My Wife Finally Read My Blog And She Asked Me...

Why I named this blog 'The Malay Pharma Contender'?

Well, my loved one, this is the answer (I answer you the same if you ask me):

"Pharma is my industry, you know, Pharmaceutical industry. I've been around in this industry for quite some time, and since I'm creating my 'mark' online, I want a specific niche that I'm passionate about. I want a slot that I'll keep working on even I have no salary. I want a particular (and profitable at the same time) niche.

I can't escape the valuable partly because I got to earn my living somehow, and I thought to myself, why not I make it through something I did best for the past 10 years? I've been around long enough to showcase my masterpiece, my uniqueness, and my hard-earned expertise in this field.

For years, when neighbors and village folks asked me what I do for a living, I didn't hesitate to answer, 'I'm a salesperson. I sell medicine.' And they either gave me the 'Ahhh...' look, or they just follow up with,'Pharmacy?'.

And I'll take my time to explain to them what I do for a living. You see, I'm not selling medicine ONLY. I sell SOLUTIONS through the medication or drugs (drugs give a negative connotation to many. Hence, I interchange it with medicine).

Quite frankly, I did not hate EVERYTHING about Pfizer. I believe wholeheartedly in their 'Life is our life work' motto. It's so contagious that even until now... I'm still 'living' it. Unlike some sweet-talkers who I used to know back in the company those days...

So that's why I choose 'Pharma' as a component.

Why Malay?

This is easy to explain but may be hard to accept. Even if I tell it succinctly, there is bound to be a misinterpretation. And I can be 'marked' as racist. For you, my loved one, I think I just risk it.

You see, if I put 'you-know-what-race' there, I don't have to put 'contender' at the end of the blog name. But every word in my blog name has a significant contribution to the whole meaning of the blog. I've explained to you about Pharma. You can see that already. And 'Malay Contender' is a name to the state I'm always in a while serving the industry.

The Pharmaceutical industry itself is already competitive. I have a budget to meet. Products to sell and 'cocky' customers to serve (if not the cockiest customers). It's competitive. It's a struggle. I'm always in the contending mode.

Naturally, that makes me a CONTENDER. On top of the Pharma industry competition, I've to contend for my spot as a Malay. And that's is even tougher!

My experience tells me that the most significant sales I've to make daily are not about selling my products to customers but selling my 'self-worth' to be part of the company.

Have you ever been in a meeting where the chairperson had to raise his or her voice and said,'English, please? Nezrul doesn't understand what you guys saying is.' Three or four times throughout the whole meeting (which usually took a full day). How would you feel if you're in my situation?

Quite surprising for a company that championed 'respect for people' as it's Core Value...

But that's not hard to understand when you're in a team of twelve or thirteen people, and you're the 'odd-man' out. You're the only Malay.

And you just been with the company for less than five years and got promoted in your second year. Not hard to understand at all...

If others can do it 'YES' but a Malay?

Maybe that's a shocker of the century.

I value my moment with all the GP's Area Business Manager team. I learned quite a lesson while I was around, and after I got my VSS from Pfizer, I can see how that lesson shaped me.

Last time they can't be bothered with my presence, and THIS time, I can't be bothered with what they're thinking about my blog and the message it carries.

My blog post is like the Null Hypothesis: unless they can prove me 'wrong,' I'm on the 'right' side of the equation.

Find better evidence than what I present here, and I shall rest my case.

Until they do (I doubt if they can) the value of the message remains: Pharma Industry in Malaysia, is a ring for the Malay Contender.

That's my love, which is the reason why I named this blog 'The Malay Pharma Contender.

Now can you see?"