Lim Koon Teck
Encyclopedia
Lim Koon Teck was a lawyer
and politician
in Malaya
and Singapore
.
in Penang
, a member of the "Straits Settlements Legal Service", created to satisfy local demands while preserving the purity of the Whites-only "Colonial Legal Service". He was a captain of the Straits Settlements Volunteer Corps.
After first insisting that British
commanders, their troops and even the local population should die before allowing an inch of ground to the invaders, Churchill
and the chiefs of staff gave the order to surrender. With that order began the withdrawal of British troops from Penang and all of Malaya. On 13 December 1941, fearing the very real possibility of execution for being a magistrate and officer of the Straits Settlements Volunteer Corps “C” Company, Lim Koon Teck and his family prepared to board a ferry and withdraw with the rest of the troops only to be refused entry and told that the ferry was for "whites" only. Cast aside and deserted by the Colonial masters he had long idolised, Lim Koon Teck could only watch as an entire contingent, including his former colleagues, left.
As the Japanese army
preceded by their shock troops descended on the tiny island of Penang, Lim Koon Teck and his volunteers of Company “C” were to become the accepted backbone of law and order in the tiny village of Ayer Itam on which the population of George Town
had descended.
in 1957. There were five delegates - three from the Coalition Government and one each from the Liberal Socialist Party
and the People's Action Party
. The delegation of five was made up of the Chief Minister, Mr. Lim Yew Hock
, the Minister for Education, Mr. Chew Swee Kee, the Assistant Minister for Education, Inche Sidek bin Haji Abdul Hamid, Liberal Socialist Mr Lim Koon Teck and the PAP leader, Mr Lee Kuan Yew
.
Lim Koon Teck stood for elections for the City in 1949 under the Progressive Party
, Payar Lebar in 1955 under the Progressive Party and Aljunied
in 1962 under the Singapore Alliance.
1949 Legislative Assembly Results for City (1,156):
16.90% -- 326—PP—Lim Koon Teck
27.40% -- 527—PP—Mohamed Kassim bin Oli Mohamed
20.70% -- 398—PP—Sandy Gurunathan Pillay
19.50% -- 375—IND—Hassan Ali bin Jivabhai
15.50% -- 299—LP—Syed Mumtaz bin Hussain
1955 Legislative Assembly Results for Paya Lebar (12,827):
52.07% -- 3,330—PP—Lim Koon Teck
47.93% -- 3,065—DP—Tan Eng Joo
1963 Legislative Assembly Results for Aljunied (16,152):
11.05% -- 1,681—SA—Lim Koon Teck
50.90% -- 7,745—PAP—S. V. Lingam
30.39% -- 4,624—BS—Thio Kheng Lock
07.66% -- 1,165—UPP—Woo Kong Seng
Lim Koon Teck became the 8th President of the Saint Andrew's School Old Boys Association (SAOBA http://www.saints.org.sg/) in 1952 and concentrated on raising funds for the School Building Project and on the promotion of sports among members of the OBA. The play Lady Precious Stream was hosted again by the SAOBA raising $15,615 for the School Building Fund.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
World War II
In 1941 Lim Koon Teck was a magistrateMagistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
in Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, a member of the "Straits Settlements Legal Service", created to satisfy local demands while preserving the purity of the Whites-only "Colonial Legal Service". He was a captain of the Straits Settlements Volunteer Corps.
After first insisting that British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
commanders, their troops and even the local population should die before allowing an inch of ground to the invaders, Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and the chiefs of staff gave the order to surrender. With that order began the withdrawal of British troops from Penang and all of Malaya. On 13 December 1941, fearing the very real possibility of execution for being a magistrate and officer of the Straits Settlements Volunteer Corps “C” Company, Lim Koon Teck and his family prepared to board a ferry and withdraw with the rest of the troops only to be refused entry and told that the ferry was for "whites" only. Cast aside and deserted by the Colonial masters he had long idolised, Lim Koon Teck could only watch as an entire contingent, including his former colleagues, left.
As the Japanese army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
preceded by their shock troops descended on the tiny island of Penang, Lim Koon Teck and his volunteers of Company “C” were to become the accepted backbone of law and order in the tiny village of Ayer Itam on which the population of George Town
George Town, Penang
George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
had descended.
Independence
Lim Koon Teck was one of a select few included in Singapore's Merdeka Mission to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1957. There were five delegates - three from the Coalition Government and one each from the Liberal Socialist Party
Liberal Socialist Party
The Liberal Socialist Party is a defunct political party which was formerly active within the politics of Singapore. It was formed in the 1950s from the merger of the Singapore Progressive Party and the Democratic Party , the latter not to be confused with the Singapore Democratic Party...
and the People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
. The delegation of five was made up of the Chief Minister, Mr. Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock , later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. He is known for suppressing the communist movements and leading the all-party delegation that won internal self-government for Singapore....
, the Minister for Education, Mr. Chew Swee Kee, the Assistant Minister for Education, Inche Sidek bin Haji Abdul Hamid, Liberal Socialist Mr Lim Koon Teck and the PAP leader, Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
.
Lim Koon Teck stood for elections for the City in 1949 under the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (Singapore)
The Singapore Progressive Party , or just, the Progressive Party is a now defunct political party that was formed on August 25, 1947. It won the Legislative Assembly general elections in 1948 by winning half of the contested seats in the Legislative Assembly, 3 out of 6...
, Payar Lebar in 1955 under the Progressive Party and Aljunied
Aljunied
Aljunied is a sub-urban area located in the eastern part of the city-state of Singapore. Named after Aljunied Road, it was formally agricultural land which has since been heavily urbanised and presently comprises a variety of landuses...
in 1962 under the Singapore Alliance.
1949 Legislative Assembly Results for City (1,156):
16.90% -- 326—PP—Lim Koon Teck
27.40% -- 527—PP—Mohamed Kassim bin Oli Mohamed
20.70% -- 398—PP—Sandy Gurunathan Pillay
19.50% -- 375—IND—Hassan Ali bin Jivabhai
15.50% -- 299—LP—Syed Mumtaz bin Hussain
1955 Legislative Assembly Results for Paya Lebar (12,827):
52.07% -- 3,330—PP—Lim Koon Teck
47.93% -- 3,065—DP—Tan Eng Joo
1963 Legislative Assembly Results for Aljunied (16,152):
11.05% -- 1,681—SA—Lim Koon Teck
50.90% -- 7,745—PAP—S. V. Lingam
30.39% -- 4,624—BS—Thio Kheng Lock
07.66% -- 1,165—UPP—Woo Kong Seng
Lim Koon Teck became the 8th President of the Saint Andrew's School Old Boys Association (SAOBA http://www.saints.org.sg/) in 1952 and concentrated on raising funds for the School Building Project and on the promotion of sports among members of the OBA. The play Lady Precious Stream was hosted again by the SAOBA raising $15,615 for the School Building Fund.