I knew I had a long way to go before I could turn pro, so after I graduated with a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition in 1995, I came back to my native country, Malaysia and started to compete again. I wanted to be the best in Asia before setting foot in America again to earn my pro card. During that period when I was in Malaysia competing from 1995-1999, I also worked as a quality controller in a local food company.
In 4 years, I won most of the competitions in Asia including the prestigious IFBB Mr.Asia title in 1999. With the Mr.Asia title under my belt, I thought it was time to go back to America in 2000 to further my bodybuilding career (earn for an IFBB pro card).