QUEEN ELIZABETH HONOURS MALAYSIAN BUSINESSMAN

By Neville DCruz

MELBOURNE, June 15 (Bernama) -- A Malaysian businessman and community leader
was honoured by Britain's Queen Elizabeth in her birthday honours list on
Monday.

Dr Peter Yeoh Tiong Yong, 72, who now lives in Brisbane, was awarded the
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to business, particularly
through the Australia-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and to the community of
Queensland.

The well-known philanthropist's charity work has been outstanding.

He initiated a fund-raiser which helped collect A$630,000 in three years for
the Queensland Pre-Natal Research Centre to help prevent brain damage in
new-born babies who suffered from a shortage of oxygen during birth.

Dr Yeoh was also behind a campaign which raised A$3 million over five years
for the Betty Byren Henderson Women's Health Research Centre at the Royal
Women's Hospital in Brisbane. It undertakes Longitudinal Assessment Study of
women's health in the mid to late years.

But it's his involvement with business associations that has made Dr Yeoh
prominent in Brisbane.

His work with the Australia-Malaysia Business Council of Queensland (AMBCQ)
and
the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese of the People's Republic
of China earned him recognition and praise from state and federal governments in
Australia, China and Malaysia.

As AMBCQ president, Dr Yeoh led a highly successful delegation to Malaysia
in 1996. This resulted in a return visit by a Malaysian trade and investment
mission to Queensland, the following year.

He played a leading role to facilitate a sister city relationship between
Brisbane and Shenzhen in China.

In April 2003, he was awarded the Centenary Medal by the Governor General
of Australia for his achievements in a broad cross-section of the Australian
community.

Born in Klang, Selangor on Nov 30, 1937 into a family with building
construction interests, Dr Yeoh is the youngest son of nine siblings.

After completing his secondary education in Malaysia, he furthered his
studies at the Sydney University of Technology and in 1963, at the age of 26, he
took over his family's company, Yeoh Cheng Liam Construction Sdn Bhd.

During his tenure of 22 years, Dr Yeoh grew the business to become one of
the largest construction companies in Malaysia, constructing numerous high-rise
buildings, residential and shopping complexes, hospitals and industrial
factories.

In 1982, Dr Yeoh was inducted Fellow of the Faculty of Building in London.
Three years later, he migrated with his family to Australia and started the YTY
Group of Companies, with interests in property investment and management.

Dr Yeoh is an active promoter of multiculturalism and integration of
overseas Chinese into Australian society.

Dr Yeoh and wife, Alice, have three daughters and a son. Their eldest
daughter, Pat P. W. Yeoh is the managing director of PM Resources Sdn Bhd in
Kuala Lumpur.

-- BERNAMA