01/12: They call him Patrick Badawi

Bizman back in the news with controversial project

Leslie Lau
TODAYonline

THEY call him "Patrick Badawi", and it is not meant to be a compliment.

Since the somewhat vicious political skirmishes erupted more than one year ago between Malaysia's former and current prime ministers, prominent businessman Patrick Lim has been among those caught in the crossfire.

For his close ties to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the acerbic Dr Mahathir Mohamad dubbed him "Patrick Badawi".

And the moniker has stuck, at least among critics of Mr Abdullah's administration.

Mr Lim, 42, is back in the news again thanks to a controversial project in the Prime Minister's home state, the Penang Global City Centre, which is likely to be Malaysia's biggest private property project. Critics say the project, to be developed on a 104-ha site now occupied by the Penang Turf Club, will create traffic and property oversupply problems.

Mr Lim has rarely responded to insinuations that he is a crony of Mr Abdullah.

Mr Lim's star has certainly risen since Mr Abdullah came to power in 2003. But he is just one of the businessmen considered influential in Mr Abdullah's administration and is part of the "changing of the guard" in the Malaysian corporate scene.

He is a sharp-dresser and enjoys the trappings of the good life. His personal friends include the glamorous and powerful, such as former Bond girl Michelle Yeoh and her fiance, Ferrari director Jean Todt.

The fact that Mr Lim is considered a friend of the Prime Minister's family is the subject of criticism mixed with envy.

He is known to be close to Mr Kamaluddin, Mr Abdullah's only son, and other members of the Prime Minister's close circle of advisers.

The Internet is rife with allegations against Mr Lim, most of which are unfounded or at least unproven.

In a recent interview with financial newspaper The Edge, Mr Lim gave a rare response to being called "Patrick Badawi".

"People give me names and all that. I don't know. I also go racing with Mokhzani (the son of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad) but nobody calls me 'Patrick Mahathir'."

Of course, his surname belies his ancestry, which is a mix of Chinese, Ceylonese, Irish, Scottish and German.

The insults notwithstanding, Mr Lim has pointed out that his vision is to turn his company, Equine Capital, into Malaysia's version of Ayala Corporation in the Philippines or even Singapore Land.

Mr Lim first hit the Malaysian corporate scene in the 1990s when - with the help of some financial backing from his wealthy father-in-law - his company started Equine Park, a housing development for the well-heeled amid the rolling hills near the Federal administrative capital of Putrajaya.

The Equine Park development is also the setting for an equestrian complex and riding club which was built with Britain's Princess Anne's former husband, Captain Mark Philips, as consultant.

Horses have been a big part of Mr Lim's ancestry. His father is the late Dr George Lim, one of Malaysia's most famous veterinary surgeons and a horse-racing official. Mr Lim actually grew up in a house next to the Perak Turf Club in Ipoh.

Besides Equine Park, his company has developed two other adjoining townships on its 303-ha land bank.

Mr Lim's real rise to prominence on the corporate scene, however, began only a few years ago when he was selected by Mr Abdullah to develop Pulau Duyong near Kuala Terengganu and organise the Monsoon Cup, a premier yacht race which has put the sleepy east coast state on the world map.

In a short time, the Monsoon Cup has become a major warm-up for teams planning an assault on the America's Cup.

Using the Monsoon Cup as a platform, Mr Lim persuaded Ferrari's Mr Todt to buy property on Pulau Duyong. Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher is also said to have shown interest after a visit to Terengganu to watch a yacht race.

With a mega-project under his belt, and a VVIP friend by his side, Mr Lim's star is likely to continue its rise.

The writer has worked in regional and international newspapers and TV stations and has reported on Malaysia for more than 15 years.