Lim Goh Tong_mydream

Transcript of Lim Goh Tong_mydream

6463

My Dreamas narrated by TAN SRI LIM GOH TONG

Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong had a dream inCameron Highlands in 1964. One yearlater, the dream took shape building aroad to the top of the 1,800-metre hill inGenting.

GENTINGS NAME IN CHINESE

The company name of Genting is derived directly fromGenting Sempah, the mountain where Genting Highlands islocated.

The Chinese acronym for Genting, pronounced as Yun Dingcarries the literal meaning of on top of the clouds.

How did Yun Ding evolve?

The original Chinese acronym chosen by Tan Sri Lim GohTong was Yin Ding, meaning silver top. The word Yin (silver) waschosen because the idea of developing Genting originated whileTan Sri Lim was in Cameron Highlands. Cameron in Chinese isJin 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, hencethe name Yun Ding, until today.

RWB_11221_MyDreambook_W15 11/09/2000 1:34 PM Page 63
6463

My Dreamas narrated by TAN SRI LIM GOH TONG

Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong had a dream inCameron Highlands in 1964. One yearlater, the dream took shape building aroad to the top of the 1,800-metre hill inGenting.

GENTINGS NAME IN CHINESE

The company name of Genting is derived directly fromGenting Sempah, the mountain where Genting Highlands islocated.

The Chinese acronym for Genting, pronounced as Yun Dingcarries the literal meaning of on top of the clouds.

How did Yun Ding evolve?

The original Chinese acronym chosen by Tan Sri Lim GohTong was Yin Ding, meaning silver top. The word Yin (silver) waschosen because the idea of developing Genting originated whileTan Sri Lim was in Cameron Highlands. Cameron in Chinese isJin 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, hencethe name Yun Ding, until today.

MY DREAM

AS the world ushers in a new millennium with much joy andexpectations, Genting Highlands, a world-class resort, alsocelebrates its 35th anniversary. On this auspicious occasion, I findgreat 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 avirgin 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 Ministersfor their encouragement.

Their encouragement has spurred me on to overcome obstacles andhindrances to making what Genting Highlands is today, a hill resort that isself-contained with world-class facilities.

We have come a long way. From a purely tourism project, we havediversified into other businesses with impressive results. But GentingHighlands will always remain my first devotion. I have it always in my mind,thinking constantly about how to enhance its facilities and make it moreexciting and attractive to the public.

Thus in 1998, in order to shorten the journey and to make travel saferand more comfortable, I invested a huge sum of money to turn the 10kmaccess road leading up to Gohtong Jaya into a four-lane carriageway,reducing driving time from Kuala Lumpur to Gohtong Jaya to a mere 45minutes.

From there, it is only a 12-minute ride by cable car to the hilltop. Thewhole journey from Kuala Lumpur to the hilltop has thus been shortened tojust an hour. It is safe and convenient.

The other landmark project that is in progress is the 6,300-room budgethotel in Genting Highlands to meet the increasing needs of tourists. This willbe the worlds largest in terms of rooms.

The first 1,000 rooms will be ready by the end of 2000. With itscompletion, the initial stage of Genting Highlands overall development willbe completed.

Time flies. As the resort expands and rapidly transforms itself, it dawns onme with suddenness that I am already 83. I cannot help but reflect upon my

personal involvement with Genting Highlands over the past 35 years.A COOL IDEA

It all began way back in 1964 when I was a sub-contractor for part of theCameron hydro-electric dam project in Cameron Highlands. The maincontractor, a renowned West German company, awarded me the job becauseI had already established myself in the construction industry.

It was there during an evening stroll that I hit upon the idea of developinga hill resort near Kuala Lumpur. On that fateful night, I had dinner with thegeneral manager and chief engineer of the German company. There were nineother people. After several rounds of drinks, I went out of the stuffy room forsome cool air.

The night scene at Cameron Highlands was enchanting. As I stood theretaking in the view, a sudden gust of cool air refreshed me. The breeze also setme thinking.

It occurred to me that Malaysia is a tropical country and the climate is hotall the year round. People can only enjoy the cool and crisp air in CameronHighlands 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 toCameron Highlands then took at least four to five hours.

Thereupon I had an idea. I decided to develop a retirement retreat on ahighland where I could spend my old age. I would also want to offer myfriends an opportunity to fulfil their wish of enjoying mild climate all yearround in a place that is close by.

Kuala Lumpur, being the capital city, is the hub of political, economic andcultural activities of the nation. I reckoned a resort located in the vicinity ofKuala Lumpur would certainly enjoy many strategic advantages.

My next question was to find a piece of land high on the mountains nearKuala Lumpur. The question kept bugging me. Then I remembered that theonly place suitable for development as a resort were the hills around Bentongto the east of Kuala Lumpur. Having crystallised my thoughts, I took a look atthe night scene of Cameron Highlands with its myriad of twinkling lightsunder the night sky and all of a sudden, I could visualise a Shangri-la takingshape in the distant horizon.

That night I could not sleep. I was thinking about and planning my new

project. I was so excited with the idea that I wanted to start work right away.QUICK ACTION

As soon as I returned from Cameron Highlands, I wasted no time intranslating the idea into action. First of all, I got hold of a map of Bentongdistrict and started searching for a most suitable location in the highlands torealise my cherished plan.

After studying the map over and over again, I realised that the area fromGenting Sempah to the top of Gunung Ulu Kali was suitable for resortdevelopment. Located 1,800 metres above sea level, the mountain was only58km 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, Iorganised a trip to explore Gunung Ulu Kali immediately. With severalassistants, I criss-crossed steep mountains and thick forests, waded throughstreams and rivers, to reach the hilltop.

At the hilltop, I was so overwhelmed by the surroundings that I forgot myexhaustion. I felt as if I was floating in the clouds. It was so cold that I had toavail myself of the liquor brought along by me to keep warm. As I lookedaround, I could see in my mind the proposed retreat taking shape.

At that very moment, another thought struck me: why not expand the ideaand develop the mountain into a holiday resort.

Gunung Ulu Kali, I then realised, was even better located than CameronHighlands as a resort. Furthermore, Malaysia was then a newly independentcountry and the economy was bound to take off. Given time, the countrywould become prosperous and once society becomes affluent, people wouldhave the extra cash and opportunity to go for leisure activities. I could foreseethe huge potential of a hill resort as tourism boomed. So I changed my planthere 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 toreally understand the terrain, the soil formation, and the rivers and streams ofthe mountains. This would give me some ideas on how to formulate theoverall plan for its development.

Subsequently, I realised that this remote mountain was positioned on theborder of Pahang and Selangor. I was at a loss as how to approach theGovernment to apply for this piece of mountainous land. The task had just

MY DREAM

66

MY DREAM

AS the world ushers in a new millennium with much joy andexpectations, Genting Highlands, a world-class resort, alsocelebrates its 35th anniversary. On this auspicious occasion, I findgreat 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 avirgin 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 Ministersfor their encouragement.

Their encouragement has spurred me on to overcome obstacles andhindrances to making what Genting Highlands is today, a hill resort that isself-contained with world-class facilities.

We have come a long way. From a purely tourism project, we havediversified into other businesses with impressive results. But GentingHighlands will always remain my first devotion. I have it always in my mind,thinking constantly about how to enhance its facilities and make it moreexciting and attractive to the public.

Thus in 1998, in order to shorten the journey and to make travel saferand more comfortable, I invested a huge sum of money to turn the 10kmaccess road leading up to Gohtong Jaya into a four-lane carriageway,reducing driving time from Kuala Lumpur to Gohtong Jaya to a mere 45minutes.

From there, it is only a 12-minute ride by cable car to the hilltop. Thewhole journey from Kuala Lumpur to the hilltop has thus been shortened tojust an hour. It is safe and convenient.

The other landmark project that is in progress is the 6,300-room budgethotel in Genting Highlands to meet the increasing needs of tourists. This willbe the worlds largest in terms of rooms.

The first 1,000 rooms will be ready by the end of 2000. With itscompletion, the initial stage of Genting Highlands overall development willbe completed.

Time flies. As the resort expands and rapidly transforms itself, it dawns onme with suddenness that I am already 83. I cannot help but reflect upon my

personal involvement with Genting Highlands over the past 35 years.A COOL IDEA

It all began way back in 1964 when I was a sub-contractor for part of theCameron hydro-electric dam project in Cameron Highlands. The maincontractor, a renowned West German company, awarded me the job becauseI had already established myself in the construction industry.

It was there during an evening stroll that I hit upon the idea of developinga hill resort near Kuala Lumpur. On that fateful night, I had dinner with thegeneral manager and chief engineer of the German company. There were nineother people. After several rounds of drinks, I went out of the stuffy room forsome cool air.

The night scene at Cameron Highlands was enchanting. As I stood theretaking in the view, a sudden gust of cool air refreshed me. The breeze also setme thinking.

It occurred to me that Malaysia is a tropical country and the climate is hotall the year round. People can only enjoy the cool and crisp air in CameronHighlands 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 toCameron Highlands then took at least four to five hours.

Thereupon I had an idea. I decided to develop a retirement retreat on ahighland where I could spend my old age. I would also want to offer myfriends an opportunity to fulfil their wish of enjoying mild climate all yearround in a place that is close by.

Kuala Lumpur, being the capital city, is the hub of political, economic andcultural activities of the nation. I reckoned a resort located in the vicinity ofKuala Lumpur would certainly enjoy many strategic advantages.

My next question was to find a piece of land high on the mountains nearKuala Lumpur. The question kept bugging me. Then I remembered that theonly place suitable for development as a resort were the hills around Bentongto the east of Kuala Lumpur. Having crystallised my thoughts, I took a look atthe night scene of Cameron Highlands with its myriad of twinkling lightsunder the night sky and all of a sudden, I could visualise a Shangri-la takingshape in the distant horizon.

That night I could not sleep. I was thinking about and planning my new

project. I was so excited with the idea that I wanted to start work right away.QUICK ACTION

As soon as I returned from Cameron Highlands, I wasted no time intranslating the idea into action. First of all, I got hold of a map of Bentongdistrict and started searching for a most suitable location in the highlands torealise my cherished plan.

After studying the map over and over again, I realised that the area fromGenting Sempah to the top of Gunung Ulu Kali was suitable for resortdevelopment. Located 1,800 metres above sea level, the mountain was only58km 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, Iorganised a trip to explore Gunung Ulu Kali immediately. With severalassistants, I criss-crossed steep mountains and thick forests, waded throughstreams and rivers, to reach the hilltop.

At the hilltop, I was so overwhelmed by the surroundings that I forgot myexhaustion. I felt as if I was floating in the clouds. It was so cold that I had toavail myself of the liquor brought along by me to keep warm. As I lookedaround, I could see in my mind the proposed retreat taking shape.

At that very moment, another thought struck me: why not expand the ideaand develop the mountain into a holiday resort.

Gunung Ulu Kali, I then realised, was even better located than CameronHighlands as a resort. Furthermore, Malaysia was then a newly independentcountry and the economy was bound to take off. Given time, the countrywould become prosperous and once society becomes affluent, people wouldhave the extra cash and opportunity to go for leisure activities. I could foreseethe huge potential of a hill resort as tourism boomed. So I changed my planthere 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 toreally understand the terrain, the soil formation, and the rivers and streams ofthe mountains. This would give me some ideas on how to formulate theoverall plan for its development.

Subsequently, I realised that this remote mountain was positioned on theborder of Pahang and Selangor. I was at a loss as how to approach theGovernment to apply for this piece of mountainous land. The task had just

MY DREAM

66

begun.In late 1964, I approached the Pahang

Government for the land in Genting Sempah. In thecourse of doing so, I learnt from the District Officer ofBentong that the Federal Government indeed had aplan to develop Genting Sempah. He advised me toapproach the Federal Government on this matter.

HELP FROM THE TUNKU

Through the introduction of Tan Sri Haji MohdNoah bin Omar, I met our first Prime Minister TunkuAbdul Rahman to explain to him my concept ofdeveloping Gunung Ulu Kali into a holiday resort. Itwas a very pleasant meeting. After listening to mepatiently, the Tunku said the Government had indeed wanted to developGunung Ulu Kali, but the project had not been implemented because of theconstraints of time and money as well as the political situation then.

The Tunku told me that before any development could take place, a roadhad to be built from the foot of the mountain to the top. Based on preliminarysurveys by the Public Works Department, it was estimated that the road wouldtake about 15 years to build. The Tunku also disclosed that the Governmenthad financial constraints as it was then engaged in Confrontation withIndonesia. If the Government were to spend a huge sum of money for thedevelopment of Gunung Ulu Kali, it would draw criticisms from theOpposition, and this would turn it into a political issue. To avoid this, theGovernment thought it best to let the private sector undertake the project.

To the Tunku, it was obvious that my offer came at the most opportunetime. He then asked me to prepare a project paper so that he could study it.Within a week I completed the report and handed it to the Tunku. He was fullof 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 privatecompany called Genting Highlands Sdn Berhad. Between the years 1965 and1970, we made applications to the Pahang and Selangor Governments for4,940 hectares and 1,110 hectares of freehold land respectively.

FREEHOLD STATUS

With the recommendation of the Tunku, thePahang Government promptly approved ourapplication. But we encountered some problems withthe Selangor Government.

Datuk Harun Idris, then the Selangor Mentri Besar,was only prepared to give the land on a 99-year lease.This had totally upset our plan. I then decided toappeal to Datuk Harun personally and explained tohim my predicament.

At that meeting, I told him that Genting Sempahwas a remote jungle area and it would take 30 to 40years and huge investments to build roads, hotels, staffquarters and to install water and electricity supplies

and other amenities there. If the Selangor Government could only issue a 99-year lease, we would have to surrender the land to the Government almost assoon as the development was completed.

I emphasised that if Selangor did not accede to our request for a freeholdtitle, I would have no choice but to develop only the land located on thePahang side of the border, thereby resulting in Pahang having yet another hillresort. I pointed out that there were already many holiday resorts in Pahangsuch as Cameron Highlands, Frasers Hill and the many beaches facing theSouth China Sea.

Selangor, on the other hand, could only boast of the muddy beach inMorib. Once Genting Highlands was added to the list of resorts in Pahang,Selangor would be lagging far behind in terms of tourist attractions.

Datuk Harun was eventually convinced by my explanation andrecommended to the State Government to grant freehold status to the land weapplied for.

UPHILL TASK

We started work on August 18, 1965, two days after our application wasapproved 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-sizeproject that set the stage for the development of Genting Highlands.

I gave myself six years to complete the 20km road to the hilltop. Whilethe road was being built, the blueprint for the overall development of GentingHighlands that included the road networks, hotels, entertainment centres anda golf course also took shape.

I learned from PWD officials that in the original development plan of theGovernment for Gunung Ulu Kali, there was a proposal to build atelecommunications tower at the midway point up the hill. I proposed to theGovernment that since I was building a road right to the top of Gunung UluKali, it should consider moving the tower to the hilltop for better reception.

The Government accepted my proposal on condition that the road mustbe completed in three years. The Government would, in turn, give me asubsidy of RM900,000 upon the completion of the road.

THE CHALLENGE

I accepted the challenge although it would mean that the completion ofthe road had to be reduced from six to three years. So I decided to use shiftsto work round the clock. We divided our workforce into two teams: one to dothe survey work followed by the other to do the tree cutting, bulldozing androad building.

Our starting point was at Batu 20 of the old Bentong Road. From there, westarted building the 12km access road, which wound its way through the thicktropical rainforests up to the halfway point towards Gunung Ulu Kali. Fromthis 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 graniteas building materials. In order to speed up road works, we set up quarters inthe jungle. Whenever necessary, I would put up there overnight with theworkers. We even used some of the caves as our living quarters.

I was totally committed to the project. I mobilised all the resources andequipment of my own company, including bulldozers, tractors and lorries, toaccelerate the work. But since it was in the mid-1960s, we did not haveadvanced machinery. As conditions were difficult and dangerous, progresswas slow.

Just as we were halfway through the construction work, I had to start workon the Kemubu Irrigation Scheme in Kelantan, a project which I had tenderedearlier. This meant that I had to supervise and co-ordinate the two projectssimultaneously. 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 inone. I was also the troubleshooter, doing all kinds of work and tackling allkinds of problems. However, since I made all the decisions myself withouthaving to consult anyone else, work proceeded smoothly.

After working day and night for three years, we met the deadline incompleting the first access road to Genting Highlands. We received theRM900,000 from the Government as promised. In those days, this was a verysubstantial sum of money and was certainly a big boost to us.

NARROW ESCAPES

The completion of the first access road to Genting Highlands was crucialto my business career. It was not just cutting a road through the jungle. Mywhole 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 andthis would be a terrible setback for me.

In the development of Genting Highlands, be it the construction of theaccess road or other expansion and upgrading projects, I was always in theforefront, sometimes oblivious of my own safety. In those challenging days, Iencountered no fewer than six dangerous incidents which nearly cost me mylife. After having gone through those bad experiences, I came to value lifemore.

One of these incidents took place at the old helipad in GentingHighlands. It was about seven in the evening. Although it was a little dark, theworkers were still busy at work. I, together with six workers, were standing bythe side of a bulldozer. Due to the monsoon rains earlier, the place where thebulldozer was operating suddenly caved in. I had felt the ground moving andthe spot where we were standing was beginning to wobble. Sensing that theearth under our feet was giving way, I leapt sideways in the nick of time toavoid being swept away. It was a close shave.

MY DREAM MY DREAM

6867

At the worksite, Tan Sri Lim was the labourer, projectmanager and engineer all in one.

begun.In late 1964, I approached the Pahang

Government for the land in Genting Sempah. In thecourse of doing so, I learnt from the District Officer ofBentong that the Federal Government indeed had aplan to develop Genting Sempah. He advised me toapproach the Federal Government on this matter.

HELP FROM THE TUNKU

Through the introduction of Tan Sri Haji MohdNoah bin Omar, I met our first Prime Minister TunkuAbdul Rahman to explain to him my concept ofdeveloping Gunung Ulu Kali into a holiday resort. Itwas a very pleasant meeting. After listening to mepatiently, the Tunku said the Government had indeed wanted to developGunung Ulu Kali, but the project had not been implemented because of theconstraints of time and money as well as the political situation then.

The Tunku told me that before any development could take place, a roadhad to be built from the foot of the mountain to the top. Based on preliminarysurveys by the Public Works Department, it was estimated that the road wouldtake about 15 years to build. The Tunku also disclosed that the Governmenthad financial constraints as it was then engaged in Confrontation withIndonesia. If the Government were to spend a huge sum of money for thedevelopment of Gunung Ulu Kali, it would draw criticisms from theOpposition, and this would turn it into a political issue. To avoid this, theGovernment thought it best to let the private sector undertake the project.

To the Tunku, it was obvious that my offer came at the most opportunetime. He then asked me to prepare a project paper so that he could study it.Within a week I completed the report and handed it to the Tunku. He was fullof 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 privatecompany called Genting Highlands Sdn Berhad. Between the years 1965 and1970, we made applications to the Pahang and Selangor Governments for4,940 hectares and 1,110 hectares of freehold land respectively.

FREEHOLD STATUS

With the recommendation of the Tunku, thePahang Government promptly approved ourapplication. But we encountered some problems withthe Selangor Government.

Datuk Harun Idris, then the Selangor Mentri Besar,was only prepared to give the land on a 99-year lease.This had totally upset our plan. I then decided toappeal to Datuk Harun personally and explained tohim my predicament.

At that meeting, I told him that Genting Sempahwas a remote jungle area and it would take 30 to 40years and huge investments to build roads, hotels, staffquarters and to install water and electricity supplies

and other amenities there. If the Selangor Government could only issue a 99-year lease, we would have to surrender the land to the Government almost assoon as the development was completed.

I emphasised that if Selangor did not accede to our request for a freeholdtitle, I would have no choice but to develop only the land located on thePahang side of the border, thereby resulting in Pahang having yet another hillresort. I pointed out that there were already many holiday resorts in Pahangsuch as Cameron Highlands, Frasers Hill and the many beaches facing theSouth China Sea.

Selangor, on the other hand, could only boast of the muddy beach inMorib. Once Genting Highlands was added to the list of resorts in Pahang,Selangor would be lagging far behind in terms of tourist attractions.

Datuk Harun was eventually convinced by my explanation andrecommended to the State Government to grant freehold status to the land weapplied for.

UPHILL TASK

We started work on August 18, 1965, two days after our application wasapproved 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-sizeproject that set the stage for the development of Genting Highlands.

I gave myself six years to complete the 20km road to the hilltop. Whilethe road was being built, the blueprint for the overall development of GentingHighlands that included the road networks, hotels, entertainment centres anda golf course also took shape.

I learned from PWD officials that in the original development plan of theGovernment for Gunung Ulu Kali, there was a proposal to build atelecommunications tower at the midway point up the hill. I proposed to theGovernment that since I was building a road right to the top of Gunung UluKali, it should consider moving the tower to the hilltop for better reception.

The Government accepted my proposal on condition that the road mustbe completed in three years. The Government would, in turn, give me asubsidy of RM900,000 upon the completion of the road.

THE CHALLENGE

I accepted the challenge although it would mean that the completion ofthe road had to be reduced from six to three years. So I decided to use shiftsto work round the clock. We divided our workforce into two teams: one to dothe survey work followed by the other to do the tree cutting, bulldozing androad building.

Our starting point was at Batu 20 of the old Bentong Road. From there, westarted building the 12km access road, which wound its way through the thicktropical rainforests up to the halfway point towards Gunung Ulu Kali. Fromthis 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 graniteas building materials. In order to speed up road works, we set up quarters inthe jungle. Whenever necessary, I would put up there overnight with theworkers. We even used some of the caves as our living quarters.

I was totally committed to the project. I mobilised all the resources andequipment of my own company, including bulldozers, tractors and lorries, toaccelerate the work. But since it was in the mid-1960s, we did not haveadvanced machinery. As conditions were difficult and dangerous, progresswas slow.

Just as we were halfway through the construction work, I had to start workon the Kemubu Irrigation Scheme in Kelantan, a project which I had tenderedearlier. This meant that I had to supervise and co-ordinate the two projectssimultaneously. 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 inone. I was also the troubleshooter, doing all kinds of work and tackling allkinds of problems. However, since I made all the decisions myself withouthaving to consult anyone else, work proceeded smoothly.

After working day and night for three years, we met the deadline incompleting the first access road to Genting Highlands. We received theRM900,000 from the Government as promised. In those days, this was a verysubstantial sum of money and was certainly a big boost to us.

NARROW ESCAPES

The completion of the first access road to Genting Highlands was crucialto my business career. It was not just cutting a road through the jungle. Mywhole 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 andthis would be a terrible setback for me.

In the development of Genting Highlands, be it the construction of theaccess road or other expansion and upgrading projects, I was always in theforefront, sometimes oblivious of my own safety. In those challenging days, Iencountered no fewer than six dangerous incidents which nearly cost me mylife. After having gone through those bad experiences, I came to value lifemore.

One of these incidents took place at the old helipad in GentingHighlands. It was about seven in the evening. Although it was a little dark, theworkers were still busy at work. I, together with six workers, were standing bythe side of a bulldozer. Due to the monsoon rains earlier, the place where thebulldozer was operating suddenly caved in. I had felt the ground moving andthe spot where we were standing was beginning to wobble. Sensing that theearth under our feet was giving way, I leapt sideways in the nick of time toavoid being swept away. It was a close shave.

MY DREAM MY DREAM

6867

At the worksite, Tan Sri Lim was the labourer, projectmanager and engineer all in one.

After recovering from the shock, I turned around to look for the other sixpeople. 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 aliveunder tons of muds. That night when I got home, I jokingly told my wife that Iwent 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 whicha construction worker fell to his death from the 14th floor of a building due tocarelessness. To me, this is very consoling.

NO INCOME

During the initial period, I invested not only all the money I made from theKemubu Irrigation Scheme in Kelantan, I also sold my 810 hectares of rubberestate in Segamat, Johor, to raise RM2.5 million as capital. This, together withwhatever I made from my previous ventures like iron-ore mining, sub-contracting and hardware business, were all pumped into the resort project.

In the seven years beginning from the construction of the access road in1965 to 1971 when Genting Highlands commenced business, I was spendingall my money on the project without getting any income. I was in dire straitsfinancially 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 upshares in the project, they declined, with some advising me to drop the wholeproject.

GOOD START

I must admit that the completion of the access road breathed life into thedevelopment of Genting Highlands. It spurred me on as indeed a goodbeginning is half a battle already won. After taking a short break, I set out towork on the resort project again with total commitment. Works were carriedout without a break. Soon, 35 years have passed and I have now reached anold ripe age of 83.

As Genting Highlands was an undulating mountain range with not muchflat land, room for development was quite limited. As a result, we had to use

bulldozers to level vast tracts of land at the hilltop for infrastructure andfacilities.

During the initial period, my three biggest problems were the access road,electricity and water supply. When I formulated the development plan ofGenting Highlands, building the access road was my first challenge. Onlyafter completing the access road could I devote my resources to tackleproblems relating to water and electricity supplies.

Since Genting Highlands is situated at the summit of the 1,800-metreGunung Ulu Kali, it would cost a fortune to draw water from other places. Itoccurred to me that as Genting Highlands is in a mountainous jungle, thereought to be an inexhaustible natural water supply. So why not make full useof the natural water resource? My mind was made up and immediately Imobilised 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 waysto dispose of wastes and to have a proper sewerage system. After carefulconsideration, 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 ofwater supply for the whole of Genting Highlands. We would take good careof it and protect it from being polluted. We would then establish a seweragesystem on the other side of the hill. As such, both sides of the hilltop wouldbe exploited for different but complementary purposes.

We adopted the policy of self-sufficiency in water supply. We set up andoperated our own supply system. This policy has remained unchanged tilltoday.

First, we built a catchment area where water obtained from nearbystreams was stored. After being treated, the water would be pumped upstreamto the hotels on the hilltop where it could be transferred to other distributionpoints. 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 visitingGenting Highlands, the sole water supply system was no longer sufficient to

meet the increased demand. So, we sent another team to the jungle to scoutfor more sources of water. The team succeeded in finding a major source atthe lower ravine of Gunung Ulu Kali.

This time around, we operated a reverse processing water supplysystem. The operating cost of this system was very high because we had to putin place many pump houses and power generators to pump the water up thehill for treatment.

As the capacity of each water pump and the amount of water collected ateach collection station was limited, it was necessary to build four pumphouses and four collection stations to make the system work.

We had first to divert the stream water to a catchment area and thenchannel it to the pump houses to be sent up to the hilltop.

At the hilltop, we had a treatment plant which could process 273,000litres of drinking water per hour. The treated water would be stored in areservoir with a storage capacity of 7.3 million litres before it was distributedto the various points for use.

As a precaution against unanticipated situations, we built water treatmentplants and reservoirs at the second and fourth pump houses. The volume ofstream water that could be treated and stored by these additional installationswas twice that of the first treatment plant.

To supply water to the midhill area of Genting Highlands, we initially useda five-centimetre diameter pipe to draw water from the hilltop and stored it ina big tank halfway up the hill for distribution. With rapid development,demand for water in the midhill area also increased. So we identifiedadditional catchment areas to get more water. After treatment, the waterwould be supplied directly to the midhill area of Genting Highlands.

Later we also found a source of stream water near the midhill area. Webuilt another treatment plant in Sri Layang which could process 205,000 litresof drinking water per hour. We also built a reservoir capable of storing 4.5million litres of water.

To cater for the growing demand for water in the midhill, we installedanother treatment plant and reservoir in the Awana area.

Up to now, we have constructed five treatment plants and 13 reservoirs ofvarious capacities to meet the resorts daily needs of 13.6 million litres ofdrinking water.

With the expected completion of the proposed 6,300-room hotel, waterconsumption will also increase. To meet the expected increase in demand, weare now building a new reservoir which can store up to 136 million litres ofwater for emergency use as well as another treatment plant.

To ensure an uninterrupted supply of drinking water and maintain thewater quality, we have taken various measures. These include designatingcatchment areas that are far away from the development sites so as to ensurethat there is less risk of the source of water being polluted. We are alsopreserving vast tracts of the jungle land for use as catchment areas.

GOING GREEN

In developing Genting Highlands, I have made efforts to protect theenvironment and to leave nature undisturbed. I always insist that there shouldbe no development that will result in environmental damage.

In fact, I place water supply and environmental protection as my toppriority. I take great care to preserve the forests. Unless it is absolutelynecessary, I would not allow trees to be felled. Only a few areas areearmarked 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 andpromotion of horticulture. To date we have set aside 700 hectares asGovernment forest reserve.

Our efforts in environmental conservation all these years have beenrecognised internationally. Attracted by the natural environment in AwanaGenting Highlands, the Birdlife International Rare Bird Club held its worldconference in Awana Hotel in October, 1999.

At the conference attended by more than 100 bird lovers includingBirdlife International Honorary President Queen Noor of Jordan, I had thehonour of being invited to be a member of the Birdlife International Rare BirdClub of the United Kingdom, thus becoming the first Malaysian to join theclub.

In fact, in the last 35 years, Genting has only developed 148 hectares or3.4% of the vast land on the highlands. The remaining 96.6% of the highlandsis still virgin jungle.

MY DREAM MY DREAM

7069

After recovering from the shock, I turned around to look for the other sixpeople. 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 aliveunder tons of muds. That night when I got home, I jokingly told my wife that Iwent 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 whicha construction worker fell to his death from the 14th floor of a building due tocarelessness. To me, this is very consoling.

NO INCOME

During the initial period, I invested not only all the money I made from theKemubu Irrigation Scheme in Kelantan, I also sold my 810 hectares of rubberestate in Segamat, Johor, to raise RM2.5 million as capital. This, together withwhatever I made from my previous ventures like iron-ore mining, sub-contracting and hardware business, were all pumped into the resort project.

In the seven years beginning from the construction of the access road in1965 to 1971 when Genting Highlands commenced business, I was spendingall my money on the project without getting any income. I was in dire straitsfinancially 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 upshares in the project, they declined, with some advising me to drop the wholeproject.

GOOD START

I must admit that the completion of the access road breathed life into thedevelopment of Genting Highlands. It spurred me on as indeed a goodbeginning is half a battle already won. After taking a short break, I set out towork on the resort project again with total commitment. Works were carriedout without a break. Soon, 35 years have passed and I have now reached anold ripe age of 83.

As Genting Highlands was an undulating mountain range with not muchflat land, room for development was quite limited. As a result, we had to use

bulldozers to level vast tracts of land at the hilltop for infrastructure andfacilities.

During the initial period, my three biggest problems were the access road,electricity and water supply. When I formulated the development plan ofGenting Highlands, building the access road was my first challenge. Onlyafter completing the access road could I devote my resources to tackleproblems relating to water and electricity supplies.

Since Genting Highlands is situated at the summit of the 1,800-metreGunung Ulu Kali, it would cost a fortune to draw water from other places. Itoccurred to me that as Genting Highlands is in a mountainous jungle, thereought to be an inexhaustible natural water supply. So why not make full useof the natural water resource? My mind was made up and immediately Imobilised 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 waysto dispose of wastes and to have a proper sewerage system. After carefulconsideration, 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 ofwater supply for the whole of Genting Highlands. We would take good careof it and protect it from being polluted. We would then establish a seweragesystem on the other side of the hill. As such, both sides of the hilltop wouldbe exploited for different but complementary purposes.

We adopted the policy of self-sufficiency in water supply. We set up andoperated our own supply system. This policy has remained unchanged tilltoday.

First, we built a catchment area where water obtained from nearbystreams was stored. After being treated, the water would be pumped upstreamto the hotels on the hilltop where it could be transferred to other distributionpoints. 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 visitingGenting Highlands, the sole water supply system was no longer sufficient to

meet the increased demand. So, we sent another team to the jungle to scoutfor more sources of water. The team succeeded in finding a major source atthe lower ravine of Gunung Ulu Kali.

This time around, we operated a reverse processing water supplysystem. The operating cost of this system was very high because we had to putin place many pump houses and power generators to pump the water up thehill for treatment.

As the capacity of each water pump and the amount of water collected ateach collection station was limited, it was necessary to build four pumphouses and four collection stations to make the system work.

We had first to divert the stream water to a catchment area and thenchannel it to the pump houses to be sent up to the hilltop.

At the hilltop, we had a treatment plant which could process 273,000litres of drinking water per hour. The treated water would be stored in areservoir with a storage capacity of 7.3 million litres before it was distributedto the various points for use.

As a precaution against unanticipated situations, we built water treatmentplants and reservoirs at the second and fourth pump houses. The volume ofstream water that could be treated and stored by these additional installationswas twice that of the first treatment plant.

To supply water to the midhill area of Genting Highlands, we initially useda five-centimetre diameter pipe to draw water from the hilltop and stored it ina big tank halfway up the hill for distribution. With rapid development,demand for water in the midhill area also increased. So we identifiedadditional catchment areas to get more water. After treatment, the waterwould be supplied directly to the midhill area of Genting Highlands.

Later we also found a source of stream water near the midhill area. Webuilt another treatment plant in Sri Layang which could process 205,000 litresof drinking water per hour. We also built a reservoir capable of storing 4.5million litres of water.

To cater for the growing demand for water in the midhill, we installedanother treatment plant and reservoir in the Awana area.

Up to now, we have constructed five treatment plants and 13 reservoirs ofvarious capacities to meet the resorts daily needs of 13.6 million litres ofdrinking water.

With the expected completion of the proposed 6,300-room hotel, waterconsumption will also increase. To meet the expected increase in demand, weare now building a new reservoir which can store up to 136 million litres ofwater for emergency use as well as another treatment plant.

To ensure an uninterrupted supply of drinking water and maintain thewater quality, we have taken various measures. These include designatingcatchment areas that are far away from the development sites so as to ensurethat there is less risk of the source of water being polluted. We are alsopreserving vast tracts of the jungle land for use as catchment areas.

GOING GREEN

In developing Genting Highlands, I have made efforts to protect theenvironment and to leave nature undisturbed. I always insist that there shouldbe no development that will result in environmental damage.

In fact, I place water supply and environmental protection as my toppriority. I take great care to preserve the forests. Unless it is absolutelynecessary, I would not allow trees to be felled. Only a few areas areearmarked 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 andpromotion of horticulture. To date we have set aside 700 hectares asGovernment forest reserve.

Our efforts in environmental conservation all these years have beenrecognised internationally. Attracted by the natural environment in AwanaGenting Highlands, the Birdlife International Rare Bird Club held its worldconference in Awana Hotel in October, 1999.

At the conference attended by more than 100 bird lovers includingBirdlife International Honorary President Queen Noor of Jordan, I had thehonour of being invited to be a member of the Birdlife International Rare BirdClub of the United Kingdom, thus becoming the first Malaysian to join theclub.

In fact, in the last 35 years, Genting has only developed 148 hectares or3.4% of the vast land on the highlands. The remaining 96.6% of the highlandsis still virgin jungle.

MY DREAM MY DREAM

7069

During the early days of development, many timber loggers offered to buythe logging rights on the highlands at attractive prices, but I turned down allthese offers.

To me, the surrounding jungle is Genting Highlands special feature as ahill resort. The virgin jungle is one of the main attractions for tourists. It alsohelps to preserve the cool and soothing temperature. Genting Highlands wouldbe no different from other resorts if it were to lose its vast tract of jungle.

THIRD CHALLENGE

On Gentings electricity supply, we initially used 12 large generators tosupply electricity to Genting Highlands via the central electricity storagesystem. However, with the rapid development, this method of supplyingelectricity 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 highcosts and supply difficulties in laying cables over a distance of 20km to thehilltop.

We had no alternative but to rely on our own resources. We obtained ourelectricity supply through constructing a supply unit at the foot of the hill linkedto the grid system of the NEB. The system, including the building of cabletowers and electricity transmission substations, cost us more than RM20million.

The greatest challenge was building the cable towers all the way up the hillthrough the thick forest of Gunung Ulu Kali. There was no other access roadexcept the one built by us. We could not, therefore, adopt the conventionalmethod 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 andcomponent parts of the cable towers to the selected sites. Our workers had totrudge through the thick jungle everyday to reach the worksites and thishampered our work. Despite these challenges, we completed our work onschedule and Genting Highlands finally got its full electricity supply in April1984.

To ensure that electricity supply is not disrupted, we spent huge sums of

money to upgrade our power generating equipment and maintaining ourexisting power generators, to meet any contingencies. Having solved the basicproblem of water and electricity supplies, we moved on to many other projectsto improve and upgrade the facilities on Genting Highlands. Till today, manynew projects as well as expansion works are still being carried out.

BEST EQUIPPED

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-storeyfire station equipped with alarm systems and fire-and-rescue operationsequipment.

In 1997, after having operated it on our own for nearly 30 years, wehanded the fire-fighting services to the Government. We felt that it could bebetter managed by the proper authorities especially as Genting Highlandscontinued to expand with its many development projects.

In handing over the services, we also donated to the Government twoGerman fire engines with turntable ladders which can extend to a height of52 metres and a fire-fighting machine, costing RM6.5 million.

All these advanced and high-powered machines were designed for use onhilly roads. This makes the Genting Highlands fire station one of the bestequipped in the country.

HISTORIC MOMENT

March 31, 1969 was the historic day for Genting Highlands. On thatbright, sunny day, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman was invited to lay thefoundation stone of our first hotel, Highlands Hotel (now renamed ThemePark 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, withoutGovernment 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 thedevelopment of tourism in this remote area, he said the Government wouldfavourably consider allowing Genting Highlands to operate a casino.

Immediately after the Tunkus pleasant announcement, Idecided to upgrade the proposed 38-room Highlands Hotelto 200 rooms.

Meanwhile, I told myself that since the Tunku haddeclared that the Government was prepared to give me acasino licence, I should visit Macau and South Korea tostudy casino operations there. We could take a leaf out oftheir book and learn from them. I also wanted to explore thepossibilities of inviting the operators of these casinos toparticipate in the running of the Genting casino.

An assistant and I arrived in Hong Kong on April 20,1969 en route to Macau to meet Stanley Ho who ownsMacaus only casino. I told him the purpose of my visit. Heresponded with a smile without committing anything. Iknew what he meant. As I had not obtained the casinolicence yet, how could we talk about co-operation? Hence,I decided there and then that upon my return to Malaysia, Iwould apply for the casino licence straight away.

On April 28, 1969, the day after my return to Kuala Lumpur, I submittedmy application for a casino licence to the Government through the Tunkuspersonal assistant. Quite by chance, a Cabinet meeting was held that veryafternoon and my application was brought up for discussion. At that meeting,the Cabinet approved my application, merely six hours after its submission. Iwas later told to collect the approval letter. Hence Genting Highlands becamethe first and only casino licence holder in the country.

Once the approval was obtained, I telegraphed the good news and latersent the relevant documents to Stanley Ho. Two weeks later, I flew to HongKong again to meet him to see how we could co-operate in running thecasino. Stanley Ho expressed surprise that I could get the Governmentsapproval for a casino licence in such a short time. He said I was the fastestman in the world to secure a casino licence. But, due to various reasons, wefailed to reach a co-operation agreement.

Subsequently, I entered into a deal with Mr Chong Tat Wong, the operatorof the only casino in Seoul. We entered into a three-year agreement in 1971,allowing him to assist in the management of Genting casino. After nine

months of co-operation, we however agreed to terminate theagreement. From then on, Genting took over the operation ofthe casino and through trial and error, we acquired the skillsof casino management.

WIN-WIN SITUATION

Genting Highlands started operations in May 1971. Soonafter that, I applied to the Treasury for pioneer status.

Although I had learnt earlier that due to its nature ofbusiness, Genting Highlands did not qualify for pioneerstatus, I still proceeded to make an application. This wasbecause I maintained that tax incentives were vital for us atthe initial stage of development.

A dialogue with six senior officials from the Treasury,Inland Revenue Department, Attorney Generals Office andthe Ministry of Trade and Industry was arranged. But I was

advised by a senior management staff to give up the idea. With a smile, I toldhim: `Dont worry. You just accompany me there and be my interpreter.

As soon as the dialogue began, one of the Government officials told mestraight in the face that the Genting project did not qualify as an industry forpioneer status. He said that not only did it not qualify for tax incentives, itshould, in fact, pay higher tax like any other casino in the world.

I said I begged to differ. I went to great lengths to explain that givingpioneer status to Genting Highlands would bring benefits instead of losses tothe Governnment.

I said that although Genting was making an annual profit of RM2 million,40% or RM800,000 went towards the payment of tax, leaving only RM1.2million for reinvestment. For this reason, its development was bound to beslow.

If Genting Highlands was given a five-year tax holiday, all the profits wemade could be used for the development of hotels, tourist facilities, man-made lakes, a cable car system, golf courses, the Chin Swee Caves Temple,and other projects.

When these projects were completed, our revenue would increase many

MY DREAM MY DREAM

7271 The resorts fire-fighting services section washanded to the Government in 1997.

During the early days of development, many timber loggers offered to buythe logging rights on the highlands at attractive prices, but I turned down allthese offers.

To me, the surrounding jungle is Genting Highlands special feature as ahill resort. The virgin jungle is one of the main attractions for tourists. It alsohelps to preserve the cool and soothing temperature. Genting Highlands wouldbe no different from other resorts if it were to lose its vast tract of jungle.

THIRD CHALLENGE

On Gentings electricity supply, we initially used 12 large generators tosupply electricity to Genting Highlands via the central electricity storagesystem. However, with the rapid development, this method of supplyingelectricity 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 highcosts and supply difficulties in laying cables over a distance of 20km to thehilltop.

We had no alternative but to rely on our own resources. We obtained ourelectricity supply through constructing a supply unit at the foot of the hill linkedto the grid system of the NEB. The system, including the building of cabletowers and electricity transmission substations, cost us more than RM20million.

The greatest challenge was building the cable towers all the way up the hillthrough the thick forest of Gunung Ulu Kali. There was no other access roadexcept the one built by us. We could not, therefore, adopt the conventionalmethod 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 andcomponent parts of the cable towers to the selected sites. Our workers had totrudge through the thick jungle everyday to reach the worksites and thishampered our work. Despite these challenges, we completed our work onschedule and Genting Highlands finally got its full electricity supply in April1984.

To ensure that electricity supply is not disrupted, we spent huge sums of

money to upgrade our power generating equipment and maintaining ourexisting power generators, to meet any contingencies. Having solved the basicproblem of water and electricity supplies, we moved on to many other projectsto improve and upgrade the facilities on Genting Highlands. Till today, manynew projects as well as expansion works are still being carried out.

BEST EQUIPPED

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-storeyfire station equipped with alarm systems and fire-and-rescue operationsequipment.

In 1997, after having operated it on our own for nearly 30 years, wehanded the fire-fighting services to the Government. We felt that it could bebetter managed by the proper authorities especially as Genting Highlandscontinued to expand with its many development projects.

In handing over the services, we also donated to the Government twoGerman fire engines with turntable ladders which can extend to a height of52 metres and a fire-fighting machine, costing RM6.5 million.

All these advanced and high-powered machines were designed for use onhilly roads. This makes the Genting Highlands fire station one of the bestequipped in the country.

HISTORIC MOMENT

March 31, 1969 was the historic day for Genting Highlands. On thatbright, sunny day, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman was invited to lay thefoundation stone of our first hotel, Highlands Hotel (now renamed ThemePark 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, withoutGovernment 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 thedevelopment of tourism in this remote area, he said the Government wouldfavourably consider allowing Genting Highlands to operate a casino.

Immediately after the Tunkus pleasant announcement, Idecided to upgrade the proposed 38-room Highlands Hotelto 200 rooms.

Meanwhile, I told myself that since the Tunku haddeclared that the Government was prepared to give me acasino licence, I should visit Macau and South Korea tostudy casino operations there. We could take a leaf out oftheir book and learn from them. I also wanted to explore thepossibilities of inviting the operators of these casinos toparticipate in the running of the Genting casino.

An assistant and I arrived in Hong Kong on April 20,1969 en route to Macau to meet Stanley Ho who ownsMacaus only casino. I told him the purpose of my visit. Heresponded with a smile without committing anything. Iknew what he meant. As I had not obtained the casinolicence yet, how could we talk about co-operation? Hence,I decided there and then that upon my return to Malaysia, Iwould apply for the casino licence straight away.

On April 28, 1969, the day after my return to Kuala Lumpur, I submittedmy application for a casino licence to the Government through the Tunkuspersonal assistant. Quite by chance, a Cabinet meeting was held that veryafternoon and my application was brought up for discussion. At that meeting,the Cabinet approved my application, merely six hours after its submission. Iwas later told to collect the approval letter. Hence Genting Highlands becamethe first and only casino licence holder in the country.

Once the approval was obtained, I telegraphed the good news and latersent the relevant documents to Stanley Ho. Two weeks later, I flew to HongKong again to meet him to see how we could co-operate in running thecasino. Stanley Ho expressed surprise that I could get the Governmentsapproval for a casino licence in such a short time. He said I was the fastestman in the world to secure a casino licence. But, due to various reasons, wefailed to reach a co-operation agreement.

Subsequently, I entered into a deal with Mr Chong Tat Wong, the operatorof the only casino in Seoul. We entered into a three-year agreement in 1971,allowing him to assist in the management of Genting casino. After nine

months of co-operation, we however agreed to terminate theagreement. From then on, Genting took over the operation ofthe casino and through trial and error, we acquired the skillsof casino management.

WIN-WIN SITUATION

Genting Highlands started operations in May 1971. Soonafter that, I applied to the Treasury for pioneer status.

Although I had learnt earlier that due to its nature ofbusiness, Genting Highlands did not qualify for pioneerstatus, I still proceeded to make an application. This wasbecause I maintained that tax incentives were vital for us atthe initial stage of development.

A dialogue with six senior officials from the Treasury,Inland Revenue Department, Attorney Generals Office andthe Ministry of Trade and Industry was arranged. But I was

advised by a senior management staff to give up the idea. With a smile, I toldhim: `Dont worry. You just accompany me there and be my interpreter.

As soon as the dialogue began, one of the Government officials told mestraight in the face that the Genting project did not qualify as an industry forpioneer status. He said that not only did it not qualify for tax incentives, itshould, in fact, pay higher tax like any other casino in the world.

I said I begged to differ. I went to great lengths to explain that givingpioneer status to Genting Highlands would bring benefits instead of losses tothe Governnment.

I said that although Genting was making an annual profit of RM2 million,40% or RM800,000 went towards the payment of tax, leaving only RM1.2million for reinvestment. For this reason, its development was bound to beslow.

If Genting Highlands was given a five-year tax holiday, all the profits wemade could be used for the development of hotels, tourist facilities, man-made lakes, a cable car system, golf courses, the Chin Swee Caves Temple,and other projects.

When these projects were completed, our revenue would increase many

MY DREAM MY DREAM

7271 The resorts fire-fighting services section washanded to the Government in 1997.

folds. As a result, the tax payable on the sixth year could well exceed the totalamount of tax exempted during the five-year tax holiday period.

I argued that granting pioneer status to Genting Highlands was like givingit a five-year Government loan which would be more than repaid after thesixth year. After having listened to me, the officials were convinced. Theyaccepted my arguments and promised to recommend to the Government togrant pioneer status to Genting Highlands resort. The Government acceptedtheir 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 GentingHighlands 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 itsrevenue substantially.

The taxes collected later by the Government far exceeded the totalamount exempted during the five-year tax holiday period. This has turned outto 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 GentingHighlands. But the manner and speed with which it was so transformed frommy original concept was beyond my expectation. Initially, my plan was tobuild a 38-room hotel with some basic tourist amenities. But today whatturned 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 restructuringexercise to take over the management of all the tourism activities under theGenting Group. The establishment of RWB marked an important watershed inthe development of the Genting Group. RWB was listed on the Kuala LumpurStock Exchange and it took over the entire operations of Genting Highlands atthe end of 1989.

To enable more people to become shareholders, RWB offered 190 million

shares for public subscription at RM2.30 each, with 30% reserved forbumiputras.

RWB played a leading role in the future development of GentingHighlands. Its first move was to carry out a five-year development plan (1990-1995) with additional tourist projects costing RM2 billion. This would furtherenhance existing facilities.

The plan included the construction of the 821-room Resorts Hotel, the313-room Awana Hotel and the 888-room Highlands Hotel. We also built theindoor and outdoor theme parks; the second, third and fourth staff quartersand the second and third car parks, additional water treatment plants; andenvironment-friendly incinerators. We are also spending another RM1 billionto build a budget hotel with 6,300 rooms.

RESORT FOR ALL

We will have eight hotels with more than 10,000 rooms when the latestone 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 strivingfor its perfection. We spent some RM600 million on a mammoth indoor andoutdoor theme park as well as various entertainment facilities. These placeGenting Highlands on par with many famous tourist resorts elswhere in theworld.

As a tourist resort, Genting Highlands focuses not only on its casinooperations. Our efforts are geared towards developing Genting Highlands intoan entertainment city, a centre of attraction to the young and old. This concepthas made Genting Highlands a popular tourist destination, one packed withvisitors. In 1999 alone, more than 12 million tourists visited GentingHighlands.

Tourist arrivals continued to rise, particularly on weekends and publicholidays. To ease traffic congestions, RWB took prompt actions in joininghands with the Government to build a new access road from Batang Kali. Theroad was completed in conjunction with the Governments new move topromote tourism. The 17km new road was built for the convenience of touristsfrom the northern region and east coast of the peninsula.

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 apopular route for motorists going up to Genting Highlands.

Previously, tourists from the northern region and the east coast had totravel via Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves and Karak Highway to GentingHighlands. The new access road from Batang Kali has shortened their journeyby about 70km and travelling time by between two and three hours. We alsowidened the 10km stretch from the foot of the mountain to Gohtong Jaya intoa four-lane carriageway. The project cost us RM120 million. With all theseimprovements, driving up to Genting Highlands nowadays is a breeze. Thejourney from the Gombak Toll Plaza to Gohtong Jaya can now be covered in25 minutes.

LONGEST CABLE CAR

For a smoother and safer journey, we spent RM128 million on theconstruction 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 coverthe 3.8km distance to the hilltop in a cable car. The system, which waslaunched 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 fastestcable car system in South East Asia. The Genting Skyway cable car system alsomade its way to the inaugural issue of Malaysias Guinness Book of Recordspublished 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 seventhmilestone of Jalan Genting Highlands. Gohtong Jaya was opened by theSultan of Pahang on March 25, 1999. Gohtong Jaya is a township completewith apartments, shops, restaurants, hotels, educational institutions, aclubhouse and a police station. With its year-round mild weather, it is an idealplace to live or holiday in. It is only about 45 minutes drive from KualaLumpur.

I have plans to add other facilities such as schools and a medical centrein Gohtong Jaya in its next phase of development. Being a commercial-cum-residential area, Gohtong Jaya will eventually become a prosperous townshipas 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. Withleisure and tourism as its core business, the company also ventured into theplantation, property development, paper manufacturing, power generation,oil and gas exploration, and cruise businesses.

In our pursuit of technology enhancement and business advancement intothe 21st Century, E-Genting Holdings Sdn Bhd was incorporated in 1999 withthe vision to be an Information Technology leader in the use and adoption ofnew technology in e-commerce and e-engineering.

SUPPORT FROM THE TOP

The Malaysian Government has been extremely kind to me in mycapacity as the developer of Genting Highlands. I owe greatly to the past andpresent Prime Ministers for their support and encouragement which haveenabled my colleagues and I to realise our dream of turning a desolatemountain into the countrys top tourist resort.

I would like to thank the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, our first PrimeMinister, for giving me the opportunity to take up such a challenge. Hisconfidence and encouragement to me had given me the confidence andcourage to embark on the daunting task of developing Genting Highlands.

The Tunku told me that he did not expect Genting, situated in immenselydifficult terrain, to be developed within such a short period of time. That I wasable 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 supportand encouragement still ring in my ears. His affable smiles remain forever inmy memory. If it is said that I am the father of Genting Highlands

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folds. As a result, the tax payable on the sixth year could well exceed the totalamount of tax exempted during the five-year tax holiday period.

I argued that granting pioneer status to Genting Highlands was like givingit a five-year Government loan which would be more than repaid after thesixth year. After having listened to me, the officials were convinced. Theyaccepted my arguments and promised to recommend to the Government togrant pioneer status to Genting Highlands resort. The Government acceptedtheir 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 GentingHighlands 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 itsrevenue substantially.

The taxes collected later by the Government far exceeded the totalamount exempted during the five-year tax holiday period. This has turned outto 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 GentingHighlands. But the manner and speed with which it was so transformed frommy original concept was beyond my expectation. Initially, my plan was tobuild a 38-room hotel with some basic tourist amenities. But today whatturned 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 restructuringexercise to take over the management of all the tourism activities under theGenting Group. The establishment of RWB marked an important watershed inthe development of the Genting Group. RWB was listed on the Kuala LumpurStock Exchange and it took over the entire operations of Genting Highlands atthe end of 1989.

To enable more people to become shareholders, RWB offered 190 million

shares for public subscription at RM2.30 each, with 30% reserved forbumiputras.

RWB played a leading role in the future development of GentingHighlands. Its first move was to carry out a five-year development plan (1990-1995) with additional tourist projects costing RM2 billion. This would furtherenhance existing facilities.

The plan included the construction of the 821-room Resorts Hotel, the313-room Awana Hotel and the 888-room Highlands Hotel. We also built theindoor and outdoor theme parks; the second, third and fourth staff quartersand the second and third car parks, additional water treatment plants; andenvironment-friendly incinerators. We are also spending another RM1 billionto build a budget hotel with 6,300 rooms.

RESORT FOR ALL

We will have eight hotels with more than 10,000 rooms when the latestone 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 strivingfor its perfection. We spent some RM600 million on a mammoth indoor andoutdoor theme park as well as various entertainment facilities. These placeGenting Highlands on par with many famous tourist resorts elswhere in theworld.

As a tourist resort, Genting Highlands focuses not only on its casinooperations. Our efforts are geared towards developing Genting Highlands intoan entertainment city, a centre of attraction to the young and old. This concepthas made Genting Highlands a popular tourist destination, one packed withvisitors. In 1999 alone, more than 12 million tourists visited GentingHighlands.

Tourist arrivals continued to rise, particularly on weekends and publicholidays. To ease traffic congestions, RWB took prompt actions in joininghands with the Government to build a new access road from Batang Kali. Theroad was completed in conjunction with the Governments new move topromote tourism. The 17km new road was built for the convenience of touristsfrom the northern region and east coast of the peninsula.

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 apopular route for motorists going up to Genting Highlands.

Previously, tourists from the northern region and the east coast had totravel via Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves and Karak Highway to GentingHighlands. The new access road from Batang Kali has shortened their journeyby about 70km and travelling time by between two and three hours. We alsowidened the 10km stretch from the foot of the mountain to Gohtong Jaya intoa four-lane carriageway. The project cost us RM120 million. With all theseimprovements, driving up to Genting Highlands nowadays is a breeze. Thejourney from the Gombak Toll Plaza to Gohtong Jaya can now be covered in25 minutes.

LONGEST CABLE CAR

For a smoother and safer journey, we spent RM128 million on theconstruction 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 coverthe 3.8km distance to the hilltop in a cable car. The system, which waslaunched 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 fastestcable car system in South East Asia. The Genting Skyway cable car system alsomade its way to the inaugural issue of Malaysias Guinness Book of Recordspublished 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 seventhmilestone of Jalan Genting Highlands. Gohtong Jaya was opened by theSultan of Pahang on March 25, 1999. Gohtong Jaya is a township completewith apartments, shops, restaurants, hotels, educational institutions, aclubhouse and a police station. With its year-round mild weather, it is an idealplace to live or holiday in. It is only about 45 minutes drive from KualaLumpur.

I have plans to add other facilities such as schools and a medical centrein Gohtong Jaya in its next phase of development. Being a commercial-cum-residential area, Gohtong Jaya will eventually become a prosperous townshipas 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. Withleisure and tourism as its core business, the company also ventured into theplantation, property development, paper manufacturing, power generation,oil and gas exploration, and cruise businesses.

In our pursuit of technology enhancement and business advancement intothe 21st Century, E-Genting Holdings Sdn Bhd was incorporated in 1999 withthe vision to be an Information Technology leader in the use and adoption ofnew technology in e-commerce and e-engineering.

SUPPORT FROM THE TOP

The Malaysian Government has been extremely kind to me in mycapacity as the developer of Genting Highlands. I owe greatly to the past andpresent Prime Ministers for their support and encouragement which haveenabled my colleagues and I to realise our dream of turning a desolatemountain into the countrys top tourist resort.

I would like to thank the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, our first PrimeMinister, for giving me the opportunity to take up such a challenge. Hisconfidence and encouragement to me had given me the confidence andcourage to embark on the daunting task of developing Genting Highlands.

The Tunku told me that he did not expect Genting, situated in immenselydifficult terrain, to be developed within such a short period of time. That I wasable 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 supportand encouragement still ring in my ears. His affable smiles remain forever inmy memory. If it is said that I am the father of Genting Highlands

MY DREAM MY DREAM

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developments, I must be quick to add that itwas the Tunku who made that role of minepossible.

It was the Tunkus wish in those days todevelop Gunung Ulu Kali into a hill resort.The fact that I have now accomplished the jobmeans the Tunku also had his wish fulfilled.

The late Tun Abdul Razak, the countryssecond Prime Minister, like his predecessor,showered me with the same kind of supportand encouragement. I can still recall vividlyhis first visit to Genting Highlands in 1975.

When he arrived on that sunny morning, Ihad great honour and pleasure to receive him and to show him what we hadachieved.

Wearing a hat and with a walking stick, he walked briskly to the site of thewater tank, the spot below the coffee-house of the present Genting Hotel.

It was a spot which offers a breathtaking view of Kuala Lumpur, Bentongand Batang Kali. Standing in the cool breeze and looking around inappreciation, Tun Abdul Razak exclaimed: : `Beautiful, just like Switzerland.

His remarks cheered me up immediately. I could not help telling him thathis kind words were undoubtedly the best encouragement to me and that hiswords put to rest all the fatigue and worries that had plagued me for the pastseven years.

He also told me that although the Government had given large sums ofmoney to the various states for tourism development, not a single state hadachieved the results like mine. I thanked him for his praises. Jokingly, I toldhim that his good words might give me sleepless nights.

Tun Abdul Razaks visit to Genting Highlands, I later learnt, brought awindfall to the resort. After the visit, he proposed at a Cabinet meeting that allhill resort businesses be given a six-year pioneer status. This meant a one-yearextension to the original five years. The proposal was approved by the Cabinetand Genting Highlands benefited in tax savings to the tune of RM8 million.Thus we had more funds to develop the resort.

The late Tun Hussein Onn, our third Prime Minister, had his very own way

of lending support to Genting. One day in1978, Tun Hussein and his entourage came toAwana Golf & Country Club for golf. I wasaccompanying him then. Tun Hussein told methat the Government appreciated mycontributions to the nations tourism industryand that he would nominate me for a Tan Sri-ship award.

I was touched by his gesture. But I told himthat I was not qualified for the award. Isuggested that instead of awarding me a TanSri, it would be better to give Genting anadditional year of pioneer status for this could

result in more funds being available for expansion projects.Tun Hussein smiled and replied that the Tan Sri-ship award was a

recognition of my contributions to the nation. It was an honour that could notbe bought with money. Subsequently, on the Yang di-Pertuan Agongs birthdayin 1979, I was conferred the Tan Sri title.

I will forever remember the support and encouragement given to me byDatuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, our present Prime Minister. On manyoccasions the Prime Minister publicly expressed his support for Genting. Hegenerously praised me and accorded me recognition.

At Gentings 25th Anniversary Dinner on August 11, 1990, the PrimeMinister made the following remarks in his speech:-

`Genting is really a story of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, a story of success thatis quite unprecedented even in Malaysia, where many people have met witha great deal of success.

`... from Tan Sri Lims achievements, you can see that even though a manmay be born elsewhere, he can always realise his dreams of building hisbusiness empire in Malaysia.

`He has only a limited educational background. He does not speakEnglish, converses only in Hokkien and some Malay, yet he had been able tosucceed in business this was not easy.

I feel flattered and honoured by what the Prime Minister said of me. Iwould like to thank Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Under his leadership,

Malaysia has been able to sustain not only social and political stability butalso vibrant growth in all sectors of the national economy. The peoplesconfidence in his leadership is best seen in their positive response to the`Vision 2020 he sets out. Under this favourable social and economicenvironment, Genting Highlands is well poised to grow from strength tostrength as a business group.

I am blessed with the good fortune of having enjoyed cordial relationshipwith the countrys Prime Ministers during my life time. They have individuallyextended support and care to Genting and I. It is truly a relationship I speciallytreasure.

WORKING TOGETHER

I would also like to thank all the directors and staff of Genting Highlandsfor their dedication and contribution that have made my dream come true.The stories of their hard work and dedication are part and parcel of theGenting history.

Today, the Genting Group has a workforce of 14,000 people. Many ofthem have been with us from the days we started construction of the firstaccess road. To repay their contribution, I always pay attention to their welfarewhich forms an integral part in the development of Genting.

I treat my employees well. Likewise, they respect and treat me well. Wework together without running into major problems. On Workers Day, 1997,the workers union paid me tribute for having looked after their welfare andfor giving them my support. They did this by placing an advertisement in theEnglish newspapers. I was deeply touched by the unions gesture.

In recognition of my contributions, Genting and I were given the `MostCaring 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 arecognition of our service to the country. These awards include:-

n Malaysian Entrepreneurs Award 1985;

n Manager Of The year Award 1986;n Business Achiever Of The Year Award 1994;n No 1 Ranking Of 10 Malaysian Leading Companies 1996; andn

Lim Goh Tong_mydream

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