Dato’ Pang Yun Tiam

Founder and Managing Director of Chiptronics

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“We wanted to save some money hiring performers for our annual events and decided to perform with friends and family. Little did we know, the reaction from the audience was explosive and we haven’t looked back since. Unexpectedly, it became a more family-oriented show promoting family values.”

There goes this story about a humble beginning and success story involving love, passion for music and thirst for learning. Dato’ Pang Yun Tiam founder and managing director of Chiptronics is a man of many passions. His love for playing the harmonica and electric saxophone and performing with his immediate family members have recently touched the hearts of audiences and fast becoming a favourite among the Chinese community. EZ discovers the modest man behind Chiptronics, a Penang-based and one of Malaysia’s largest equipment, tools and machinery suppliers for the electronics manufacturing sector, mass transit and defense sector.

As the story goes according to an infamous Chinese saying – ‘behind every successful man there stands a woman’ – rings truth in the story of Dato’ Pang. Just a slight tweak to this saying replacing ‘woman’ with ‘family’, this troupe of a singular family cell reminds us all of the importance of core family values that is at the verge of disappearing in this fast-moving and digital age.

Dato’ Pang has started a relationship with his harmonica in his early twenties that took him years before performing at his first concert. Revealing his passion for this instrument has not only helped inspire the musician skill in him but also brought his family closer together. His love for arts and culture meant that there is more to appreciating music. His daughters bore the fruit of his love for dance when they were sent to China to learn the Hakka cultural dance only to return with immediate requests to perform at private, charity and government events. They have also garnered support from friends, which led to more requests from charity and cultural events.

“The Harmonica is my first instrument.”

“We wanted to save some money hiring performers for our annual events and decided to perform with friends and family. Little did we know, the reaction from the audience was explosive and we haven’t looked back since. Unexpectedly, it became a more family-oriented show promoting family values.”

Dato’ Pang credits his wife’s dedication in managing rehearsal times and music education for their children and ultimately became the core person that brings the family together. It’s not the easiest job to manage a seven-people household of musicians. Nevertheless, each child has wonderfully picked up their own instrument of choice with the ultimate objective of creating a sound group.

 While Dato’ Pang’s passion has always been the harmonica and electric saxophone; Pang Yi Yun, her eldest daughter plays the percussion [shaker, chimes and claves]; Pang Yi Sha the second daughter and wife Datin Fan Mei Hoong on the keyboards; and Pang Yi Chuen the third daughter on the drums. While they were forming the band they came to identify the vital role of a bassist which saw Pang Yi Jia, Dato’s youngest daughter step up to the challenge. Pang Tze Yuan the youngest son shares his role with Yi Yun on the percussion department specialising in the Conga and Bongo. While these are their main instruments now, the children had the opportunity in earlier years to learn traditional Chinese instruments in their earlier years:  Yi Sha on the Guzheng; Yi Chuen on the Guzheng and Liuqin; and Yi Jia on the Yangqin.

This pure dedication and love for music play a huge part in them influencing each other to be better at their own individual instrument. Nevertheless, what was previously an individual and personal interest to play songs on a harmonica has motivated the whole family to go into music.

‘Behind every successful man there stands a woman.’ – rings true in the story of Dato’ Pang

The family’s performance has attracted the attention of The Malaysia Book of Records and was awarded for organising the ‘Most Number of Family Members Performing for a Charity Event (Band)’ at the 2nd edition of the annual celebration of the Malaysian Artist Society in November 2016.

A father and an avid golfer, Dato’ Pang holds various positions in various non-profit societies and associations in Penang such as the Northern Region President of Malaysian Artist Society; Advisory Committee of Taiwan Hakka Affairs council; Deputy President of Penang Hainan Friendship Association; Advisor of ASEAN Ambassador; and President of both Penang Hakka Association and World Pang Clan Business Forum just to name a few.

With a successful business that churns over RM20 million a year in revenue, Dato Pang has come a long way since the very beginning of his career. Originally from Malacca, he completed his Diploma in Electrical and Electronics at Institute Technology Jaya (ITJ) and pursued a career in consulting on project basis for Ramada Hotel (Malacca) and Park Royal (Penang).

During the economic downturn in the late 1980s, Dato’ Pang humbly took up a sales position with UNIPAC and National Semiconductor (NS) before founding Chiptronics in 1989. Over the years, the business has won the trust and confidence of many leading manufacturers and scored successful distribution and partnership deals. Headquarted in Penang, Chiptronics has over 40 staffs with offices in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Singapore.

“其实想节约社团年度活动的演出经费，决定与家人一起上台表演。可是，结果获得观众爆炸性回应，我们再没有回头路。出乎意料地，这成就了以家庭天伦为导向，促进美好价值观的体现。”

这是一个从谦卑开始，饱含炽热爱情、音乐和渴望学习的成功故事。捷力科技（Chiptronics）的创始人兼董事经理拿督彭永添是充满激情因子的人。无论是演奏口琴、电子萨士风以及与家人散发热情的表演皆触动观众的心灵，并成为华人社区的热议话题。EZ也探索了这名经营马来西亚槟城最大型电子制造业，且是公共交通和国防领域大型设备，机械器具供应商之一的成功企业家背后故事。

一句不朽的格言：每个成功男人背后的女人。这是彭永添的真实写照，但轻微调整，这个说法从“女人”取代为“家庭”，这个美好的家庭表演剧团提醒我们核心家庭价值观的重要性，是这个快速数据化时代消磨殆尽的元素。

当年20几岁的他，音乐启蒙从一把口琴开始，花了多年反复练习才在第一场音乐会上亮相表演。口琴不仅启发他的音乐才能，也让他与家人关系更紧密；虽然对于艺术和文化他也喜爱，但最爱始终是音乐。彭永添的女儿们得到他热爱音乐艺术基因的传递，远赴中国学习客家文化舞蹈，只有在私人，慈善和政府活动发出热切邀请，才会登上舞台演出。由于获得观众朋友支持，慈善和文化活动的邀约接连不断。

“我拥有的第一件乐器是口琴。”

“其实想节约社团年度活动的演出经费，决定与家人一起上台表演。可是，结果获得观众爆炸性回应，我们再没有回头路。出乎意料地，这成就了以家庭天伦为导向，促进美好价值观的体现。”

彭永添全心信赖妻子，她除了操心孩子们的排练管理和音乐教育，也是把家庭强力凝聚关键人物，而管理家里7名音乐家并非简单任务。然而，每个孩子都奇妙地决定自己的音乐选择，最终目标是创建一个完整的音乐组合。

纵然彭永添一直钟爱的只有口琴和电子萨士风，但长女彭依韵却热爱敲击乐器（沙铃，钟琴和响棒），次女依莎和妻子拿汀范美凤擅长键盘，三女依珺爵士鼓等。当他们组成乐队，确定低音吉他手的关键角色，因此最小的女儿依佳也加入挑战；儿子彭池源与姐姐依韵分担敲击乐部分并加入了手鼓。即使目前这些都是孩子们主修的乐器，但孩子们在早年也学习传统华乐：依莎学了古筝，依珺是古筝和柳琴；至于依佳则是杨琴。

这种纯粹的奉献和对音乐的热爱，也让他们相互影响和牵动发挥，造就他们本身独自乐器上的造诣修为。然而，这也是个人努力用口琴演奏歌曲的契机促使带动了整个家庭。

“每个成功的男人背后有一个女人”

精彩的家庭表演成功引起了“马来西亚记录大全”的注意，在2016年11月马来西亚华人演艺人公会举行的年度庆典中，被授予“组织最多直属家庭成员参与义演活动”荣誉奖。
身为一名父亲和狂热的高尔夫球手，彭永添担任槟城区各种非营利社团和协会职务，如马来西亚华人演艺人公会北马区分会会长；台湾客家事务委员会顾问理事；槟城海南友好协会副会长；东盟大使顾问，槟城客家公会和世彭商务论坛的主席等，仅举例数项。

运作全年营收逾2000万令吉的企业公司，自从业以来，他也走过漫长艰辛路。出生于马六甲，他在Institute Technology Jaya（ITJ）完成电气和电子学位，过后在马六甲Ramada和槟城Park Royal酒店的基设项目计划担任咨询工作。

上世纪80年代末经济衰退期间，创立捷力科技之前，彭永添在1989年曾与UNIPAC和美国国家半导体公司（NS）合作销售。多年来，公司赢得了许多领先制造商的信任，圆满完成分销和合作交易。捷力科技总部位于槟城，拥有40多名员工，在吉隆坡，柔佛和新加坡设有办事处。