Tiong Hiew King

Tan Sri Datuk Tiong Hiew King PSM PGBK KBE (simplified Chinese: 张晓卿; traditional Chinese: 張曉卿; pinyin: Zhāng Xiǎoqīng; born 1935) is the Malaysian Chinese founder and chairman of the Rimbunan Hijau Group, a timber company founded in 1975. Its overseas timber operations in Papua New Guinea is the largest in that country. He also has interests in logging operations in Russia.

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Tiong (张).
Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Datuk

Tiong Hiew King

PSM PGBK KBE
张晓卿
Born1935 (age 84–85)
Sibu, Kingdom of Sarawak (now Sarawak, Malaysia)
OccupationExecutive chairman, Rimbunan Hijau
Net worth US$1.1 billion (2018 Forbes list)[1]

Tan Sri Datuk Tiong resides in Sibu, a town in Sarawak, of Borneo island that is part of Malaysia. As of March 2018, with a net worth of about US$1.1 billion,[1] Tiong is ranked by Forbes as the 1,999th richest person in the world.[2] In April 2017, Tiong’s family confirmed that he was hospitalized after suffering a stroke.[3][4]

Family

Tiong's family is the second largest private landowner in New Zealand.[5]

Influence in media

Tiong's Rimbunan Hijau Group operates Sin Chew Daily and Guang Ming Daily, two of the major Chinese national dailies in Malaysia.[6] They also operate The National Daily in Papua New Guinea and Ming Pao Holdings Ltd in Hong Kong. He is forging a global Chinese publishing group with his Ming Pao Enterprises; Ming Pao newspaper is also available in San Francisco, New York, Vancouver and Toronto.[7]

Media Chinese International Limited (MCIL) is the holding company for all Tiong’s media assets formed after the merger of Ming Pao Enterprise Corporation Limited, Sin Chew Media Corporation Berhad and Nanyang Press Holdings Berhad.[8]

In 2018, Tiong stepped down from the position of executive chairman of MCIL to take up a non-executive, non-independent directorship in the group.[9]

Influence in local politics

Back home in Sibu, Tiong and his family are members of the ruling Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), a major party of the ruling coalition government in Sarawak. Tiong's younger brother Tiong Thai King has been the Member of Parliament of the Lanang Parliamentary Constituency in Sibu from 1995 to 2013.

Knighthood controversy

In 2009, Tiong was declared an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).[10] Following his knighting Environmental groups around the world called for him to be stripped of his title, claiming that his success was built on the destruction of tropical forests by his company, Rimbunan Hijau.[11]

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

Foreign honours
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References
  1. Forbes.com
  2. https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/list/
  3. "Family of tycoon Tiong Hiew King confirms stroke". Free Malaysia Today. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  4. "News on tycoon Tiong Hiew King's passing not true: Family".
  5. Kate, Newton (17 October 2019). "The Detail: Forestry companies buy up New Zealand". Stuff, New Zealand. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  6. Caitlyn Ng (2 April 2014). "Top 10 richest Malaysians in 2014". Free Malaysia Today.
  7. Chin-Huat Wong, "Malaysian media mogul's big China bet", Asia Times Online. 15 February 2007.
  8. "Media Chinese International Limited". www.mediachinesegroup.com. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  9. "Tiong Hiew King steps down as MCIL chairman". The Edge Markets. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  10. "Malaysian tycoon bestowed knighthood". www.mysinchew.com. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  11. Vidal, John (1 July 2009). "Forest campaigners deplore knighthood for Asian logging magnate". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  12. "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat". Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia).
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