Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Tuan Haji Ali Hassan bin Md Hassan, Managing Director of aL-ikhsaN
Address : No. 90-92, Jalan Pendidikan 4, Taman Universiti, 81300 Skudai, Johor
Bahru
Tel : 07-5222888
Fax : 07-5208777
E-mel : [email protected]
Website : www.al-ikhsan.com
Tuan Haji Ali Hassan bin Mohd Hassan is the chief executive officer and founder of
Al-Ikhsan Sports, number one sports retail company in Malaysia which includes various
leading international sports brands. Founded in 1993, aL-ikhsan now operates with 123
branches nationwide. His entrepreneurial skills began to emerge at a young age by part-
timely selling various clothes at his university. Since then, this UTM graduate chose to
venture into the business world in 1993 seriously and to this day has managed to expand his
business throughout the peninsula and become one of the ‘bumiputera’ who have gained
trust from various leading brands and suppliers from all over the years.
Al-ikhsan Sports is a supplier of sports equipment, sportswear which is owned by

‘bumiputera’. Al-ikhsan provides sports items such as sports shoes, sports shirts, and sports
equipment. Today, the aL-Ikhsan premise network is a familiar name among Malaysians
who love and use popular branded sports products such as Puma, Nike, Adidas, Umbro,
Reeboks, Lotto and Diodora. Al-ikhsan was recognized as the world's 84th largest sports
retail company and ranked 4th in world performance growth in 2011 by ASEAN Retail &
Franchise Federation. Awarded 'Asean outstanding business awards' for two consecutive
years in 2011 and 2012, al-ikhsan has expanded its business by launching AL sport, a
sports shop with the concept of various international sports brands at a price of no more than
RM100 as a token of appreciation to loyal customers.
1.0. INTRODUCTION
There is no universal agreement on defining entrepreneurship. Enormous number of

definitions has been forwarded by the researchers in the recent academic studies on the
area of entrepreneurship. According to Onuoha, entrepreneurship is the practice of starting
new organizations or revitalizing mature organizations, particularly new businesses generally
in response to identified opportunities. Schumpeter defined “entrepreneurs as individuals
who exploit market opportunity through technical and/or organizational innovation”. For
Frank H. Knight and Peter Drucker, “entrepreneurship is about taking risk, culture and
national culture have definite effect on entrepreneurship”. Based on some definitions that
have been written by such scholars, we can conclude that entrepreneurs are individuals
who actively form or lead their own business and nurture them for growth and prosperity. In
this case study, writer will explain about Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies that related
to Tuan Haji Hassan, founder of aL-ikhsan Sports.
1.1. ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE
Tuan Haji Ali Hassan bin Mohd Hassan was born at Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor Bharu
on July 9, 1970. The youngest of eight siblings is the son of Mohd Hassan Nur Hassan, a
policeman and Siti Maryam Bt Mahmood. He married Mrs. Marina Bt Abu Bakar and has
eight children.
Tuan Haji Ali Hassan received his early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan
Pengkalan Rinting, Tampoi, Johor Bahru (1977), then Sekolah Menengah Aminuddin Baki
(1983), before Sekolah Menengah Sains Muar (1986) and Sekolah Menengah Sultan Ismail
to continue his studies to form six (1988). He holds a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in 1993.
In 1993, he also received an offer to further his studies abroad, but he rejected it due
to his deep interest in business. With a capital of RM50, he started a small sports equipment
business to friends and lecturers at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Next, he did
business at Holiday Plaza, Johor Bahru and registered aL-ikhsaN Sport Sdn. Bhd. As a
sports goods retailing company. Through aL-ikhsaN, various world-class sports equipment
such as the English Football League, European Cup (Euro), Formula One (F1), Olympic
Games and FIFA World Cup are available.
Tuan Haji Ali Hassan is very committed in growing his business. He not only
ventured into the sports retail business, but owned a real estate company, Empire Sports
Sdn Bhd in 2002. Now aL-ikhsaN business has grown into the largest sports retail company
in Malaysia owned by bumiputeras with over 15 leading brands in the world. aL-ikhsaN now
has 115 boutiques nationwide with a staff capacity of over 700 people. Tuan Haji Ali Hassan
expanded this business to have its own brand, namely AL (AL Sports Sdn Bhd) which was
developed in 2011 to produce its own local brand and design. AL was sponsoring the Perak
(2015-2018) and Kedah (2017-2018) football teams.
Tuan Haji Ali Hassan is also the founder of Prestige Sports Sdn. Bhd (2014) which
has the full right to import and distribute leading international brands in Malaysia, such as
Asics, Lotto, Canterbury and TEVA. He also sponsored the Selangor football team (2016-
2018) using the Lotto brand under the management of Prestige Sports Sdn. Bhd. In July
2016, aL-ikhsaN merged with Ekuiti Nasional Berhad (Ekuinas) with a share purchase of
35%.
Tuan Haji Ali Hassan fought for economic jihad by providing employment
opportunities to the community and also became the largest zakat payer in Malaysia,
amounting to more than one million ringgit. Every profit in the company is paid according to
the profit generated. Apart from that, through corporate social responsibility (CSR), Tuan
Haji Ali Hassan also often gives entrepreneurship talks to schools and university students for
free.
He often shares his formula for success, which is to keep prayers, do good and love
his parents, give alms, and pay zakat, as the most important practice to achieve success.
Through this method, Tuan Haji Ali Hassan believes that the entrepreneurial knowledge and
motivation given will give success in his business and life. Even he and his staff will fulfill
their corporate social responsibility every week by finding the poor.
Tuan Haji Ali Hassan was also recognized as a member of the Bumiputera Retailers
Organization (BRO) under Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB), a member of
the National Higher Education Entrepreneurship Council (MKPTN), under the Ministry of
Higher Education, Entrepreneurship Advisory Council, Institute of Small and Medium
Enterprises, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Member of the Board of the Academy of
Small and Medium Enterprise Development Academy (SMEDA) and Industry Advisor of the
National Institute of Entrepreneurship (INSKEN).
1.2. BUSINESS PROFILE
Al-Ikhsan Sports Sdn Bhd is Malaysia’s No. 1 sports retailer which is primarily
involved in the retail of sports footwear, apparel, and equipment. Al-Ikhsan Sports was
established in 1993 with a single 150sqft store in Holiday Plaza, Johor Bahru by a husband
and wife team, Tuan Haji Ali Hassan and Marina Abu Bakar. From a sole proprietorship
enterprise, the Company has evolved to a Private Limited Company now known as Al-Ikhsan
Sports Sdn Bhd.
The business has grown tremendously and currently has over 125 stores located
throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Since its inception, the company has grown from a singular
sports convenience concept to a multi-category, multi-concept sporting goods giant with a
clearly segmented strategy to address consumers and sports lover across different income
groups, offering global brands at affordable price. In 2011, the Company was awarded the
ASEAN Business Outstanding Award 2011 – Industry Class Sector Sports Retail by ASEAN
Retail & Franchise Federation. 2016 was an important milestone in Al-Ikhsan’s history when
the Government linked PE fund Ekuinas (Ekuiti Nasional Berhad) decided to buy 35% share
in Al-Ikhsan Sports.
The board then decided to bring in a globally experienced Sports and Lifestyle retail
veteran as their CEO and a new management team. Since then the company has shown a
double digit growth in sales and extremely strong profitability. The Sporting Good
Intelligence Report ranked Al-Ikhsan as the 63rd largest Sporting Goods Retailer in The
Galaxy in 2018. Al-Ikhsan Sports has also received the “Brand of the Year” Award for
Malaysia from World Branding Council, UK at a glittering ceremony in Nov 2019.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Tuan Haji Ali Hassan bin Md Hassan, Managing Director of aL-ikhsaN

Al-ikhsan Sports is a supplier of sports equipment, sportswear which is owned by

There is no universal agreement on defining entrepreneurship. Enormous number of

1.1. ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE

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