RM90 Billion Up For Grabs | Malaysia vs Singapore in Logistics | Michael Tio's Masterplan

In this episode of Are We OK, we sit down with Datuk Seri Dr. Michael Tio, Founder and Group CEO of PKT Logistics, to unpack how he built one of Malaysia's biggest logistics companies from a RM2,000 starting salary. We go behind the story of his iconic warehouses — The Ship, The Wave, and The Lighthouse — and how a simple idea sketched on cardboard turned into a nationwide logistics empire.We also dive into the bigger picture: why logistics companies are leaving Singapore for Malaysia, how our ports are catching up fast, and why Michael believes Malaysia is sitting on a RM90 billion opportunity between now and 2030. From the automotive boom to semiconductor warehousing in Penang, to his ambitious new inland port project at the Thai border, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build Malaysia into the next big logistics hub in ASEAN.Chapter Markers:00:00 - Intro & The Unconventional Approach to Logistics01:25 - The Underdog Hustle: Making Millions Before Turning 2105:58 - Life Lessons & Why EQ Matters More Than Grades07:42 - Giving Up a Lucrative Used Car Business for a RM2,000 Salary10:05 - How a Partnership with Japan Saved the Business in the 1998 Crisis13:14 - Moving from Big Projects to Stable Automotive Logistics17:11 - The Hidden Business Trick to Keeping Shipping Money in Malaysia18:38 - The Masterplan: Building Four Logistics Hubs in Malaysia28:13 - Peninsula College: Putting a College Campus Inside a Warehouse33:11 - What Happens to a Warehouse When Workers Suddenly Quit?34:00 - Riding the Semiconductor Boom in Penang35:13 - The Northern Gateway: Designing the "Blackwood Complex" at the Border39:08 - The Trick to Turning a Border Town into a Successful Hub42:30 - Helping Thailand Ship Faster Through Malaysia43:58 - Partnering with UUM to Give Students Real Work Experience47:30 - The Diesel Crisis: How Fleet Cards & Cash Flow Traps Affected Transporters51:11 - Why Logistics Companies Are Leaving Singapore for Malaysia53:25 - The RM90 Billion Wave: Why Daiso & IKEA are Choosing Malaysia Over Singapore54:59 - Why PKT Chose to Bypassed Johor and Avoid Turf Wars56:55 - Will PKT Logistics Ever List on Bursa Malaysia?58:28 - Michael Tio's Vision for PKT by 2030#areweok #michaeltio #pktlogistics #malaysianlogistics #malaysiavssingapore #aseanhub #logisticsindustry #malaysianeconomy #businessmalaysia #supplychain #portklang #penangsemiconductor #podcastmalaysia #malaysianbusiness #fdimalaysia