The Passing Of A Great Man, Yang Bahagia Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong

The Passing Of A Great Man: Yang Bahagia Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong passed away 7 days ago:

TheSTAR Online: Nation Tuesday October 23, 2007 MYT 4:54:41

Genting Founder, Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, Dies At 90

PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, founder and honorary life president of Genting Group, passed away at 11.20am Tuesday at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre.

The tycoon, who turned 90 in April this year, was renowned for his vision in transforming Genting Highlands from an unexplored hilltop to one of the world’s most successful casino resorts.

The fifth child in a family of seven children, Lim migrated from China’s Fujian province in 1937 at the age of 19 with only a small suitcase and US$175.

The idea of a hill resort was chanced upon by Lim amidst the crisp air of Cameron Highlands in 1964. Lim was then working on a hydro-electric power project at the popular hill resort, patronised mostly by British colonials seeking cool refuge from the tropical heat, when he foresaw a prosperous Malaysia of the future desiring a cool mountain holiday resort within the reach of all Malaysians.

To date, Genting Highlands Resort has five hotels and two apartment blocks at the hilltop and Awana Genting Highlands Golf and Country Resort.

The company, founded in 1965, has since expanded and diversified from its initial hotel and resort activities to plantations, properties, paper manufacturing, power generation, oil and gas, electronic commerce and information technology development under Genting Group.

According to Forbes Asia, the Genting Group founder was third richest in the country with a net worth of US$4.3bil (RM14.6bil).

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

And today:

TheSTAR Online: Nation Monday October 29, 2007

Cortege to pass places that Goh Tong loved

GENTING HIGHLANDS: Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong’s final journey will take him to places that he loved and up the hill where he had spent much of his life.

From Gohtong Villa, the cortege, accompanied by some 600 family members and association representatives, will travel up Genting Highlands stopping at Chin Swee Caves Temple and Genting Hotel.

Special prayers will be performed at the stops.

At the villa, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting will be giving a eulogy together with Genting Group and Resorts World Bhd deputy chairman Tun Hanif Omar and representatives of FoxWoods Resort and Casino, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tung Shin Hospital.

At Genting Hotel, staff will pay their final respects to Lim before the cortege is brought back to the memorial park for a private burial.

Meanwhile, in line with Lim’s long-held philanthropic philosophy, the family decided to make monetary donations towards charitable causes.

However, due to the time constraint, details of the donations would only be announced later, a statement issued by the funeral management committee said.

And one piece of news that finally brought tears to my eyes:

TheSTAR Online: Nation Monday October 29, 2007

Native American tribe to honour Goh Tong for his help

GENTING HIGHLANDS: The late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong’s legacy does not only live on in Genting, but halfway round the world in the Native American tribe of the Mashantucket Pequot.

Unknown to most Malaysians, in 1991 the late Goh Tong helped the tribe – that was struggling to grow cabbage – by investing in their idea of building a casino, the Foxwoods Resort & Casino, which has now become the largest casino in the world.

The chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, a sovereign nation within the US located in the state of Connecticut, Michael Thomas said the tribe owed a great deal to Lim for his vision and his confidence in them.

“When we wanted to start the casino, we approached 23 lending institutions who all turned us down because there was no guarantee we would pay back the loans,” he said.

As a result of a meeting with the business partner of Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Nicky Brown, Thomas and his tribe were introduced to the late Goh Tong who turned out to be the only one who would help them.

“He heard about our situation and actually came to our place to meet our people and see for himself what we were about and what our values were,” he said after meeting with Lim’s family for over two hours at the wake yesterday.

“Within 48 hours of meeting us, he agreed to give his support in the form of a US$$60mil (RM200mil) investment,” he said, adding that Americans widely credited the Pequot tribe for opening the doors for hundreds of other Native American tribes to open their own gaming centres.

Thomas said the success of the Pequot tribe, together with another Native American tribe, now created USS$2.7bil (RM9.02bil) in revenue for the Connecticut state government from “taxes” levied from their slot machines.

Thomas, who led a nine-man delegation from the US, arrived yesterday without some of his luggage as it had been delayed, apologised for his informal dress and said that he would be dressed in traditional attire when giving a eulogy at Goh Tong’s funeral today.

“A number of customs that are only extended to our own people have been and will be bestowed on Goh Tong to mark his passing,” he said.

Thomas said this included all buildings in the nation flying their flag at half-mast for a week, while a sacred stone called Wampum which is sourced from a clam called the Quohog would be given to the family.

“The stone is valuable because it is usually only given to our leaders,” he said.

Thomas said it was important for the world to know that it was the faith Goh Tong had in them that allowed them to succeed beyond their wildest dreams.

Pequot tribe vice-chairman Kenneth Reels said Goh Tong’s help allowed their nation to be self-sufficient while creating some 10,000 jobs there.

“As a nation, if you have to be dependent on somebody else then you are not exercising sovereignty to the fullest.

“He has enabled us to do that. We are here today because we feel it is appropriate to pay our respects to someone who gave respect to us.”

“He is part of our history and we have a family relationship that we will cherish forever. His family is part of ours as ours is part of theirs.”

Yep, the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong has indeed touched the life and helped change the destiny of many. He is truly one of the greatest minds in Malaysia (and definitely Asia and the world) and gracious heart that is indeed an inspiring model for other successful business men and women all over the world.

“Yang Bahagia Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, Man4 Zou3 Le4 (Selamat Jalan)!”

sincerely
Hanyi

ps. btw, you may sign your condolence at the “Online condolence book in memory of the late YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr.) Lim Goh Tong“.

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