WHENEVER Amway Malaysia Holdings Bhd managing director Mike Duong hops into a taxi from the company’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya, he can almost predict what comes next.
“Do you work at Amway? Are you an Amway distributor?” drivers often ask.
The conversation inevitably turns nostalgic. “I know Amway. My mum used to be an Amway distributor. I love your soap, your toothpaste, your car cleaner.”
For many Malaysians, Amway is more than a brand – it is a memory woven into family stories, kitchen cupboards and side hustles.
Yet, as Amway Malaysia marks its 50th anniversary, the company’s ambition has shifted beyond nostalgia or products. It is about something less tangible, but far more enduring: impact.
“I hope that over time when people hear Amway, they’ll say, ‘I feel healthier because of your supplements,’” says Duong, who is also Amway managing director for Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines.
“When that happens, I think that’s truly a sign that we’ve made an impact.”
For Amway, impact starts with individual health, and stretches into communities, opportunities and long-term change.
That belief sits at the heart of AM50 – the milestone marking half a century since the direct-selling company opened its doors in Malaysia in 1976.
Gateway to better things
Over five decades, Amway Malaysia has evolved into one of the country’s most established direct-selling companies.
From a five-person office in Jalan Ipoh, Amway Malaysia has grown into an almost 400-strong organisation headquartered in a sleek 54,000 sq ft space in Petaling Jaya, supported by more than 100 contract staff across the nation in logistics, retail and distribution.
Yet, its story has never been about scale alone. From the start, Amway Malaysia has been a gateway to entrepreneurship, community and purpose.
“At its core, Amway has always been about helping people live better lives,” Duong says.
What began with soap and home-care products sold by housewives for extra income has gradually expanded into a broader lifestyle, health and wellness proposition – shaped more recently by the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Malaysia over the past decade.
“We said that maybe the biggest thing we can do – not only in terms of opportunity and entrepreneurship – is to start making a difference in Malaysians’ health,” Duong recalls, adding that the company has the tools, expertise and science to create a ripple-effect beyond entrepreneurship.
He shares that while most sales come from health supplements, the focus is not just nutrition, but empowering Malaysians to take charge of their health.
Health is wealth
Amway Malaysia and Brunei general manager Jason Leng echoes Duong’s sentiments. “Our intention isn’t to sell more products, it’s to help Malaysians take the first step in understanding their health,” says Leng.
That philosophy underpins AM50, or Mission 50K, which encourages Malaysians to make health-focused pledges – from eating well to staying active and caring for mental health – with a target of 50,000 pledges.
“We don’t think in terms of selling 50,000 packs of Nutrilite protein powder. We think about impacting 50,000 lives and empowering them to live healthier,” Leng explains.
Mission 50K also features the AM50 Health Screening Pass, which gives Amway Business Owners (ABOs) and Amway Privileged Customers (APCs) access to professional health screenings through a partnership with clinical laboratory Innoquest.
Subsidised by Amway Malaysia, the pass allows participants to undergo a comprehensive health screening for just RM10, compared to the usual RM82.
“We urge all Malaysians to take the pledge, prioritise their wellbeing, and be among the 50,000 who take charge of their health,” he added.
Duong says the AM50 campaign reflects Amway’s long-term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) philosophy and its ambition to surpass the 50,000-pledge target.
The 2018 Projek HeadSTART for example saw Amway Malaysia take underprivileged youth under their wings for mentorship, skills training and education, while the WOW Community Bazaar – organised in partnership with Malaysia’s Social Welfare Department (JKM) – supported impoverished communities.
Last year, the company ran AM-Power Lives Drive-Thru, a recycling and donation initiative for a school for undocumented and marginalised children in Chow Kit, with strong support and participation from both ABOs and employees.
He contrasts short-term donations such as millions contributed by Amway Malaysia during Covid-19 for masks, gloves and air purifiers, with initiatives that create long-lasting, generational impact, like the AM50 campaign.
“It resonates with us when we can actually help people change their lives. That is social responsibility, and it is who we are,” Duong adds.
People power
Yet, initiatives alone do not create impact. Behind these ambitions lies Amway Malaysia’s most distinctive asset: its people.
For 50 years, ABOs have been at the heart of its journey. Their dedication, entrepreneurial spirit, and belief in the Amway opportunity have shaped not only the company’s success but also the lives of countless families and communities across the nation.
With more than half a million ABOs and APCs across Malaysia, the company functions less like a traditional corporation and more like a network of micro-entrepreneurs, mentors and community advocates.
“They are at the forefront of everything we do when it comes to entrepreneurship,” says Leng who refers to them as key differentiators – the backbone of Amway Malaysia’s campaigns, education initiatives and programmes.
Reflecting on AM50, Leng says that while the government has rolled out numerous good initiatives to support the B40 community through health screenings, it’s challenging for the public sector to engage and follow up with communities on a daily basis.
This, he notes, is where Amway’s strength lies. Through its network of ABOs, the company is able to reach communities more consistently, turning awareness into ongoing conversations and real-life action.
“They are like the Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) of their own communities. If each and every one of our ABOs can be a role model, an ambassador of Amway’s health and well-being mission – starting with themselves, their families, their neighbours, their colleagues and their communities – that is powerful,” he explains.
To turn a campaign into a movement, Leng adds, an organisation needs people on the ground who are driving it continuously and who are motivated.
“Our ABOs don’t just do it once a year because they have an event or need to meet an annual KPI. They do it because they believe in the cause, and they believe in what they’re doing.
“AM50 is a movement built by Malaysians, for Malaysians. It’s a Malaysian movement,” Leng shares.
50 and counting
The world of direct selling has transformed dramatically over the decades – from door-to-door pitches and home-hosted product parties to a digital-first ecosystem shaped by e-commerce, data and technology.
While people remain at the heart of Amway’s model, the way the business operates has changed.
Today, Amway Malaysia leverages artificial intelligence (AI) for product innovation and health-driven solutions, while optimising processes and logistics.
Its latest development, the Nutrilite Intelligent Botanical System, uses a proprietary Smart Herb System to map phytonutrients to specific plants in their efforts on cellular health solution, which complements their holistic wellness ecosystem.
The company also supports research that benefits Malaysians, including a partnership with Monash University to advance microbiome science in tackling non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a leading cause of death and disability.
Earlier, Amway collaborated with Stanford University on the WELL for Life initiative, exploring how lifestyle, emotional, and environmental factors shape long-term wellbeing and healthy ageing.
Duong and Leng agree that while approaches may shift, the company’s core principles remain firmly rooted in its founding values.
“We adjust our go-to-market strategy according to the current generation, but we never forget our roots. Staying close to it is what has carried us through five generations,” Leng observes.
Duong concurs – Amway Malaysia’s longevity lies in the strength of its principles: genuine partnerships with business owners, product quality, ethical conduct and maintaining its credibility as a company licensed by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.
He also emphasises that the unwavering commitment and trust of ABOs have been instrumental in upholding these principles and sustaining the company’s success over the past five decades.
Growth, he shares, should be inclusive and collective, rather than driven by individual groups at the expense of others.
Leng chimes in, “We continue to believe in our founders’ fundamentals: freedom, family, hope and reward. These core teachings are unchanged. They are timeless.”
At 50, Amway Malaysia’s story is no longer about what it sells, but about the lives it transforms.
Find out how you can be part of Amway Malaysia’s Mission 50K, and make your pledge today at am50.amway.my
