Yeoh
Tiong Lay Yeoh Tiong Lay was born on December 18, 1929 in Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. He is the 3rd son among the eight children of Yeoh Cheng Liam who came to Malaya from Fujian, China in 1920. His father worked as clerk at a timber store in Klang then moved to Kuala Selangor, when Yeoh Tiong Lay was 3, to start his own timber business. His father, then, branched out into transport and construction-contracting. Yeoh Tiong Lay helped in his father’s construction business and because of this, he was not able to go on to college after finishing high school at the Hin Hua High School. In 1955, he received a Class A Public Works Department Contractor and registered what was to become the forerunner of the YTL Group of Companies, Syarikat Pembenaan Yeoh Tiong Lay. One of its first major projects was building the ammunition depots and garrisons for the British colonial army. Syarikat Pembenaan Yeoh Tiong Lay is YTL Corporation’s flagship construction arm. From army barracks, it has built schools, universities, hospitals, hotels, high-rise office buildings and large-scale infrastructure projects of the highest standards. One of which is the “KL Cat” Express Rail Link, a high-speed rail link from the center of Kuala Lumpur to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. YTL Corporation owns half of the Express Rail Link which currently transports 4.5 million passengers per year. During the 70’s, Yeoh Tiong Lay pioneered the privatization of Malaysia’s regulated housing sector by providing homes for the poor. Another core business of the YTL Corporation is the YTL Cement, one of the largest, most efficient, and profitable manufacturers of cement and ready-mixed concrete products in Malaysia. On the utilities front, YTL owns two power plants in Indonesia, Paka and Pasir Gudang Power Stations and the PowerSeraya Limited in Singapore. In the United Kingdom, YTL wholly owned Wessex Water, a water and sewerage operator. It also has shares in the ElectraNet Pty Ltd which owns and operates the power transmission grid for the State of South Australia as well as in a coal-fired power plant in East Java, Indonesia. YTL also has vast investments in property development and real estate. It owns the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Kuala Lumpur (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/KualaLumpur/), JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur (http://www.ytlhotels.com.my/properties/jwmarriot/) as well as the award-winning Pangkur Laot Resort (http://www.pangkorlautresort.com/) off the west coast of Malaysia and Tanjong Jara Resort (http://www.tanjongjararesort.com/ in the East Coast. Yeoh Tiong Lay has been in the construction business for so long that his efforts has been widely recognized in the local and regional levels. He is a honorary life member of the Master Builders Association, a major building and construction industry association. In 2008, he was awarded the Order of Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Emperor of Japan for his efforts in promoting economic cooperation between Malaysia and Japan. In the business circle, Yeoh Tiong Lay is also known as a prominent philanthropist who donates to schools and other organizations. Yeoh Tiong Lay has ensured that his business would be in the safe hands of his children. While giving them the best education, they also train on the various aspects of the business. Yeoh has entrusted the day-to-day management of the company to his son Francis, who now acts as managing director. His son Francis says, “We work hard. We are hands-on. Success has to be earned, the hard way.” Sources: Sze, Joanna. The Master Builder. Malaysian Business
(Posted on July 16, 2003). Retrieved on August 7, 2009 from http://www.ytlcommunity.com/commnews/shownews.asp?newsid=7163 Corporate website: http://www.ytl.com.my Photo credits: http://www.ytlcommunity.com/common/showimage.asp?imgid=89795  |
YTL Corporation (http://www.ytl.com.my) has built its reputation
as one of Malaysia’s leading integrated infrastructure conglomerates
through the hard work and foresight of its founder and Chairman,
Yeoh Tiong Lay.