Lim Kim San
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The Honourable Lim Kim San DUT(First Class) |
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|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
30 November 1916 Singapore |
| Died | 20 July 2006 (aged 89) Singapore |
| Spouse(s) | Pang Gek Kim (Deceased) |
| Children | 2 sons, 4 daughters |
| Parents | Lim Choon Huat (father) Wee Geok Khuan (mother) |
| Known for | Housing Development Board |
Lim Kim San (Chinese: 林金山; pinyin: Lín Jīn Shān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Kim-san) DUT (First Class) (30 November 1916 – 20 July 2006) was a Singaporean politician. He was credited for leading the successful public housing program in the Southeast Asian city-state during the early 1960s, which eased the acute housing shortage problem at that time.
Born in 1916 in Singapore, Lim was the eldest of six children. He was educated at Oldham Hall School, Anglo-Chinese School and then Raffles College, where he studied economics.
When World War II erupted and Japanese occupied Singapore, Lim was one of many tortured on suspicion of being pro-communist and pro-British. A long time after the war, Lim said that those who survived the horror and the brutality of the Japanese occupation "will never forget them". Mr Lim also said that the experience, while traumatic and humiliating, politicized his generation and made them vow to "never let our fate be decided by others."
After the war ended, Lim was, in his own words, a young man "in a hurry to make a living" to make up for the wasted years. He made his first million at age 36 when he came up with a machine to produce sago pearls cheaply.
In 1939, Lim obtained a Diploma in Arts (Economics) from Raffles College.
Lim Kim San served as a Member of Parliament in Cairnhill from 1963 to 1980.
In 1958, Lim was appointed to the Public Service Commission and the Housing Board.
In 1960, Lim was appointed the first Chairman of the Housing Development Board. Due to a rapidly increasing population, more than 400,000 people were living in over-crowded conditions in ramshackle “chophouse” buildings or in squatters with substandard living conditions. At this time, Lim was appointed to the Housing Development Board.
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