Tiong Hiew King
Malaysian businessman (1934–2025)
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Tan Sri Datuk Tiong Hiew King PSM PGBK (simplified Chinese: 张晓卿; traditional Chinese: 張曉卿; pinyin: Zhāng Xiǎoqīng; Jyutping: Zoeng1 Hiu2 Hing1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tiuⁿ Hiáu-kheng; Hokchew Romanized: Diŏng Hiēu-kĭng; 18 March 1934 – 11 November 2025) was a Malaysian businessman who was the founder and chairman of the Rimbunan Hijau Group, a timber company founded in 1975. Its overseas timber operations in Papua New Guinea is the largest in that country. He also had interests in logging operations in Russia.
Tiong Hiew King | |
|---|---|
| 张晓卿 | |
| |
| Born | 18 March 1934 |
| Died | 11 November 2025 (aged 91) Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia |
| Occupations | Executive chairman, Rimbunan Hijau |
Tiong Hiew King | |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | |
| Traditional Chinese | 張曉卿 |
| Simplified Chinese | 张晓卿 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Zhāng Xiǎoqīng |
| Jyutping | Zoeng1 Hiu2 Hing1 |
| Hokkien POJ | Tiuⁿ Hiáu-kheng |
| Tâi-lô | Tiunn Hiáu-khing |
| Fuzhou BUC | Diŏng Hiēu-kĭng |
Tan Sri Datuk Tiong resided in Sibu, a town in Sarawak, of Borneo island that is part of Malaysia. As of March 2018[update], with a net worth of about US$1.1 billion,[1] Tiong was ranked by Forbes as the 1,999th richest person in the world.[2]
Family
Tiong's family is the second largest private landowner in New Zealand. To be confirmed.[3]
Influence in media
Tiong's Rimbunan Hijau Group operates Sin Chew Daily and Guang Ming Daily, two of the major Chinese national dailies in Malaysia.[4] They also operate The National Daily in Papua New Guinea and Ming Pao Holdings Ltd in Hong Kong. He was forging a global Chinese publishing group with his Ming Pao Enterprises; Ming Pao newspaper is also available in San Francisco, New York, Vancouver and Toronto.[5]
Media Chinese International Limited (MCIL) is the holding company for all Tiong's media assets formed after the merger of Ming Pao Enterprise Corporation Limited, Sin Chew Media Corporation Berhad and Nanyang Press Holdings Berhad.[6]
In 2018, Tiong stepped down from the position of executive chairman of MCIL to take up a non-executive, non-independent directorship in the group.[7]
Influence in local politics
Back home in Sibu, his family are members of the ruling Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), a major party of the ruling coalition government in Sarawak. Tiong's younger brother Tiong Thai King has been the Member of Parliament of the Lanang Parliamentary Constituency in Sibu from 1995 to 2013.
Knighthood controversy
In 2009, Tiong was awarded an honorary knighthood of the Order of the British Empire.[8] Following his knighting, environmental groups around the world called for him to be stripped of his title, claiming that his success was built on the destruction of tropical forests by his company, Rimbunan Hijau.[9]
Illness and death
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
Malaysia
Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (1999)[13]
Sarawak
Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (PGBK) – Datuk (1990)[13]
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Foreign honours
United Kingdom
Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
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