His Life Before Becoming A Minister

• His Early Life •His inspiration to be a minister

His Early Life ….• A late-starter because of malaria• Went to Oldham Hall School (ACS Oldham Hall)• Went to Raffles College• Joined a sago-making factory (Soon Hin Sago

Factory) and took it over– Invented machine that made production of sago

pearls less labour-intensive

• Served on Board of Directors of the United Chinese Bank(United Overseas Bank now-UOB)

His inspiration to be a minister ….• In late 1950s, Lee Kuan Yew asked Lim Kim San

to solve the housing problem.• Lim Kim San saw a man beneath a staircase

shophouse, lying on a single plank, covering himself with a blanket.

• The man was paying rent for that space.• The man was too poor to afford clothes, so he

covered himself with the blanket.

• Lim Kim San also saw a 3-storey shop house with only 1 toilet and 2 bathrooms. 200 people were living there.

• He thought it was inhumane, so he wanted to help these people and solve the problem.

His inspiration to be a minister ….

His Life As A Minister

minis tries“cleaned up” many ministries and “refreshed” them

Challenges faced as Chairman of HDB

• Received a challenge, build 10,000 housing units a year.

• He built an astonishing 26,168 units within two years – about the same number built by the Singapore Improvement Trust in its 32 years!

Salary as Chairman of HDB

• Because Ong Eng Guan was making things difficult for him, he held the HDB Chairman post for 4 years as a volunteer.

• Lim Kim San felt that it was not fair as he had his own business.

• He also knew that if he was paid a salary, he could be fired or sacked!

Things done as HDB Chairman

• Formed a strong team to build Singapore’s houses.

1. J.R. Stevens as Structural Engineer2. Alan Choe as Town planner3. Howe Yoon Chong as Chief Executive Officer4. Teh Cheang Wan as Chief Architect

• The team built 7000 housing units in 1961• The team built 10,000 to 13,000 units each

year from 1962 to 1969.

• Was a no-nonsense person.• Fired incompetent staff members such as PAP

members and fellow colleagues

Let me tell you something……Let me tell you something……

Character

I Don’t accept NONSENSE!!!!I Don’t accept NONSENSE!!!!

He was ______ Minister for 32 years

• Finance • Defence Oversaw

implementation of National Service (NS).• Communications• Environment submitted report

on cleaning Singapore River, a 10 year project.• Education

Ministries Lim Kim San headed as chairman

• (MAS)• Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) steered

PSA to become world’s busiest port. In 1979, 11,000 staff handled 83 million tons of cargo, nearly 1 million containers. In 1994, 7300 staff handled 280 million tones of cargo, nearly 10 million containers.

• Expanded Upper Pierce Reservoir to increase our water supply.

Awards

1. Darjah Utama Temasek in 1962 (Order of Temasek)

2. Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1965

Lim Kim San …

Mr Lim Kim San ….

• Has 6 children• Man of integrity and fairness, believed that

charity began at home.• Generous

– Donated almost ½ of his $$ to charity

• Kind but Stern towards his children, but spoilt his grandchildren by showering them with love.

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