The family estate dispute of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, the founder of Genting Group, is back in the spotlight when his grandchildren filed a lawsuit in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on February 23.
The value of the assets in dispute is estimated at RM1.6 billion, involving the estate of the late youngest daughter, Lim Siew Kim.
Siew Kim died in July 2022 from stage four ovarian cancer and left behind four children, three girls and a boy.
Her two daughters, Chan T'shiao Li and Kimberley Chan T'shiao Min, filed a lawsuit to annul their mother's last will and testament, which was made on April 28, 2022.
They claimed that Siew Kim was not of sound mind when he signed the will because it was made just 17 days after the previous will.
The siblings questioned their mother's mental capacity and were suspicious of the process of preparing the will, which took place in a short period of time when Siew Kim's health was deteriorating.
They also considered their mother's hasty execution of the last will to be unreasonable.
However, the defendant's lawyer, Datuk Low Beng Choo, insisted that Siew Kim was conscious and alert when she signed the will at a private hospital.
Low stated that there was no medical tube to restrain the deceased at that time and that he signed the will page by page.
The plaintiff's lawyer, Datuk V Sithambaram, dismissed the statement as hearsay without solid evidence and requested that it not be admitted as evidence.
The claim also revealed a conflict of interest. The plaintiff found that Low was linked to the Dikim Foundation, the main beneficiary of the will which received 70% of the remaining estate.
The foundation was established by Siew Kim with her husband, Dick Chan Teik Huat, who was also the main beneficiary of the will.
However, the true purpose of the foundation is still unclear although the FMT report stated that they provide scholarships and assistance to the underprivileged.
The distribution of assets in the will is as follows:-
Yayasan Dikim: 70% of the estate, including properties in Pearl Hill, Tanjung Bungah and shareholding in Suria Waras Development Sdn Bhd.
Marcus Chan Jau Chwen (son of Siew Kim): 30% of the estate, contents of a safety deposit box, properties in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur and shares in Mantap Awana Sdn Bhd.
Cressa Chan T’shiao Yunn (daughter): RM10 million and properties in Ampang Hilir, Kuala Lumpur.
Jasmine’s daughter: RM50,000 per month.
T’shiao Li (plaintiff): RM900,000.
T’shiao Min (plaintiff): RM100,000.
The dispute reflects an imbalance of power and doubts over the integrity of the will process within one of Malaysia’s wealthiest families.
This open internal conflict calls for more careful judgment on how mega-value assets are distributed, especially when institutions such as the foundation are involved.
Otherwise, this billion-ringgit inheritance may become a source of lasting division in the Lim Goh Tong family.
