When national calling to join EC is deemed more alluring than board stint in Genting Malaysia

When national calling to join EC is deemed more alluring than board stint in Genting Malaysia





VERY FEW board members of Genting Bhd or its listed subsidiaries are willing to give up their tenure for they know that they are not only hand-picked to join the globally renowned casino-cum-resorts tourism group but also prospects of a ‘lucrative’ post-retirement board remuneration.


Recall that former Inspector-General of Police Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar only called it a day as Genting Bhd’s long serving deputy chairman and non-independent executive director on Dec 31, 2018 after a stint stretching as far back as Feb 23, 1994 or 24 years.

But not so for Datuk Dr Lee Bee Phang who was renowned for being Malaysia’s first Chinese woman to hold the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP) in the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).


Her board stint in Genting Malaysia Bhd was short-lived as she parted ways with the premier tourist resort operator on Thursday (April 6) after having received a letter dated March 29 from Chief Secretary to the Government to be a member of the Election Commission (EC) with effect from March 22 “as endorsed by His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong”.

“The letter, among others, specified that she is not allowed to engage in any position or paid work outside of her position as a member of EC,” justified Genting Malaysia in a Bursa Malaysia filing. “Arising from the above, she tendered her resignation with immediate effect.”



To re-cap, Lee, 61, was only appointed to the board of Genting Malaysia as an independent non-executive director (INED) on July 1 last year after a distinguished 34-year career with the PDRM in various capacities/departments.

Perhaps such is the sense of ‘no money can buy’ patriotism that has been embedded in the once “thin and frail girl” who was very much inspired by Datuk Robiah Abdul Ghani – the first woman in Malaysia to hold the rank of CP in 2008.

Armed with a PhD in the field of ‘Juvenile Crime’ which she obtained in 2010 from Universiti Malaya, Lee was promoted to the rank of Deputy Commissioner in May 2015 before being promoted to her CP rank on March 12, 2021.

Lee has been reported to be planning to pen her autobiography detailing the interesting parts of her career in the police force. – April 9, 2023