Jump to content

Lim Han Hoe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lim Han Hoe
林漢河
Born27 April 1894
Died23 March 1983(1983-03-23) (aged 88)
EducationUniversity of Edinburgh (MBChB)
King Edward VII College of Medicine
Occupations
  • Physician
  • politician
SpouseChua Seng Neo
Children4
Parents
  • Lim Cheng Sah (father)
  • Chew Eu Neo (mother)
Lim Han Hoe
Traditional Chinese林漢河
Simplified Chinese林汉河
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLín Hànhé
Bopomofoㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄏㄢˋ ㄏㄜˊ

Lim Han Hoe[a] CBE JP (27 April 1894 – 23 March 1983) was a Singaporean physician and politician.

Early life and education

[edit]

Lim was born on 27 April 1894 to his father Lim Cheng Sah and his mother Chew Eu Neo.[1][2]

Lim was educated at Chung Cheng High School, St Andrew's School, and Raffles Institution.[1]

Later, he was before enrolled at the Straits Medical School (later renamed to King Edward VII College of Medicine). In May 1912, he passed the first year subject in osteology.[3][4] In June 1912, Lim left Singapore for London on the Iyo Maru, to study further in medicine.[5]

In 1918, Lim graduated from the University of Edinburgh, with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery.[2][6] Lim also joined the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.[1]

Career

[edit]

After graduation, Lim worked at St Andrew's Hospital in Scotland for a year.[1] In February 1919, he was appointed as house surgeon to the North Devon Infirmary, in Barnstaple, England.[7] He was subsequently appointed as ship's surgeon by the China Mutual Steamship Company before returning to Singapore,[1] to start his general practice.[8]

In November 1924, Lim was elected as a director of the Singapore Chinese Girls' School.[9][10] In 1925, he was elected as vice president of the Singapore Football Association in February,[11] and the Straits Chinese British Association (SBCA) in November.[12]

In February 1926, Lim was appointed as a municipal commissioner of the Municipal Commission.[13] In February 1928, Lim criticised the milk inspection system, after 70% of milk samples had bacteria, which meant that fresh milk of poor quality was being sold in Singapore. Lim suggested adding certificates to clean dairies, so that it could be showed "that the milk was of a certain standard".[14]

In November 1930, Lim was appointed as a council member of the King Edward VII College of Medicine.[15] In December 1930, he was elected as chairman of SBCA.[16][17]

In April 1931, Lim was elected as vice president of the Rotary Club of Singapore.[18][19] In June 1933, he resigned from the club, due to an "inability to attend meetings".[20]

Lim was a Justice of the Peace,[21] as well as a member of numeral public bodies like the Chinese Advisory Board and the Education Committee.[22][23]

In November 1933, Lim was appointed as an unofficial member of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements,[24] becoming the council's senior Chinese unofficial member the next year, and was appointed as an unofficial member of the Executive Council of the Straits Settlements in 1940.

Lim was arrested after the fall of Singapore to the Empire of Japan in 1942. During the Japanese occupation, he was imprisoned for being accused of secretly listening to the broadcasting of the Allied nations.[25] He was not released until the end of the Second World War in 1945.

After the war, he was appointed to the Singapore Advisory Council in June 1946 after the resignation of Wee Swee Teow,[26] where served as an unofficial member from 1946 to 1948 and a senior unofficial member of the Executive Council of Singapore from 1948 to 1951.

In December 1947, the governor of Singapore decided to introduce income tax in Singapore, against the advice of the Singapore Advisory Council.[27] The unofficial members of the council, including Lim, decided to resign in protest of the decision.[28] Lim later decided not to resign and also proposed to ask the two resigned members to withdraw their resignations.[27]

In December 1951, Lim resigned from the Executive Council of Singapore due to his deteriorating health and was replaced by Rajabali Jumabhoy.[29]

After the war, he helped found the University of Malaya and was appointed a member of the Public Service Commission (PSC) from 1952 to 1956, serving as its chairman for less than a year in 1956.

Later in his life, he withdrew from politics as Singapore gradually gained self-governance and subsequently independence.

Honours

[edit]

On 12 June 1941, Lim was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for public services in the Straits Settlements.[30]

In 1946, Lim became the second Malayan Chinese to receive the honour of knighthood for public services in the Straits Settlements.[25]

In 1951, Lim was conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Malaya.[31]

Personal life

[edit]

Lim was a member of the Straits Chinese Literary Association.[5] He was also president of the St Andrew's Old Boys' Association,[32] and the Straits Chinese Football Association.[33]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ simplified Chinese: 林汉河; traditional Chinese: 林漢河; pinyin: Lín Hànhé

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "DR. LIM HAN HOE'S APPOINTMENT". The Straits Times. 25 November 1933. p. 12. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 20 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  2. 1 2 "SOCIAL AND PERSONAL". Pinang Gazette And Straits Chronicle. 21 October 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  3. ↑ "STRAITS MEDICAL SCHOOL". The Straits Times. 31 May 1912. p. 7. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 20 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  4. ↑ "STRAITS MEDICAL HALL". Pinang Gazette And Straits Chronicle. 5 June 1912. p. 3. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  5. 1 2 "SOCIAL AND PERSONAL". The Straits Times. 26 June 1912. p. 8. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  6. ↑ "Local and General". The Malaya Tribune. 23 October 1918. p. 4. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  7. ↑ "SOCIAL AND PERSONAL". The Straits Times. 17 February 1919. p. 8. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 20 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  8. ↑ "DR. LIM HAN HOE". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  9. ↑ "Untitled". Singapore Free Press. 11 November 1924. p. 6. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  10. ↑ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 12 November 1924. p. 8. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  11. ↑ "Dr. Lim Han Hoe Elected Vice-President". The Straits Times. 27 February 1925. p. 8. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  12. ↑ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 3 November 1925. p. 8. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  13. ↑ "M. A. P." Straits Echo. 10 February 1926. p. 121. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  14. ↑ "Fresh Milk Supply in Singapore". The Malaya Tribune. 25 February 1928. p. 10. Retrieved 25 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  15. ↑ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 4 November 1930. p. 12. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 25 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  16. ↑ "S.C.B.A. MEETING". The Straits Times. 19 December 1930. p. 14. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  17. ↑ "Kabaran Kabanyakan". Bintang Pranakan (in Malay). 20 December 1930. p. 4. Retrieved 25 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  18. ↑ "ROTARY CLUB: NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICE-BEARERS". The Malaya Tribune. 18 April 1931. p. 10. Retrieved 25 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  19. ↑ "ROTARY CLUB: Renomination of Mr. Roland Braddell". The Straits Times. 18 April 1931. p. 12. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 25 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  20. ↑ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 17 June 1933. p. 16. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 30 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  21. ↑ "SOCIAL AND PERSONAL". The Straits Times. 16 June 1931. p. 10. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 1 February 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  22. ↑ "CHINESE ADVISORY BOARD". The Malaya Tribune. 2 January 1937. p. 7. Retrieved 30 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  23. ↑ "ANXIETIES ABOUT EDUCATION". The Straits Times. 10 August 1936. p. 10. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 30 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  24. ↑ "COLONY'S CHINESE LEADERS". The Malaya Tribune. 24 November 1933. p. 12. Retrieved 30 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  25. 1 2 "Knighthood For Doctor Lim Han Hoe". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  26. ↑ "Untitled". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  27. 1 2 "COUNCILLORS & TAX Plea to withdraw resignations". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  28. ↑ "More Councillors may resign". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  29. ↑ "New Executive Councillor". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  30. ↑ "SEVEN MALAYANS IN BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  31. ↑ "Honorary Degree Recipients". www.nus.edu.sg. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  32. ↑ "ST. ANDREW'S OLD BOYS' ASSOCIATION". The Malaya Tribune. 22 December 1921. p. 2. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
  33. ↑ "S.C.F.A. ANNUAL MEETING". Singapore Free Press. 1 August 1924. p. 12. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
[edit]