Category: Decisions

If the brand Ghee Hiang doesn’t ring a bell in a flash, its pure fragrant sesame oil product that reminds you of home as well as time-honoured treats that are rooted in Penang’s culinary heritage. In the spirit of its 170th anniversary, TSI uncovers a different side of Ghee Hiang with Dato’ Ch’ng Huck Theng, Executive Director of Ghee Hiang Manufacturing Co. Sdn. Bhd., on surviving changing times, keeping the business alive and anchored by age-old traditions.

Ghee Hiang is Penang’s pride and vice versa, what does that really mean?

It has always been closely tied to Penang’s identity because we’re not just a brand, we’re part of Penang’s story. For many families, our biscuits and sesame oil are tied to their personal memories of home. This special bond we have with our customers keeps us grounded and continues to shape our identity, especially in today’s fast-moving and competitive world.

On top of heritage, we are proud to be a contributor to the local economy and take additional pride in preserving traditional skills. It’s our way of putting Penang and Malaysia on the global map as our sesame oil and biscuits are often brought overseas as gifts so this is where our role in tourism come into play.

Today, our products are present in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Australia, each step helping to carry a piece of Malaysia to the world. Many have asked why we are still in Penang? It’s simple, because Penang remains our home—it’s where we are rooted and our stories continue to unfold.

Ghee Hiang is a union of two families, and we often hear of family businesses struggling when values clash. How has Ghee Hiang managed to turn this into a success story?

The two families share the same core belief—this brand is bigger than us. It’s about respect, integrity, and continuity. As a team, we protect the legacy and the community who has grown with Ghee Hiang. This shared sense of responsibility is one that drives us to make strategic decisions for the long run as opposed to short-term wins. Both the Ch’ngs and the Ooi’s believe that as a partnership-run entity, it’s equally important to lead by example and we expect the same commitment by the younger generation.

Are there some values to discard by the next generation?

Being outdated and confined to rigidity. The next generation of leaders must adopt the mindset of thinking differently—they should feel confident enough to experiment while protecting the brand’s soul.

This is the biggest challenge for the brand, preserving it while staying relevant and without losing our soul. Shopping habits continues to evolve, additionally, we face the constant task of maintaining customer expectations, harmony within the families and management.

We’ve been speaking about heritage and traditions, what about innovation, where does it sit in Ghee Hiang’s equation?
Tradition is staying true to our recipes and methods that made the brand and its products what it is today. We must evolve with the times, so instead of short-cuts to cater demands, we have increased our product lines by introducing new creations. Our chocolate cookies, pineapple shortcakes and matcha crisps are appealing to our younger target audience.

As health awareness too increase over the years, we play our part by highlighting the health benefits of our product. For example, we run our sesame oil through research on its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Innovation doesn’t stop at products; we’re also looking at marketing innovation. One of our most recognisable brand initiatives would be our Legendary Babies that was created in the early 2000s to represent our line of products, appeal to the younger target audiences and attract tourists. If you were to go to any of our outlets, you’d see tourists taking pictures with these adorable characters which we strategically placed at the front of the stores.

Let’s drill down to what’s performing well for the business, product wise and sale platforms as well as rising costs.

Our original pastries still carry the biggest weight, making most sales. New products have been steadily growing, especially among younger consumers, but the classics remain our foundation. With younger customers who are discovering us through new products and digital platforms, we’ve seen encouraging double-digit growth in that segment, which tells us our innovation strategy is working.

Meanwhile, our brick-and-mortar still leads because visiting our store is an experience itself—the liveliness of the atmosphere, the engaging service and the variety of products all in one place. But we are glad to see that online sales have soared too, especially after the pandemic. It has opened doors for us in reaching out to overseas customers. Both channels are important and serve different needs.

A common concern for many is that rising costs are heavily weighing down on business so for us, the key is for production as well as retail is smart management. We focus on sourcing efficiently and reducing wastage, without sacrificing our product quality. Most importantly, we keep our growth steady and sustainable, making sure every decision strengthens the brand in the long run.

There are other long-standing brands that offer the same products and experience as Ghee Hiang, what is your take on competition?

Competition keeps us sharp. Anyone can make similar products, but our competitive advantage lies in heritage and authenticity. We are laser focus on what we do best and trust that this is wholeheartedly felt by customers through our products. We take product consistency very seriously; it’s what customers expect from us.

Staying ahead of the game, we have invested in scientific research and technology. This is to ensure that the narratives behind our products are backed by proper research papers. While technology plays a growing role, from production to packaging, but we balance it with craftsmanship, just like the final steps of crafting our pastries, some things simply can’t be automated.

Let’s wrap this conversation with the next 100 years.

For future leaders, we believe they need to understand both the heart and the mechanics of the business. With that, comes early exposure to day-to-day operations, from production to retail, not just the boardroom.

Doing justice to the brand, Ghee Hiang must always be remembered as a brand of trust, authenticity, and tradition. For Malaysia, we hope to serve as an ambassador of Malaysian heritage, so that when people think of Penang or Malaysia, they’ll also think of Ghee Hiang.

Accomplished marketing specialist and digital content creator, Grace Low has built her career at the intersection of strategy, innovation and brand growth. As Malaysia’s first to secure a verified blue badge for a RedNote business account, she later went to launch Malaysia’s first RedNote influencer marketing strategy. Today, her role in the hospitality industry further sharpens her expertise, as she shares on how to survive management change and defy gravity with sound turnaround strategies.

Grace’s journey into branding and marketing was shaped by her exposure to media, storytelling, and audience behaviour across multiple platforms. “I come from a commercial production background where storytelling was never just about aesthetics—it had to move audiences and deliver results,” reminiscing of her early days in television production.

As the media landscape changed, Grace was one of the early movers that understood the forthcoming digital wave. Observing China’s rapid consumption of digital storytelling and how brands can gain maximum exposure, Grace made the leap and never looked back.

Years spent in creating tourism and hospitality content for clients paid off—she found niche in the industry itself and in 2023, started serving reputable hotel establishments. She also moved beyond her capacity as a digital content creator, a growth phase that saw her portfolio moving into integrated marketing and communication strategies.

Grace strongly feels that during a change in management, even small shifts can feel destabilising, so a good leader is crucial. She narrates her way of dealing with the situation, “My first step is to align expectations and simplify systems during the thick of things—it’s focusing on clarifying roles, defining the decision-making authority and setting pragmatic goals for the team. Stability follows with transparency and realism, rather than blindly following outdated habits.”

For her recent case study at an international hotel chain located in Malaysia, Grace points out that whether it is a management change or a turnaround strategy needed, she resets three things immediately to ensure continuity in the hotel’s marketing:

1. Brand narrative
2. Channels to focus on
3. Performance benchmarks

“When you need to quickly turnaround, pull out data and digest the patterns. An example—if engagement is strong but conversion is weak, it’s often execution. If awareness is low despite investment in ads, it’s positioning. If traffic is high but sentiment is poor, then messaging and experience is misaligned. Data is your north; it tells the truth faster than opinions!”
From a digital perspective, she focused on addressing digital noise by inviting a wider range of content creators to visit, share reviews, and generate fresh conversations across social media platforms, helping to sustain visibility and public interest.

“During one leadership transition, I proactively invited major media to visit and review the hotel, especially during the hotel’s anniversary promotion, creating visibility and excitement. I also led initiatives that secured various prestigious awards, strengthening the hotel’s reputation and digital presence among competitors. By taking decisive action and maintaining marketing momentum, even amidst organisational change, I ensured that both the brand and the business continue to thrive, supporting teams across sales, operations and communications.

Missteps are common and Grace notes that overacting too quickly is a downfall, especially changing the narratives too rapidly, without a clear and strategic rationale.

On contrary to popular belief, chasing trends or surface-level credibility without understanding if it supports the brand’s long-term positioning or business immediate priorities can be detrimental.

“I also see organisations undervaluing the marketing department during critical times. Although it may be only a minor brand enhancement exercise, other departments are consulted instead of the marketing personnel who are responsible for shaping demand, guiding customers decisions and protecting brand equity. Marketing is not about revenue conversion only; we contribute meaningfully to business outcomes and long-term value”

Shifting the conversation to women’s empowerment at the workplace, Grace says that while her leadership is decisive and structured which are critical traits in high-pressure, result-driven environments, being a mother of two also taught her to balance assertiveness and empathy. “

She concluded by giving her advice to emerging women leaders—cultivate a mindset of ownership, confidence, curiosity and humility. “Put your ego away, true leadership is about serving the team, the business and stakeholders, it’s not about proving yourself. Be confident in your expertise but listen actively, learn quickly and most importantly, be willing to admit what you don’t know.”