HIGH COURT REJECTS ADMINISTRATORS’ OBJECTION IN GENTING ESTATE CASE

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- The High Court here today dismissed a preliminary objection raised by court-appointed administrators overseeing the RM1.6 billion inheritance belonging to the late Lim Siew Kim, the third child of Genting founder Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong.

Judge Mahazan Mat Taib ruled in favour of Marcus Chan Jau Chwen, the son of Siew Kim and grandson of the gaming tycoon, in the case filed by Siew Kim’s children over her RM1.6 billion estate.

She held that the submission made by counsel B. Thangaraj, who acted for the court-appointed administrators managing the estate, was incorrect because Marcus relies on evidence and exhibits already before the court to argue that certain payments were not made from the trust account as provided in the order.

“That constitutes a submission based on documents already on record, so it does not amount to the introduction of new evidence. The court will not allow new factual matters to be introduced through submissions. The objection is misconceived and overruled,” said Mahazan.

It was reported that yesterday, Thangaraj argued in his objection that portions of Marcus’ written submissions contained new factual allegations not pleaded in the affidavit evidence.

Right after today’s ruling, the parties proceeded with the hearing of the removal application, which is scheduled to continue on March 4.

Siew Kim who died of cancer in July 2022 at the age of 73, leaving behind three daughters and a son, and her estate has since been managed by administrators pendente lite amid an ongoing family dispute over the validity of her will.

The High Court on Nov 27, 2023, appointed lawyer Datuk Satharuban Sivasubramaniam and Khoo Siew Kiat as administrators overseeing the estate. 

They took over the administration after two of Siew Kim’s daughters, namely, Chan T’shiao Li and Kimberly Chan T’shiao Miin, filed a probate suit on Jan 19, 2023, challenging the validity of a will said to have been executed on April 28, last year.

Marcus, who is the only son of Siew Kim and a 30 percent beneficiary of the residuary estate, is seeking the removal of both administrators, as he alleges misconduct and non-compliance with the court order in the appointment of the administrators.

Among his complaints are that certain payments were allegedly made to solicitors and other parties from individual bank accounts rather than consolidated trust accounts, that estate funds were depleted through wrongful payments, and that the administrators interfered in the management of companies linked to the estate.

He further alleged that the administrators nearly caused the estate to pay RM4.73 million in assessments on behalf of Prominview Sdn Bhd, despite the liability allegedly resting with a joint venture partner. 

Other complaints include lodging private caveats and undertaking property valuations despite having no authority to distribute or dispose of estate assets.

On Jan 23, 2026, Marcus obtained an ad interim injunction restraining the administrators from acting for the estate pending disposal of the removal application. 

Marcus was represented by lawyers Goik Kenwayne, Foong Kar Yee and Datuk Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin.

-- BERNAMA