LAST GOODBYE: Tan Sri Lim's sons Tee Keong (left) and Chee Wah walking behind the hearse yesterday. About 10,000 people attended the funeral to pay their last respects to the Genting Group founder. -- PHOTO: AFP

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Braving the light drizzle, thick fog and cold winds, throngs of well-wishers and employees of his business empire, Genting Group, accompanied the business icon on his final journey.

Tan Sri Lim's coffin was lowered into a grave at a mausoleum at 1.18pm, considered an auspicious time.

The Sun newspaper's website said the time sounded like 'yat-yat-fatt' or 'every day prosper' in Cantonese.

The burial at the Gohtong Memorial Park, about the size of two football fields and situated halfway up the peak of Genting Highlands, was a private affair open only to family.

The location of the mausoleum was chosen by Tan Sri Lim himself.

He was a staunch believer in fengshui, so his body was buried facing east, also considered an auspicious direction and to mark his origins from China's southern Fujian province.

A Who's Who in the Malaysian Chinese and business communities, as well as wheelchair-bound children from welfare homes who had benefited from Tan Sri Lim's generosity, were among those present at the funeral.

'Tan Sri Lim is a man known for his generosity and enterprising spirit,' Malaysian Chinese Association president Ong Ka Ting said in a eulogy.

Datuk Seri Ong was one of the 500-odd VIPs invited to pay their last respects to Tan Sri Lim at the latter's sprawling residence, the Gohtong Villa, about 15 minutes drive from the memorial park.

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi had visited Gohtong Villa last Thursday to offer his condolences to the family.

'He (Tan Sri Lim) was so hard-working. He would often tell me that he was the 'No. 1 coolie' in his company. He worked all the time which was testimony to his dedication towards his career. And he was always humble,' Datuk Seri Abdullah was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

The 1-km-long cortege left the villa at 10am, led by two outriders from Genting's auxiliary police unit, two school bands which played tunes like Auld Lang Syne, a lion dance troupe and a group of Buddhist monks chanting prayers.

In front of the silver hearse, which was adorned with pastel-coloured roses, was a stylish picture of the man, who came to Malaya in 1937 almost penniless and went on to build one of the country's largest conglomerates.

His six children followed closely behind the hearse, dressed in mourning garb and looking somewhat sombre.

Tan Sri Lim's widow Lee Kim Hua, 79, followed the procession in a golf buggy and was seen wiping away tears several times.

'Uncle Lim is a great man. I came all the way from Kajang (in Selangor) to be with him in the final journey,' property developer Goh Leong Huat, 42, said, using a common reference to the visionary tycoon.

The cortege made a brief stop at the Chin Swee temple, built by Tan Sri Lim in honour of a deity from Fujian who inspired him to build Genting Highlands. A 10-minute prayer session was conducted.

It then left for Genting Hotel, at the peak, about 20 minutes drive away to allow thousands of Genting Group staff , who were granted time off, to pay their last respects.

Family members then went to the memorial park for the burial ceremony.

Tan Sri Lim, 90, died of old age in a private hospital near Kuala Lumpur last Tuesday, leaving an estimated US$4.3 billion (S$6.3 billion) in wealth.

The story about how he built a giant diversified group from scratch and being awarded the sole casino licence in Malaysia has been an inspiration to many.

kumhor@sph.com.sg