Every entrepreneur has a turning point. For Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr.) Tan Boon Hock, that moment came when he left the stability of a government career for the uncertainty of business. Few could have imagined that a young police officer in the Royal Malaysia Police Force in 1979 would one day become one of Malaysia’s most successful entrepreneurs.
Lighting the Way
After serving in the police, Tan Boon Hock shifted paths in 1981 and joined Light & Power Construction Sdn Bhd as an assistant project manager. Just three years later, in 1984, he founded Sena Letrik (M) Sdn Bhd, a small electrical contracting company.
His first projects were basic; putting up streetlights and handling wiring works. But they marked the start of his entrepreneurial journey, showing his willingness to take risks and build from the ground up.
Turning Vision Into Reality
By the mid-1990s, Tan Boon Hock once again spotted an opportunity where others hesitated. Malaysians were beginning to look for modern treatments for poor eyesight, and laser eye surgery was gaining global recognition. In 1995, he set up the Optimax Eye Specialist Centre in a modest shoplot in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.
It was a bold move. Tan had no medical background, but his strength lay in identifying gaps in the market and building the right team to deliver solutions. From that single clinic, Optimax steadily expanded its reach, growing into a trusted national brand and eventually crossing borders. Today, its portfolio includes a specialist hospital, eight satellite clinics, and 16 ambulatory care centres spread across Malaysia, along with a growing presence in Cambodia.
The company’s corporate journey has mirrored its medical success. In 2020, Optimax Holdings Bhd was listed on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market, and just two years later, its rising stature saw it promoted to the Main Market. This growth was not only a recognition of its financial strength but also its reputation for medical excellence built over more than two decades.
Today, Tan continues to guide the company as Deputy Executive Chairman, while his daughter Sandy Tan leads as CEO, carrying forward his vision.
Building Smarter Cities
Tan Boon Hock didn’t stop at healthcare. Over the years, he expanded his business interests through Sena Holdings, launching ventures such as Sena Die-Casting Industry (1995), ITMAX System (2001), Sena Traffic Systems (2007), and Sena Healthcare Services (2011). Each new step reflected his instinct to diversify and innovate.Among these, ITMAX System Berhad stands out. Starting as a mechanical and electrical firm, it grew into a leading provider of AI-powered smart city solutions; from video surveillance and smart traffic lights to fibre-optic networks.
In 2024, ITMAX made headlines when it secured a RM539 million, 10-year contract with Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). The deal involved installing 5,000 AI-powered CCTVs across the capital, expanding the city’s surveillance network to 10,000 smart units. The contract included a one-year installation phase, followed by nine years of subscription-based services, giving ITMAX a long-term revenue stream and cementing its role as Kuala Lumpur’s key smart city partner.
Recognition and Giving Back
By 2025, Tan’s achievements placed him at No. 40 on Forbes Malaysia’s 50 Richest list, with a net worth of US$490 million (RM2.07 billion). He remains the controlling force behind both Optimax (57.82%) and ITMAX (53.09%), holding shares directly and through his family’s vehicle, Sena Holdings.
But his focus goes beyond financial success. Through the Sena Foundation, he supports initiatives in community healthcare and environmental sustainability, proving his belief that businesses should give back to society. His contributions were also recognised in 2021, when Universiti Tun Hussien Onn Malaysia awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in Electrical Engineering.
Lighting the Future
From his early days installing streetlights in small towns to now leading publicly listed companies, his journey reflects more than just entrepreneurial success. It shows how vision, discipline, and persistence can transform entire industries. His work with Optimax gave thousands of Malaysians clearer sight and new confidence in their daily lives, while his leadership in ITMAX is reshaping the way cities are managed, making them safer, smarter, and more connected.
What makes Tan Boon Hock remarkable is not only the scale of his achievements but also the spirit behind them. He started with almost nothing, just a police officer-turned-contractor, yet had the foresight to step into fields that others thought too risky or too complex.
Whether it was pioneering laser eye surgery in the 1990s or investing in AI-driven surveillance and smart traffic systems decades later, he has shown that real entrepreneurs anticipate the future before the world is ready for it.
He once lit up Malaysia’s streets. Today, Tan Boon Hock restores sight, strengthens cities, and proves that no beginning is too small, and no dream too ambitious.
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