AMWAY Malaysia is celebrating its 50th anniversary, marking five decades of supporting healthier living, driving innovation and championing ethical entrepreneurship nationwide.
More than a celebration of its legacy, the milestone reflects the company's continued evolution alongside Malaysians as it empowers healthier lifestyles, responsible entrepreneurship and meaningful progress.
"The reason why we can thrive for more than 50 years in Malaysia is that many Malaysians see Amway as their partner," says Amway Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei managing director Jason Leng.
"We want people to see Amway as more than just a brand, more than just a multinational company. We want to be their partner in life, just as we have been for the past 50 years.
“We want to continue to invest in that partnership, working alongside Malaysians to grow together with them and their families."
He adds: "At Amway, we are committed to empowering Malaysians to build resilience in the two most critical aspects of life: health and financial well-being.”
That philosophy is at the heart of the company's AM50 celebration, which commemorates five decades of empowering Malaysians through entrepreneurship while continuously adapting to the nation's changing needs.
Since its establishment in 1976, Amway Malaysia has evolved from a direct selling company into a health and well-being company across a massive network of more than half a million Amway Business Owners (ABOs) and Amway Privileged Customers (APCs), while expanding its focus beyond entrepreneurship to include preventive healthcare, science-backed innovation and meaningful community initiatives.
For Leng, sustaining that trust begins with ethical entrepreneurship.
"Being ethical is one of the top priorities when we run and manage our business," he says.
As one of the founding members of the Direct Selling Association of Malaysia (DSAM), Amway Malaysia works closely with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) to ensure the industry remains well regulated and all business activities comply with Malaysia's Direct Sales and Anti-Pyramid Scheme Act.
Beyond regulatory compliance, the company has a dedicated department responsible for business code of conduct, regulation and enforcement, while regular trainings, workshops and seminars help ABOs understand product values, communicate responsibly and uphold ethical standards both offline and online.
"When we tell them the dos and don'ts, it's not to limit them, but it's to protect the long-term sustainability of the business," Leng explains.
"I always feel sustainability and ethics are two sides of one coin. If you do things not following the ethical way, it's difficult to sustain."
As Malaysians' lifestyles and health priorities continue to evolve, so too has the company's approach to helping people live better lives.
Leng highlights that the health crises facing modern Malaysians have shifted dramatically from malnutrition to imbalanced nutrition. He notes that Malaysia is facing two significant health challenges – the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and an ageing population.
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023, more than half of Malaysian adults are overweight or obese, while many continue to live with hypertension and diabetes, often without knowing it.
At the same time, the country is experiencing what Leng describes as the "silver tsunami", with people living longer but not necessarily healthier lives.
"Nothing is wrong with ageing," he says."But everything goes wrong when we age without good health."
While Malaysians today enjoy an average lifespan of around 76 years, the average healthspan is approximately 66 years, leaving a decade where many experience declining health and reduced quality of life.
"Our focus now is more than just to add more years to your life, which is your lifespan, but to add more life into your years, which is your healthspan," says Leng. "Healthy ageing has to start early because anti-ageing begins at the cellular level."
This growing emphasis on preventive health is reflected in the company's investments in science-backed health and well-being solutions, including innovations in cellular health that encourage Malaysians to start thinking about healthy ageing much earlier in life.
In conjunction with its golden anniversary, Amway Malaysia also launched Mission 50K, a nationwide initiative encouraging Malaysians to take the first step towards better health by undergoing health screenings.
"The first step is awareness," Leng says. "Before a person can take action to live a healthier life, they need to understand where they are today.
“Through subsidised RM10 health screening passes, we hope to raise Malaysians’ awareness of their key health indicators, empowering them to make informed lifestyle decisions.” To date, 51,700 screening passes have been taken up, reflecting encouraging public interest in preventive healthcare.
"We want people to actually go for the screening because knowing your health status is the first step towards improving it."
Leng adds that Mission 50K also reflects the company's broader purpose.
"When we celebrate our AM50, instead of setting ourselves a business goal, we wanted to do something relevant to the society we serve," he says. "We are a company rooted in empowering people. Mission 50K reminds us that the reason for our existence is to support the communities we serve."
The company's future ambitions extend beyond health to preparing a new generation of entrepreneurs.
Recognising that younger Malaysians expect seamless digital experiences, Amway Malaysia is currently undertaking an 18-month transformation of its digital ecosystem to help entrepreneurs manage their businesses more efficiently.
Rather than simply enabling online ordering, the upgraded ecosystem will integrate AI-powered business analytics, real-time performance tracking, business simulations and smarter chatbot capabilities to support both ABOs and customers.
"Digital is more than just a tool," says Leng. "We see it as an ecosystem."
Yet technology alone is not enough.
Today's consumers are better informed than ever, often researching products through social media, online reviews and artificial intelligence platforms before making purchasing decisions. While information has become readily accessible, Leng believes authentic human connection remains one of Amway's greatest strengths.
"If you want to build a new habit, it makes a world of difference if you do it in a community where you have the support and encouragement of your peers," he says.
"The uniqueness of our model is that we are strong in community building. AI can give you information, but it cannot give you authentic encouragement and emotional support."
These themes came together during the AM50 celebration, where the company brought its past, present and future to life through the AM50 Expo at its headquarters in Petaling Jaya.
Designed as an immersive experience, the expo featured interactive product showcases, personalised wellness experiences, family-friendly activities and engaging exhibits that highlighted the company's 50-year journey of innovation and purpose.
Among others, the company showcased its ”seed to supplement” traceability philosophy, tracking plant-based ingredients across 2,428ha of organic farmland to highlight their commitment to brand transparency.
The celebration also featured the "Empowering the Rakyat: Navigating Cost of Living Pressures Through Ethical Entrepreneurship" forum, reinforcing the company’s commitment to responsible entrepreneurship.
Moderated by Shafiq Chulan, the panellists were KPDN distribution trade and business division deputy secretary (distribution trade section) Muhd Fairuz Abdul Halim, Leng, DSAM president Zaihan Ariffin and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Centre for Research in Media and Communication chairperson Assoc Prof Dr Emma Mohamad.
Backed by the DSAM Board Report 2025/26 ranking Malaysia fifth globally in direct selling output, the forum provided a platform to exchange perspectives on the current economic landscape, financial resilience and the role of ethical entrepreneurship in creating sustainable income opportunities.
Beyond corporate milestones and health initiatives, Amway’s 50-year legacy is ultimately defined by the individual lives it has touched – such as Founder Crown Ambassador (FCA) Khoo Chong Kok, whose four-decade journey reflects the opportunities the company has created through ethical entrepreneurship.
Introduced to the concept in 1979, Khoo was initially sceptical, believing direct selling was not suited to his introverted personality. It was only after attending an Amway business meeting in 1982 that he decided to pursue the opportunity, even though it meant giving up plans to further his studies overseas and losing his family's financial support.
The early years were challenging and it took him seven months to sell his first bottle of shampoo because he struggled to approach people.
“It took many hours, but I still could not open my mouth,” he quips.
Instead of giving up, he immersed himself in Amway's training programmes, gradually building the confidence and skills to understand customers' needs rather than simply selling products. Over time, those lessons transformed not only his business, but also his leadership and outlook on life.
Today, he has achieved the company's highest leadership level, FCA, while mentoring the next generation, including his eldest son, who now runs his own Amway business, and his second son, who is building his business part-time.
Looking back, Khoo says the greatest reward has been seeing the company fulfil the opportunities it promised to those willing to learn and persevere.
"The most important thing is that the business is worth it – worth it for you to do it," he says. "You must understand what you want, grab the opportunity and learn how to do it."
