PETALING JAYA: Prominent businessman and philanthropist Koon Yew Yin passed away in Ipoh on Monday at the age of 93.

Born on Jan 6, 1933, Koon had celebrated his 93rd birthday last month in the company of family and close friends.

A titan of Malaysia’s construction and engineering sector, he was a co-founder of several major listed companies, including Gamuda Bhd, IJM Corp Bhd and Mudajaya Construction.

Beyond his corporate achievements, Koon was widely respected for his value-investing philosophy and his reputation in the local stock market.

He was also known for his philanthropy through the Koon Yew Yin Foundation, which provided scholarships to underprivileged students, and was reported to have contributed significant funding towards the construction of student hostels at Universiti Sains Malaysia.