Chairman of the QI Group, Dato’ Vijay Eswaran, top Malaysian philanthropist

This year, like every other year, Forbes Asia published its annual list of  48 Heroes of Philanthropy to honour some of Asia-Pacific’s biggest business tycoons and billionaires who have donated millions of dollars to society in support of various causes, and also little-known citizens who are extremely generous with their limited funds.

Forbes Magazine selected four philanthropists from each of the 12 countries in the region to make up this list, and we are delighted and proud to announce that Executive Chairman of the QI Group, Dato’ Vijay Eswaran ranks among the top four Malaysian Philanthropists, alongside Vincent Tan, Koon Yew Yin and the husband & wife team, Angela & Hijjas Kasturi!

Our warmest congratulations to Dato’ Vijay Eswaran for this once-in-a-lifetime achievement!

Dato’ Vijay Eswaran has been deeply involved in a number of charitable projects worldwide through his two foundations – RYTHM Foundation and Vijayaratnam Foundation. While RYTHM Foundation has been involved in various initiatives globally in the areas of education, disaster relief, children and community development, its Malaysian Chapter, Vijayaratnam Foundation, is involved in youth and women empowerment, arts & culture, child mentoring and environment protection projects in Malaysia.

“I am deeply humbled by this honour. I come from a family where philanthropy has been a way of life. My parents have instilled in me the value of being in service to others from a young age. And one of my icons is Mahatma Gandhi whose teachings form the basis of RYTHM – Raise Yourself To Help Mankind, which led to the inception of the RYTHM Foundation.”

“The Foundation was conceived not to primarily be a donor or a charity, but instead to be a catalyst to innovate, inspire and implement new synergies that would allow people to stand on their own feet as opposed to looking for aid. Which is why we focus on the time and effort we are able to give people in need, as opposed to the size of the cheque. This honour is ultimately a recognition of 13 years of being in RYTHM,” said Dato’ Vijay Eswaran, on being chosen as one of the 48 Heroes.

Forbes Asia’s goal is not to rank the biggest givers by dollar amounts or percentage of assets, as those figures would be impossible to collect. Instead, as explained by Senior Editor John Koppisch, “Our aim is to call attention to a mix of notable people and causes throughout the region and to encourage more giving.”