From car salesman to Malaysia's 50 richest: The rise and rise of Causeway Link founder Lim Han Weng

Straits Times

02-06-2025

Mr Lim Han Weng, founder of the Causeway Link brand, has handed the reins of his three listed companies to his children. PHOTO: HI MOBILITY
From car salesman to Malaysia's 50 richest: The rise and rise of Causeway Link founder Lim Han Weng
SINGAPORE – Before he made it to Forbes Malaysia's 50 richest list, Mr Lim Han Weng – the founder behind the Causeway Link buses that ferry thousands of cross-border commuters daily – was once a young man with a simple dream: landing a stable job.
Born in Kedah, he graduated with a Higher School Certificate but figured his results were not good enough for university.
So he started applying for any job he could find listed in the local classifieds, including an air steward role with Malaysia Airlines.
Rejection letters dashed his hopes of getting an office job or a jet-setting career.
'Every time I'm on an airplane, I'm reminded of this,' the 73-year-old laughed when recounting his challenging job hunt in an interview with The Straits Times in his Kranji Green office.
Eventually, he became a car salesman for Wearne Brothers, earning a basic salary of just RM250 .
His monthly target was to sell two cars – no easy feat in a small town where the big, expensive Jaguar, Holden and Opel models he sold were less popular than Japanese cars. Still, he met his target and appreciated the sales training.
Next, he joined Lori Malaysia, a semi-government-owned logistics company, where he was posted to different parts of the country.
When he arrived at the Johor branch, a driver commented that this was the best place to make money because of its proximity to Singapore. He stayed for the next five years, and when it was time to return to the Kuala Lumpur headquarters, he chose to resign.
In 1984, Mr Lim co-founded his first company, Yinson Transport, with his wife Bah Kim Lian, moving goods across the border for businesses using a small fleet of lorries.
That modest trucking company would evolve into something far bigger after he diversified into marine logistics, supplying ships and offshore support vessels to oil and gas companies.
In 1996, Yinson Holdings went public, and continued to expand its global presence. It is now one of the world's biggest providers of floating production, storage and offloading vessels, which are used to extract and store crude oil.
According to Forbes, the company has US$21 billion (S$27 billion) worth of leasing contracts extending till 2048. Yinson is also in the business of producing renewable energy and building electric vehicle charging networks.
In Singapore, Mr Lim set up Liannex Corporation in 1993, and the company now offers services in bus modification, marine logistics, port operation and the supply of construction materials.
In 2024, through Liannex Corporation, he bought a controlling stake in marine logistics company Icon Offshore, and turned it into Lianson Fleet Group, which has a market capitalisation of more than RM670 million (S$ 202 million) as at June 2.
The serial entrepreneur also saw the pain point of cross-border commuters, and launched Causeway Link bus rides in 2003 after overcoming political red tape, financing and recruitment challenges. On March 28, this company went public as HI Mobility, and has plans to pioneer more smart mobility solutions on both sides of the Causeway.
A younger Mr Lim Han Weng posing in front of his fleet after securing a licence in 2003 to run cross-border bus rides under the Causeway Link brand.
ST PHOTO: JAMES JACKSON CROUCHER
Even as a tycoon with a family net worth of US$480 million, according to Forbes, Mr Lim remains remarkably hands-on, taking calls and responding to WhatsApp messages from irate passengers, concerned parents and the Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, known for his frequent trips to the land checkpoints to address congestion issues.
Now, Mr Lim has handed the reins of his three listed companies to his children, with Mr Lim Chern Chuen and Ms Lim Chern Fang overseeing HI Mobility, Mr Lim Chern Yuan helming Yinson Holdings, and Mr Lim Chern Wooi heading Lianson Fleet Group.
He sent his children to Australia for their studies when they were still under 10 years old. With no relatives around and their mother unable to be with them all the time, they had to learn to fend for themselves from a young age.
'When you help them too much, they don't want to think for themselves,' said Mr Lim, who has never believed in overparenting.
He said young people have to learn to survive in an uncertain world, unless their parents are prepared to feed them forever.
Mr Lim Han Weng (left) with his son Lim Chern Chuen, the current chief executive of HI Mobility.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
He remains actively involved in growing his other businesses, especially when it comes to managing deals in Indonesia, as his children do not speak the local language.
'If you retire, your brain will go haywire,' he quipped.
His son, Mr Lim Chern Chuen, agreed that it is difficult for his parents, especially his father, to retire.
'Our dinner conversations usually revolve around work,' the HI Mobility chief executive said.
'For him, it's not really work. It's like a passion as well, so it's difficult to take the two apart.'
Mr Lim is a big advocate of entrepreneurship. He is proud to have nudged some of the bankers he has met in the past into striking out on their own – and watched them succeed.
He said aspiring entrepreneurs do not have to look far. 'Singapore has a financial centre, Malaysia has land and resources. When we look at these two countries, there are plenty of opportunities.'
For him, global ambitions start from home, and there is no better launch pad than Singapore and Malaysia.
Cheong Poh Kwan is Assistant Business Editor at The Straits Times.
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