Ir. Mohd Zainudin A. Bakar, a mechanical engineer from rural Terengganu, didn’t pursue entrepreneurship out of ambition—it was born out of necessity. A desperate attempt to fund his child’s surgery led to business failure, mounting debt, and the painful loss of a company he once built. But with resilience and a return to fundamentals, he started over. Today, ZABSI is a trusted engineering solutions provider, serving Malaysia’s oil & gas and petrochemical sectors with clean air systems—founded on clarity, structure, and leadership.
“Revenue wasn’t the problem—we had strong sales coming in. But without systems, financial control, or leadership structure, I was falling apart. My real breakthrough wasn’t more sales—it was learning to run the business, not let it run me.”
My first business venture generated millions in revenue, but it lacked financial discipline and proper team structures. Despite the surface-level success, the absence of systems led to operational chaos and financial stress. When I eventually exited the business, I was left with a hard-earned lesson: revenue alone doesn’t guarantee sustainability.
That failure became the foundation for something stronger. In 2010, I launched ZABSI Industrial Ventilation with renewed purpose. Within two years, I had cleared my debts and was running the business independently. Still, I came to understand that determination alone wouldn’t scale a company. That realisation led me to RCG (RichWorks Consulting Group), where I joined the Platinum mentorship program.
That decision changed everything. “With RCG’s Platinum Mentoring, ZABSI scaled quickly—gaining over 260% growth across core metrics. After a temporary pause, I rejoined via The Titan Program in 2022. Within a year, the business achieved another significant surge, with a cumulative 162% growth compared to our earlier benchmarks.
“ZABSI Business Growth Milestones”
| Year | Key Milestone | Index Growth |
| 2010 | ZABSI founded | Baseline |
| 2014 | Cleared debts, first wave of growth | +260% |
| 2018 | Mentorship paused | – |
| 2022 | Rejoined via Titan | +180% |
| 2024 | Consolidated growth | +162% (cumulative) |
Today, ZABSI has achieved a 162% increase from its earlier revenue level. I no longer focus solely on sales—I focus on building systems, nurturing people, and sustaining performance. From a reactive, cash-strapped setup, ZABSI is now a structured, purpose-led engineering firm trusted by Malaysia’s leading oil & gas and petrochemical companies—built on resilience, clarity, and sustainable systems.
Ir. Mohd Zainudin A. Bakar
Founder & Managing Director, ZABSI Industrial Ventilation
Oil & Gas / Engineering Services Industry