In reality though, this 61-year-old hides a sharp mind behind his jovial smile, and as his latest project reveals, he is still bubbling with excitement to keep working for many years to come.
Some may remember Zulhisham as the former boss of Pakar Media and founder of Oranje-ISC, one of Malaysia’s most successful media and marketing agencies.
So, what’s this talented advertising and media personality doing here in a laid-back village nestled in Kuala Terengganu of all places?
As it turns out, he had good reason to leave the chaos of Klang Valley for the quiet of Terengganu.
Four properties in Kuala Terengganu, all his, are now the sites of luxury villa homestays, meant to serve as high-end accommodation capable of rivalling any five-star hotel.
An old kampung house, has been refurbished into a beautiful villa under the Villapadu brand, as has a two-storey corner lot within the city.
Two more properties, one along the Terengganu River and the other by the seaside, are close to completion.
“When the pandemic started, a lot of players in the media industry closed shop,” Zulhisham tells FMT. “I believed the pandemic would be over and things would go back to normal.”
As it turned out, the pandemic was far worse than he could have ever imagined, and he found himself shifting his focus from media to tourism.
“Tourism is an industry that is booming and it requires different products and services. For many years, tourism was Malaysia’s number one source of income, until lately.”
According to Tourism Ministry statistics, in 2020, Malaysia welcomed over four million tourists to its shores, with the industry contributing substantially to the country’s GDP.
Despite this, Terengganu was largely overlooked, by domestic and foreign tourists, despite having many “beautiful products” to offer, he says.
“People never look at Terengganu as a tourist state, even though it has beautiful beaches, islands, lakes and waterfalls.”
He adds that the food scene here is vibrant as well and there is great potential for cafés and restaurants to succeed, especially for young entrepreneurs.
He tells FMT that from his personal observations, the one thing stopping Terengganu from becoming a great tourist destination is the lack of good service from the locals.
“I told myself that if I can do a little better, or a lot better than the locals in terms of service, I would definitely do well.”
So, he decided to convert his four properties in Kuala Terengganu into high-end homestays that offered guests all the creature comforts they’d expect of a first-class vacation.
He made a checklist of 10 must-haves and stuck to it religiously – cleanliness, top-notch piping, comfortable beds, working air-conditioners, well-equipped kitchens, strategic locations, good customer service, internet connectivity, entertainment facilities and additional services.
But why a homestay rather than a hotel? “We offer a more personalised experience. While hotels depend on waiters to host guests, we do that ourselves here.
“What I learnt to be successful in this industry is to offer the best service,” he says, pointing out that guests are provided with refreshments from the moment they step foot on Villapadu’s properties.
“I strive to serve my customers with the very best … beyond their expectations, as soon as they check in.”
Zulhisham makes no secret that his Villapadu homestays are for guests with some cash to spare; a three-day, two-night stay at Villapadu Desa for instance, will set a guest back by RM5000.
For that price though, guests are treated to piping-hot keropok lekor as a welcome gift, and local snacks like akok besides being treated like royalty throughout their stay.
He explains that at Villapadu, he and his family are more than happy to be at the beck and call of their guests as they hope to change the perception that most have of homestays.
So, if guests wish to enjoy a meal at ‘home’, he will ensure they are served the best meal in all of Terengganu.
Should they want to take home the freshest seafood the state has to offer, he’ll arrange for that to happen as well.
Undeterred by the pandemic and the borders that remain closed to foreign tourists, Zulhisham says, “I have got to be prepared before the pandemic is over, and no one knows when it will be over!”
Given that he brought his entire family onboard the business, Villapadu is quite the financial risk for him, but it is a risk he says he is willing to take.
“Life is about sharing,” he says. “The people I’m sharing all this with are my family members. They are my partners and I don’t pay them salaries, it’s a profit-sharing affair. They grow together with me.”
Zulhisham is also happy to offer a helping hand to fellow homestay operators seeking advice on how to make their business a success.
“It’s not just about having a property to rent; it’s about giving your all to the customer.”