Lim Goh Tong - Mydream

RWB_11221_MyDreambook_W15
11/09/2000 1:34 PM
Page 63
GENTINGS NAME IN CHINESE

The company name of Genting is derived directly from
Genting Sempah, the mountain where Genting Highlands is
located.
The Chinese acronym for Genting, pronounced as Yun Ding
carries the literal meaning of on top of the clouds.
My Dream
as narrated by TAN SRI LIM GOH TONG
How did Yun Ding evolve?
63
The original Chinese acronym chosen by Tan Sri Lim Goh

Tong was Yin Ding, meaning silver top. The word Yin (silver) was
chosen because the idea of developing Genting originated while
Tan Sri Lim was in Cameron Highlands. Cameron in Chinese is
Jin Ma Lun, the first word Jin means gold, hence the choice of Yin
(silver). To the Chinese Jin Yin (gold silver) means wealth.
However, the word Yin (silver) was soon replaced by Yun
(clouds) to better reflect the oft-cloudy Genting Highlands, hence
the name Yun Ding, until today.
64
Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong had a dream in

Cameron Highlands in 1964. One year
later, the dream took shape building a
road to the top of the 1,800-metre hill in
Genting.
11/09/2000 1:34 PM
Page 63
GENTINGS NAME IN CHINESE

The company name of Genting is derived directly from
Genting Sempah, the mountain where Genting Highlands is
located.
The Chinese acronym for Genting, pronounced as Yun Ding
carries the literal meaning of on top of the clouds.
My Dream
as narrated by TAN SRI LIM GOH TONG
How did Yun Ding evolve?
63
The original Chinese acronym chosen by Tan Sri Lim Goh

Tong was Yin Ding, meaning silver top. The word Yin (silver) was
chosen because the idea of developing Genting originated while
Tan Sri Lim was in Cameron Highlands. Cameron in Chinese is
Jin Ma Lun, the first word Jin means gold, hence the choice of Yin
(silver). To the Chinese Jin Yin (gold silver) means wealth.
However, the word Yin (silver) was soon replaced by Yun
(clouds) to better reflect the oft-cloudy Genting Highlands, hence
the name Yun Ding, until today.
64
Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong had a dream in

Cameron Highlands in 1964. One year
later, the dream took shape building a
road to the top of the 1,800-metre hill in
Genting.
11/09/2000 1:34 PM
Page 65
MY DREAM
S the world ushers in a new millennium with much joy and

expectations, Genting Highlands, a world-class resort, also
celebrates its 35th anniversary. On this auspicious occasion, I find
great joy in taking you down memory lane.
It was 35 years ago that I set out single-mindedly to develop Genting
Highlands, a resort that Malaysia can be proud of, from what used to be a
virgin jungle.
We cut roads and built hotels, entertainment centres and other amenities.
We went on, project after project, to turn a dream into reality.
In all these, I feel deeply indebted to our past and present Prime Ministers
for their encouragement.
Their encouragement has spurred me on to overcome obstacles and
hindrances to making what Genting Highlands is today, a hill resort that is
self-contained with world-class facilities.
We have come a long way. From a purely tourism project, we have
diversified into other businesses with impressive results. But Genting
Highlands will always remain my first devotion. I have it always in my mind,
thinking constantly about how to enhance its facilities and make it more
exciting and attractive to the public.
Thus in 1998, in order to shorten the journey and to make travel safer
and more comfortable, I invested a huge sum of money to turn the 10km
access road leading up to Gohtong Jaya into a four-lane carriageway,
reducing driving time from Kuala Lumpur to Gohtong Jaya to a mere 45
minutes.
From there, it is only a 12-minute ride by cable car to the hilltop. The
whole journey from Kuala Lumpur to the hilltop has thus been shortened to
just an hour. It is safe and convenient.
The other landmark project that is in progress is the 6,300-room budget
hotel in Genting Highlands to meet the increasing needs of tourists. This will
be the worlds largest in terms of rooms.
The first 1,000 rooms will be ready by the end of 2000. With its
completion, the initial stage of Genting Highlands overall development will
be completed.
Time flies. As the resort expands and rapidly transforms itself, it dawns on
me with suddenness that I am already 83. I cannot help but reflect upon my
MY DREAM
personal involvement with Genting Highlands over the past 35 years.
project. I was so excited with the idea that I wanted to start work right away.
A COOL IDEA
QUICK ACTION
It all began way back in 1964 when I was a sub-contractor for part of the
Cameron hydro-electric dam project in Cameron Highlands. The main
contractor, a renowned West German company, awarded me the job because
I had already established myself in the construction industry.
It was there during an evening stroll that I hit upon the idea of developing
a hill resort near Kuala Lumpur. On that fateful night, I had dinner with the
general manager and chief engineer of the German company. There were nine
other people. After several rounds of drinks, I went out of the stuffy room for
some cool air.
The night scene at Cameron Highlands was enchanting. As I stood there
taking in the view, a sudden gust of cool air refreshed me. The breeze also set
me thinking.
It occurred to me that Malaysia is a tropical country and the climate is hot
all the year round. People can only enjoy the cool and crisp air in Cameron
Highlands once in a while because it is quite a distance from Kuala Lumpur.
The road there is winding and narrow and the drive from Kuala Lumpur to
Cameron Highlands then took at least four to five hours.
Thereupon I had an idea. I decided to develop a retirement retreat on a
highland where I could spend my old age. I would also want to offer my
friends an opportunity to fulfil their wish of enjoying mild climate all year
round in a place that is close by.
Kuala Lumpur, being the capital city, is the hub of political, economic and
cultural activities of the nation. I reckoned a resort located in the vicinity of
Kuala Lumpur would certainly enjoy many strategic advantages.
My next question was to find a piece of land high on the mountains near
Kuala Lumpur. The question kept bugging me. Then I remembered that the
only place suitable for development as a resort were the hills around Bentong
to the east of Kuala Lumpur. Having crystallised my thoughts, I took a look at
the night scene of Cameron Highlands with its myriad of twinkling lights
under the night sky and all of a sudden, I could visualise a Shangri-la taking
shape in the distant horizon.
That night I could not sleep. I was thinking about and planning my new
As soon as I returned from Cameron Highlands, I wasted no time in

translating the idea into action. First of all, I got hold of a map of Bentong
district and started searching for a most suitable location in the highlands to
realise my cherished plan.
After studying the map over and over again, I realised that the area from
Genting Sempah to the top of Gunung Ulu Kali was suitable for resort
development. Located 1,800 metres above sea level, the mountain was only
58km from Kuala Lumpur. This was just what I had in mind and I was thrilled.
In order to have a first-hand experience of the terrain and surroundings, I
organised a trip to explore Gunung Ulu Kali immediately. With several
assistants, I criss-crossed steep mountains and thick forests, waded through
streams and rivers, to reach the hilltop.
At the hilltop, I was so overwhelmed by the surroundings that I forgot my
exhaustion. I felt as if I was floating in the clouds. It was so cold that I had to
avail myself of the liquor brought along by me to keep warm. As I looked
around, I could see in my mind the proposed retreat taking shape.
At that very moment, another thought struck me: why not expand the idea
and develop the mountain into a holiday resort.
Gunung Ulu Kali, I then realised, was even better located than Cameron
Highlands as a resort. Furthermore, Malaysia was then a newly independent
country and the economy was bound to take off. Given time, the country
would become prosperous and once society becomes affluent, people would
have the extra cash and opportunity to go for leisure activities. I could foresee
the huge potential of a hill resort as tourism boomed. So I changed my plan
there and then and decided to develop Gunung Ulu Kali into a holiday resort.
I made full use of the nine-day exploration trip to Gunung Ulu Kali to
really understand the terrain, the soil formation, and the rivers and streams of
the mountains. This would give me some ideas on how to formulate the
overall plan for its development.
Subsequently, I realised that this remote mountain was positioned on the
border of Pahang and Selangor. I was at a loss as how to approach the
Government to apply for this piece of mountainous land. The task had just
66
11/09/2000 1:34 PM
Page 65
MY DREAM
S the world ushers in a new millennium with much joy and

expectations, Genting Highlands, a world-class resort, also
celebrates its 35th anniversary. On this auspicious occasion, I find
great joy in taking you down memory lane.
It was 35 years ago that I set out single-mindedly to develop Genting
Highlands, a resort that Malaysia can be proud of, from what used to be a
virgin jungle.
We cut roads and built hotels, entertainment centres and other amenities.
We went on, project after project, to turn a dream into reality.
In all these, I feel deeply indebted to our past and present Prime Ministers
for their encouragement.
Their encouragement has spurred me on to overcome obstacles and
hindrances to making what Genting Highlands is today, a hill resort that is
self-contained with world-class facilities.
We have come a long way. From a purely tourism project, we have
diversified into other businesses with impressive results. But Genting
Highlands will always remain my first devotion. I have it always in my mind,
thinking constantly about how to enhance its facilities and make it more
exciting and attractive to the public.
Thus in 1998, in order to shorten the journey and to make travel safer
and more comfortable, I invested a huge sum of money to turn the 10km
access road leading up to Gohtong Jaya into a four-lane carriageway,
reducing driving time from Kuala Lumpur to Gohtong Jaya to a mere 45
minutes.
From there, it is only a 12-minute ride by cable car to the hilltop. The
whole journey from Kuala Lumpur to the hilltop has thus been shortened to
just an hour. It is safe and convenient.
The other landmark project that is in progress is the 6,300-room budget
hotel in Genting Highlands to meet the increasing needs of tourists. This will
be the worlds largest in terms of rooms.
The first 1,000 rooms will be ready by the end of 2000. With its
completion, the initial stage of Genting Highlands overall development will
be completed.
Time flies. As the resort expands and rapidly transforms itself, it dawns on
me with suddenness that I am already 83. I cannot help but reflect upon my
MY DREAM
personal involvement with Genting Highlands over the past 35 years.
project. I was so excited with the idea that I wanted to start work right away.
A COOL IDEA
QUICK ACTION
It all began way back in 1964 when I was a sub-contractor for part of the
Cameron hydro-electric dam project in Cameron Highlands. The main
contractor, a renowned West German company, awarded me the job because
I had already established myself in the construction industry.
It was there during an evening stroll that I hit upon the idea of developing
a hill resort near Kuala Lumpur. On that fateful night, I had dinner with the
general manager and chief engineer of the German company. There were nine
other people. After several rounds of drinks, I went out of the stuffy room for
some cool air.
The night scene at Cameron Highlands was enchanting. As I stood there
taking in the view, a sudden gust of cool air refreshed me. The breeze also set
me thinking.
It occurred to me that Malaysia is a tropical country and the climate is hot
all the year round. People can only enjoy the cool and crisp air in Cameron
Highlands once in a while because it is quite a distance from Kuala Lumpur.
The road there is winding and narrow and the drive from Kuala Lumpur to
Cameron Highlands then took at least four to five hours.
Thereupon I had an idea. I decided to develop a retirement retreat on a
highland where I could spend my old age. I would also want to offer my
friends an opportunity to fulfil their wish of enjoying mild climate all year
round in a place that is close by.
Kuala Lumpur, being the capital city, is the hub of political, economic and
cultural activities of the nation. I reckoned a resort located in the vicinity of
Kuala Lumpur would certainly enjoy many strategic advantages.
My next question was to find a piece of land high on the mountains near
Kuala Lumpur. The question kept bugging me. Then I remembered that the
only place suitable for development as a resort were the hills around Bentong
to the east of Kuala Lumpur. Having crystallised my thoughts, I took a look at
the night scene of Cameron Highlands with its myriad of twinkling lights
under the night sky and all of a sudden, I could visualise a Shangri-la taking
shape in the distant horizon.
That night I could not sleep. I was thinking about and planning my new
As soon as I returned from Cameron Highlands, I wasted no time in

translating the idea into action. First of all, I got hold of a map of Bentong
district and started searching for a most suitable location in the highlands to
realise my cherished plan.
After studying the map over and over again, I realised that the area from
Genting Sempah to the top of Gunung Ulu Kali was suitable for resort
development. Located 1,800 metres above sea level, the mountain was only
58km from Kuala Lumpur. This was just what I had in mind and I was thrilled.
In order to have a first-hand experience of the terrain and surroundings, I
organised a trip to explore Gunung Ulu Kali immediately. With several
assistants, I criss-crossed steep mountains and thick forests, waded through
streams and rivers, to reach the hilltop.
At the hilltop, I was so overwhelmed by the surroundings that I forgot my
exhaustion. I felt as if I was floating in the clouds. It was so cold that I had to
avail myself of the liquor brought along by me to keep warm. As I looked
around, I could see in my mind the proposed retreat taking shape.
At that very moment, another thought struck me: why not expand the idea
and develop the mountain into a holiday resort.
Gunung Ulu Kali, I then realised, was even better located than Cameron
Highlands as a resort. Furthermore, Malaysia was then a newly independent
country and the economy was bound to take off. Given time, the country
would become prosperous and once society becomes affluent, people would
have the extra cash and opportunity to go for leisure activities. I could foresee
the huge potential of a hill resort as tourism boomed. So I changed my plan
there and then and decided to develop Gunung Ulu Kali into a holiday resort.
I made full use of the nine-day exploration trip to Gunung Ulu Kali to
really understand the terrain, the soil formation, and the rivers and streams of
the mountains. This would give me some ideas on how to formulate the
overall plan for its development.
Subsequently, I realised that this remote mountain was positioned on the
border of Pahang and Selangor. I was at a loss as how to approach the
Government to apply for this piece of mountainous land. The task had just
66
11/09/2000 1:37 PM
Page 67
MY DREAM
begun.
In late 1964, I approached the Pahang
Government for the land in Genting Sempah. In the
course of doing so, I learnt from the District Officer of
Bentong that the Federal Government indeed had a
plan to develop Genting Sempah. He advised me to
approach the Federal Government on this matter.
67
MY DREAM
FREEHOLD STATUS
With the recommendation of the Tunku, the

Pahang Government promptly approved our
application. But we encountered some problems with
the Selangor Government.
Datuk Harun Idris, then the Selangor Mentri Besar,
was only prepared to give the land on a 99-year lease.
HELP FROM THE TUNKU
This had totally upset our plan. I then decided to
appeal to Datuk Harun personally and explained to
Through the introduction of Tan Sri Haji Mohd
him my predicament.
Noah bin Omar, I met our first Prime Minister Tunku
At that meeting, I told him that Genting Sempah
Abdul Rahman to explain to him my concept of
was
a remote jungle area and it would take 30 to 40
At the worksite, Tan Sri Lim was the labourer, project
developing Gunung Ulu Kali into a holiday resort. It
years
and huge investments to build roads, hotels, staff
manager and engineer all in one.
was a very pleasant meeting. After listening to me
quarters and to install water and electricity supplies
patiently, the Tunku said the Government had indeed wanted to develop
and other amenities there. If the Selangor Government could only issue a 99Gunung Ulu Kali, but the project had not been implemented because of the
year lease, we would have to surrender the land to the Government almost as
constraints of time and money as well as the political situation then.
soon as the development was completed.
The Tunku told me that before any development could take place, a road
I emphasised that if Selangor did not accede to our request for a freehold
had to be built from the foot of the mountain to the top. Based on preliminary
title, I would have no choice but to develop only the land located on the
surveys by the Public Works Department, it was estimated that the road would
Pahang side of the border, thereby resulting in Pahang having yet another hill
take about 15 years to build. The Tunku also disclosed that the Government
resort. I pointed out that there were already many holiday resorts in Pahang
had financial constraints as it was then engaged in Confrontation with
such as Cameron Highlands, Frasers Hill and the many beaches facing the
Indonesia. If the Government were to spend a huge sum of money for the
South China Sea.
development of Gunung Ulu Kali, it would draw criticisms from the
Selangor, on the other hand, could only boast of the muddy beach in
Opposition, and this would turn it into a political issue. To avoid this, the
Morib. Once Genting Highlands was added to the list of resorts in Pahang,
Government thought it best to let the private sector undertake the project.
Selangor would be lagging far behind in terms of tourist attractions.
To the Tunku, it was obvious that my offer came at the most opportune
Datuk Harun was eventually convinced by my explanation and
time. He then asked me to prepare a project paper so that he could study it.
recommended to the State Government to grant freehold status to the land we
Within a week I completed the report and handed it to the Tunku. He was full
applied for.
of praise after reading it and gave me clearance to go ahead with the project.
On April 27, 1965, Tan Sri Haji Mohd Noah and I set up a private
UPHILL TASK
company called Genting Highlands Sdn Berhad. Between the years 1965 and
1970, we made applications to the Pahang and Selangor Governments for
We started work on August 18, 1965, two days after our application was
4,940 hectares and 1,110 hectares of freehold land respectively.
approved by the Selangor Government. I led a team of technicians and workers
to begin building the first access road to Gunung Ulu Kali, a mammoth-size
project that set the stage for the development of Genting Highlands.
I gave myself six years to complete the 20km road to the hilltop. While
the road was being built, the blueprint for the overall development of Genting
Highlands that included the road networks, hotels, entertainment centres and
a golf course also took shape.
I learned from PWD officials that in the original development plan of the
Government for Gunung Ulu Kali, there was a proposal to build a
telecommunications tower at the midway point up the hill. I proposed to the
Government that since I was building a road right to the top of Gunung Ulu
Kali, it should consider moving the tower to the hilltop for better reception.
The Government accepted my proposal on condition that the road must
be completed in three years. The Government would, in turn, give me a
subsidy of RM900,000 upon the completion of the road.
Just as we were halfway through the construction work, I had to start work
on the Kemubu Irrigation Scheme in Kelantan, a project which I had tendered
earlier. This meant that I had to supervise and co-ordinate the two projects
simultaneously. Shuttling between Kuala Lumpur and Kelantan, I had no rest,
not even on Sundays and public holidays.
At the worksite, I was the labourer, project manager and engineer all in
one. I was also the troubleshooter, doing all kinds of work and tackling all
kinds of problems. However, since I made all the decisions myself without
having to consult anyone else, work proceeded smoothly.
After working day and night for three years, we met the deadline in
completing the first access road to Genting Highlands. We received the
RM900,000 from the Government as promised. In those days, this was a very
substantial sum of money and was certainly a big boost to us.
NARROW ESCAPES
THE CHALLENGE
I accepted the challenge although it would mean that the completion of
the road had to be reduced from six to three years. So I decided to use shifts
to work round the clock. We divided our workforce into two teams: one to do
the survey work followed by the other to do the tree cutting, bulldozing and
road building.
Our starting point was at Batu 20 of the old Bentong Road. From there, we
started building the 12km access road, which wound its way through the thick
tropical rainforests up to the halfway point towards Gunung Ulu Kali. From
this midway site, we built an 8km road to the hilltop by skirting a granite area.
We intended to set up a midhill station and also to make full use of the granite
as building materials. In order to speed up road works, we set up quarters in
the jungle. Whenever necessary, I would put up there overnight with the
workers. We even used some of the caves as our living quarters.
I was totally committed to the project. I mobilised all the resources and
equipment of my own company, including bulldozers, tractors and lorries, to
accelerate the work. But since it was in the mid-1960s, we did not have
advanced machinery. As conditions were difficult and dangerous, progress
was slow.
68
The completion of the first access road to Genting Highlands was crucial
to my business career. It was not just cutting a road through the jungle. My
whole dream on Genting in fact hinged on the roads successful completion.
If I failed in building the road, my hopes for Genting would be shattered and
this would be a terrible setback for me.
In the development of Genting Highlands, be it the construction of the
access road or other expansion and upgrading projects, I was always in the
forefront, sometimes oblivious of my own safety. In those challenging days, I
encountered no fewer than six dangerous incidents which nearly cost me my
life. After having gone through those bad experiences, I came to value life
more.
One of these incidents took place at the old helipad in Genting
Highlands. It was about seven in the evening. Although it was a little dark, the
workers were still busy at work. I, together with six workers, were standing by
the side of a bulldozer. Due to the monsoon rains earlier, the place where the
bulldozer was operating suddenly caved in. I had felt the ground moving and
the spot where we were standing was beginning to wobble. Sensing that the
earth under our feet was giving way, I leapt sideways in the nick of time to
avoid being swept away. It was a close shave.
11/09/2000 1:37 PM
Page 67
MY DREAM
begun.
In late 1964, I approached the Pahang
Government for the land in Genting Sempah. In the
course of doing so, I learnt from the District Officer of
Bentong that the Federal Government indeed had a
plan to develop Genting Sempah. He advised me to
approach the Federal Government on this matter.
67
MY DREAM
FREEHOLD STATUS
With the recommendation of the Tunku, the

Pahang Government promptly approved our
application. But we encountered some problems with
the Selangor Government.
Datuk Harun Idris, then the Selangor Mentri Besar,
was only prepared to give the land on a 99-year lease.
HELP FROM THE TUNKU
This had totally upset our plan. I then decided to
appeal to Datuk Harun personally and explained to
Through the introduction of Tan Sri Haji Mohd
him my predicament.
Noah bin Omar, I met our first Prime Minister Tunku
At that meeting, I told him that Genting Sempah
Abdul Rahman to explain to him my concept of
was
a remote jungle area and it would take 30 to 40
At the worksite, Tan Sri Lim was the labourer, project
developing Gunung Ulu Kali into a holiday resort. It
years
and huge investments to build roads, hotels, staff
manager and engineer all in one.
was a very pleasant meeting. After listening to me
quarters and to install water and electricity supplies
patiently, the Tunku said the Government had indeed wanted to develop
and other amenities there. If the Selangor Government could only issue a 99Gunung Ulu Kali, but the project had not been implemented because of the
year lease, we would have to surrender the land to the Government almost as
constraints of time and money as well as the political situation then.
soon as the development was completed.
The Tunku told me that before any development could take place, a road
I emphasised that if Selangor did not accede to our request for a freehold
had to be built from the foot of the mountain to the top. Based on preliminary
title, I would have no choice but to develop only the land located on the
surveys by the Public Works Department, it was estimated that the road would
Pahang side of the border, thereby resulting in Pahang having yet another hill
take about 15 years to build. The Tunku also disclosed that the Government
resort. I pointed out that there were already many holiday resorts in Pahang
had financial constraints as it was then engaged in Confrontation with
such as Cameron Highlands, Frasers Hill and the many beaches facing the
Indonesia. If the Government were to spend a huge sum of money for the
South China Sea.
development of Gunung Ulu Kali, it would draw criticisms from the
Selangor, on the other hand, could only boast of the muddy beach in
Opposition, and this would turn it into a political issue. To avoid this, the
Morib. Once Genting Highlands was added to the list of resorts in Pahang,
Government thought it best to let the private sector undertake the project.
Selangor would be lagging far behind in terms of tourist attractions.
To the Tunku, it was obvious that my offer came at the most opportune
Datuk Harun was eventually convinced by my explanation and
time. He then asked me to prepare a project paper so that he could study it.
recommended to the State Government to grant freehold status to the land we
Within a week I completed the report and handed it to the Tunku. He was full
applied for.
of praise after reading it and gave me clearance to go ahead with the project.
On April 27, 1965, Tan Sri Haji Mohd Noah and I set up a private
UPHILL TASK
company called Genting Highlands Sdn Berhad. Between the years 1965 and
1970, we made applications to the Pahang and Selangor Governments for
We started work on August 18, 1965, two days after our application was
4,940 hectares and 1,110 hectares of freehold land respectively.
approved by the Selangor Government. I led a team of technicians and workers
to begin building the first access road to Gunung Ulu Kali, a mammoth-size
project that set the stage for the development of Genting Highlands.
I gave myself six years to complete the 20km road to the hilltop. While
the road was being built, the blueprint for the overall development of Genting
Highlands that included the road networks, hotels, entertainment centres and
a golf course also took shape.
I learned from PWD officials that in the original development plan of the
Government for Gunung Ulu Kali, there was a proposal to build a
telecommunications tower at the midway point up the hill. I proposed to the
Government that since I was building a road right to the top of Gunung Ulu
Kali, it should consider moving the tower to the hilltop for better reception.
The Government accepted my proposal on condition that the road must
be completed in three years. The Government would, in turn, give me a
subsidy of RM900,000 upon the completion of the road.
Just as we were halfway through the construction work, I had to start work
on the Kemubu Irrigation Scheme in Kelantan, a project which I had tendered
earlier. This meant that I had to supervise and co-ordinate the two projects
simultaneously. Shuttling between Kuala Lumpur and Kelantan, I had no rest,
not even on Sundays and public holidays.
At the worksite, I was the labourer, project manager and engineer all in
one. I was also the troubleshooter, doing all kinds of work and tackling all
kinds of problems. However, since I made all the decisions myself without
having to consult anyone else, work proceeded smoothly.
After working day and night for three years, we met the deadline in
completing the first access road to Genting Highlands. We received the
RM900,000 from the Government as promised. In those days, this was a very
substantial sum of money and was certainly a big boost to us.
NARROW ESCAPES
THE CHALLENGE
I accepted the challenge although it would mean that the completion of
the road had to be reduced from six to three years. So I decided to use shifts
to work round the clock. We divided our workforce into two teams: one to do
the survey work followed by the other to do the tree cutting, bulldozing and
road building.
Our starting point was at Batu 20 of the old Bentong Road. From there, we
started building the 12km access road, which wound its way through the thick
tropical rainforests up to the halfway point towards Gunung Ulu Kali. From
this midway site, we built an 8km road to the hilltop by skirting a granite area.
We intended to set up a midhill station and also to make full use of the granite
as building materials. In order to speed up road works, we set up quarters in
the jungle. Whenever necessary, I would put up there overnight with the
workers. We even used some of the caves as our living quarters.
I was totally committed to the project. I mobilised all the resources and
equipment of my own company, including bulldozers, tractors and lorries, to
accelerate the work. But since it was in the mid-1960s, we did not have
advanced machinery. As conditions were difficult and dangerous, progress
was slow.
68
The completion of the first access road to Genting Highlands was crucial
to my business career. It was not just cutting a road through the jungle. My
whole dream on Genting in fact hinged on the roads successful completion.
If I failed in building the road, my hopes for Genting would be shattered and
this would be a terrible setback for me.
In the development of Genting Highlands, be it the construction of the
access road or other expansion and upgrading projects, I was always in the
forefront, sometimes oblivious of my own safety. In those challenging days, I
encountered no fewer than six dangerous incidents which nearly cost me my
life. After having gone through those bad experiences, I came to value life
more.
One of these incidents took place at the old helipad in Genting
Highlands. It was about seven in the evening. Although it was a little dark, the
workers were still busy at work. I, together with six workers, were standing by
the side of a bulldozer. Due to the monsoon rains earlier, the place where the
bulldozer was operating suddenly caved in. I had felt the ground moving and
the spot where we were standing was beginning to wobble. Sensing that the
earth under our feet was giving way, I leapt sideways in the nick of time to
avoid being swept away. It was a close shave.
11/09/2000 1:37 PM
Page 69
MY DREAM
After recovering from the shock, I turned around to look for the other six
people. What a relief when I found all of them safe. If we were not alert then,
we would have been swept some 27 metres down the ravine and buried alive
under tons of muds. That night when I got home, I jokingly told my wife that I
went to hell but was turned back in order to continue my work!
The development of Genting Highlands was done not without cost.
Although I had six narrow escapes, there was only one fatal accident in which
a construction worker fell to his death from the 14th floor of a building due to
carelessness. To me, this is very consoling.
NO INCOME
69
During the initial period, I invested not only all the money I made from the
Kemubu Irrigation Scheme in Kelantan, I also sold my 810 hectares of rubber
estate in Segamat, Johor, to raise RM2.5 million as capital. This, together with
whatever I made from my previous ventures like iron-ore mining, subcontracting and hardware business, were all pumped into the resort project.
In the seven years beginning from the construction of the access road in
1965 to 1971 when Genting Highlands commenced business, I was spending
all my money on the project without getting any income. I was in dire straits
financially and my health was affected. But never did I, even for a moment,
think of giving up. On the other hand, when I approached friends to take up
shares in the project, they declined, with some advising me to drop the whole
project.
GOOD START
I must admit that the completion of the access road breathed life into the
development of Genting Highlands. It spurred me on as indeed a good
beginning is half a battle already won. After taking a short break, I set out to
work on the resort project again with total commitment. Works were carried
out without a break. Soon, 35 years have passed and I have now reached an
old ripe age of 83.
As Genting Highlands was an undulating mountain range with not much
flat land, room for development was quite limited. As a result, we had to use
MY DREAM
bulldozers to level vast tracts of land at the hilltop for infrastructure and
facilities.
During the initial period, my three biggest problems were the access road,
electricity and water supply. When I formulated the development plan of
Genting Highlands, building the access road was my first challenge. Only
after completing the access road could I devote my resources to tackle
problems relating to water and electricity supplies.
Since Genting Highlands is situated at the summit of the 1,800-metre
Gunung Ulu Kali, it would cost a fortune to draw water from other places. It
occurred to me that as Genting Highlands is in a mountainous jungle, there
ought to be an inexhaustible natural water supply. So why not make full use
of the natural water resource? My mind was made up and immediately I
mobilised people to comb the jungle in search of a source of water.
SECOND CHALLENGE
We soon found an ideal source of water supply on one side of the hilltop.
But to have the water supply was not enough. We had also to consider ways
to dispose of wastes and to have a proper sewerage system. After careful
consideration, we came up with a plan to take care of both needs.
We decided to turn one side of the forest area into a catchment area of
water supply for the whole of Genting Highlands. We would take good care
of it and protect it from being polluted. We would then establish a sewerage
system on the other side of the hill. As such, both sides of the hilltop would
be exploited for different but complementary purposes.
We adopted the policy of self-sufficiency in water supply. We set up and
operated our own supply system. This policy has remained unchanged till
today.
First, we built a catchment area where water obtained from nearby
streams was stored. After being treated, the water would be pumped upstream
to the hotels on the hilltop where it could be transferred to other distribution
points. As the water sourced from the mountain streams was clear and clean,
it required only simple processing and treatment to turn it into drinking water.
However, with the increase in the number of hotels and tourists visiting
Genting Highlands, the sole water supply system was no longer sufficient to
meet the increased demand. So, we sent another team to the jungle to scout
for more sources of water. The team succeeded in finding a major source at
the lower ravine of Gunung Ulu Kali.
This time around, we operated a reverse processing water supply
system. The operating cost of this system was very high because we had to put
in place many pump houses and power generators to pump the water up the
hill for treatment.
As the capacity of each water pump and the amount of water collected at
each collection station was limited, it was necessary to build four pump
houses and four collection stations to make the system work.
We had first to divert the stream water to a catchment area and then
channel it to the pump houses to be sent up to the hilltop.
At the hilltop, we had a treatment plant which could process 273,000
litres of drinking water per hour. The treated water would be stored in a
reservoir with a storage capacity of 7.3 million litres before it was distributed
to the various points for use.
As a precaution against unanticipated situations, we built water treatment
plants and reservoirs at the second and fourth pump houses. The volume of
stream water that could be treated and stored by these additional installations
was twice that of the first treatment plant.
To supply water to the midhill area of Genting Highlands, we initially used
a five-centimetre diameter pipe to draw water from the hilltop and stored it in
a big tank halfway up the hill for distribution. With rapid development,
demand for water in the midhill area also increased. So we identified
additional catchment areas to get more water. After treatment, the water
would be supplied directly to the midhill area of Genting Highlands.
Later we also found a source of stream water near the midhill area. We
built another treatment plant in Sri Layang which could process 205,000 litres
of drinking water per hour. We also built a reservoir capable of storing 4.5
million litres of water.
To cater for the growing demand for water in the midhill, we installed
another treatment plant and reservoir in the Awana area.
Up to now, we have constructed five treatment plants and 13 reservoirs of
various capacities to meet the resorts daily needs of 13.6 million litres of
drinking water.
With the expected completion of the proposed 6,300-room hotel, water

consumption will also increase. To meet the expected increase in demand, we
are now building a new reservoir which can store up to 136 million litres of
water for emergency use as well as another treatment plant.
To ensure an uninterrupted supply of drinking water and maintain the
water quality, we have taken various measures. These include designating
catchment areas that are far away from the development sites so as to ensure
that there is less risk of the source of water being polluted. We are also
preserving vast tracts of the jungle land for use as catchment areas.
GOING GREEN
In developing Genting Highlands, I have made efforts to protect the
environment and to leave nature undisturbed. I always insist that there should
be no development that will result in environmental damage.
In fact, I place water supply and environmental protection as my top
priority. I take great care to preserve the forests. Unless it is absolutely
necessary, I would not allow trees to be felled. Only a few areas are
earmarked for high-rise buildings and through careful maximising of land-use,
few trees are felled.
We have budgeted large sums of money for the replanting of trees and
promotion of horticulture. To date we have set aside 700 hectares as
Government forest reserve.
Our efforts in environmental conservation all these years have been
recognised internationally. Attracted by the natural environment in Awana
Genting Highlands, the Birdlife International Rare Bird Club held its world
conference in Awana Hotel in October, 1999.
At the conference attended by more than 100 bird lovers including
Birdlife International Honorary President Queen Noor of Jordan, I had the
honour of being invited to be a member of the Birdlife International Rare Bird
Club of the United Kingdom, thus becoming the first Malaysian to join the
club.
In fact, in the last 35 years, Genting has only developed 148 hectares or
3.4% of the vast land on the highlands. The remaining 96.6% of the highlands
is still virgin jungle.
70
11/09/2000 1:37 PM
Page 69
MY DREAM
After recovering from the shock, I turned around to look for the other six
people. What a relief when I found all of them safe. If we were not alert then,
we would have been swept some 27 metres down the ravine and buried alive
under tons of muds. That night when I got home, I jokingly told my wife that I
went to hell but was turned back in order to continue my work!
The development of Genting Highlands was done not without cost.
Although I had six narrow escapes, there was only one fatal accident in which
a construction worker fell to his death from the 14th floor of a building due to
carelessness. To me, this is very consoling.
NO INCOME
69
During the initial period, I invested not only all the money I made from the
Kemubu Irrigation Scheme in Kelantan, I also sold my 810 hectares of rubber
estate in Segamat, Johor, to raise RM2.5 million as capital. This, together with
whatever I made from my previous ventures like iron-ore mining, subcontracting and hardware business, were all pumped into the resort project.
In the seven years beginning from the construction of the access road in
1965 to 1971 when Genting Highlands commenced business, I was spending
all my money on the project without getting any income. I was in dire straits
financially and my health was affected. But never did I, even for a moment,
think of giving up. On the other hand, when I approached friends to take up
shares in the project, they declined, with some advising me to drop the whole
project.
GOOD START
I must admit that the completion of the access road breathed life into the
development of Genting Highlands. It spurred me on as indeed a good
beginning is half a battle already won. After taking a short break, I set out to
work on the resort project again with total commitment. Works were carried
out without a break. Soon, 35 years have passed and I have now reached an
old ripe age of 83.
As Genting Highlands was an undulating mountain range with not much
flat land, room for development was quite limited. As a result, we had to use
MY DREAM
bulldozers to level vast tracts of land at the hilltop for infrastructure and
facilities.
During the initial period, my three biggest problems were the access road,
electricity and water supply. When I formulated the development plan of
Genting Highlands, building the access road was my first challenge. Only
after completing the access road could I devote my resources to tackle
problems relating to water and electricity supplies.
Since Genting Highlands is situated at the summit of the 1,800-metre
Gunung Ulu Kali, it would cost a fortune to draw water from other places. It
occurred to me that as Genting Highlands is in a mountainous jungle, there
ought to be an inexhaustible natural water supply. So why not make full use
of the natural water resource? My mind was made up and immediately I
mobilised people to comb the jungle in search of a source of water.
SECOND CHALLENGE
We soon found an ideal source of water supply on one side of the hilltop.
But to have the water supply was not enough. We had also to consider ways
to dispose of wastes and to have a proper sewerage system. After careful
consideration, we came up with a plan to take care of both needs.
We decided to turn one side of the forest area into a catchment area of
water supply for the whole of Genting Highlands. We would take good care
of it and protect it from being polluted. We would then establish a sewerage
system on the other side of the hill. As such, both sides of the hilltop would
be exploited for different but complementary purposes.
We adopted the policy of self-sufficiency in water supply. We set up and
operated our own supply system. This policy has remained unchanged till
today.
First, we built a catchment area where water obtained from nearby
streams was stored. After being treated, the water would be pumped upstream
to the hotels on the hilltop where it could be transferred to other distribution
points. As the water sourced from the mountain streams was clear and clean,
it required only simple processing and treatment to turn it into drinking water.
However, with the increase in the number of hotels and tourists visiting
Genting Highlands, the sole water supply system was no longer sufficient to
meet the increased demand. So, we sent another team to the jungle to scout
for more sources of water. The team succeeded in finding a major source at
the lower ravine of Gunung Ulu Kali.
This time around, we operated a reverse processing water supply
system. The operating cost of this system was very high because we had to put
in place many pump houses and power generators to pump the water up the
hill for treatment.
As the capacity of each water pump and the amount of water collected at
each collection station was limited, it was necessary to build four pump
houses and four collection stations to make the system work.
We had first to divert the stream water to a catchment area and then
channel it to the pump houses to be sent up to the hilltop.
At the hilltop, we had a treatment plant which could process 273,000
litres of drinking water per hour. The treated water would be stored in a
reservoir with a storage capacity of 7.3 million litres before it was distributed
to the various points for use.
As a precaution against unanticipated situations, we built water treatment
plants and reservoirs at the second and fourth pump houses. The volume of
stream water that could be treated and stored by these additional installations
was twice that of the first treatment plant.
To supply water to the midhill area of Genting Highlands, we initially used
a five-centimetre diameter pipe to draw water from the hilltop and stored it in
a big tank halfway up the hill for distribution. With rapid development,
demand for water in the midhill area also increased. So we identified
additional catchment areas to get more water. After treatment, the water
would be supplied directly to the midhill area of Genting Highlands.
Later we also found a source of stream water near the midhill area. We
built another treatment plant in Sri Layang which could process 205,000 litres
of drinking water per hour. We also built a reservoir capable of storing 4.5
million litres of water.
To cater for the growing demand for water in the midhill, we installed
another treatment plant and reservoir in the Awana area.
Up to now, we have constructed five treatment plants and 13 reservoirs of
various capacities to meet the resorts daily needs of 13.6 million litres of
drinking water.
With the expected completion of the proposed 6,300-room hotel, water

consumption will also increase. To meet the expected increase in demand, we
are now building a new reservoir which can store up to 136 million litres of
water for emergency use as well as another treatment plant.
To ensure an uninterrupted supply of drinking water and maintain the
water quality, we have taken various measures. These include designating
catchment areas that are far away from the development sites so as to ensure
that there is less risk of the source of water being polluted. We are also
preserving vast tracts of the jungle land for use as catchment areas.
GOING GREEN
In developing Genting Highlands, I have made efforts to protect the
environment and to leave nature undisturbed. I always insist that there should
be no development that will result in environmental damage.
In fact, I place water supply and environmental protection as my top
priority. I take great care to preserve the forests. Unless it is absolutely
necessary, I would not allow trees to be felled. Only a few areas are
earmarked for high-rise buildings and through careful maximising of land-use,
few trees are felled.
We have budgeted large sums of money for the replanting of trees and
promotion of horticulture. To date we have set aside 700 hectares as
Government forest reserve.
Our efforts in environmental conservation all these years have been
recognised internationally. Attracted by the natural environment in Awana
Genting Highlands, the Birdlife International Rare Bird Club held its world
conference in Awana Hotel in October, 1999.
At the conference attended by more than 100 bird lovers including
Birdlife International Honorary President Queen Noor of Jordan, I had the
honour of being invited to be a member of the Birdlife International Rare Bird
Club of the United Kingdom, thus becoming the first Malaysian to join the
club.
In fact, in the last 35 years, Genting has only developed 148 hectares or
3.4% of the vast land on the highlands. The remaining 96.6% of the highlands
is still virgin jungle.
70
11/09/2000 1:54 PM
Page 71
MY DREAM
71
MY DREAM
During the early days of development, many timber loggers offered to buy
the logging rights on the highlands at attractive prices, but I turned down all
these offers.
To me, the surrounding jungle is Genting Highlands special feature as a
hill resort. The virgin jungle is one of the main attractions for tourists. It also
helps to preserve the cool and soothing temperature. Genting Highlands would
be no different from other resorts if it were to lose its vast tract of jungle.
money to upgrade our power generating equipment and maintaining our

existing power generators, to meet any contingencies. Having solved the basic
problem of water and electricity supplies, we moved on to many other projects
to improve and upgrade the facilities on Genting Highlands. Till today, many
new projects as well as expansion works are still being carried out.
THIRD CHALLENGE
As Genting Highlands is located at a hilltop away from the major towns,

we decided to set up our own fire-fighting team. In 1982, we built a five-storey
fire station equipped with alarm systems and fire-and-rescue operations
equipment.
In 1997, after having operated it on our own for nearly 30 years, we
handed the fire-fighting services to the Government. We felt that it could be
better managed by the proper authorities especially as Genting Highlands
continued to expand with its many development projects.
In handing over the services, we also donated to the Government two
German fire engines with turntable ladders which can extend to a height of
52 metres and a fire-fighting machine, costing RM6.5 million.
All these advanced and high-powered machines were designed for use on
hilly roads. This makes the Genting Highlands fire station one of the best
equipped in the country.
On Gentings electricity supply, we initially used 12 large generators to

supply electricity to Genting Highlands via the central electricity storage
system. However, with the rapid development, this method of supplying
electricity was inadequate to meet our demands.
In the late 1970s, we applied to the then National Electricity Board (NEB)
for a bulk supply deal. But our application was rejected because of the high
costs and supply difficulties in laying cables over a distance of 20km to the
hilltop.
We had no alternative but to rely on our own resources. We obtained our
electricity supply through constructing a supply unit at the foot of the hill linked
to the grid system of the NEB. The system, including the building of cable
towers and electricity transmission substations, cost us more than RM20
million.
The greatest challenge was building the cable towers all the way up the hill
through the thick forest of Gunung Ulu Kali. There was no other access road
except the one built by us. We could not, therefore, adopt the conventional
method of using vans or four-wheel drive vehicles to transport the materials
and workers to the designated sites.
To overcome this, we used helicopters to transport the raw materials and
component parts of the cable towers to the selected sites. Our workers had to
trudge through the thick jungle everyday to reach the worksites and this
hampered our work. Despite these challenges, we completed our work on
schedule and Genting Highlands finally got its full electricity supply in April
1984.
To ensure that electricity supply is not disrupted, we spent huge sums of
BEST EQUIPPED
HISTORIC MOMENT
March 31, 1969 was the historic day for Genting Highlands. On that
bright, sunny day, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman was invited to lay the
foundation stone of our first hotel, Highlands Hotel (now renamed Theme
Park Hotel).
On this auspicious day, our Bapa Malaysia brought us a pleasant surprise.
In his speech, he said he was moved by my efforts to develop, without
Government help, a hill resort for all Malaysians and had, at the same time,
contributed greatly to the tourism industry of our country. To help expedite the
development of tourism in this remote area, he said the Government would
favourably consider allowing Genting Highlands to operate a casino.
Immediately after the Tunkus pleasant announcement, I

months of co-operation, we however agreed to terminate the
decided to upgrade the proposed 38-room Highlands Hotel
agreement. From then on, Genting took over the operation of
to 200 rooms.
the casino and through trial and error, we acquired the skills
Meanwhile, I told myself that since the Tunku had
of casino management.
declared that the Government was prepared to give me a
WIN-WIN SITUATION
casino licence, I should visit Macau and South Korea to
study casino operations there. We could take a leaf out of
Genting Highlands started operations in May 1971. Soon
their book and learn from them. I also wanted to explore the
after that, I applied to the Treasury for pioneer status.
possibilities of inviting the operators of these casinos to
Although I had learnt earlier that due to its nature of
participate in the running of the Genting casino.
business, Genting Highlands did not qualify for pioneer
An assistant and I arrived in Hong Kong on April 20,
status, I still proceeded to make an application. This was
1969 en route to Macau to meet Stanley Ho who owns
because I maintained that tax incentives were vital for us at
Macaus only casino. I told him the purpose of my visit. He
the initial stage of development.
responded with a smile without committing anything. I
A dialogue with six senior officials from the Treasury,
knew what he meant. As I had not obtained the casino
The resorts fire-fighting services section was
Inland
Revenue Department, Attorney Generals Office and
licence yet, how could we talk about co-operation? Hence,
handed to the Government in 1997.
the Ministry of Trade and Industry was arranged. But I was
I decided there and then that upon my return to Malaysia, I
advised by a senior management staff to give up the idea. With a smile, I told
would apply for the casino licence straight away.
him: `Dont worry. You just accompany me there and be my interpreter.
On April 28, 1969, the day after my return to Kuala Lumpur, I submitted
As soon as the dialogue began, one of the Government officials told me
my application for a casino licence to the Government through the Tunkus
straight in the face that the Genting project did not qualify as an industry for
personal assistant. Quite by chance, a Cabinet meeting was held that very
pioneer status. He said that not only did it not qualify for tax incentives, it
afternoon and my application was brought up for discussion. At that meeting,
should, in fact, pay higher tax like any other casino in the world.
the Cabinet approved my application, merely six hours after its submission. I
I said I begged to differ. I went to great lengths to explain that giving
was later told to collect the approval letter. Hence Genting Highlands became
pioneer status to Genting Highlands would bring benefits instead of losses to
the first and only casino licence holder in the country.
the Governnment.
Once the approval was obtained, I telegraphed the good news and later
I said that although Genting was making an annual profit of RM2 million,
sent the relevant documents to Stanley Ho. Two weeks later, I flew to Hong
40% or RM800,000 went towards the payment of tax, leaving only RM1.2
Kong again to meet him to see how we could co-operate in running the
million for reinvestment. For this reason, its development was bound to be
casino. Stanley Ho expressed surprise that I could get the Governments
approval for a casino licence in such a short time. He said I was the fastest
slow.
man in the world to secure a casino licence. But, due to various reasons, we
If Genting Highlands was given a five-year tax holiday, all the profits we
failed to reach a co-operation agreement.
made could be used for the development of hotels, tourist facilities, manmade lakes, a cable car system, golf courses, the Chin Swee Caves Temple,
Subsequently, I entered into a deal with Mr Chong Tat Wong, the operator
and other projects.
of the only casino in Seoul. We entered into a three-year agreement in 1971,
When these projects were completed, our revenue would increase many
allowing him to assist in the management of Genting casino. After nine
72
11/09/2000 1:54 PM
Page 71
MY DREAM
71
MY DREAM
During the early days of development, many timber loggers offered to buy
the logging rights on the highlands at attractive prices, but I turned down all
these offers.
To me, the surrounding jungle is Genting Highlands special feature as a
hill resort. The virgin jungle is one of the main attractions for tourists. It also
helps to preserve the cool and soothing temperature. Genting Highlands would
be no different from other resorts if it were to lose its vast tract of jungle.
money to upgrade our power generating equipment and maintaining our

existing power generators, to meet any contingencies. Having solved the basic
problem of water and electricity supplies, we moved on to many other projects
to improve and upgrade the facilities on Genting Highlands. Till today, many
new projects as well as expansion works are still being carried out.
THIRD CHALLENGE
As Genting Highlands is located at a hilltop away from the major towns,

we decided to set up our own fire-fighting team. In 1982, we built a five-storey
fire station equipped with alarm systems and fire-and-rescue operations
equipment.
In 1997, after having operated it on our own for nearly 30 years, we
handed the fire-fighting services to the Government. We felt that it could be
better managed by the proper authorities especially as Genting Highlands
continued to expand with its many development projects.
In handing over the services, we also donated to the Government two
German fire engines with turntable ladders which can extend to a height of
52 metres and a fire-fighting machine, costing RM6.5 million.
All these advanced and high-powered machines were designed for use on
hilly roads. This makes the Genting Highlands fire station one of the best
equipped in the country.
On Gentings electricity supply, we initially used 12 large generators to

supply electricity to Genting Highlands via the central electricity storage
system. However, with the rapid development, this method of supplying
electricity was inadequate to meet our demands.
In the late 1970s, we applied to the then National Electricity Board (NEB)
for a bulk supply deal. But our application was rejected because of the high
costs and supply difficulties in laying cables over a distance of 20km to the
hilltop.
We had no alternative but to rely on our own resources. We obtained our
electricity supply through constructing a supply unit at the foot of the hill linked
to the grid system of the NEB. The system, including the building of cable
towers and electricity transmission substations, cost us more than RM20
million.
The greatest challenge was building the cable towers all the way up the hill
through the thick forest of Gunung Ulu Kali. There was no other access road
except the one built by us. We could not, therefore, adopt the conventional
method of using vans or four-wheel drive vehicles to transport the materials
and workers to the designated sites.
To overcome this, we used helicopters to transport the raw materials and
component parts of the cable towers to the selected sites. Our workers had to
trudge through the thick jungle everyday to reach the worksites and this
hampered our work. Despite these challenges, we completed our work on
schedule and Genting Highlands finally got its full electricity supply in April
1984.
To ensure that electricity supply is not disrupted, we spent huge sums of
BEST EQUIPPED
HISTORIC MOMENT
March 31, 1969 was the historic day for Genting Highlands. On that
bright, sunny day, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman was invited to lay the
foundation stone of our first hotel, Highlands Hotel (now renamed Theme
Park Hotel).
On this auspicious day, our Bapa Malaysia brought us a pleasant surprise.
In his speech, he said he was moved by my efforts to develop, without
Government help, a hill resort for all Malaysians and had, at the same time,
contributed greatly to the tourism industry of our country. To help expedite the
development of tourism in this remote area, he said the Government would
favourably consider allowing Genting Highlands to operate a casino.
Immediately after the Tunkus pleasant announcement, I

months of co-operation, we however agreed to terminate the
decided to upgrade the proposed 38-room Highlands Hotel
agreement. From then on, Genting took over the operation of
to 200 rooms.
the casino and through trial and error, we acquired the skills
Meanwhile, I told myself that since the Tunku had
of casino management.
declared that the Government was prepared to give me a
WIN-WIN SITUATION
casino licence, I should visit Macau and South Korea to
study casino operations there. We could take a leaf out of
Genting Highlands started operations in May 1971. Soon
their book and learn from them. I also wanted to explore the
after that, I applied to the Treasury for pioneer status.
possibilities of inviting the operators of these casinos to
Although I had learnt earlier that due to its nature of
participate in the running of the Genting casino.
business, Genting Highlands did not qualify for pioneer
An assistant and I arrived in Hong Kong on April 20,
status, I still proceeded to make an application. This was
1969 en route to Macau to meet Stanley Ho who owns
because I maintained that tax incentives were vital for us at
Macaus only casino. I told him the purpose of my visit. He
the initial stage of development.
responded with a smile without committing anything. I
A dialogue with six senior officials from the Treasury,
knew what he meant. As I had not obtained the casino
The resorts fire-fighting services section was
Inland
Revenue Department, Attorney Generals Office and
licence yet, how could we talk about co-operation? Hence,
handed to the Government in 1997.
the Ministry of Trade and Industry was arranged. But I was
I decided there and then that upon my return to Malaysia, I
advised by a senior management staff to give up the idea. With a smile, I told
would apply for the casino licence straight away.
him: `Dont worry. You just accompany me there and be my interpreter.
On April 28, 1969, the day after my return to Kuala Lumpur, I submitted
As soon as the dialogue began, one of the Government officials told me
my application for a casino licence to the Government through the Tunkus
straight in the face that the Genting project did not qualify as an industry for
personal assistant. Quite by chance, a Cabinet meeting was held that very
pioneer status. He said that not only did it not qualify for tax incentives, it
afternoon and my application was brought up for discussion. At that meeting,
should, in fact, pay higher tax like any other casino in the world.
the Cabinet approved my application, merely six hours after its submission. I
I said I begged to differ. I went to great lengths to explain that giving
was later told to collect the approval letter. Hence Genting Highlands became
pioneer status to Genting Highlands would bring benefits instead of losses to
the first and only casino licence holder in the country.
the Governnment.
Once the approval was obtained, I telegraphed the good news and later
I said that although Genting was making an annual profit of RM2 million,
sent the relevant documents to Stanley Ho. Two weeks later, I flew to Hong
40% or RM800,000 went towards the payment of tax, leaving only RM1.2
Kong again to meet him to see how we could co-operate in running the
million for reinvestment. For this reason, its development was bound to be
casino. Stanley Ho expressed surprise that I could get the Governments
approval for a casino licence in such a short time. He said I was the fastest
slow.
man in the world to secure a casino licence. But, due to various reasons, we
If Genting Highlands was given a five-year tax holiday, all the profits we
failed to reach a co-operation agreement.
made could be used for the development of hotels, tourist facilities, manmade lakes, a cable car system, golf courses, the Chin Swee Caves Temple,
Subsequently, I entered into a deal with Mr Chong Tat Wong, the operator
and other projects.
of the only casino in Seoul. We entered into a three-year agreement in 1971,
When these projects were completed, our revenue would increase many
allowing him to assist in the management of Genting casino. After nine
72
11/09/2000 1:54 PM
Page 73
MY DREAM
73
folds. As a result, the tax payable on the sixth year could well exceed the total
amount of tax exempted during the five-year tax holiday period.
I argued that granting pioneer status to Genting Highlands was like giving
it a five-year Government loan which would be more than repaid after the
sixth year. After having listened to me, the officials were convinced. They
accepted my arguments and promised to recommend to the Government to
grant pioneer status to Genting Highlands resort. The Government accepted
their recommendation and we were given a five-year pioneer status with
effect from May 8, 1971.
I must thank the Government for its sound decision in granting Genting
Highlands the much needed incentives at its initial stage of development.
Because of the five-year tax holiday, a huge amount of funds became
available for reinvestment and Genting Highlands was able to increase its
revenue substantially.
The taxes collected later by the Government far exceeded the total
amount exempted during the five-year tax holiday period. This has turned out
to be a win-win situation for both Genting Highlands and the Government.
BEYOND EXPECTATION
Right from the start, I had full confidence in the development of Genting
Highlands. But the manner and speed with which it was so transformed from
my original concept was beyond my expectation. Initially, my plan was to
build a 38-room hotel with some basic tourist amenities. But today what
turned out is entirely different from what I had conceived some 35 years ago.
GOING BIG
In 1989, we set up Resorts World Bhd (RWB) in a major restructuring
exercise to take over the management of all the tourism activities under the
Genting Group. The establishment of RWB marked an important watershed in
the development of the Genting Group. RWB was listed on the Kuala Lumpur
Stock Exchange and it took over the entire operations of Genting Highlands at
the end of 1989.
To enable more people to become shareholders, RWB offered 190 million
MY DREAM
shares for public subscription at RM2.30 each, with 30% reserved for
bumiputras.
RWB played a leading role in the future development of Genting
Highlands. Its first move was to carry out a five-year development plan (19901995) with additional tourist projects costing RM2 billion. This would further
enhance existing facilities.
The plan included the construction of the 821-room Resorts Hotel, the
313-room Awana Hotel and the 888-room Highlands Hotel. We also built the
indoor and outdoor theme parks; the second, third and fourth staff quarters
and the second and third car parks, additional water treatment plants; and
environment-friendly incinerators. We are also spending another RM1 billion
to build a budget hotel with 6,300 rooms.
RWB bore RM22.5 million of the total RM51.5 million construction costs.
The road was opened to traffic on Aug 1, 1993 and it has since become a
popular route for motorists going up to Genting Highlands.
Previously, tourists from the northern region and the east coast had to
travel via Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves and Karak Highway to Genting
Highlands. The new access road from Batang Kali has shortened their journey
by about 70km and travelling time by between two and three hours. We also
widened the 10km stretch from the foot of the mountain to Gohtong Jaya into
a four-lane carriageway. The project cost us RM120 million. With all these
improvements, driving up to Genting Highlands nowadays is a breeze. The
journey from the Gombak Toll Plaza to Gohtong Jaya can now be covered in
25 minutes.
RESORT FOR ALL
LONGEST CABLE CAR
We will have eight hotels with more than 10,000 rooms when the latest
one is completed. This plus another 4,000 more rooms in the staff quarters,
will give us close to 15,000 rooms in Genting Highlands.
Genting Highlands is my labour of love. I have spared no efforts in striving
for its perfection. We spent some RM600 million on a mammoth indoor and
outdoor theme park as well as various entertainment facilities. These place
Genting Highlands on par with many famous tourist resorts elswhere in the
world.
As a tourist resort, Genting Highlands focuses not only on its casino
operations. Our efforts are geared towards developing Genting Highlands into
an entertainment city, a centre of attraction to the young and old. This concept
has made Genting Highlands a popular tourist destination, one packed with
visitors. In 1999 alone, more than 12 million tourists visited Genting
Highlands.
Tourist arrivals continued to rise, particularly on weekends and public
holidays. To ease traffic congestions, RWB took prompt actions in joining
hands with the Government to build a new access road from Batang Kali. The
road was completed in conjunction with the Governments new move to
promote tourism. The 17km new road was built for the convenience of tourists
from the northern region and east coast of the peninsula.
For a smoother and safer journey, we spent RM128 million on the

construction of the Skyway cable car system from Gohtong Jaya to the hilltop.
This is an additional means of transport. Now it just takes 12 minutes to cover
the 3.8km distance to the hilltop in a cable car. The system, which was
launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Feb 21,
1997, can ferry up to 2,000 passengers per hour. It is the longest and fastest
cable car system in South East Asia. The Genting Skyway cable car system also
made its way to the inaugural issue of Malaysias Guinness Book of Records
published on December 9, 1998.
PROSPEROUS TOWNSHIP
In 1993, Genting Development Sdn Bhd, a private company of mine,
began to develop Gohtong Jaya on a 81-hectare piece of land at the seventh
milestone of Jalan Genting Highlands. Gohtong Jaya was opened by the
Sultan of Pahang on March 25, 1999. Gohtong Jaya is a township complete
with apartments, shops, restaurants, hotels, educational institutions, a
clubhouse and a police station. With its year-round mild weather, it is an ideal
place to live or holiday in. It is only about 45 minutes drive from Kuala
Lumpur.
I have plans to add other facilities such as schools and a medical centre
in Gohtong Jaya in its next phase of development. Being a commercial-cumresidential area, Gohtong Jaya will eventually become a prosperous township
as suggested by its name in Bahasa Malaysia.
GOING HI-TECH
Genting Group is by no means limited to the leisure and tourism business.
The company, in fact, began to diversify as early as the late 1970s. With
leisure and tourism as its core business, the company also ventured into the
plantation, property development, paper manufacturing, power generation,
oil and gas exploration, and cruise businesses.
In our pursuit of technology enhancement and business advancement into
the 21st Century, E-Genting Holdings Sdn Bhd was incorporated in 1999 with
the vision to be an Information Technology leader in the use and adoption of
new technology in e-commerce and e-engineering.
SUPPORT FROM THE TOP

The Malaysian Government has been extremely kind to me in my
capacity as the developer of Genting Highlands. I owe greatly to the past and
present Prime Ministers for their support and encouragement which have
enabled my colleagues and I to realise our dream of turning a desolate
mountain into the countrys top tourist resort.
I would like to thank the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, our first Prime
Minister, for giving me the opportunity to take up such a challenge. His
confidence and encouragement to me had given me the confidence and
courage to embark on the daunting task of developing Genting Highlands.
The Tunku told me that he did not expect Genting, situated in immensely
difficult terrain, to be developed within such a short period of time. That I was
able to conquer this mountain through sheer hard work was quite
`unthinkable, he said to me.
The Tunku was a kind-hearted leader. Even till today, his words of support
and encouragement still ring in my ears. His affable smiles remain forever in
my memory. If it is said that I am the father of Genting Highlands
74
11/09/2000 1:54 PM
Page 73
MY DREAM
73
folds. As a result, the tax payable on the sixth year could well exceed the total
amount of tax exempted during the five-year tax holiday period.
I argued that granting pioneer status to Genting Highlands was like giving
it a five-year Government loan which would be more than repaid after the
sixth year. After having listened to me, the officials were convinced. They
accepted my arguments and promised to recommend to the Government to
grant pioneer status to Genting Highlands resort. The Government accepted
their recommendation and we were given a five-year pioneer status with
effect from May 8, 1971.
I must thank the Government for its sound decision in granting Genting
Highlands the much needed incentives at its initial stage of development.
Because of the five-year tax holiday, a huge amount of funds became
available for reinvestment and Genting Highlands was able to increase its
revenue substantially.
The taxes collected later by the Government far exceeded the total
amount exempted during the five-year tax holiday period. This has turned out
to be a win-win situation for both Genting Highlands and the Government.
BEYOND EXPECTATION
Right from the start, I had full confidence in the development of Genting
Highlands. But the manner and speed with which it was so transformed from
my original concept was beyond my expectation. Initially, my plan was to
build a 38-room hotel with some basic tourist amenities. But today what
turned out is entirely different from what I had conceived some 35 years ago.
GOING BIG
In 1989, we set up Resorts World Bhd (RWB) in a major restructuring
exercise to take over the management of all the tourism activities under the
Genting Group. The establishment of RWB marked an important watershed in
the development of the Genting Group. RWB was listed on the Kuala Lumpur
Stock Exchange and it took over the entire operations of Genting Highlands at
the end of 1989.
To enable more people to become shareholders, RWB offered 190 million
MY DREAM
shares for public subscription at RM2.30 each, with 30% reserved for
bumiputras.
RWB played a leading role in the future development of Genting
Highlands. Its first move was to carry out a five-year development plan (19901995) with additional tourist projects costing RM2 billion. This would further
enhance existing facilities.
The plan included the construction of the 821-room Resorts Hotel, the
313-room Awana Hotel and the 888-room Highlands Hotel. We also built the
indoor and outdoor theme parks; the second, third and fourth staff quarters
and the second and third car parks, additional water treatment plants; and
environment-friendly incinerators. We are also spending another RM1 billion
to build a budget hotel with 6,300 rooms.
RWB bore RM22.5 million of the total RM51.5 million construction costs.
The road was opened to traffic on Aug 1, 1993 and it has since become a
popular route for motorists going up to Genting Highlands.
Previously, tourists from the northern region and the east coast had to
travel via Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves and Karak Highway to Genting
Highlands. The new access road from Batang Kali has shortened their journey
by about 70km and travelling time by between two and three hours. We also
widened the 10km stretch from the foot of the mountain to Gohtong Jaya into
a four-lane carriageway. The project cost us RM120 million. With all these
improvements, driving up to Genting Highlands nowadays is a breeze. The
journey from the Gombak Toll Plaza to Gohtong Jaya can now be covered in
25 minutes.
RESORT FOR ALL
LONGEST CABLE CAR
We will have eight hotels with more than 10,000 rooms when the latest
one is completed. This plus another 4,000 more rooms in the staff quarters,
will give us close to 15,000 rooms in Genting Highlands.
Genting Highlands is my labour of love. I have spared no efforts in striving
for its perfection. We spent some RM600 million on a mammoth indoor and
outdoor theme park as well as various entertainment facilities. These place
Genting Highlands on par with many famous tourist resorts elswhere in the
world.
As a tourist resort, Genting Highlands focuses not only on its casino
operations. Our efforts are geared towards developing Genting Highlands into
an entertainment city, a centre of attraction to the young and old. This concept
has made Genting Highlands a popular tourist destination, one packed with
visitors. In 1999 alone, more than 12 million tourists visited Genting
Highlands.
Tourist arrivals continued to rise, particularly on weekends and public
holidays. To ease traffic congestions, RWB took prompt actions in joining
hands with the Government to build a new access road from Batang Kali. The
road was completed in conjunction with the Governments new move to
promote tourism. The 17km new road was built for the convenience of tourists
from the northern region and east coast of the peninsula.
For a smoother and safer journey, we spent RM128 million on the

construction of the Skyway cable car system from Gohtong Jaya to the hilltop.
This is an additional means of transport. Now it just takes 12 minutes to cover
the 3.8km distance to the hilltop in a cable car. The system, which was
launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Feb 21,
1997, can ferry up to 2,000 passengers per hour. It is the longest and fastest
cable car system in South East Asia. The Genting Skyway cable car system also
made its way to the inaugural issue of Malaysias Guinness Book of Records
published on December 9, 1998.
PROSPEROUS TOWNSHIP
In 1993, Genting Development Sdn Bhd, a private company of mine,
began to develop Gohtong Jaya on a 81-hectare piece of land at the seventh
milestone of Jalan Genting Highlands. Gohtong Jaya was opened by the
Sultan of Pahang on March 25, 1999. Gohtong Jaya is a township complete
with apartments, shops, restaurants, hotels, educational institutions, a
clubhouse and a police station. With its year-round mild weather, it is an ideal
place to live or holiday in. It is only about 45 minutes drive from Kuala
Lumpur.
I have plans to add other facilities such as schools and a medical centre
in Gohtong Jaya in its next phase of development. Being a commercial-cumresidential area, Gohtong Jaya will eventually become a prosperous township
as suggested by its name in Bahasa Malaysia.
GOING HI-TECH
Genting Group is by no means limited to the leisure and tourism business.
The company, in fact, began to diversify as early as the late 1970s. With
leisure and tourism as its core business, the company also ventured into the
plantation, property development, paper manufacturing, power generation,
oil and gas exploration, and cruise businesses.
In our pursuit of technology enhancement and business advancement into
the 21st Century, E-Genting Holdings Sdn Bhd was incorporated in 1999 with
the vision to be an Information Technology leader in the use and adoption of
new technology in e-commerce and e-engineering.
SUPPORT FROM THE TOP

The Malaysian Government has been extremely kind to me in my
capacity as the developer of Genting Highlands. I owe greatly to the past and
present Prime Ministers for their support and encouragement which have
enabled my colleagues and I to realise our dream of turning a desolate
mountain into the countrys top tourist resort.
I would like to thank the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, our first Prime
Minister, for giving me the opportunity to take up such a challenge. His
confidence and encouragement to me had given me the confidence and
courage to embark on the daunting task of developing Genting Highlands.
The Tunku told me that he did not expect Genting, situated in immensely
difficult terrain, to be developed within such a short period of time. That I was
able to conquer this mountain through sheer hard work was quite
`unthinkable, he said to me.
The Tunku was a kind-hearted leader. Even till today, his words of support
and encouragement still ring in my ears. His affable smiles remain forever in
my memory. If it is said that I am the father of Genting Highlands
74
11/09/2000 1:54 PM
Page 75
MY DREAM
75
of lending support to Genting. One day in

developments, I must be quick to add that it
1978, Tun Hussein and his entourage came to
was the Tunku who made that role of mine
Awana Golf & Country Club for golf. I was
possible.
accompanying him then. Tun Hussein told me
It was the Tunkus wish in those days to
that the Government appreciated my
develop Gunung Ulu Kali into a hill resort.
contributions to the nations tourism industry
The fact that I have now accomplished the job
and that he would nominate me for a Tan Srimeans the Tunku also had his wish fulfilled.
ship award.
The late Tun Abdul Razak, the countrys
I was touched by his gesture. But I told him
second Prime Minister, like his predecessor,
that I was not qualified for the award. I
showered me with the same kind of support
suggested that instead of awarding me a Tan
and encouragement. I can still recall vividly
`Genting is really a story of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong Datuk Seri Dr
Mahathir said at the resorts 25th anniversary dinner on August 11, 1990. Sri, it would be better to give Genting an
his first visit to Genting Highlands in 1975.
additional year of pioneer status for this could
When he arrived on that sunny morning, I
result in more funds being available for expansion projects.
had great honour and pleasure to receive him and to show him what we had
Tun Hussein smiled and replied that the Tan Sri-ship award was a
achieved.
recognition of my contributions to the nation. It was an honour that could not
Wearing a hat and with a walking stick, he walked briskly to the site of the
be bought with money. Subsequently, on the Yang di-Pertuan Agongs birthday
water tank, the spot below the coffee-house of the present Genting Hotel.
in 1979, I was conferred the Tan Sri title.
It was a spot which offers a breathtaking view of Kuala Lumpur, Bentong
I will forever remember the support and encouragement given to me by
and Batang Kali. Standing in the cool breeze and looking around in
Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, our present Prime Minister. On many
appreciation, Tun Abdul Razak exclaimed: : `Beautiful, just like Switzerland.
occasions the Prime Minister publicly expressed his support for Genting. He
His remarks cheered me up immediately. I could not help telling him that
generously praised me and accorded me recognition.
his kind words were undoubtedly the best encouragement to me and that his
At Gentings 25th Anniversary Dinner on August 11, 1990, the Prime
words put to rest all the fatigue and worries that had plagued me for the past
Minister made the following remarks in his speech:seven years.
`Genting is really a story of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, a story of success that
He also told me that although the Government had given large sums of
is quite unprecedented even in Malaysia, where many people have met with
money to the various states for tourism development, not a single state had
a great deal of success.
achieved the results like mine. I thanked him for his praises. Jokingly, I told
`... from Tan Sri Lims achievements, you can see that even though a man
him that his good words might give me sleepless nights.
may be born elsewhere, he can always realise his dreams of building his
Tun Abdul Razaks visit to Genting Highlands, I later learnt, brought a
business empire in Malaysia.
windfall to the resort. After the visit, he proposed at a Cabinet meeting that all
`He has only a limited educational background. He does not speak
hill resort businesses be given a six-year pioneer status. This meant a one-year
English, converses only in Hokkien and some Malay, yet he had been able to
extension to the original five years. The proposal was approved by the Cabinet
succeed in business this was not easy.
and Genting Highlands benefited in tax savings to the tune of RM8 million.
I feel flattered and honoured by what the Prime Minister said of me. I
Thus we had more funds to develop the resort.
would like to thank Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Under his leadership,
The late Tun Hussein Onn, our third Prime Minister, had his very own way
MY DREAM
Malaysia has been able to sustain not only social and political stability but
also vibrant growth in all sectors of the national economy. The peoples
confidence in his leadership is best seen in their positive response to the
`Vision 2020 he sets out. Under this favourable social and economic
environment, Genting Highlands is well poised to grow from strength to
strength as a business group.
I am blessed with the good fortune of having enjoyed cordial relationship
with the countrys Prime Ministers during my life time. They have individually
extended support and care to Genting and I. It is truly a relationship I specially
treasure.
WORKING TOGETHER
I would also like to thank all the directors and staff of Genting Highlands
for their dedication and contribution that have made my dream come true.
The stories of their hard work and dedication are part and parcel of the
Genting history.
Today, the Genting Group has a workforce of 14,000 people. Many of
them have been with us from the days we started construction of the first
access road. To repay their contribution, I always pay attention to their welfare
which forms an integral part in the development of Genting.
I treat my employees well. Likewise, they respect and treat me well. We
work together without running into major problems. On Workers Day, 1997,
the workers union paid me tribute for having looked after their welfare and
for giving them my support. They did this by placing an advertisement in the
English newspapers. I was deeply touched by the unions gesture.
In recognition of my contributions, Genting and I were given the `Most
Caring Employer Award by the Human Resources Ministry in 1996.
HARD WORK AND AWARDS

We regard the many awards we have received all these years as a
recognition of our service to the country. These awards include: Malaysian Entrepreneurs Award 1985;
Manager Of The year Award 1986;

Business Achiever Of The Year Award 1994;
No 1 Ranking Of 10 Malaysian Leading Companies 1996; and
The Best Employer Award 1996.
Besides these, Genting was top among the Malaysian companies in the
Far Eastern Economic Reviews Survey of 200 Asias leading companies for
five consecutive years from 1995 to 1999.
In recognition of my contributions to tourism over the years, the
Government presented me a `Special Tourism Award in 1997. In recognition
of my past contributions and support, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society
awarded me its highest award of Honorary Life Member in 1990 and the 50th
Anniversary Commemorative Medal in 1998.
I attribute these awards to the hard work of the directors and staff of
Genting. The company and I only acted as their representatives to receive the
awards. Genting belongs to all the directors and staff. We are proud of our
employees.
Gentings success today is the result of public support and the combined
efforts of all those who love Genting. I would like to thank them from the
bottom of my heart.
SPIRIT OF GIVE AND TAKE

I strongly believe that a corporation has its social responsibility too.
Guided by the spirit of give and take, Genting has never failed to play its role
in so far as social and charity activities are concerned.
In 1978, I set up my own family foundation called the `Lim Foundation
to do charity, particularly in meeting educational and medical needs. We also
pay attention to the handicapped and old folks.
Genting has allowed me to reach great heights in my career. It gives me a
sense of satisfaction derived from the fact that I have the opportunity to
participate in the nations economic development.
Genting Highlands has enabled me to realise my dream. I am happy to
conclude that Genting, which means on top of the clouds in Chinese, has
come to represent my humble contribution to the national economy. To me,
it is a paradise on top of the clouds which Malaysians can be proud of.
76
11/09/2000 1:54 PM
Page 75
MY DREAM
75
of lending support to Genting. One day in

developments, I must be quick to add that it
1978, Tun Hussein and his entourage came to
was the Tunku who made that role of mine
Awana Golf & Country Club for golf. I was
possible.
accompanying him then. Tun Hussein told me
It was the Tunkus wish in those days to
that the Government appreciated my
develop Gunung Ulu Kali into a hill resort.
contributions to the nations tourism industry
The fact that I have now accomplished the job
and that he would nominate me for a Tan Srimeans the Tunku also had his wish fulfilled.
ship award.
The late Tun Abdul Razak, the countrys
I was touched by his gesture. But I told him
second Prime Minister, like his predecessor,
that I was not qualified for the award. I
showered me with the same kind of support
suggested that instead of awarding me a Tan
and encouragement. I can still recall vividly
`Genting is really a story of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong Datuk Seri Dr
Mahathir said at the resorts 25th anniversary dinner on August 11, 1990. Sri, it would be better to give Genting an
his first visit to Genting Highlands in 1975.
additional year of pioneer status for this could
When he arrived on that sunny morning, I
result in more funds being available for expansion projects.
had great honour and pleasure to receive him and to show him what we had
Tun Hussein smiled and replied that the Tan Sri-ship award was a
achieved.
recognition of my contributions to the nation. It was an honour that could not
Wearing a hat and with a walking stick, he walked briskly to the site of the
be bought with money. Subsequently, on the Yang di-Pertuan Agongs birthday
water tank, the spot below the coffee-house of the present Genting Hotel.
in 1979, I was conferred the Tan Sri title.
It was a spot which offers a breathtaking view of Kuala Lumpur, Bentong
I will forever remember the support and encouragement given to me by
and Batang Kali. Standing in the cool breeze and looking around in
Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, our present Prime Minister. On many
appreciation, Tun Abdul Razak exclaimed: : `Beautiful, just like Switzerland.
occasions the Prime Minister publicly expressed his support for Genting. He
His remarks cheered me up immediately. I could not help telling him that
generously praised me and accorded me recognition.
his kind words were undoubtedly the best encouragement to me and that his
At Gentings 25th Anniversary Dinner on August 11, 1990, the Prime
words put to rest all the fatigue and worries that had plagued me for the past
Minister made the following remarks in his speech:seven years.
`Genting is really a story of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, a story of success that
He also told me that although the Government had given large sums of
is quite unprecedented even in Malaysia, where many people have met with
money to the various states for tourism development, not a single state had
a great deal of success.
achieved the results like mine. I thanked him for his praises. Jokingly, I told
`... from Tan Sri Lims achievements, you can see that even though a man
him that his good words might give me sleepless nights.
may be born elsewhere, he can always realise his dreams of building his
Tun Abdul Razaks visit to Genting Highlands, I later learnt, brought a
business empire in Malaysia.
windfall to the resort. After the visit, he proposed at a Cabinet meeting that all
`He has only a limited educational background. He does not speak
hill resort businesses be given a six-year pioneer status. This meant a one-year
English, converses only in Hokkien and some Malay, yet he had been able to
extension to the original five years. The proposal was approved by the Cabinet
succeed in business this was not easy.
and Genting Highlands benefited in tax savings to the tune of RM8 million.
I feel flattered and honoured by what the Prime Minister said of me. I
Thus we had more funds to develop the resort.
would like to thank Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Under his leadership,
The late Tun Hussein Onn, our third Prime Minister, had his very own way
MY DREAM
Malaysia has been able to sustain not only social and political stability but
also vibrant growth in all sectors of the national economy. The peoples
confidence in his leadership is best seen in their positive response to the
`Vision 2020 he sets out. Under this favourable social and economic
environment, Genting Highlands is well poised to grow from strength to
strength as a business group.
I am blessed with the good fortune of having enjoyed cordial relationship
with the countrys Prime Ministers during my life time. They have individually
extended support and care to Genting and I. It is truly a relationship I specially
treasure.
WORKING TOGETHER
I would also like to thank all the directors and staff of Genting Highlands
for their dedication and contribution that have made my dream come true.
The stories of their hard work and dedication are part and parcel of the
Genting history.
Today, the Genting Group has a workforce of 14,000 people. Many of
them have been with us from the days we started construction of the first
access road. To repay their contribution, I always pay attention to their welfare
which forms an integral part in the development of Genting.
I treat my employees well. Likewise, they respect and treat me well. We
work together without running into major problems. On Workers Day, 1997,
the workers union paid me tribute for having looked after their welfare and
for giving them my support. They did this by placing an advertisement in the
English newspapers. I was deeply touched by the unions gesture.
In recognition of my contributions, Genting and I were given the `Most
Caring Employer Award by the Human Resources Ministry in 1996.
HARD WORK AND AWARDS

We regard the many awards we have received all these years as a
recognition of our service to the country. These awards include: Malaysian Entrepreneurs Award 1985;
Manager Of The year Award 1986;

Business Achiever Of The Year Award 1994;
No 1 Ranking Of 10 Malaysian Leading Companies 1996; and
The Best Employer Award 1996.
Besides these, Genting was top among the Malaysian companies in the
Far Eastern Economic Reviews Survey of 200 Asias leading companies for
five consecutive years from 1995 to 1999.
In recognition of my contributions to tourism over the years, the
Government presented me a `Special Tourism Award in 1997. In recognition
of my past contributions and support, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society
awarded me its highest award of Honorary Life Member in 1990 and the 50th
Anniversary Commemorative Medal in 1998.
I attribute these awards to the hard work of the directors and staff of
Genting. The company and I only acted as their representatives to receive the
awards. Genting belongs to all the directors and staff. We are proud of our
employees.
Gentings success today is the result of public support and the combined
efforts of all those who love Genting. I would like to thank them from the
bottom of my heart.
SPIRIT OF GIVE AND TAKE

I strongly believe that a corporation has its social responsibility too.
Guided by the spirit of give and take, Genting has never failed to play its role
in so far as social and charity activities are concerned.
In 1978, I set up my own family foundation called the `Lim Foundation
to do charity, particularly in meeting educational and medical needs. We also
pay attention to the handicapped and old folks.
Genting has allowed me to reach great heights in my career. It gives me a
sense of satisfaction derived from the fact that I have the opportunity to
participate in the nations economic development.
Genting Highlands has enabled me to realise my dream. I am happy to
conclude that Genting, which means on top of the clouds in Chinese, has
come to represent my humble contribution to the national economy. To me,
it is a paradise on top of the clouds which Malaysians can be proud of.
76

Lim Goh Tong - Mydream

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RWB_11221_MyDreambook_W15

GENTINGS NAME IN CHINESE

How did Yun Ding evolve?

The original Chinese acronym chosen by Tan Sri Lim Goh

Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong had a dream in

GENTINGS NAME IN CHINESE

How did Yun Ding evolve?

The original Chinese acronym chosen by Tan Sri Lim Goh

Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong had a dream in

S the world ushers in a new millennium with much joy and

personal involvement with Genting Highlands over the past 35 years.

As soon as I returned from Cameron Highlands, I wasted no time in

S the world ushers in a new millennium with much joy and

personal involvement with Genting Highlands over the past 35 years.

As soon as I returned from Cameron Highlands, I wasted no time in

With the recommendation of the Tunku, the

With the recommendation of the Tunku, the

With the expected completion of the proposed 6,300-room hotel, water

With the expected completion of the proposed 6,300-room hotel, water

money to upgrade our power generating equipment and maintaining our

As Genting Highlands is located at a hilltop away from the major towns,

On Gentings electricity supply, we initially used 12 large generators to

Immediately after the Tunkus pleasant announcement, I

money to upgrade our power generating equipment and maintaining our

As Genting Highlands is located at a hilltop away from the major towns,

On Gentings electricity supply, we initially used 12 large generators to

Immediately after the Tunkus pleasant announcement, I

RESORT FOR ALL

LONGEST CABLE CAR

For a smoother and safer journey, we spent RM128 million on the

SUPPORT FROM THE TOP

RESORT FOR ALL

LONGEST CABLE CAR

For a smoother and safer journey, we spent RM128 million on the

SUPPORT FROM THE TOP

of lending support to Genting. One day in

HARD WORK AND AWARDS

Manager Of The year Award 1986;

SPIRIT OF GIVE AND TAKE

of lending support to Genting. One day in

HARD WORK AND AWARDS

Manager Of The year Award 1986;

SPIRIT OF GIVE AND TAKE

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