TUN DR LIM CHONG EU - THE MAN WHO STOOD HIS GROUND AGAINST RACIST UMNO

By Admin

Malaysia today lost an outstanding political leader, Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, who was also responsible for developing Penang into the leading state in the electronics industry.

The state''s second chief minister breathed his last at his home at Jalan Cheah Phee Cheok, Hillside, Tanjong Bungah in Penang at 9.07pm after being warded at Penang Hospitals''s Intensive-Care Unit for almost a month following a stroke.

Born on May 28, 1919, Dr Lim received his early education at Penang Free School and was a Queen''s Scholar in 1937. He obtained his degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Edinburgh in 1944.

After serving as a medical officer with the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force, he went into private practice.

He was appointed to the Penang Local Authority Board in 1951 and in 1955, was appointed a member of the Federal Legislature.

Political Career

He became MCA president in March 1958 but left the party in July 1959 before setting up the United Democratic Party (UDP) in the same year, becoming its secretary-general. He became the party president in 1966.

However, due to lack of understanding with UDP, he quit the party and co-founded Gerakan in 1968. He became its president one year later.

Dr Lim was appointed Penang chief minister in the same year until 1990.

He was entrusted by the government to spearhead the Penang Development Corporation, attracting a lot of investments with Penang emerging as the leading state in the electronic industry.

He inspired the creation of the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone and was responsible for initiating the development of Seberang Perai''s swampy area into a modern satellite town, known as Seberang Jaya. When the country was facing an unemployment crisis in the early 1970''s, Dr Lim introduced an on-the-job-training scheme known as the Pilot Scheme to also address the school drop-out problem.

Tun Dr. Lim stood his ground in fending off racist Umno's bullying tactics and 'Ketuanan Melayu' (Malay Supremacy) mindset. In fact it was noted that Umno wanted the Penang State Mosque to be built at the Esplanade Ground as Umno wanted all ships arriving in Penang to first see the Mosque as what it (Umno) considers to be Malay Muslim dominance over a vibrant, modern non Malay Muslim majority Penang under the stewardship of Dr. Lim Chong Eu. The Penang State Mosque was eventually built in Greenlane.

However, the astute and no nonsense leadership of Tun Dr. Lim was undone by his successor, Koh Tsu Koon who simply caved in to the Umno Warlords like Ahmad Ismail and merely a puppet Chief Minister without power where the real power was in the hands of racist Umno.

Koh Tsu Koon has stooped so low to politicize Tun Dr. Lim's passing. As soon as Penang's Pakatan Rakyat Chief Minister YAB Lim Guan Eng declared that Penang will accord a State Funeral for Tun Dr. Lim, the Umno lackey Tsu Koon quickly tried to upstage him by declaring that the Federal Government is the one that granted the state funeral and will conduct and make all arrangements. YAB Lim like a gentleman stepped aside and said that he will let the BN/Umno Federal Government do it and the state government will try to help in anyway it can. As a true leader and gentleman, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng sportingly has directed all government departments to fly the Penang state flag at half-mast until after the former Penang chief minister Lim Chong Eu's funeral is over on Sunday, as a sign of deep mourning and sorrow.

MarGeeMar The Scribe and The Blog Team take this opportunity to express our heart felt condolences to the family of the Late Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu. May God Bless his soul. REST IN PEACE TUN DR. LIM CHONG EU.