Back in the 90s, flying in Malaysia was a luxury. For an East Malaysian student, balik kampung wasn’t just a trip—it was a heavy financial burden.

Then AirAsia disrupted the skies with a simple promise: “Now everyone can fly.”

In the ensuing dogfight, Malaysia Airlines bled so heavily that its CEO suite became a revolving door.

Enter Datuk Captain Izham Ismail.

Izham didn’t just steer the airline back to profitability; he restored decency to flying. Growing up in poverty, he once drank water just to numb the gnawing hunger in his empty stomach.

Yes, everyone could indeed fly, but Malaysia Airlines gives you a 20kg baggage allowance and no fees to sit next to your family.

Then, in 2026, he retired and joined Philippine Airlines.

I was genuinely baffled. Why go to the Philippines, when so many Malaysian companies could use his leadership?

Then it clicked: Filipinos deserve that same decency, too.

What worked in Malaysia could work in the Philippines.

It made me think of CTOS. Almost every Malaysian with a loan has relied on their services, knowingly or otherwise.

They built the digital infrastructure for the average person to prove their trustworthiness and access capital.

CTOS kickstarted its ASEAN expansion in 2020 by acquiring a 20% stake in Thailand’s Business Online Public Company Limited, before rapidly expanding into Indonesia and the Philippines.

By last year, these foreign operations were already contributing roughly 7% to the group’s profit.

With a population of over 32 million, Malaysia is a relatively small market.

But the broader ASEAN region offers a massive canvas for proven Malaysian leadership and a highly successful business model to truly scale