- Co-founded MHub in 2015, grew it proptech option used in 2.5k jobs
- Survived by , family Kelly and two , younger children, Lauren and Asher
Startup leader, Joshua Ong passed aside on , 22 July , at 11: 45 pm. He was 38 , – very young.
Everyone who knew him was shocked by his sudden departure from heart failure, particularly since he was texting friends and coworkers frequently hours before his spirit failure.
Joshua was one of four co-founders of MHub, a proptech business headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His passing finds a hole in the souls of his co-founders, Quek Wee Siong, Jon Saw, and Jason Ding. They each express their thoughts on Joshua, their “fell friend.”
Jon Saw
Joshua and I first met in Klang as children, and we eventually reconnected. Always on the lookout for business partners, Joshua, ( with help from his then two co-founders ) ‘ con’vinced me to join MHub. We started with the four of us, then we’re 65 powerful.
Joshua’s self-assurance and intellect persisted throughout every endeavor. His determination was viral, inspiring those around him to strive for excellence. His comfort, especially during foods, endeared him to all. Around him, no single eats anything.
Joshua was larger-than-life and not hesitated to challenge the status quo. His vision for MHub was revolution, aiming to reinvent the house industry with refined, user-friendly procedures.
In sales, his obstinate perseverance was unprecedented, he would visit a prospect with” good dawn”,” great afternoon”, and” great evening” daily until they finally responded. When they asked why he did that, he had answer” There’s nothing wrong with that, proper”? It’s no question that many of his former clients are now regarded as near friends.
Joshua’s loss was a destructive blow. We’ve lost not just a partner, but a mentor and friend. Even today, I may “hear” him advising me on things to do that may improve the organization, increase myself. I would have preferred to have listened to him more. We will be guided by his passion and commitment.
Jason Ding ,
2015 was the year we started our organization. That same year, I emceed Joshua and Kelly’s marriage ceremony. Nine years later, I found myself speaking at his awake and death services.
I included the Fs that I believe best describe Joshua as he was in my speech for him:
- Founder- Besides MHub, he started many another businesses, a shop, a coffee beans distributor, and a electronic solutions organization. Every few months, he would launch a new enterprise if he had his approach. He needed to be confined. His thoughts ran on a different level, continually looking at business opportunities, solving problems, and connecting dots.
- Food partner: His love for food was unwavering. Food was certainly his love speech, from meal requests to food orders for his team. Whenever we had our leader conferences, he was the definition chief food officer. He would always be able to identify the area’s top makan locations.
- Harsh fighter- Josh is a normal fighter. Josh and I clashed regularly. I came to the conclusion that battle was his way of thinking and expressing ideas. Recently after doing the Myers-Briggs Test Indicator test, it was confirmed that as an ENTP ( Extraverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Perceiving )- he enjoyed debating and “one-upmanship”. In the end, he fought valiantly for his wife and family.
- Faith-driven– I met Josh because we went to the same religion. Even though we have not served in the same departments, we occasionally acknowledge that MHub brought us together as a blessing. Joshua made it clear that he was trying his hardest to improve even though he was not great in our fair conversations. At the end of the day, what we can do is to be the best. Our fingertips are entirely in your arms. even at the next breath we can take.
Often we would talk about “one day when MHub. .”. this and that. A longer airport meant more goals and celebrations along, in my opinion. However, it is not intended to be. Your “one time” does not pass, a dispiriting reminder to business owners and entrepreneurs. But, enjoy the journey, not just the place.
Quek Wee Siong
Joshua and I were both 13 when we first met. Back in school, he was always the best student and a healthy head, liked by professors and peers everywhere. He was the “pengawas” we may count on, helping outcasts like me hide our handphones during area checks.
Through the years I’ve grown to regard Joshua’s infinite innovative power, continuously exploring new ideas, and continuous resilience. He was remarkable at discovering details about potential business opportunities or companies. In other words, he was “kaypoh” except one’s company.
Joshua was the starting point of our startup in 2014, originally called” Mortgage Hub” providing tech solutions to financial institutions. It has since pivoted to home industry-centric, the MHub we know now.
His strong conviction that Southeast Asia’s real estate sector was ready for disturbance gave birth to our company. Prior to the pandemic, he also made sacrifices in order to support MHub, including taking give breaks and moving his household from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur. His goal was to bring together a completely online end-to-end real house ecosystem that would facilitate everything from apartment rentals to property management and fractionalized investments.
Sure, we were up against strong incumbents and giants but that did n’t scare him, on the contrary. His fighting spirit was viral. He would enter secretary “ceramah” function in our community halls to motivate our group to persevere despite the odds against us.
Close to a generation of collaboration, we weathered several problems and we kept fighting, often each different! Within the management staff, Joshua was a fierce leader of the opposition. Our argument may be analogous to a husband and wife, which included two days of motionless treatment.
But this time, there’s no coming back up.
I believe his departure is not just a decline to MHub, but to the wider real-estate industry and technical habitat. We did achieve the dragon standing we shared, and we will be proud of you.  ,
As usually, Joshua has the last word. His March 2018 blog is the following:
” Feeling proud. One of the biggest engineers in Malaysia has confirmed that they will vote for us and that we will be able to grow and grow their business.
Although it’s not a simple journey, I’m hoping that MHub will certainly be a regional Malaysia Boleh brand that will guide the transformation of the proptech industry. More to occur and more to hike. Simply put, I felt the curve getting steeper.
It came with lots of sweat, tears, and difficult job.
Kudos to those who criticized, laughed, and refused to listen to us.
Thank you to those who believed, who told us to not offer up and to maintain racing.
Bless you to those who gave us encouragement.
This is by far the biggest challenge and uncertainty that MHub has faced as a business. On the company walls is the quote” Fall down seven times, getting off eight”- an expression of grit, a value exemplified by Joshua regularly.
Getting back up is precisely what they’ll do. In honor of Joshua Ong, the management team has chosen to call an upcoming product transfer” SalesCandy JO.”