Boustead sertai Program Pengiktirafan Veteran 1Malaysia

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Berita Boustead had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Tristan
Roper-Caldbeck, a British student who visited Boustead recently.
Tristan has ties with Boustead through his great, great, great
grandfather Jasper Young, a senior partner to Edward Boustead.
Another member of his family, Iain Mark Roper-Caldbeck was also
with Barlow Boustead Estates Agency from 1966 to 1980.
New boss at helm
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The visit was requested by Tristan who expressed a keen interest in
learning about how Boustead has evolved over the years. During
his 3-day visit to Boustead from 4 - 6 September 2012, Tristan was
given extensive tours and presentations of the company’s various
operations and developments. He had the opportunity to visit
Menara Boustead, the Curve and the Mutiara Damansara area,
The Royale Bintang The Curve, The Royale Bintang Damansara,
The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur, the University of Nottingham
Malaysia Campus and Balau Estate in Semenyih.
Below is an excerpt of the interview with Tristan on 6 September
2012.
Tristan, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi, I am Tristan Frederick Roper-Caldbeck. I am 19 years old and
I am originally from the county of Leicestershire, England. I am
a student at the University of Nottingham in the UK, majoring
in Business Management. After the break, I will be spending my
second academic year at Nottingham’s Campus in Ningbo, China.
Is it by coincidence that you chose Nottingham University as
your place of study or did you already know about Boustead’s
partnership with Nottingham before joining the University?
I did not. I learnt about the partnership only after joining the
University from the globalisation talks advertised on the University
of Nottingham’s website.
Do you have any hobbies or special interests?
I am a keen musician, and play tennis and squash. I also enjoy
travelling.
Is this your first visit to Malaysia and what brings you here?
Yes, it is my first visit. I wanted to do some travelling around Asia
before heading up to China. I have been to Dubai, Thailand and
Singapore. From Singapore, I then took the train to Kuala Lumpur.
Did you make any connection with Boustead while you were in
Singapore?
No, I did not. I wanted to see where the footprint of the headquarters
of Boustead & Co. used to be in Collier Quay and a businessman
directed me to the site. I just wanted to see what was located there
now since the original building was demolished in the 1970s.
Did you find anything there?
I found a huge skyscraper in its place, so locating it was difficult.
Tristan, what brings you here to Boustead now? Why are you so
keen to know about us?
I am actually trying to find motivation and inspiration from this visit.
It is nice to learn about the past and what has been achieved and
A visit to the Balau Estate in Semenyih
Profile
Tristan Roper-Caldbeck
what can be achieved. I have brought along some documents
on Boustead that I would like to share with you. There are
probably many more documents, which were kept in the
London/Singapore offices. Indeed, the family lost many of
the historic documents in the 1930s following a fire that
destroyed our home in Scotland (that was in the time of
Arthur Young, the senior partner in the business and the
eldest son of Jasper Young).
Who has been keeping this information on Boustead?
Just my family - my great grandparents and my parents.
When did you actually become interested in Boustead?
Quite some time ago, since my time in school. My grandmother
has written a few books on our family, which included the
Boustead connection, when my great grandfather George
Reginald Roper-Caldbeck was the Chairman. Also my father
worked for the business in the 1980s primarily in the
manufacturing divisions in England, and my interest has sort
of kept growing from there.
Tell us about your great, great, great grandfather, Jasper
Young. How did he meet Edward Boustead and when did
he join Boustead?
Jasper was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1833. He met
Edward Boustead in London after seeing an advertisement
offering jobs to young people willing to go out to the Far East
to join one of the many trading houses there. But as he was
too young at that time, about 18 years old, he was told to
come back and apply for the job when he was older. Much
to the amazement of Edward Boustead, Jasper returned as
instructed at the age of 22. Boustead was so impressed with
his tenacity and determination and strong character that he
offered him a posting to Singapore and he readily accepted,
joining the firm of Boustead & Co. in 1850. Jasper was made
a partner in 1860.
What happened then?
On Edward Boustead’s death in 1888, Jasper Young became
senior partner and Boustead & Co. was passed through
generations of my family. The sequence of Chairman was
broadly as follows: Edward Boustead, Jasper Young, Arthur
Young, George Reginald Roper-Caldbeck and Harry Bertram
Roper-Caldbeck.
In the 1970s, the Group was reorganised into the following
sub-groups: Boustead Ltd. (London), Bousteadco Singapore
Ltd., Boustead Holdings Berhad and Boustead Australia Ltd.
George Reginald and Harry Bertram, orchestrated the transfer
of Boustead Holdings Berhad to Malaysian investors in 1976.
However, family involvement continued with Boustead Plc.
in London and Singapore, until 1986, when my great uncle,
Michael Rory Roper-Caldbeck, stepped down as Chairman.
How long was Jasper Young with Boustead?
Jasper returned from Singapore to live in London in 1873. He
Professor Christine Ennew has been
appointed the new Provost and Pro-
Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation
of The University of Nottingham
Malaysia Campus (UNMC).
Professor Ennew took over from
Professor Ian Pashby who after nearly
five years at the helm, has moved to the
University of Hull as Pro-Vice-Chancellor
for Engagement.
Professor Ennew has been at the
heart of Nottingham’s ambitious
internationalisation programme for
many years - spending significant
periods of time in China and the wider
Asia-Pacific region. She currently
manages the University’s international
strategy which has attracted students
and academic staff from almost 150 nations to its research
and teaching campuses in Britain and Asia. She took a leading
role in the development of the Malaysia Campus when it was
first established in Kuala Lumpur in 2000 and between 2008
and 2011 she had oversight responsibility for the continuing
development and integration of Nottingham’s historic campuses
in China and Malaysia.
Professor Christine Ennew
Professor Ennew said, “We need to focus on balanced growth in
an increasingly competitive environment. We have to ensure we
get the right subject mix and that we continue to enhance the
student experience. We also need to strengthen our research
activity by building on the core strengths of the University
of Nottingham, working in areas of direct relevance to the
development of the Malaysian economy and in partnership with
Malaysian universities.”
Professor Pashby said, “It has been a challenging, exciting and
very rewarding five years in which I have overseen a growth
in student numbers, range of subjects offered and research
activity. Student numbers have increased from 2,700 to over
worked in the London office, as Senior Partner, dividing his time
between his London home and Garroch, his Scottish Estate until
he passed away in 1907. He was 74 years old. By then both of his
sons Arthur and Bertie were partners in the business.
Tell us about your other family member, Iain Mark Roper-
Caldbeck who used to work with Barlow Boustead Estates.
What is your relationship with him?
Iain is my great grandfather’s nephew. He was with Edward
Boustead & Co. Ltd., rubber planters between 1960 and 1966.
He joined Barlow Boustead Estates Agency Sdn. Bhd. in 1966
and retired in 1980.
How was he related to Jasper Young?
Iain is the eldest son of Brig. Gen. William Roper-Caldbeck,
Jasper’s grandson. Jasper’s daughter, Alice Mary Young married
Major William Roper-Caldbeck in 1898.
Where is Iain Mark Roper-Caldbeck now?
Iain who is 75 years old now is retired and lives with his family
in Edinburgh.
Did any of your family members ever return to Malaysia?
None of them ever returned to work after ties were severed
with Boustead Holdings Berhad, although my great uncle Rory
was closely involved as Vice Chairman and later Chairman
4,400 and the campus has been recognised
by the Malaysian Government for the quality
of both its teaching and research. Continuous
investment in infrastructure and services has
seen the student experience improve year on
year. UNMC is a vibrant academic community
with over 70 nationalities represented amongst
the student body. I am proud of what the staff
have achieved over recent years and I feel
very privileged to have been part of UNMC’s
continuing success."
“I will be very sad to leave behind so many friends
and colleagues and a country which I have grown
to love. The family has had so many wonderful
adventures since arriving in Asia but they are
now looking forward to returning to the UK and
the new challenges that lie ahead. My new role
at Hull will be particularly special for me as I am
moving to my home-town University,” he added.
The University of Nottingham’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor
David Greenaway said, “When The University of Nottingham
established a campus in Malaysia, the move was certainly
visionary. Just 80 students walked through the doors when the
campus opened in 2000. Since then thousands of students of
all nationalities have reaped the benefits of gaining a British
degree after studying on the other side of the world."
"It is a major undertaking for our academics and staff who
move, often with their families, half way around the world
to embrace new challenges and cultures and I want to thank
Professor Pashby for his commitment and dedication. His tenure
of nearly five years has seen our campus in Malaysia go from
strength to strength and we wish him and his family the very
best for the future,” he added.
The University of Nottingham’s links with Malaysia date back
to the 1940s when the first Malaysian students travelled
across the globe to enrol on courses in the UK. Now Malaysian
students can gain a Nottingham degree in their home country.
of Boustead Plc., based in London and Singapore. The family
is quite scattered now, with some in the United Kingdom,
Thailand, Australia and the United States - although, my uncle,
Jasper Nicholas Roper-Caldbeck still lives and farms the estate in
Scotland, originally purchased by Jasper in the 1890s.
Do you know any of the Edward Boustead family?
No, but I do know that he had a daughter, Nellie Boustead. She
married William Niven and they had a son, who went on to
become the father of the famous actor, David Niven.
Well Tristan, thank you for sharing the history of Jasper
Young, Edward Boustead and the company. Before we end
our interview, perhaps you would like to say something about
Boustead?
First of all, I would like to thank you so much for accommodating
me for the past three days. It was a unique opportunity to gain
insight into a diverse range of sectors from one of Malaysia’s
oldest trading companies, which is of particular interest to
me because of my family connection. Boustead has really
evolved and developed over the years and the operation is
huge. Although it was a fairly substantial trading house back
then, it has clearly diversified and expanded to cover hotels,
shipbuilding, property, pharmaceutical, aviation etc. It is really
amazing!
Thank you once again Tristan and good luck with your studies!