Lim’s business success story will remain unrivalled for years to come

genting highlands news

By JOCELINE TAN

THE late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong was a living legend when he was alive.

He passed away yesterday at 90 and his success story in turning the forested hills of Genting into a fabulous casino resort will remain unrivalled for years to come.

The business empire he left behind encompasses plantations, property, power generation, oil and gas exploration and cruise industries.

Lim epitomised the rags to riches story of the Chinese diaspora.

He was only 19 when he arrived in Malaya from Fujian Province in China with only a suitcase and US$175.

His early businesses were diverse and he was also involved in building the Air Itam Dam in Penang.

But the Genting Highlands dream began in the 1960s.

It is often said that he built Genting out of his bare hands and in a way he did because he was very hands-on and survived several close brushes with death during its development.

But more than that, the saga of Lim and Genting Highlands is the story of a how this pioneering figure had the daring to pursue a vision, sweat and toil to achieve it, seize opportunities, take calculated risks and manage success.

A commemorative volume, titled My Dream, published on the 35th anniversary of the Genting Group showed Lim against a panoramic backdrop of the casino resort. He was then at his peak yet he looked so unassuming, wearing a rather pensive smile, chin cupped in his hand and his hair still a lush black.