Genting Bhd chairman and chief executive Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay is the highest income earner among chief executives of public listed companies – earning RM77.7 million ($31.8 million) in 2008 despite a 10% pay cut.

Nanyang Siang Pau reported that he also topped the list in 2007 with RM86.5 million.

According to the daily’s calculation, Lim earns around RM212,800 a day.

In his capacity as Genting Malaysia executive chairman and chief executive, Lim is in third place with an annual income of RM37.25 million in 2008, compared with RM41.5 million in 2007.

In second place is IOI Corporation Bhd executive chairman Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng, with an annual income of RM41.15 million, almost doubling his 2007 income of RM21.6 million.

Lee, in his capacity as executive chairman of IOI Property, came in sixth with an income of RM8.6 million following a 67% pay rise.