End of an era: Suharto crony Liem - his life and wealth

One of South-east Asia's richest men, the late Mr Liem Sioe Liong, left a sizeable corporate footprint in Singapore, reported The Straits Times.

The Indonesia tycoon, also known as Soedono Salim, died on Sunday afternoon, at the age of 95 from age-related illnesses.

He relocated to Singapore around the time of the Asian financial crisis in 1997 to 1998, also after the racial riots in Indonesia in 1998, and was said to have resided in the Mountbatten area.

Businesses

The Straits Times reported that the bulk of Mr Liem's business empire was consolidated under the Salim Group during the Suharto era from 1966 to 1998, covering cement, food, flour, cars, property and a bank.

The Salim assets included giant cement maker Indocement, flour mill Bogasari, Bank Central Asia and the world's largest producer of instant noodles Indofood Sukses Makmur.

The Salim Group is headed by Mr Liem's youngest son Anthony Salim.

His second son Andree Halim is the main shareholder of Singapore-listed bread maker QAF, which has a market value of more than $350 million and makes and distributes Gardenia and Bonjour bread.

The Straits Times reported that according to a recent CIMB report, Mr Andree Halim has been slowly increasing his stake in QAF from 55 per cent in 2003, and holds about 62 per cent as of March 2012.

Mr Liem was previously appointed the director and deputy chairman of United Industrial Corporation here in 1993.

In 1994, Asiaweek magazine named Mr Liem as the richest ethnic Chinese in South-east Asia,with a net worth of US$3 billion (S$3.8 billion).

His son Anthony was listed as the third-richest Indonesian by Globe Asia magazine this month, with a wealth of US$8.5 billion.

Indofood Sukses Makmur director Werianty Setiawan told The Straits Times that many people are mourning the loss of a role model whom they admire.

Celebrations

Mr Liem was also known for holding two elaborate celebrations in Singapore.

He threw a 90th birthday bash at the Shangri-La Hotel that was attended by more than 2,000 guests and reportedly cost over $2 million that included banquet dinners for two nights, airfares for overseas guests, rooms in the hotel and The New Paper reported that guests were each given a 5g gold bar.

A year earlier, he had a lavish 60th wedding anniversary celebration at the same hotel.

Remembered

The Straits Times reported that on Monday, at his wake at Mount Vernon, wreaths lined the driveway leading to the funeral parlour as family, friends and employees came to pay their respects.

Prominent visitors included former Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri, whose grandfather had been a business partner of Mr Liem.

She told The Straits Times that Mr Liem was quiet, lived in the business world, and business was his life.

Spring Singapore chairman Philip Yeo, who worked with Mr Liem's son Anthony on the Batam Industrial Park in 1990, when Mr Yeo was with the Economic Development Board, was also present at the wake.

Generous, humble, wise

The New Paper reported that Mr Liem was decribed as fatherly, humble and down to earth to those who knew him.

He had an active involvement and contribution to charities and non-business organisations, one of which was the Singapore Futsing Association, where he held the title of permanent honorary president.

The association's first vice-president, Dr Lim Wie Ming, 49, told The New Paper that Mr Liem had contributed both time and money to the association over the years.

Lianhe Zaobao had reported that his family had donated $600,000 to the association during its 100th anniversary in 2010 where $500,000 went towards a new building in the association's Poi Ching School in Tampines.

The ex-president of an Indonesian students union that Mr Liem mentored, Mr Rachmarm Amam, 59, told The New Paper that Mr Liem had donated to churches, mosques, temples, orphanages and societies.

Mr Amam said that Mr Liem had treated everyone equally regardless of race, religion or background.

Reports indicate that Mr Liem will be remembered as a wise man who had no airs about him, who was highly respected and regarded in business and his personal life, and was a man with a big and generous heart.

He will be buried at the Choa Chu Kang Chinese Cemetery on Sunday.

-plushasia