Goh Tong passes away

23-10-2007:
Goh Tong passes away
by Surin Murugiah
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KUALA LUMPUR: Genting Bhd group founder and honorary life chairman Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, who built the hilltop casino resort, passed away this morning after a brief illness at the age of 90.

His son Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, who is chairman and chief executive of Genting, said in a statement: "On behalf of my family and the Genting Group of companies, it is with great sadness, I announce that my beloved father, founder and honorary life chairman of Genting Bhd Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, passed away peacefully at 11.20am today."


The late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong

Lim is survived by his wife Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua, six children and 19 grandchildren.

Starting as a carpenter after arriving in then Malaya from Fujian, China, in 1937, Lim's success story came from turning a hilltop into world-class casino resort. Today, the Genting group has diverse activities in plantations, properties, power generation, oil and gas, electronic commerce and information technology development.

On the demise of Lim, the president of The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) and Lion Group chairman Tan Sri William Cheng said: “He is a model of success, starting from scratch. His achievements came through hard work and dedication.”

CIMB Group chief executive Datuk Nazir Razak said: “Tan Sri Lim’s skill, tenacity and foresight in business has led the Genting Group to where it stands today, a thriving conglomerate of international standing. We have lost one of the country’s foremost entrepreneurs but his legacy lives on.”

Lim’s path to riches was not an easy one, as he underwent tremendous hardships during the Japanese occupation in Malaya.

He took many jobs — including selling vegetables and being a petty trader — before embarking on sale of scrap metals and used heavy machinery that led him to venturing into the lucrative mining industry.

His family construction company, Kien Huat Private Ltd, then took on contracting jobs with the help and guidance of his uncles, securing many major projects.

Among the biggest projects the company completed was the Ayer Itam dam, the first time a construction job of such a magnitude was given to a local contractor.

In April 1965, Lim set up Genting Highlands Bhd with the late Tan Sri Mohammed Noah Omar, which then successfully obtained approval for the alienation of 4,858ha and 1,133ha of land from the Pahang and Selangor state governments respectively between the years 1965 and 1970.

These parcels of land was the start of Lim’s hotel and casino empire, beginning with its Highlands Hotel that was completed in 1971.

Lim started his casino operations together with Chong Tat Wong in 1971 on a three-year agreement. However, the partnership was terminated after nine months and Genting, under Lim’s stewardship, went ahead on its own to build into a successful conglomerate.


source = http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_cc56378f-cb73c03a-17ebe660-3ad2f410