Richest men in Malaysia

Bernama
28 Jan 2000
Richest men in Malaysia

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US$4b: Robert Kuok Hock Nien.
US$3.2b: Lim Goh Tong, Genting Bhd.
US$2.5b: Quek Leng Chan, Hong Leong.
US$2b: Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, Berjaya.
US$1.6b: Tiong Hiew King, Rimbunan Hijau.
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The Australian newspaper's latest annual list of Asia's 100 richest families shows that Mr Robert Kuok, with $6.8 billion, is the wealthiest

MELBOURNE -- Mr Robert Kuok Hock Nien, with assets amounting to US$4 billion (S$6.8 billion), is Malaysia's wealthiest billionaire, according to The Australian newspaper's annual list of Asia's 100 richest families released yesterday. He ranks 18th in Asia, dropping from the 14th position he held last year, based on the list compiled by the newspaper's international business editor Geoff Hiscock.

Next in Malaysia comes Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong of Genting Bhd with US$3.2 billion, who is ranked 22nd.

He is followed by Mr Quek Leng Chan and family of the Hong Leong Group with US$2.5 billion (29th in Asia); Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun of Berjaya Group with US$2 billion (42nd); Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King of Rimbunan Hijau Group with US$1.6 billion (58th) and Tan Sri Francis Yeoh Sock Ping of YTL Corp with US$1.4 billion (65th).

They are followed by Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow of Public Bank with US$1.1 billion (73rd); Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli of Technology Resources Industries and Malaysia Airlines with US$1 billion (85th); Tan Sri Khoo Kay Peng of MUI with US$1 billion (93rd) and the children of the late Tan Sri Yahaya Ahmad of DRB-Hicom with
US$1 billion (99th).

Malaysians, who missed out this year, after being ranked in Asia's top 100 last year are Mr Yam Teck Seng and family of Samling Corp, who was ranked 73rd last year; Tan Sri William Cheng of Lion Group (88th); Mr T. Ananda Krishnan of Tanjong Plc and Binariang (95th) and Tan Sri Rashid Hussain of Rashid Hussain Bhd (97th).

The richest in Singapore are Mr Kwek Leng Beng and family of City Development and Hong Leong Group, with US$3.3 billion (21st in Asia), followed by Mr Ng Teng-fong of Far East Organisation and Sino Land in Singapore and Hongkong, with US$2.9 billion (27).

They are followed by Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat of Goodwood Hotel with US$2.4 billion (33rd); Mr Lee Seng Wee and family of Overseas-Chinese Banking Corp with US$1.5 billion (62nd) and Mr Wee Cho Yaw of United Overseas Bank with US$1.2 billion (69).

The list also showed the Japanese dominating, with Internet twins Masayoshi Son and Yasumitsu Shigeta at the top of the table.

Another 16 Japanese billionaires figured in the first 50 names on the list. Only Hongkong, with 17 names overall, came close.

Between them, Mr Son (US$38 billion) and Mr Shigeta (US$30 billion) have close to US$68 billion from their companies Softbank and Hikari Tsushin.

According to Mr Hiscock, they had eclipsed the man who topped the list since it began in 1996 -- the Sultan of Brunei, who now ranks third with US$24 billion.

"One big reason for his decline: the US$3.1 billion exposure of the sultanate's key cash generator, the Brunei Investment Agency, to the collapsed construction group, Amedeo Development Corp, controlled by the Sultan's brother, Prince Jefri," Mr Hiscock said.

The other big movers on the billionaires' list are the Indian information-technology entrepreneurs.

They include Mr Azim H. Premji, the man who turned a small western India food company into the nation's biggest IT player.

He is in the top 10 with US$10 billion, making him the richest Indian.

He is in the same league as the top 10 stalwarts, like Hongkong's Li Ka-shing (US$10 billion) and the three Kwok brothers (Walter, Thomas and Raymond) of Sun Hung Kai Properties (US$10 billion). -- Bernama