SUCCESSION IN PLACE WITH CHANGE IN TOP MANAGEMENT

Succession plan is in place at listed Mah Sing Group Berhad. Tan Sri Leong Hoy Kum's son, Lionel Leong Jihn Haur, 35, was appointed as Mah Sing's new Deputy CEO/ED on 2 Feb 2024. At the same time Mah Sing also appointed property veteran Datuk Voon Tin Yow as the Group CEO. Observers see this as a transitional phase for Lionel to be brought to speed in managing the conglomerate. He joins the New Gen elite in family businesses in Malaysia. 

Mah Sing is a leading property developer in Malaysia and is also one of the largest plastic pallets producers here. Plastic pallets are used for shipping every product that wood pallets ship but has the edge over wood as an ideal choice for automated systems. Tan Sri Leong saw the burgeoning property market boom at its nascent stage in the 1990s. He led Mah Sing to its first property project in 1994 - link houses in Ulu Yam, Selangor. Then in 2000 he launched Mah Sing's  maiden township development in Sri Pulai Perdana, Skudai, Johor. Tan Sri Leong still looks back with pride that he introduced the concept of gated and guarded living for link homes in Johor. Today Mah Sing's property division accounts for 79% of group revenue with a growing innovative plastic manufacturing division. The top management at Mah Sing is helmed by Tan Sri Leong and his elder sister, Datuk Seri Leong Yuet Mei (68) who has been with him since 1997. Prior to that she was a senior accountant with KAF Discount Berhad.

Lionel Leong, an Economics graduate of the University of New South Wales, had earlier in 2016 been a co-founder of a private investment firm RHL Ventures with Rachel Lau and Raja Hamzah Abidin. His elder sister, Jane Leong, formerly alternate Director to her father, stepped down in May 2020. She is married to Lee Jia Zhang, grandson of the founder of the largest family owned plantation group in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad. Jia Zhang is ED and COO of KLK.