Kuala Lumpur, April 22, 2025 — As global economies pivot and industries evolve at lightning speed, Malaysia proudly unveils its latest headline-makers: the【 2025 Top 10 Successful Malaysians 】. These distinguished individuals hail from diverse sectors—ranging from fashion and retail to renewable energy and social enterprise. Their achievements go far beyond revenue numbers; they are leaders in innovation, community impact, and global influence. Let’s take you on an exclusive journey through the lives and legacies of these extraordinary visionaries.
Jimmy Choo – Walking Malaysia onto the Global Fashion Stage in a Pair of High Heels
Jimmy Choo, the legendary designer from Penang, put Malaysia on the international fashion scene with a pair of high heels. Born into a family of shoemakers, he developed a talent for shoe design at an early age. After studying at Coventry College in London, he founded his own brand ‘Jimmy Choo’ and successfully entered the European aristocracy. Although he stepped down from running the brand at an early age due to shareholding issues, he has never strayed far from the fashion world and in 2025 he is still active as a design consultant, juror or art director on a number of international projects.
He also continues to invest resources in supporting young Malaysian designers to participate in international events and exhibitions, injecting new blood into the Malaysian fashion industry. He believes, “Design is not only a display of beauty, it is also a cultural expression. Jimmy Choo has long since transcended the significance of the brand to become a symbol of the country’s cultural soft power.
Vincent Tan – The Empire Builder Expanding Retail into Sports and Technology
When we talk about entrepreneurship in Malaysia, Vincent Tan is someone you should know. He knew how to do business, and in the last century he brought 7-Eleven and McDonald’s to Malaysia. But he has bigger ideas. He has been involved in the sports sector, buying Cardiff Football Club and entering the world of e-sports, which is electronic sports. He has created a dream stage for the younger generation in Malaysia. When it comes to new technology, Vincent Tan has continued to invest in artificial intelligence, e-commerce platforms and fintech to make the switch to digital happen.
Lee Kar Whatt – Turning a 2-Ringgit Idea into a Billion-Ringgit Business
In a time of rising prices and people feeling worried about the economy, Lee Kar Whatt has created an affordable shop called Eco-Shop. This shop is popular because people want quality products that don’t cost too much. Eco-Shop knows that people want good products that don’t cost too much. So, they’ve made a special system to make their supply chain better. This means they can keep their products really good without making them too expensive. With more than 200 shops across Malaysia selling items for RM2, he has created a business myth with an annual turnover of more than RM1 billion.
Chua Ma Yu – RM170 Million for Education, Bridging Business with Art and Philanthropy | Top 10 Successful Malaysians
Chua Mah Yow is an important person in the local business world, and his name often appears in financial news. However, many people do not know that he has also invested a lot of money in education and culture. In the last ten years, he has helped over 980 primary and secondary schools to improve their buildings and technology, especially in remote areas. In 2025, he announced an extra RM170 million for education to build a modern education foundation that aims to make students more competitive around the world. In the arts and culture field, he collects works by local Malaysian artists and has set up several art exchange platforms to improve the cultural awareness of all.
He believes that education and culture are the best ways to help society in the long-term. He once said, ‘Wealth can be created, but culture and education are the backbone of the nation.’ He is not in the spotlight, but he is helping Malaysia to become a civilised and sustainable country.
Kong Hon Kong – Transforming Graveyards into Gardens and Changing How Malaysia Views Death | Top 10 Successful Malaysians
In Malaysia, where tradition is very important, funerals were once seen as a ‘cold industry’. But Kong Hon Kong has brought warmth and dignity to the industry with his new ideas. He set up the Nirvana Group, a financial services company. The Nirvana Group came up with the idea of a ‘Garden Cemetery’, which is a place where people can have a funeral or a memorial service. It combines the beauty of nature, care for the dead and religious elements. Nirvana Memorial Park is a place for families to remember their loved ones. He introduced digital memorials, eco-friendly funerals and professional grief counselling to change the traditional image of ‘death’.
Frank Choo — From Family Legacy to Modern Enterprise: Building the Multi-Service Ecosystem of Xiao En
Frank Choo, the CEO of Xiao En Group, is one of the few entrepreneurs who have made a success of the traditional idea of filial piety. He is taking over from his father and understands that filial piety is both a cultural sentiment and a social responsibility. The main idea is ‘filial piety’, and he has successfully built a complete ecosystem offering a wide range of services. These include funeral etiquette, grief counselling, elderly care and pre-planning. This means the business extends not only to the rituals of life, but also to the care of the whole process of life.
Pang Chong Yong — The Next-Gen Hero of Malaysia’s Traditional Manufacturing Industry
As co-founder and managing director of Gemilang Coachwork, Mr Pang Chong-Yong has brought the local bus manufacturing industry onto the world stage with his strong industrial spirit and international vision. Having started his career in coachbuilding at an early age, he has gradually gained extensive experience in leading a team focused on researching and developing environmentally friendly, energy-saving and efficient solutions for public transport. In particular, with the rapid development of new energy vehicles, he has led Gemilang into the electric and hydrogen bus market, signing major supply contracts with the governments of Singapore, Australia and the United States. He believes that ‘innovation in public transport is the starting point for urban civilisation’.
Davis Chong — He’s Not a Minister, But He’s Shaping Malaysia’s Renewable Energy Future | Top 10 Successful Malaysians
Davis Chong is the CEO of Solarvest Holdings and the Chairman of the Malaysian Photovoltaic Industry Association (MPIA). He has been very important in promoting the development of renewable energy. He didn’t come from a government or energy giant background. He started out as a small or medium-sized company (SME) that was strongly committed to environmental protection. He led Solarvest to become a leader in Malaysia’s photovoltaic industry. He has been in regular contact with the people who make the rules and has been asking them to support green policies. This has included promoting the ‘Feed-in Tariff’ policy and helping local groups to set up programmes to make solar energy available to everyone.
Ian Ho — The Shopee General Who Bridged Malaysian E-Commerce to the World
Ian Ho is the Vice President of Shopee Malaysia. He has a lot of influence in the digital economy. He has had a lot of important jobs in the tech industry and has experience in managing companies all over the world. He is especially good at developing markets and researching how users behave. Since he took charge, the number of users, the money spent by customers, and the number of brands on the site have all gone up a lot. He has also helped local small and medium-sized businesses to sell their products on the site, helping them to go online. His ‘Shopee Uni’ programme has provided training and resources to help merchants grow their businesses.
Lee Thiam Wah — From a Boy in a Wheelchair to the King of Retail: An Icon of Resilience | Top 10 Successful Malaysians
Lee Tim Wah is a determined entrepreneur. Despite being poor and disabled, he built Malaysia’s most densely populated neighbourhood retail chain empire, 99 Speedmart, over 36 years. He was disabled by polio as a child, but he did not let that stop him. He started as a hawker, then a shopkeeper, and then a chain giant. He has shown perseverance and ingenuity at every step of his journey. He went from selling food from a stall to owning a shop, and then to owning lots of shops. He did this by being determined and wise. He has a good understanding of what the typical Malaysian middle class and working class needs. He has chosen to use the strategy of ‘Simple Store + Large SKUs + Fast Replenishment’ to get the new store up and running quickly and to cut costs.
Conclusion: More Than Just Success Stories — They Are Malaysia’s New Symbols of Progress
From the catwalk to carbon neutrality, from retail shelves to digital platforms, these 10 individuals represent the spirit of a new Malaysia. Their resilience, intelligence, and vision serve as a powerful reminder that success can—and should—be purposeful. They are not just business titans; they are shaping our national identity.
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