“He (Gnanalingam, pic) was a beacon of Malaysia, a maritime nation,” said Mohamed Safwan.
PETALING JAYA: The late Westports Holdings Bhd
founder and chairman Tan Sri Gnanalingam Gunanath Lingam was an icon of the maritime industry.
He was known for his unwavering spirit and contributions to the industry in the country.
Gnanalingam, or “Tan Sri G” as many would call him, passed away on July 11 at the age of 78.
The Malaysia Shipowners’ Association (Masa) chairman Mohamed Safwan Othman said “the tales of how Westports has turned Port Klang into a behemoth in the maritime world will definitely go into the annals of history”.
Mohamed Safwan said aspiring maritime professionals and Malaysians in general should study Gnanalingam’s innovation-focused approach and the concept of the garden port.
“He was a beacon of Malaysia, a maritime nation,” Mohamed Safwan told StarBiz.He said the entrepreneur had contributed to the growth of local shipping companies, particularly through their collaboration with Westports.
Datuk Rishya Joseph credited Gnanalingam as being one of the most influential mentors during his formative years in the communications and advertising industry.
“Gnanalingam believed implicitly in the democratisation of media and steadfastly championed the critical need for change within the media industry.
“He is a consummate marketing purist and an ideator who pursued excellence in all its manifestations.
“He was unstoppable,” said Rishya, who is the founder and chief executive officer of Reason Worldwide – a consultancy specialising in content, ideation and analytics.
Gnanalingam transformed Westports and Port Klang into the pre-eminent gateway port in Malaysia and one of the transshipment hubs in South-East Asia.
The group was listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia in 2013, and commands a market cap of RM12.28bil based on Tuesday’s closing price of RM3.60.
The tycoon was born in Singapore on Sept 10, 1945.
He was trained at the Royal Military College before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of Malaya in 1968, a biography note on Westports’ website said.
He was also an alumni of the Harvard Business School in Boston, the United States, having attended the school’s advanced management programme in 1983.
Gnanalingam was married to Puan Seri Siew Yong Gnanalingam and they have three children.
Their eldest son Datuk Ruben Emir Gnanalingam is currently Westport’s managing director.
Gnanalingam began his career with Malayan Tobacco Co – now known as British American Tobacco (M) Bhd after the merger with Rothmans – in 1968 as a sales representative. In 1980, he was promoted to the position of marketing director.
In the late 1980s, he left the tobacco company to set up G-Team Consultants Sdn Bhd.
The company was given the mandate to beef up the advertising revenue of RTM in the wake of TV3’s dominance in the free-to-air television segment.
In 1994, the entrepreneur secured a 60-year concession to operate Westports and expand its container terminals in Pulau Indah and Port Klang.
The concession will end in 2054.
In recognition of his contribution to the local maritime scene, Gnanalingam was named the Transport Man of the Year in 2001 by the Transport Ministry.
The entrepreneur was also involved in resolving the long-standing issue pertaining to Maika Holdings Bhd, which was once the business outfit of MIC.
However, over the years, Maika did not make progress resulting in it being taken over by G-Team Resources.
