Life begins at 55

PETALING JAYA: Life for Kee Lian Yong has never been a walk in the park. The founder and managing director of KM Land Group is a typical Malaysian man who has had to work hard for his keep. Being the second of eight children, there was no question that he had to help his parents to support his siblings. Perhaps it is the industrious nature and sense of responsibility ingrained in him that still drives him. He could have called it a day when his two-year contract as general manager of Port Klang Authority (PKA) expired in 2011. He had joined the government agency in 2009 when the infamous PKFZ scandal broke. But having spent 30 years in the corpo­rate world, Kee was not about to bow out quietly. He had a different plan. “When I left PKA three years ago, my friends told me: ‘Kee, you should take life easy and retire’, but I told them my life had only just begun. I wish I had another 30 years to go. I have the experience, knowledge and network … what a waste it would be for people like me to just retire and sit still. I have so much more to do,” he says. For now, Kee is focusing on giving back to society, not just monetarily but also by providing a better quality of life for the community. Even though he is well-to-do enough to give, he remains humble; there was not a hint of arrogance in him during the interview with Focusweek. He says he is just enjoying life by staying positive. Perhaps it is this quality and humour that accounts for his youthful appearance. There isn’t a strand of grey hair that is visible on his crown. Suavely sweeping back his hair, he jokes: “What colour hair do you want?” Kee, 58, was born and raised in Bagan Datoh, a small coastal town in Perak. His was not a rich family. “I have six brothers and one sister. I am the second child in the family and my eldest brother and I, being the two eldest children, had to help out with chores at home and look after our siblings while our parents ran a small business,” he recalls. He spent his primary and secondary school years in Bagan Datoh. When he finished Form Five, he enrolled in the Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) College, graduating with a Diploma in Accountancy in 1980, and obtaining his ACCA qualifications.

This is an excerpt of an article first published in the Nov 22, 2014 issue of Focusweek