Instead of spending $600,000 on himself for his 60th birthday last year, Malaysian tycoon Lim Kok Thay decided to give it away to five charities.

And the bulk of the donations from the Genting Group chairman - $200,000 - went to Singapore's Community Chest.

Explaining his decision to donate the money, Mr Lim, 61, said: " When one is privileged and has the privilege of giving, one should give back to help others.

" Here in Singapore, (the Community Chest) is very efficient. I've been told that almost 100 cents in every donated dollar goes to charity."

Mr Lim's was the highest amount donated by an individual to the Community Chest from April last year to March this year, for which he was recognised yesterday at a Community Chest Award ceremony.

Total donations to the Community Chest in that period hit the fund-raising target of $55.7 million, compared to the $55.2-million target met the year before. Of the $55.7 million raised, donations from Community Chest Award recipients - including individuals and organisations - accounted for over $52 million, 7 per cent more than the year before.

This is largely because of an increase in contributions to the Community Chest's monthly workplace-donation programme, called Share, said Ms Tan Bee Heong, general manager of the Community Chest.

She added that the organisation's partners and donors have been " increasingly more generous" .

The number of new Community Chest Award recipients also increased to 37 this year, from 16 last year.

-my paper