The unassuming Rajasegaran speaks with a gentle voice but with an intensity that is a true testimony of a man who has lived through many hurdles and managed to overcome them to rise to the top. In a recent interview, Rajasegaran V. Perumal, CEO of Karisma Multi Services Sdn Bhd speaks to Top 10 of Malaysia on his multitude of services, the challenges faced and his secret to success.
“I am from humble origins,” Rajasegaran shares when asked about his childhood. Hailing from the port city of Klang and coming from a family of 10 siblings, his childhood was one filled with rambunctiousness, laughter and fun but also one accompanied by modest means. This didn’t deter Rajasegaran but rather filled him with the zeal to succeed.
Rajasegaran initially started off as a petrol station attendant while moonlighting at a car wash. Realizing the limitations of these jobs, he took up a factory job and toiled until he became the Operations Manager. Nevertheless, it was his mélange of experience that made him notice a gap in the Malaysian labour landscape.
This led Rajasegaran to start Karisma Consultancy in 1996 as a general consultancy and foreign manpower supplier, eventually growing to include a private tuition service under Pusat Tutorial Karisma Sdn Bhd. As a result of its constantly evolving services, Karisma Multi Services Sdn Bhd was incorporated in 2008 to bring everything under one roof. Today, Karisma Multi Services also provides services for the civil and mechanical engineering sectors. “I could see back then that there was a serious labour shortage in the country and if the problem is not properly addressed, Malaysia’s economy can be seriously stunted,” he shares.
Rajasegaran travels to many countries, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Pakistan and Indonesia in search of quality labour. When asked what he deems to be a quality worker, he stresses hard work. “The person must be willing to learn and most of all, be a hard worker,” he says, adding that certain nationalities are better suited for certain professions based on his experience. He also believes it is his professional responsibility to deliver the best suited labour to clients in an efficient manner.
“I work with a multitude of industries,” he says. Most of Rajasegaran’s work is related to the hotel and food and beverage industries but that is not all he is currently doing. Recently, he recruited lecturers for Tafe College in Seremban and if that doesn’t illustrate the gamut of his recruiting capability, he is also responsible for helping to source for highly skilled Research and Development personnel for Motorola Malaysia and is the proud owner of 6 branches of tuition centres in Terengganu.
When asked of the secret to his success, Rajasegaran outlines 3 factors. His other half, Parvati is the first factor. “She is the pillar and backbone of my success. It would be impossible for me to achieve success if I were married to someone who cannot understand the nature of my job,” he shares. The happy couple has 4 children together, namely Yuvendran who is a budding entrepreneur, Shalini who is studying for her Bachelor Of Laws (LLB), Nithiashini who is doing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and his youngest son, Thevendran who will sit for his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations this year. Rajasegaran adds that confidence is the key ingredient in his ability to believe in himself and that is what helped pull him through adversity.
As for his management style, Rajasegaran emphasises that he and his staff enjoy a healthy working relationship in which efficiency is valued more than bureaucracy. “What is the use of them sitting idly in the office when they have completed their work?” he explains.
It is clear that Rajasegaran is not just a man of many talents but a man of foresight as well. Although he is already prominent in the world of recruitment, the future seems to hold a greater promise for this visionary to conquer greater heights.