Inspiring Senior Interview: Start a new business at the age of 80s

This photo was taken when Robert visit iElder showroom to buy a recliner wheelchair and a hospital bed for his sister in March 2022. Robert and Olivia holding The Senior Magazine, the lifestyle magazine for Seniors.

Inspiring Senior brings forward ordinary people who do exemplary work.

This is Olivia Quah, Co-Founder of iElder.asia, I will interview Robert Chelliah, Founder of Lexmin. I got to know Robert when I was with the Migration Department of Victoria State Government of Australia a few years back. He has been a registered migration agent for more than 30 years and has since started his new farming business at his 80s in Cambodia, a country he is unfamiliar with.

I was so impressed with his spirit, his talents and his strengths. Most seniors at the age of 80 would prefer to retire and stay at home. But Robert continues to pursue new ventures with enthusiasm, and has achieved great success in his farming business. Watch our youtube to find out what inspires Robert to go to such extraordinary lengths in his old age, and how his ventures helps many farmers in Cambodia.

Questions

1. Robert, can you share with us about your entrepreneurship journey since young until now?

2. Robert, what motivated you want to start a new venture at your age of 80s? and why Cambodia?

3. What kind of challenges did you first face and how did you overcome it?

4. What is your encouragement to seniors if they want to start a new business after retirement?

This interview was published on Malaysia Day, 16 September 2022. 

A story about a Sungai Siput-born senior citizen, Robert Chelliah who started his new farming business venture at the age of 80.

Most seniors at the age of 80 would prefer to retire and stay at home. But Robert continues to pursue new ventures with enthusiasm and has achieved great success in his farming business.

During one of his holiday trips to Cambodia, a country he had never been to before, he saw a lot of potential empty land that could be converted into agricultural farming land, especially a range of natural medicinal plant products.

After the holiday there, he conducted thorough research on medicinal plants and his intuition told him this was a golden land to start the business. He did not speak the local language, was not familiar with the local culture and at the age of 80, he used his retirement savings and investment from friends to start this venture.

Robert now operates 25 hectares of land and runs a factory production. He has been exporting medicinal plant products to Europe, Japan, Australia and many countries.

Organic cultivation is very onerous and rigorous.