TRANSFORMING SEGI GROUP VIA DIGITAL INITIATIVES

The man from Sibu, Sarawak, Tan Sri Clement Hii, is the key shareholder of listed SEG International Bhd (SEGi) and HCK Capital Berhad. He has come a long way since he started as a rookie journalist (after his SPM) with the Borneo Post, East Malaysia's largest English newspaper. He rose to become its Chief Editor at a young age of 20. While working on the job, he studied law via an external degree program. Upon graduation with a UK law degree, he bought over a small institution in Kuching which had only 6 students. That earned him the moniker "Hii who bought his college." 

He built it up and it was subsequently bought over by Prime College in Petaling Jaya. Tan Sri Clement Hii became the CEO. Running it made him realise that his heart was in the education business. In 2001 Prime College merged with the Systematic Education Group (since 1977). Tan Sri Clement Hii gained a majority stake and rebranded the education Group as SEGi University and Colleges in 2002. He remains SEGi's Group MD. In 2012 Private Equity Fund Navis Capital bought a major stake in SEGi but recently in early May 2024, Tan Sri Clement Hii bought out Navis Capital's stake for RM112.98 million cash. For FYE 31 Dec 2023 SEGi reported group revenue of RM186.5 million and pre-tax profit of RM10.3 million. Tan Sri Clement Hii told shareholders that SEGi is putting in place new technology infrastructures and digital initiatives to transform the Group for the new era in education.

HCK Capital focuses mainly on property development. It has created a niche building education cities in Subang Jaya, Cyberjaya and Setia Alam. For FYE 31 Dec 2023 HCK Capital reported revenue of RM218.2 million and pre-tax profit of RM32.2 million. Tan Sri Clement Hii is the Executive Chairman. His son-in-law, Datuk Dr. Dennis Ling Sie Hieng, 45, is the Group MD. Datuk Dennis Ling graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering from University of South Australia in 1999. In 2006 he obtained his PhD in Manufacturing Engineering from the same  university.  Prior to joining HCK Group in March 2017 , he had worked in various industries in Australia. 

Tan Sri Clement Hii was Deputy Executive Chairman of The Star Publications between 2009-2010. In 2012 through HCK Media Sdn Bhd, he started a Business Weekly called Focus Malaysia (7th Dec first issue) which became popular. The print media in general suffered with the advent of the digital press and across the globe, traditional print media was on the decline. Focus Malaysia Weekly published its last printed copy on 30 November 2019. 

Tan Sri Clement Hii remains a writer at heart. 

1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

2. HCK Capital Berhad. 2022 Annual Report. https://disclosure.bursamalaysia.com/FileAccess/apbursaweb/download?id=224919&name=EA_DS_ATTACHMENTS
3. The Sun Daily. 1 March 2022. Eli Fazaniza. https://thesun.my/local_news/from-journalist-to-successful-businessman-KL8904491
4. Clementhii.com. https://clementhii.com/the-journey/
5. Segi International Berhad. https://www.segi.edu.my/leadership/tan-sri-clement-hii/
6. Segi University. 8 March 2023. https://university.segi.edu.my/tan-sri-clement-hii-inspires-students-with-secrets-to-success/
7. The Edge Malaysia. 30 April 2024. Emir Zainul. https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/709949
8. Focus Malaysia. 10 March 2021. Bernie Yeo. https://focusmalaysia.my/print-media-a-sunset-industry-or-evolving-in-the-era/
9. Focus Malaysia. 30 November 2019. https://www.facebook.com/focusmalaysia.my/posts/this-will-be-the-last-copy-issue-362-nov-30-dec-6-2019-of-the-weekly-print-and-d/2503098796455259/
10. FMT. 28 June 2019. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/06/28/thailands-the-nation-stops-print-edition-after-48-years/
11. The Edge. 21 February 2014. https://theedgemalaysia.com/article/highlight-clement-hii-buys-2727-stake-golsta-synergy-1