Stepping into the standalone multi-storey office of Feruni Ceramiche in Petaling Jaya is like walking into a modern, minimalist boutique hotel.

Customers are free to walk around and explore the labyrinth of model living room, lounge, kitchen and bedroom spaces, while shopping for avant-garde tiles that come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and finishes. There is even a coffee bar for customers to lounge in and have a cuppa while talking about interior design ideas.

Behind this world-class ceramic tiles company is Dato CC Ngei, a visionary and innovative thinker who transformed an industry that did not have much appeal into one that is highly sought after today.

When Dato CC Ngei accepted Christ at 38 years old, he had to learn from scratch how to steer his ship with a new Captain on board.

However, though the entrepreneur appears to be the poster child for success (he has won numerous prestigious awards and has shared his vision and business success on many platforms), he shared that he had to first walk through the valley to find Christ.

And when he did, his view of success changed to become something that is more than just dollars and cents. Instead, it is living an abundant life through Christ.

“When I became a Christian, it shifted my mindset to see that blessings are not only in profits but blessings from God is the ability to live an abundant life – good health, strong relationships with my wife and children, a good team at work and peace of mind,” Dato CC shared.

A nightmarish wake-up call

Dato CC’s salvation story is one of remarkable transformation, yet it would not have happened if his wife, Lai Yee, had not persevered in prayer. When the couple married in their early 20s, only Lai Yee was a believer.

“I was staying in a kampung (village) in Kuala Lumpur and I went to a Christian kindergarten. It was there that the seeds of salvation were planted,” Lai Yee explained. “Then in secondary school, I went to a youth camp and God miraculously healed my skin problems and I accepted Christ.”

When they got married, Dato CC allowed Lai Yee to continue in the Christian faith but refused to go to church with her. “I would tell her if I wanted to go, I would go – but don’t force me,” Dato CC recalled.

Lai Yee’s requests were consistent but never pushy because her husband was a busy man and Sundays were his only day for rest. “I let him have his space. Although I wasn’t not happy, I continued to pray,” said Lai Yee.

Carrying on with life, she cared for their two daughters and ensured that they had a firm foundation in Christ. She recalled: “I sent our daughters to kids’ church every week and over time my husband saw the positive changes in my daughters’ life. They were well-behaved and learned good virtues from kids’ church.”

Despite observing these changes, Dato CC remained closed off to the faith. Instead, it took a business turmoil to turn his attention to God.

He had been running a tile trading business for the past 11 years when his company came under investigation. At the time, unscrupulous methods were commonly employed to get big deals for big profits. “It was the way people did business at that time,” Dato CC confessed.

“God’s word is always counter-cultural. It challenges the way we think, live our lives, and treat others,” said Dato CC Ngei.

Uniformed officers came to his office to question his staff and searched his office. It was a nightmarish experience that left him shaken.

After the harsh episode, he struggled to sleep almost every night and had to see a psychiatrist to be prescribed sleeping pills. “I suffered for six months and it was absolute torture. I asked myself: What good is it to make so much money, yet I have to suffer so much?”

Looking back on those hard times, Dato CC added: “Now I understand because the Bible talks about this. Mark 8:36 says, ‘What good is it for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul?’ God was knocking on the door of my heart.”

Finally, after 21 years of persistent prayer and coaxing from Lai Yee, Dato CC finally accepted Christ at 38 years old – simply because He needed a Saviour.

Alongside his salvation, God gave him a fresh vision to start a new business and do life differently. “I felt God say to me to start from ground zero and to make my business right this time,” he said.

In 2010, Feruni Ceramiche was birthed.

The weeding process 

For Dato CC, the transformation process did not happen overnight as he had to learn from scratch how to steer his ship with a new Captain on board.

“The biggest change was my belief system. I used to believe that if a business can make a lot of money, that is the end goal. I cared little about everything else. But when I accepted Christ, I learned that the purpose of life is not just about making money but more than that,” he shared.

Having grown up and lived in a business culture of purely money-making, the changes Dato CC had to make were not always easy.

“I had to weed out all the unhealthy activities that could easily bring in instant sales. I grew up in a business culture that viewed clean, honest and transparent businesses as being unable to make money – but I was wrong.”

There were times when Dato CC would drift back to his old ways of doing things. But just then, the Holy Spirit and His Word would convict him. “I would feel the ‘knock’ from the Holy Spirit and realise that I’m not doing things that please Him and I would make corrections,” he said.

Dato CC firmly believes that the Bible is the best blueprint to learn how to run a business well. “God’s word is always counter-cultural. It challenges the way we think, live our lives, and treat others.”

He adds that as Christians, our living testimony must go beyond church on Sundays. He said: “In church, it is easy to be holy. The challenge is when we leave the church and we are back at work.”

Adding the word “giving” to his vocabulary 

In the early years of Feruni, Dato CC was moved to contribute some of the company’s profits to community work or charities.

“In the past, I would always ask: How much I can make from this and what can I get from this person or situation? But God challenged me to give more instead of asking for more,” he said.

Initially, he committed to give away 10% of his company’s profits at the end of every year. However, it proved harder to follow through than he had anticipated.

“I declared that I wanted to give, but when I saw the amount in the chequebook, I questioned if I could delay the giving or buy a new car and then only give. It was a huge challenge because in the past I was not used to giving money away,” he admitted.

“It took me almost a month to sign the first cheque. What convicted me was the earnest desire to obey God and apply what I learned from His Word.”

To Dato CC’s surprise, walking in obedience to God led him to experience an inexplicable, unspeakable joy he had never felt before. “I learned that real joy is not how much I can take from others, but how much I am willing to give to others,” he said.

His giving journey has opened his eyes to see how Christian businesses have a responsibility to give back to society.

“Christian marketplace leaders cannot be governed solely by profit. The CEO of all Christians is Christ and we are called to be the salt and light for His Kingdom. Good businesses must return something of meaning and significance to the society and community,” Dato CC shared.

Learning to put people first

A driven and task-oriented person by nature, Dato CC does not like small talk. Instead, he is more wired towards achieving accomplishments and ticking off tasks on to-do lists. As a result, when speaking to his staff, conversations used to revolve only around productivity and work.

“I realised that I needed to change, so I asked God to teach me to love people more,” he shared openly.

God gave him new insights into caring and growing his team at work. “I learned how to have conversations with people not only about their work but also about how they are doing in life,” he said.

Subsequently, he revamped Feruni’s headquarters to include a gym, library, recreational area and lounge space for his employees to enjoy when they take a break.

However, his actions were not always received with encouragement. Some of his friends even tried to talk him out of treating his employees too well, lest they “climb all over my head”, said Dato CC.

“But God said to love my employees more,” he added.

He also developed a strong talent development program to grow and nurture his employees. Feruni’s biggest investment is in its people because it is the company’s biggest asset, stressed Dato CC.

“We need to invest time and money to help them grow and be leaders in their own right. We encourage them to go beyond their comfort zone, sharpen their talents and strengths, and boost their confidence so that they can achieve their full potential,” Dato CC explained.

Leading from a place of security 

Following his new relationship with Christ, Dato CC also found a new leadership style.

In the past, he believed that the boss must have full control over decisions and plans in the company. There was no room for empowerment or delegation – only instruction.

Dato CC grew up with the mentality that unless you know it all, you cannot thrive and be successful. As a young entrepreneur, he was constantly surrounded by successful businessmen who taught him that status, wealth, power and success contribute to one’s identity.

However, when he accepted Christ, that perception changed.

“Traditionally, there is a lot of fear when we entrust employees with different parts of the business. They might take off and run or no one will know you are the boss. Now, I learned that I have more peace when I empower people. I grow my employees to be the best they can be at work and trust them to do their job,” he explained.

The change in mindset is an ongoing process of renewing his mind with God’s word. “Sitting in church and listening to the Word and worshipping God won’t change you until you allow the Word of God to sink into your spirit and core and transform you,” he said.

These days, Dato CC sleeps well, has a thriving business, invests his time in people and focuses on growing his marriage and building a strong relationship with his young adult daughters.

He experienced a shift in his identity when he realised that God is the ultimate Creator and Giver of all things.

“I finally saw my identity in Christ and it was not rooted in wealth, status or power. The old mindset says that the more money I have, the more respect I will get, and the more people will love me, but that’s not true. The love of money actually results in a lot of insecurity,” he reflected.

“I also recognised that my business belongs to God. I worry less when I commit it to God. I do my best and leave the rest to God because the results belong to Him,” he added.

These days, Dato CC sleeps well, has a thriving business, invests his time in people and focuses on growing his marriage and building a strong relationship with his young adult daughters.

His wife, Lai Yee, testified gleefully: “He is home by 7pm almost every night and is completely off-the-grid from work. We have him to ourselves.”

3 ways to live a Christ-centred life in the workplace

The remarkable changes in Dato CC’s life have come with their fair share of challenges. He learned that doing business God’s way requires more courage and faith on his part because biblical principles are not always the most popular in the secular world.

In learning to navigate this space, Dato CC shared three significant perspectives that have helped him to live out a real and dynamic Christ-centred life in the workplace.

1. Cut off unnecessary noise and tune into God’s voice

Decisions are often required of business leaders to steer the organisation to higher ground. However, the marketplace is also filled with a cacophony of opinions, viewpoints and hearsay.

Though most of them are well-meaning, having the discernment and ability to wade through those noises is a mark of wisdom,” said Dato CC.

“There is so much noise around you as a business leader. Noises that tell you what the next big thing is and where to put your investments. Noises that make you compare your business to others and leave you feeling small. Noises that predict the future and so on.

“All these noises will change depending on who you listen to and hang around with because the world keeps changing – but God’s word stays forever. Learn to listen to His voice because only God’s truth can cut off all the other noises,” Dato CC said.

2. Build layers of accountability 

Accountability is paramount in Dato CC’s life. He calls it the three layers of accountability, starting from Mentor, Mate and Mentees.

He gives permission to his mentor, whom he meets with on a regular basis, to ask him any questions and to hold him accountable for the commitments he has made.

In his daily life, Dato CC spends 15 to 20 minutes praying with his mates (a small, tight-knit group of friends).

Amid his busy schedule, Dato CC also carves out time to meet with his mentees to shares with them the lessons he has learnt and godly business principles.

“When I start to mentor other people, it is also a reminder to me to practice what I preach. I value the check and balance of learning and teaching others,” he said.

3. Live an abundant life instead of just a profitable life 

The corporate rat race can be all-consuming at times and money can easily blur the lens of life. Though Dato CC is someone who has tasted success in the worldly sense, he is quick to say that there is more to this life than the riches of the world.

“Shift your mindset to see God’s blessing not only in monetary terms. During the pandemic, it was challenging and I did lose a bit of money, but at the end of the day, I still have joy, hope and a lot of gratitude because I have my health, relationships and the team still with me. This is priceless,” he shared.

While Dato CC is very much passionate about growing his business, his eyes are set on eternity and things that will last beyond his lifetime.

When asked what legacy he would like to leave behind, he said simply: “I want to be recognised as a servant, shepherd and steward.”

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