Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu was born during the month of an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement called the May Fourth Movement launched in China, and that was months after World War I ended. Brought up during a world that is in transition and transformation, which influence and mould the statesman who later became the father of Modern Penang.

Few people know that he studied law at Gray’s Inn1. before he obtained his degrees in medicine and surgery at the University of Edinburgh as a King’s Scholar. His time in England, which coincided with World War II, impacted and influenced his decision to enter politics. He felt strongly that people of principles should to come forward to stand up and be counted to help make the world a better place to live in. (1)

Tun Lim’s Political Career

Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu represents a rare breed of honest, bold, brave and courageous politician. He stood firm and did not compromise his political beliefs, conviction and principles. (1)

Except for Tun Razak, Tun Lim contributed most to the formation of the National Front (or better know as Barisan Nasional), the coalition which succeeded the Alliance, ruled and developed Malaysia until today. (2)

He was much respected by the various Prime Ministers during the term of his office as Gerakan president and Chief Minister of Penang.

Penangites, perhaps Malaysians, are forever in his debt

Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu made Foreign Direct Investment a by-word in Malaysia and perhaps in the world. He brought the first foreign investments in electronics to Penang.

Creating jobs at a time when unemployment was running high was the best thing for Malaysia till then. It was he who made Penang from depended solely on its free-port status to an urbanised and industrialised state good enough to be known as the Silicon Valley of Malaysia. (3)

So successful was he that very quickly Penang was short of workers and other states benefitted from his effort at creating employment. Penang became the centre for the transformation of Malaysia into an industrial nation. (2)

Modern Penang

Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu gave the the state’s first skyscraper, the 65-storey Komtar. Komtar was the tallest building in Asia, standing at 232m when it was completed in 1986. (3)

The multi-million ringgit Komtar project took shape as an integrated, centralised administrative and civic centre for Penang.

He set up the state government’s investment arm, Penang Development Corporation, built affordable housing and entire townships, providing homes for thousands of Penangites.

In his speech on national integration at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in 1995, he described himself as an “old bee that lingered in an environment best to build his hive”, but in the next 25 years as the nation moved towards 2020, the people would become very “busy bees”. (3)

In memory

Those who had met Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu and knew him would likely remember him as a person who was serious with his job, straight to the point, rarely showed his emotions in public and so sharp that he could put people with specialised degrees to shame. (3)

He was also practising medical doctor when he was active in politics. In December 1960, he left MCA and two years later, formed the United Democratic Party.

In 1968, he became one of the founding members of Party Gerakan, which started out as an opposition party against the ruling Alliance. Despite being a new party, Gerakan captured Penang in the 1969 general election. Tun Lim succeeded Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee and became Penang’s longest-serving Chief Minister, leading the state and shaping its identity for 21 years from 1969 to 1990.

In 1973, Gerakan and its former political rivals MCA, UMNO and MIC form a new coalition called Barisan Nasional.

Credit

1. http://www.mysinchew.com/node/48569


2. http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2010/11/tun-dr-lim-chong-eu.html


3. http://www.nst.com.my/articles/9trn/Article/

by Editorial Desk
gerakan4u.com