Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Malaysia's Billionaires...

I don't know how they list all these billionaires, here or anywhere else. Didn't it use to be "millionaires"?

As far as I can remember, the mega rich bracket in this country has always been dominated by the Chinese and a few Indians. The Malays only came into the picture after the NEP. Don't count the royals. They're a different category.

So everytime, foreigners who think they know more about Malaysia than I do, tell me that the Chinese and the Indians are second-class citizens, I tell them that they should go f... a spider!

Come on. The richest people, the tycoons in Malaysia have always been Chinamen. Robert Kuok, Genting Highlands owner and his family, the bank owners, the car (toyota, honda whatever) companies' owners and so forth.

Then came, Ananda Krishna.

The Melayu.... very very few. And the Malays are not complaining.

And those big houses in upscale housing areas...go count. Ninety percent belong to rich Malaysian Chinese.

Businesses in Lot 10, Gardens, Pavilion, Suria KLCC, Bangsar Village, Eastern Mall...?????

So you see.

I am proud of our billionaires.

So don't tell a different story.

Here's the billionaires' story. (from the NST)

A Malaysian Business (Feb 16 issue) survey reveals the band of Malaysia's 40 richest tycoons. And yes, they live in a different world.

The magazine said the combined wealth of Malaysia's 40 richest tycoons has risen by more than 30 per cent, spurred by the bullish stock market and an expanding economy.

They were worth RM206.27 billion as at Jan 21, compared with RM156.7 billion a year ago.

It says there are more billionaires this year -- 27 of them, an increase of five from last year.

Robert Kuok, who returned to the sugar business last year, still tops the list at RM50.04 billion and telecommunications tycoon T. Ananda Krishnan remains in second place with RM45.78 billion.

Public Bank's Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow moved to the third place with a fortune estimated at RM12.77 billion while fourth is IOI Corporation Bhd's Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng who is worth RM12.74 billion.

Genting Group's Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, unchanged at No. 5, has RM10.89 billion while Hong Leong Group's Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan takes the sixth spot with RM10.75 billion, up from RM7.09 billion previously.

In seventh place is Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary of the Albukhary Foundation, whose flagship is the DRB-Hicom Group. He is valued at RM8.84 billion.


Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong's widow, Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua, unchanged at number eight, has RM7.43 billion while Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King of the Rimbunan Hijau Group returns at No. 9 with RM4.77 billion.

Singapore-domiciled Ong Beng Seng claims the 10th spot, with his wealth doubled to RM3.98 billion, going past Berjaya Group's Tan Sri Vincent Tan who drops two rungs to No. 12.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's son, Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir, of Kencana Petroleum, is ranked 19th with RM1.665 billion.- NST