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Among them was the Aeroline Coach Company, which provided travel services between Malaysia and Singapore, as well as between Johor, the Klang Valley and Penang.
For its CEO, Law Cheok Gheen, a chance meeting with expatriates from China who told him about the benefits of ultraviolet-C (UVC) rays proved to be a turning point.
“I did some research and learnt that UVC can be used to treat indoor air effectively and affordably,” Law tells FMT.
The discovery was timely, given how rapidly Covid-19 was spreading. “For me, the writing was on the wall: treating indoor air quality must be given priority,” the 46-year-old says.
Realising that additional sanitisation measures would be needed to keep passengers safe, Law and his team proactively installed UVC sanitising systems into 30 of their buses.
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“We offered to help other bus companies but not many came on board. I believe they were still reeling from the shock of the restrictions,” Law says.
Nevertheless, “we decided not to give up on spreading the word about the benefits of UVC”.
This led to Law expanding his second business, Giro Generasi, which provided cleaning solutions for the local passenger transport industry. He decided to start a new brand under this company, which he named theuvc.co.
With this, he had found a way to retain his employees during the challenging time.
“We had to retrain our staff, who were made up of drivers, cabin crew and customer-service officers, into UVC technicians,” he says.
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Law, an engineering graduate, was personally involved in this process as his qualifications enabled him to quickly understand the technical aspects of this new venture.
‘A new sense of purpose’
His employees remained positive throughout the journey and eventually succeeded in getting the hang of things.
“They were proud to wear a new set of uniforms; it gave them a new sense of purpose,” Law says.
Sadly, the prolonged MCO eventually took its toll, and he had no choice but to let a number of them go last November.
“It was a difficult decision,” Law reflects, adding that he would consider rehiring them once the new business gains more momentum.
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Presently, things are looking up for Law and the remaining team. They are now a Philips-certified UVC installer, and a technical-solutions provider of Signify, the new company name of Philips Lightning.
They have also patented the designs of two products, the Air Shield and the Air Sentry – a remarkable achievement for a relatively new company.
The team is now working with businesses on UVC disinfection for large commercial buildings that have permanently sealed windows that result in a lack of fresh air indoors.
According to the Department of Occupational Safety and Health Malaysia, Covid particles spread more readily indoors due to a limited or a lack of airflow.
“There has been low awareness of this until now. This is why we plan to continue educating people and providing a solution at an affordable cost,” Law says.
Looking back on his journey, Law admits he struggled to see the light at the end of the tunnel during the second half of last year. But today, he is busy growing theuvc.co, while reopening Aeroline as travel restrictions are eased.
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During a season when many have sunk into despair or depression, Law says he has come full circle and now has an inspiring story to tell.
“I have learnt this valuable lesson: if you have identified something that is worth doing, keep at it and believe in yourself.
“It doesn’t matter what others say. Keep persevering, and you will find it paying off.”
Learn more about theuvc.co and check out its Facebook and Instagram profiles. For more information on Aeroline, click here.
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