Genting inheritance dispute: Lawyer-cum-trustee unaware of RM1 billion Dikim Foundation value

KUALA LUMPUR - A lawyer who drafted two wills in 2022 for the estate of the late Lim Siew Kim, daughter of Lim Goh Tong, told the High Court today that she had no knowledge of the value of the Dikim Foundation, which was named the main beneficiary of Siew Kim’s estate, allegedly worth more than RM1 billion.

Low Beng Choo, 68, who is not a family member of the deceased and is the sole remaining trustee of the foundation, said she prepared the final will dated April 28, 2022, without full knowledge of the deceased’s assets.

Low, who had known the deceased for more than 20 years in the course of her legal practice, said she had drafted and witnessed Siew Kim’s wills dated April 11 and April 28, 2022 and had also acted as a witness to her earlier will dated Nov 2, 2021.

The fourth defendant said this when questioned by lawyer Datuk V. Sithambaram, who is representing two of the deceased’s daughters, Chan T’Shiao Li and Kimberly Chan T’Shiao Miin, who are challenging their late mother’s capacity to execute the will, as well as alleging suspicious circumstances surrounding its preparation.

The sisters named four individuals including Low and their brother Marcus Chan Jau Chwen as defendants in the suit, which was filed in 2023.

To a question by Sithambaram that the Dikim Foundation, as named in the third will, was entitled to about 70 per cent of the estate, allegedly worth more than RM1 billion, Low replied: "I have no knowledge.”

She also affirmed that her relationship with the late Siew Kim was purely professional, describing it as a solicitor-client relationship.

Low also confirmed that she shredded the second will.

Sithambaram then suggested that the third will, unlike the first, does not contain the names of Dikim’s trustees, to which Low agreed.

Low also agreed to the lawyer’s suggestion that based solely on the third will, one would not be able to identify the trustees of Dikim apart from the fact that 70 per cent of the residuary estate was allocated to the foundation.

Meanwhile, in her witness statement, Low mentioned that before the deceased signed the April 2022 will, she had placed the said will in front of her.

"I then read through the contents of the April 2022 will to her. As I was reading the contents of the will, the deceased was following my reading and also reading the will herself.

"To avoid confusion with the April 2022 will that was already signed by then and based on the deceased’s instructions, I shredded the original 2021 will together with its copies,” she said adding that she assumed the role as a trustee of Dikim only from June 2, 2022 onwards.

Low further said that, after the execution of the last will by the deceased and sometime in May 2022, upon the repeated requests of the deceased, she eventually agreed to be appointed as a trustee of Dikim.

"I provided all requested documents and information for, amongst others, the approval of the relevant authorities for appointment as a trustee,” she said.

Siew Kim, who is the Genting Group of Companies founder’s third child, passed away due to cancer in July 2022. The 73-year-old left behind three daughters and a son.

The hearing before Judge Mahazan Mat Taib will continue tomorrow. - BERNAMA