Malaysian tycoon Vincent Tan passes the baton at Berjaya Corp
- Tan, who surprised the corporate world with the appointment of Abdul Jalil Abdul Rasheed as the group’s new CEO, says this is the first step towards him taking a back seat
- In a wide-ranging interview, he discusses streamlining and transforming the business, his family’s involvement, and his plans to give to charity
He says it is his wish that none of his children would be involved in the listed businesses, and to let professional managers run them.
Abdul Jalil, 38, a former CEO of Permodalan Nasional, is the first non-family member CEO of Berjaya.
“My children can start their own business as they already have. We need to have a clear demarcation of listed and private entities,” Tan says. “This could also involve having a family constitution that defines involvement within the group so we pick only the best for the job.”
He also says that he wants to focus on doing charity work, pointing out that he had been a big supporter of Tzu Chi Foundation (an international humanitarian organisation) and would like to devote more time to its cause.
“The best decision I have made in my life is becoming a vegetarian after meeting [Tzu Chi Foundation founder] Master Cheng Yen. I feel physically healthier, mentally more alert and spiritually richer.”