CY@CY Says Welcome to my dreamscape. Where a Lim is also a Ling.
Public Bank Berhad has been ridiculed online after a video of its extravagant 45th anniversary celebrations started circulating on YouTube this week.
The bank, which celebrated the milestone on July 23, honoured its 81-year-old chairman, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Teh Hong Piow, according him a cabaret-style welcome as the crowd sang ‘Man of honour, a living legend’ as he arrived waving from the back of a pickup truck flanked by motorcycle outriders. There were hundreds of bank staff, singers and dancers waving small flags in a banquet hall to welcome Tan Sri Teh.
Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. Teh Hong Piow arriving on the back of a pickup truck
Many Malaysian netizens have come out to slam the bank, with some likening the celebration to that of events held in North Korea to praise leader Kim Jong Il.
The extravaganza was savaged by Malaysian users of Twitter and bloggers.
‘Malaysia’s latest religious cult: Public Bank. Kim Jong Il would be jealous,’ tweeted MP Khairy Jamaluddin, youth wing chief of the United Malays National Organisation, the country’s dominant political party. I seem to sense some sour grapes here.
Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. Teh Hong Piow waving to the crowds
Ranked Malaysia’s sixth-wealthiest person and the 223rd richest person in the world by Forbes magazine earlier this year with an estimated personal wealth of US$4.7 billion, Tan Sri Teh founded the publicly-listed bank — which is now the country’s third-largest in terms of assets — in 1966 and has received numerous awards over the years as one of Malaysia’s top bankers. He is the first winner of Euromoney’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Asia.
Public Bank Chairman Tan Sri Dato' Teh Hong Piow
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Teh Hong Piow was born in Singapore on 14 March 1930. He attended his formal primary and secondary education at the Anglo-Chinese School in Singapore. He has been married to Puan Sri Tay Sock Noy since 1956 and they have four children – three daughters and a son.
He began his banking career in 1950 as a Bank Clerk in Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd. and rose in rank to officer within five years. He joined Malayan Banking Berhad as Manager in 1960. Later in 1964, he was promoted to the position of General Manager at the young age of 34. He then left Malayan Banking in 1966 to set up Public Bank.
The rest is history.
I don’t understand what the uproar is about. Tan Sri Teh Hong has laboriously built up a bank which is now reputed to be most well-managed bank in Malaysia. I know he is egoistic but don’t you think he fully deserves this?
Watch the video below: