Lim Nee Soon
Encyclopedia
Lim Nee Soon was a Chinese merchant who promoted social and community matters, and was a respected community leader
in Singapore
. Lim was of Chinese
Peranakan
descent, with ancestry from Chao-chow-fu (Shantou
) in Guangdong
, China
.
He was a rubber magnate and was nicknamed the "pineapple king" for being the leading pineapple planter in the region. He was also a banker, contractor and general commission agent. He was the first general manager of the Bukit Sembawang Rubber Company Limited, formed in 1908. Nee Soon and Company was formed in 1911.
As a Chinese Peranakan (Baba), he was affectionately known as Bah Soon Pah. Bah Soon Pah Road was named after him.
. Nee Soon served on the Rural Board from 1913 to 1921 and was also appointed a Justice of Peace. In the field of education, he was one of the founders of The Chinese High School
and also a member of the Raffles College Committee.
He was the President of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce
for two periods, from 1921-1922, and 1925-1926.
, and was a close friend of Dr Sun Yat Sen
.
He died on the way home from a trip to China and his embalmed body was scheduled to be brought back to Singapore. But the Chinese government requested to give him a State burial and so he was buried in Nanjing, near the mausoleum of his close friend Dr Sun Yat Sen.
Yishun
, Yishun New Town
, Nee Soon Private Residential Estate, Nee Soon Village, Nee Soon Road, Bah Soon Pah Road were named after him.
Note: Nee Soon place names have been changed to Yishun at the height of the Singapore government's campaign to replace dialect names with Mandarin ones.
Community leader
A Community Leader is a designation, often by secondary sources , for a person who is perceived to represent a community. A simple way to understand community leadership is to see it as leadership in, for and by the community...
in 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...
. Lim was of Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
Peranakan
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
descent, with ancestry from Chao-chow-fu (Shantou
Shantou
Shantou , historically known as Swatow or Suátao, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, with a total population of 5,391,028 as of 2010 and an administrative area of...
) in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
He was a rubber magnate and was nicknamed the "pineapple king" for being the leading pineapple planter in the region. He was also a banker, contractor and general commission agent. He was the first general manager of the Bukit Sembawang Rubber Company Limited, formed in 1908. Nee Soon and Company was formed in 1911.
As a Chinese Peranakan (Baba), he was affectionately known as Bah Soon Pah. Bah Soon Pah Road was named after him.
Early life
Nee Soon was educated in English at the St. Joseph's Institution, and then later, at the Anglo Chinese School.Career
Nee Soon was one of the pioneers that opened up SembawangSembawang
Sembawang is an area in the Northern-most portion of Singapore, encompassing the largest land mass within the Sembawang Group Representation Constituency. The incumbent Member of Parliament for the Sembawang Constituency is Khaw Boon Wan. The constituency jurisdiction extends into the Woodlands...
. Nee Soon served on the Rural Board from 1913 to 1921 and was also appointed a Justice of Peace. In the field of education, he was one of the founders of The Chinese High School
The Chinese High School
The Chinese High School , formerly Singapore Nanyang Overseas Chinese Middle School was an independent school in Singapore offering secondary education. The school was founded by Tan Kah Kee on 21 March 1919 and it merged with Hwa Chong Junior College on 1 January 2005 to form Hwa Chong Institution...
and also a member of the Raffles College Committee.
He was the President of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce
Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a business chamber in Singapore.-History:Established in 1906 as the General Chinese Trade Affairs Association, the SCCCI's original purpose was to look after the interests of the Chinese business community, but it has expanded its scope...
for two periods, from 1921-1922, and 1925-1926.
Later life
Nee Soon was a leading member of the Teochew clan association Teochew Poit Ip Huay KuanTeochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan
Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan is a Teochew clan association in Singapore. Poit Ip, which means eight districts in Teochew dialect, stood for the eight Teochew districts in the province of Guangdong, China. Huay Kuan means "clan association". On 12 December 1928, a temporary committee convened a...
, and was a close friend of Dr Sun Yat Sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
.
He died on the way home from a trip to China and his embalmed body was scheduled to be brought back to Singapore. But the Chinese government requested to give him a State burial and so he was buried in Nanjing, near the mausoleum of his close friend Dr Sun Yat Sen.
Legacy
Nee Soon Road was officially named in 1950 by the Rural Board to facilitate postal services. Nee Soon also owned a large plot of land in the area and several roads in this area are named after his business concerns and family members.Yishun
Yishun
Yishun, or Nee Soon as it was initially named, is a suburban town in the northern part of Singapore, encompassing the Yishun Planning Area, in the North Region, which includes Yishun New Town and the Nee Soon private residential estate....
, Yishun New Town
Yishun New Town
Yishun New Town is a housing estate in the north of Singapore. The Lower Seletar Reservoir is found there.Shopping centres in Yishun include Northpoint Shopping Centre, which is situated next to Yishun MRT Station and Yishun Bus Interchange....
, Nee Soon Private Residential Estate, Nee Soon Village, Nee Soon Road, Bah Soon Pah Road were named after him.
Note: Nee Soon place names have been changed to Yishun at the height of the Singapore government's campaign to replace dialect names with Mandarin ones.