Battle of the Bands: - Sime Darby Plantation

KorporatCorporate100 Years Ago, TodayWas The FutureWith SimeDarby’s 100years, SimeDarby Berhadof today carrieswith it morethan 400 yearsof heritage.William Middleton SimeJohn Middleton SimeHarrie Edward DarbyJeanette (Sime) McCombKhadijah JadiWilliam MiddletonSime, JohnMiddleton Sime,Herbert Mitford Darby andHenry d’Esterre Darby wouldnot have guessed that oneday, the company theypainstakingly built, Sime,Darby & Co., would incarnatea global revolution in theplantation industry.Bearing witness to the fruitsof their labour today are thelegacy and kins that both Mr.Sime and Mr. Darby had leftbehind. Introducing JeanetteMcComb, the granddaughterof William Middleton Sime,one of the founders and herniece Sally Hunter, who hadtravelled all the way fromthe United Kingdom toMalaysia for the first timein conjunction of SimeDarby Berhad’s 100 yearsmilestone. A mixture ofnostalgia and excitementsettled in as we had thegreat honour to meetthem for the first timeat the exquisite KL Golfand Country Club on8 November 2010.The elegant Jeanette(formerly known as JeanetteSime) and Sally werewelcomed like royalties atWisma Sime Daby earlierthat day.“Malaysian hospitality isincredible!” she exclaimed,overwhelmed by the VIPtreatment that she and herniece had been receivingsince their arrival.The Plantation Division wasprivileged to accompanyJeanette the next day for atour around Kempas estate,followed by a tour of thehistorical city of Malacca.The Kempas estate inMalacca was chosen becauseit was the place where it allhad started; when WilliamSime, an adventurer andfortune seeker, came all theway from Scotland to Malayaand established Sime,Darby & Co. in October 1910.The journey from KualaLumpur to Malacca wasfilled with much laughterand stories about the SimeSeedlink January 20113.