THOUSANDS of people, including national leaders, paid their last respects to the late Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu on Sunday, November 28. Many in Penang lined up along the route of the cortege procession to catch a glimpse of Lim's hearse as it left Dewan Sri Pinang on its way to Batu Gantong to be cremated. Read here. Lim, widely credited as the father of modern Penang, passed away on November 24, 2010, at 9.07pm, one month after a massive stroke.

The following are some of the accolades showered upon him:

• Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that Lim was an iconic leader, coming into power during the dark days of the May 13, 1969 riots, but managed to achieve political stability. Read here. "My family will always remember him as a very close friend of my late father (Tun Abdul Razak Hussein)," Najib said. "It was this special relationship that had led to the formation of Barisan Nasional." Read here.
• Former Malaysian prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad praised the late Tun Dr Lim for turning Penang's fortunes around, making the state the catalyst for Malaysia's transformation into an industrial nation. Lim had successfully convinced electronics multinationals to invest in Penang, a feat that Mahathir described as, "The best thing for overcoming unemploymnet which had plagued Malaysia till then." Read here.
• "I had gained a lot of experience by getting his views," said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. "His death is a great loss to the country." Read here.
• MCA party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek called him one of the greatest Chinese leaders in Malaysian history. "Because of his visionary leadership," he said, "Penang became one of the earliest states to see rapid transformation." DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said, "Though opponents in political electoral arena, I always have highest respect for Lim Chong Eu’s political struggles and integrity.”
• Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and former Penang chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said, "Tun Dr Lim was rightly the father of Industrialisation for Malaysia."
• “Although he was a serious-looking man," said DAP chairman Karpal Singh. "Dr Lim had a humorous side as well. He was able to counter an opponent in both the state legislative assembly and Parliament effectively." Read here.
• Former Bernama economic news service Malay sub-editor Syed Imran Syed Ahmad said that Lim had contributed to the welfare of Malays in Penang. "Dr Lim had approved the leasing of the highly-valued land to DPMPP at only RM1 to enable the building, which cost millions of ringgit, to be built." Read here.
• The Cabinet recorded its appreciation for Tun Dr Lim's role in modernising Penang. "The Cabinet members stated that in all sincerity, as members of the community, we appreciate all his deeds, services and struggles," said Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim. Read here.
• The Dewan Rakyat sent its condolences to the family of Tun Dr Lim. "On behalf of members and parliament," said Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar. "I record condolence to his widow Toh Puan Goh Sing Yeng and family members as his death is a big loss to the nation." Read here.

While many paid respects to Tun Dr Lim's memory, hardest hit by his death is his wife of 60 years, Toh Puan Goh Sing Yeng. They had met in China when Lim was serving as a medical officer with the Chinese Armed Forces. Read here.

Funeral committee chairman Tan Sri Khoo Kay Po said, "His ashes will be put in an urn on Tuesday and placed in his house for prayers until the 49th day. After that, his urn will be taken for burial beside his late father Dr Lim Chwee Leong’s grave in Batu Gantong." Read here.

Tun Dr Lim's vision and contribution to Penang cannot be understated. His industrialisation programme allowed young people to further their studies and training, as well as open up thousands of jobs opportunities in Penang. Read here. He managed to convince Americans to come to Penang, even though they "could not find Penang on the map". Read here.

Under his leadership, Penang was the first state to establish a skills development centre in 1989 for unemployed youths, in the form of the Penang Skills Development Centre. He was influenced by the Penang Master Plan of 1970, going to the United States to convince electronics multinationals to set up operations in Penang. Read here.

He was such a mainstay of 1970s Penang that many who grew up then had Lim as the only chief minister they know. He held power for 21 years, before his defeat in 1990. He was succeeded by his former political secretary, Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon. Penang's slide did not stop, however, and the Gerakan state government was eventually defeated in 2008. Read here. Lim's 1990 loss stung loyal supporters even today, some still finding it difficult to accept that Penang had rejected him in the polls. Read here.

Lim's political defeat, however, has not affected his reputation as the man who created a thriving industrial economy for Penang. He is said to have a strong, moral conviction and did not let power get to his head. Read here. "One must never forget the strands of history," he said in a rare interview. "The political and the economic were always tightly bound together. Production is one thing, but logistics is something else, and equally, if not more, important." Read here.

The late Tun Dr Lim had strong links with Singapore; his father was born there but was sent to Penang by his grandfather. Lim went to China to take part in the war against Japan after graduating from Edinburgh University, but eventually decided to return to Penang. Read here. After the war, Lim was a regular participant in tennis tournaments, and led his first political party, the Penang Radical Party, to victory in the inaugural municipal elections in 1951. Read here.

Lim was described by a Gerakan member as "unassuming, well cultured and a moderate" during party meetings decades ago. Read here. Others described him as a man of principles who lacked interpersonal skills, partly leading to his electoral defeat. Read here.

Several major events has been postponed due to Lim's death, including the TYT Trophy Shooting Competition 2010, the Penang Beach Carnival and the Penang Line Dance Carnival. Read here. The Penang state government is hopeful of holding a memorial service for Tun Dr Lim to express appreciation for his contributions. State executive councillor Phee Boon Poh said that an eulogy could not be done due to time constraints. Read here.

The coastal highway from the Jelutong Expressway to Bayan Lepas will be renamed Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu. Read here.

Other news

• DAP questions purported move to privatise Penang Port: The DAP has urged the government to clarify a purported move to privatise Malaysia’s oldest port, the Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB), a subsidiary of the Finance Ministry for the betterment of the state. Read here.
• Parliament: Government Unaware Of Proposal To Take Over Penang Airport: Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri said today that he has no information about the claim that Syed Mokhtar Albukhary Group will be taking over the operation of the Penang International Airport. Read here.
• Penang attracts RM2.53bil investments: Penang retained its third ranking in the country after recording a total proposed capital investment of RM2.53bil in the first eight months of this year. Read here.
• Work on Penang Hill hawker complex starts next month: Work on a hawker complex-cum-visitors centre at the top of Penang Hill is expected to start by late December. Read here.
• Flash mob helps deliver green message: 60 youngsters flashed in the street to put up a dynamic dance to deliver the green message of environment preservation. Read here.

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