 8 Taman Kepayan Fasa 3
Jalan Kendara, Kg Nosoob Kepayan
88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

West Malaysia
E.08.07 Aragreens Residences
No 6A, Jalan PJU 1A/3, Ara Damansara
47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Copyright © 2025 Empower Series Sdn Bhd (1350432-P)