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Lim Yew Hock ( zh, c=林有福, p=Lín Yǒufú; 15 October 1914 – 30 November 1984) was a Malaysian"Man who thumped the Reds"
'' Straits Times'', 1 December 1984
politician and diplomat who served as Chief Minister of Singapore between 1956 and 1959. He was the
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
(MP) for
Cairnhill The Cairnhill () is a private housing estate in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong. Being one of the estates built on many d level of the hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct sum ...
between 1959 and 1963 and previously a Member of the Legislative Council and later Legislative Assembly between 1948 and 1963. He and his family elected to take up Malaysian citizenship after the separation of Singapore. In his early years, Lim worked as a clerk after he graduated from the
Raffles Institution Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both ...
. Following the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, he joined the
labour movement The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other. * The trade union movement ...
and later began his political career, joining the Progressive Party (PP) in 1947. In 1949, he became a member of the Labour Party. He founded the Labour Front (LF) with David Marshall. The Rendel Constitution was implemented in 1955 due to political instability and greater demands for independence in post-war Singapore. The LF won the Legislative Assembly election, with Marshall as Chief Minister. Lim was appointed Minister for Labour and Welfare, and served as his deputy during his term of office. However, after talks with
Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...
in London for self-rule authority failed, Marshall resigned as Chief Minister, and Lim took over. In order to gain trust from the British, Lim suppressed
leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in so ...
movements. He led an all-party delegation to re-negotiate in talks for self-rule, eventually reaching an agreement with the British for a new constitution granting internal self-rule in 1959. However, Lim lost the support of the Chinese
majority A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-WebsterPeople's Action Party The People's Action Party (abbreviation: PAP) is a major conservative centre-right political party in Singapore and is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the opposition Workers' Party (WP) and ...
(PAP), then opposition, led by
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean lawyer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and Secretary-General o ...
. Lim's Singapore People's Alliance (SPA) was defeated by the PAP in the 1959 election, causing him to step down as Chief Minister, while Lee succeeded him as
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
. After that, he was less involved in Singaporean politics and left the Assembly in 1963. He was appointed Malaysian High Commissioner in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
by the then-Malaysian Prime Minister
Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( ms, ‏تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 8 Febru ...
. However, he dropped out of Malaysian politics entirely shortly after his disappearance in 1966 during his term of office. Lim converted to
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
and moved to
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
in his late years.


Life


Early years

Lim Yew Hock was born to Kinmen Hokkiens in Singapore of the Straits Settlements on 15 October 1914.Corfield (2011), pp. 159–160. He part of third generation of
overseas Chinese Overseas Chinese () refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese. Terminology () or ''Hoan-kheh'' () in Hokkien, ref ...
in Singapore, and son of Lim Teck Locke.Lau (2004) Lim was the eldest son in his family and has a brother and two sisters. He attended English language schools; the Pearl's Hill School and Outram School from a young age. He obtained excellent results and received a four-year scholarship. He was admitted to the prestigious
Raffles Institution Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both ...
and completed his secondary education in 1931."Man who thumped the Reds"
'' Straits Times'', 1 December 1984
Lim had planned to study law in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
upon graduation, and was ready to sit for
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
entrance examinations. However, his father's sudden death made it impossible.Tan, Guan Heng (2007), p. 141. He was only 37 years old when he died, so the assets he left behind was put under supervision of Lim's uncle, while Lim was being mistreated. As the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
greatly impacted Singapore's economy, he had to earn a living by provision of "private tuition" during his post- secondary education years to support his family, made up of his mother and younger siblings. Soon, he was employed as a junior clerk of the
Imperial Chemical Industries Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was a British chemical company. It was, for much of its history, the largest manufacturer in Britain. It was formed by the merger of four leading British chemical companies in 1926. Its headquarters were at ...
in 1934, he transferred to Cold Storage as a junior clerk, which enabled him to earn a stable income. He was promoted as stenographer because of his outstanding performance in
shorthand Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to longhand, a more common method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek ''s ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, Japan launched the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vas ...
in December 1941, leading to the
fall of Singapore The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire ...
in February 1942. Lim lived on selling
charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ...
, until the end of Japanese occupation and Singapore's revert to British rule in 1945, when he returned to Cold Storage as private secretary.


Early political career

Lim became involved in
trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
activities right after the war. He resigned from Cold Storage and worked as full-time Secretary-General of the Singapore Clerical and Administrative Workers' Union (SCAWU).Mukunthan (2004)"Lim Yew Hock dies in Jeddah" (1 December 1984) In March 1947, he became the first Singaporean to receive the
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
scholarship, to study local trade unions in Britain.Morais (1965), p. 234. With his trade union background, Lim joined the newly formed Singaporean Progressive Party (PP) led by Tan Chye Cheng to start off his political career. In fact, there was a major change in politics of post-war Singapore. On the one hand, there were increasing calls for independence, and on the other hand, the
Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore for more than a century, it was originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Com ...
was dissolved in 1946 by the
British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...
, while the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements was restructured in 1948 as the Legislative Council of Singapore. In March 1948, Singapore held its first Legislative Council election to elect its six out of the 22 Councillors; Three out of five PP candidates won in the election. Lim did not participate in the election, but was appointed as an unofficial member in April, representing the trade union in the council. Lim left the PP in July 1949 and joined the Singaporean Labour Party (LP), whom Lim shared a similar political stand with. Later in June 1950, he was elected LP's Chairman, and was chosen to serve as Chairman of the SCAWU in July of the same year. Under support of the union, he contested in the Keppel constituency during the Legislative Council election held in April 1951, and was elected as a Councillor. In this election, the number of elected seats increased from six to nine; The PP won six, LP won two, while the remaining seat was won by an
independent candidate An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent. Some politicians have political views th ...
. In May 1951, Lim founded the Singapore Trades Union Congress (STUC) and appointed himself as chairman. In the same year, he was funded by the
United States Information Agency The United States Information Agency (USIA), which operated from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to " public diplomacy". In 1999, prior to the reorganization of intelligence agencies by President George W. Bush, President Bil ...
to study the
labour movement The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other. * The trade union movement ...
in the
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. However, LP's internal struggle among the different factions was growing weaker. The faction led by party's Secretary-General Peter M. Williams successfully coerced Lim to step down as chairman. He eventually left the party.


Labour Front

Soon after leaving the party, Lim was appointed as a member of the Rendel Commission, chaired by British
diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or interna ...
Sir George Rendel, which was formed in July 1953 by Singapore's colonial government to provide advice on constitutional development in Singapore. The Commission subsequently submitted a report in February 1954 for major changes in constitutional law of Singapore, heading towards self-rule. At the same time, Lim formed the Labour Front (LF) with Francis Thomas and well-known
barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...
David Marshall, with Marshall as president. In February 1955, a new constitution, the Rendel Constitution, was implemented. Singapore would create its first Legislative Assembly with majority of the seats popularly elected, to replace the existing Council.Ng (2009) 25 out of 32 seats would be elected by the general populace, four seats would be allocated to
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
-appointed unofficial members, three seats taken by ''ex officio'' members, respectively the Chief Secretary,
Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
and Financial Secretary, while the remaining seat would be for the unofficial Speaker of the Assembly nominated by the Governor. Moreover, the post of the Chief Minister was added, which would be assumed by the leader of the majority party in the Assembly, sharing the responsibility with the Chief Secretary. The Chief Secretary continued to take control over areas such as external affairs, internal security, defence, broadcasting and public relations, whereas the power of policy-making for the people's welfare lied in the hands of the Chief Minister. The existing Executive Council was replaced by the newly formed
Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or ...
, chaired by the Governor, composed of the three ''
ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...
'' members (Chief Secretary, Attorney General, Financial Secretary) and the remaining six unofficial members, inclusive of the Chief Minister and five other members from the Assembly. Although the Governor presided over the Council of Ministers, the Chief Minister could lead discussions, whereas the other Council members who was also Assemblymen would also take up different ministerial posts, similar to the
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
and
parliamentary system A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of th ...
.Sutherland (2010) In April 1955, in the subsequent Legislative Assembly election, the Marshall-led LF won in the election with 10 seats. The remaining seats were taken by the PP (four), Singapore Alliance (coalition of
UMNO The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gen ...
SMU, three),
People's Action Party The People's Action Party (abbreviation: PAP) is a major conservative centre-right political party in Singapore and is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the opposition Workers' Party (WP) and ...
(PAP, three), Democratic Party (two) and three independent candidates."Singapore Legislative Assembly General Election - 1955" (2010) After the election, Marshall became Singapore's first Chief Minister, but as the LF did not obtain
absolute majority A supermajority, supra-majority, qualified majority, or special majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of more than one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority r ...
, he formed a coalition government with the Singapore Alliance, and appointed two pro-LF unofficial nominated members into the Assembly under the help of Governor Sir John Nicoll.Wong (2002), p. 82. Lim was elected as Havelock constituency's Assemblyman. He was the only popularly elected Legislative Councillor who transited over to the Legislative Assembly. After the election, Lim was appointed by Marshall as Minister for Labour and Welfare, while he resigned his chairmanship from the STUC. Then, workers were on strikes one after another, often escalating into civil unrest incidents, so Lim, as Labour and Welfare Minister, had to meditate and assist in subsiding such strikes. He had handled the April–May 1955 Hock Lee bus strikes, May–July 1955
Singapore Harbour Board PSA International Pte Ltd is a port operator and supply chain company, with flagship operations in Singapore and Antwerp. One of the largest port operators in the world, PSA has terminals across 26 countries, including deepsea, rail and inland f ...
Staff Association strikes, and also strikes from hotels,
City Council of Singapore The City Council of Singapore was the administrative council of the City of Singapore responsible for the provision of water, electricity, gas, roads and bridges and street lighting. It was dissolved in 1959 when Singapore attained self-governanc ...
, Singapore Traction Company, etc. The Hock Lee bus strikes turned into a riot in May 1955, killing four and injuring many, including two police officers who died.Lee, Edwin (2008), p. 107. Soon after, Marshall led an all-party delegation with Governor Sir Robert Black to
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, UK in March 1956, to negotiate with the British for self-rule in Singapore. However, talks failed by May 1956, and in his return to Singapore, Marshall resigned as Chief Minister on 6 June. On 8 June 1956, Marshall's deputy, Lim, who was also Minister for Labour and Welfare, took over and became Singapore's second Chief Minister.Corfield (2011), p. xxv."THE NEW CABINET WITH SIR ROBERT" (9 June 1956) Lim's Council of Minister was similar to that of Marshall's. Besides continuing to serve as Labour and Welfare Minister, while the other members include his deputy
Abdul Hamid bin Haji Jumat Abdul Hamid bin Jumat ( ms, عبدالحميد بن جومت, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 12 April 1917 – 16 April 1978) was a Malaysian politician and diplomat who served as Deputy Chief Minister of Singapore between 1956 and 1959 ...
(Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing), J. M. Jumabhoy (Minister for Commerce and Industry), Francis Thomas (Minister for Communications and Works), Chew Swee Kee (Minister for Education) and A. J. Braga (Minister for Health). Marshall, former Chief Minister, later left the LF and founded the Worker's Party. In March 1958, Lim was chosen as LF's president.


Chief Minister


Chinese schools riots

After Lim succeeded as Chief Minister, his top priority was to achieve full self-governance for Singapore from the
British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...
. The British had taken to account Singapore's future early during Marshall's tenure as Chief Minister. The British had agreed to Malaya's (
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
's predecessor)
independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...
, and due to the strategic value of Singapore's geography, the British wanted to continue taking control over foreign and defence affairs of Singapore. Hence, the British are inclined to granting Singapore self-governance instead of independence. Though Sir Robert Black, the then-Governor, had taken a more open and friendly approach to self-governance for Singapore, as compared to his predecessor Sir John Nicoll, he believed in gradual self-governance. If the handover of power were to be carried out too hastily, self-governing political leaders might not have sufficient experience in governing. When Marshall led a delegation in March to May 1956 to negotiate talks with the British for self-rule, Black emphasised the priority of internal security issues, while anti-
colonialist Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
LF was ineffective in suppression of the series of riots incited by the communists. As a result, talks broke down and complete self-rule was refused. To enhance the internal security, Lim arrested the
leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in so ...
trade union members, teachers and students under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance, in September to October 1956 and August 1957 upon taking office. Some of them were deported.Lee, Edwin (2008), p. 137. In addition, alleged pro-communist organisations such as the Singapore Women's Association, the Chinese Musical Gong Society and the Singapore Chinese Middle School Students Union were banned by the authorities."1956 - Student Riots" (1999) The series of raids prompted the teachers and students from Chinese schools in October 1956 to launch
sit-in A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...
protests at Chung Cheng High School and
The Chinese High School The Chinese High School () was an independent school in Singapore offering secondary education. The school merged with Hwa Chong Junior College on 1 January 2005 to form the integrated Hwa Chong Institution. Founded on 21 March 1919, The Chin ...
, eventually escalating into riots. Under the support of Black, the riot police were dispatched by Lim to clear the school grounds. The Government also imposed a curfew from 26 October to 2 November, suppressing the riots effectively. However, the riots killed 13 and injured hundred more in the five days.Lee (2008), p. 138. Hundreds were arrested, including assemblymen Lim Chin Siong, Fong Swee Suan and Devan Nair, who were
radicals Radical may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Radical politics, the political intent of fundamental societal change *Radicalism (historical), the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and ...
from the opposition PAP. They were released when the PAP came to power in 1959.


Negotiation for self-rule

British Government was assured of Singapore's internal security due to Lim's tough stance against the communists. This allowed re-negotiations for self-rule from December 1956 to June 1958. Under Lim's leadership, a delegation of representatives from various political parties headed to London in March 1957 to commence talks with the British for self-rule.Lee (2008), p. 139. They reached a consensus in April, while Lim signed a new constitutional agreement with
Secretary of State for the Colonies The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies. History The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increas ...
Alan Lennox-Boyd Alan Tindal Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton, CH, PC, DL (18 November 1904 – 8 March 1983), was a British Conservative politician. Background, education and military service Lennox-Boyd was the son of Alan Walter Lennox-Boyd by his ...
on behalf of Singapore."11 April 1957: Britain agrees to Singapore self-rule" (2005) Representatives from Singapore drafted a new constitution;Corfield (2011), p. xxvi. In August 1958, the
British Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...
passed the State of Singapore Act, 1958. Based on the agreement, there would be a great increase in the number of Legislative Assembly seats to be contested in the 1959 election, where all seats would be popularly elected; Singapore would become a self-governing state, with the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers being replaced respectively by the
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
and the
Cabinet of Singapore The Cabinet of Singapore forms the executive branch of the Government of Singapore together with the President. It is led by the Prime Minister who is the head of government. The prime minister is a Member of Parliament (MP) appointed by the ...
, in charge of all affairs except defence and diplomacy; The Yang di-Pertuan Negara would replace the existing Governor. Meanwhile, Lim prompted the Assembly in October 1957 to pass the Singapore Citizenship Ordinance, 1957. The Ordinance defined Singapore citizens as those who were born in Singapore, who were born outside Singapore whose fathers were born in Singapore and did not hold foreign nationality, who were born in Malaya and had been living in Singapore for at least two years, who were citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies living in Singapore for at least two years, and who were foreigners living in Singapore for at least ten years. In recognition of his performance, the
University of Malaya The University of Malaya ( ms, Universiti Malaya, UM; abbreviated as UM or informally the Malayan University) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of highe ...
conferred Lim the Honorary
Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...
degree in September 1957, while he was presented the rank of '' Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara'' (S.M.N) in August 1958 by Malaysian King Tuanku Abdul Rahman, therefore being granted the title of
Tun TUN or tun may refer to: Biology * Tun shells, large sea snails of the family '' Tonnidae'' * Tun, a tardigrade in its cryptobiotic state * Tun or Toon, common name for trees of the genus '' Toona'' Places * Tun, Sweden, a locality in Västra ...
.


Acknowledging Nanyang

Lim had taken a friendlier approach to the Nanyang University prior to the creation of a self-ruling state in June 1959, in order to gain the support of the Chinese
majority A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-WebsterWong (2000), p. 69. Nanyang was the first
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
with Chinese as its main
medium of instruction A medium of instruction (plural: media of instruction, or mediums of instruction) is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. If the first language of students is different from the offic ...
, which was funded and set up by
Tan Lark Sye Tan Lark Sye (; 1897–1972) was a prominent Chinese businessman and philanthropist based in Singapore. Early life Tan was born in a Hoklo peasant family of seven in Jimei of Tong An in Fujian, China. Born into of very limited means, and orphan ...
and other Singaporean businessmen with
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ...
ancestry in 1953.Nor-Afidah (2005)"戰後馬來亞地區閩南人與華文教育之發展" (26 November 2006)"南洋大學的歷史事略" (13 September 2012) However, Nanyang had been disfavoured by the Government due to the latter's
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
-first policies and the former's alleged CPM involvement. During
Marshall's Marshalls is an American chain of off-price department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 1,000 American stores, including larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico, and 61 stores in Canada. Mar ...
rule, the-then Minister for Education Chew Swee Kee said in May 1956 that degrees conferred by Nanyang would not be recognised by the Government. Ever since Lim took over as Chief Minister, the Government had taken a positive attitude to Nanyang's development despite its policies of non-recognition to Nanyang's degrees. The building of Nanyang's campus was completed in March 1958 and Sir William Goode, the-then Governor was invited to host the institute's opening ceremony. In October 1958, Lim's government announced that it would provide financial assistance to Nanyang, where half of the $840,000 (
Malaya and British Borneo dollar The Malaya and British Borneo dollar ( ms, ringgit; ms, رڠڬيت, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) was the currency of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo, Brunei and the Riau archipelago from 1953 to 1967 and was the successo ...
) would be used for Nanyang's expenditures while the other half would be used for student bursaries. This was the first time Nanyang received government funding. Lim had the Assembly pass the Nanyang University Ordinance in March 1959, officially granting Nanyang university status. Lim also reassessed the possibility of full acknowledgment of Nanyang's university status. He appointed the Prescott Commission in January 1959, chaired by S. L. Prescott to evaluate the standard and recognisability of Nanyang's degree. Nevertheless, in the ''Prescott Report'' submitted to the Government in March the same year, the performance of Nanyang was bitterly criticised by the commission, which had reservations about granting full recognition to Nanyang's degrees by the Government. Lim, who did not want to lose support from the people and put his election campaign in danger, chose not to release the report immediately. The report was not made public until after the establishment of the State of Singapore in July 1959. By that time Lim had already stepped down as Chief Minister.


Loss of support

Even though Lim had successfully achieved self-rule from the British, he lost the support of the Chinese
majority A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-WebsterChristmas Island to the
Government of Australia The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Governmen ...
at a low price, under the request of the
British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...
, and also the insistence of extending the validity of the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance. There was a rapid decline in support for the Lim's LF due to several other factors: His government was not able to crack down the rapid growth of
secret societies A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ...
, and gang fights occurred frequently, resulting in the deterioration of law and order; The lives of the people had not improved and there was no economic growth; The PAP exposed Chew Swee Kee, the then-Education Minister in early 1959 for being alleged of accepting large sums of money. Conversely, under the leadership of Chairman Toh Chin Chye and Secretary-General
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean lawyer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and Secretary-General o ...
, the PAP, then opposition, won the support of the people by accusing the LF as being the puppet of the British Government. After a major restructure, the
City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...
held its first
election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operat ...
in 1957; The PAP won 13 out of 32 seats while the LF won only four. In the following year, the LF was defeated once again by the PAP in the Kallang by-election held in July. In November 1958, Lim founded the Singapore People's Alliance (SPA), with himself as chairman. However, he failed in his attempts to re-gain support from the people. Under the new constitution, the
legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...
was officially dissolved on 31 March 1959. An
election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operat ...
was held on 30 May of the same year, where all 51 seats in the Assembly will be popularly elected. In this election, 43 out of 51 PAP candidates were elected; Lim-led SPA had only four out of 34 candidates elected; the
United Malays National Organisation The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
won three seats, while the remaining seat was won by an independent candidate. The Liberal Socialist Party (led by E. H. Holloway), the Workers' Party (led by David Marshall) and the LF (led by Francis Thomas) did not win any seats.LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY GENERAL ELECTION 1959
, ''singapore-elections.com'', retrieved on 12 January 2013.
On 3 June 1959, he officially stepped down as Chief Minister. The British officially proclaimed the establishment of the State of Singapore, marking the end of British colonial rule. PAP's Secretary-General Lee Kuan Yew was sworn in on 5 June as the first
Prime Minister of Singapore The prime minister of Singapore is the head of government of the Republic of Singapore. The president appoints the prime minister, a Member of Parliament (MP) who in their opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of the majority o ...
, where Singapore came under full internal self-governance.


Political involvement in the Federation

Lim won the
Cairnhill The Cairnhill () is a private housing estate in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong. Being one of the estates built on many d level of the hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct sum ...
seat in the Legislative Assembly election of 1959 and despite serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, his political influence unceasingly reduced. Lim started to lose interest in Singaporean politics; Back during his tenure as Chief Minister, he had already established friendly relations with
Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( ms, ‏تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 8 Febru ...
, the Prime Minister of Malaya, and had expressed increased concern for politics in Malaya; He had also called for the merger of the State of Singapore with Malaya, so as to bring an end to British rule in Singapore. Following a
referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...
held in Singapore, the
Federation of Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malays ...
, which comprised Malaya, Singapore,
Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...
and
North Borneo (I persevere and I achieve) , national_anthem = , capital = Kudat (1881–1884);Sandakan (1884–1945);Jesselton (1946) , common_languages = English, Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, Murut, Sabah Malay, Chinese etc. , ...
, was proclaimed in September 1963. The Legislative Assembly of Singapore held an election in the same month; the SPA had formed the Singapore Alliance Party together with some other members of the Opposition back in 1961, under the support of the ruling Alliance Party in Malaysia, with the attempts of challenging the PAP once again. However, Lim did not contest in the election, while the Alliance Party did not win any seats; Lim resigned his chairmanship from the SPA, fading out of Singaporean politics. In January 1964, the then-Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman appointed Lim as Malaysian High Commissioner in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. When Singapore gained independence from Malaysia in August 1965, he acquired Malaysian citizenship and was issued a Malaysian passport. Remained in office as the High Commissioner, he described himself as a 'child of estranged parents', hoping for the reunification of the two states. During his term of office in
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
, Australia, he was reported missing on 11 June 1966."The Diplomat & the Samaritan" (1966) A reporter in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
claimed to have seen Lim taking a domestic flight to Sydney, with the alias of 'Hawk'. There were also rumours that he patronised the Paradise Club in Kings Cross, New South Wales and Sandra Nelson, a 19-year-old
stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event. ...
was his all-time favourite. However, Lim's exact whereabouts were unknown, and the police failed to get in touch with Nelson. The Australian police conducted a large-scale search on Lim; the Malaysian Government deployed an envoy to Australia to find his whereabouts, while his wife and two of his daughters also flew there to aid in the search. In an interview by Australian televisions, Lim's wife, in tears, asked for her husband's early return. On the other hand, the envoy from the Malaysian Government said that Lim was probably "wounded from stumbling upon a stone, and might be currently under care from someone with unknown identity". While in the Malaysian capital
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...
, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman spoke to the Australian reporters over the telephone, calling for Lim to show up; The Tunku said, "My friend, come back, I will welcome you, and am willing to let bygones be bygones." After nine days of disappearance, Vincent Laus, a guesthouse operator drove Lim back to Canberra on 19 June 1966, where Lim was in a poor mental condition. Laus claimed that he met Lim in the Sydney streets and found him vomiting and in discomfort; he brought him back to his guesthouse to rest, only to realise several days later that he was whom the police was searching for. However, the media raised doubts about Laus' words, including why he had taken days to find out Lim's identity, and why he had not sought the police for help, instead of driving Lim personally back to Canberra. The Malaysian Government declined to comment further on his disappearance, while its envoy only described Laus as a '
Good Samaritan In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, ph ...
', filling the event with mystery. Soon after, Lim returned to Kuala Lumpur in July 1966, under his family members' accompaniment. In Malaysia, Lim was alleged for having an
extramarital affair An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of ...
with Nelson, but Lim denied this. Nelson also spoke to the reporters in Australia; she stressed that she and Lim were just ordinary friends and that she was totally unaware of his whereabouts during his disappearance."Sandra: I'm ready to send a bundle of photos" (24 August 1966)
Malaysian Parliament The Parliament of Malaysia ( ms, Parlimen Malaysia) is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives, lit. "People's Assembly") and the ...
opposition members even invited her to Malaysia to answer queries about her relationship with Lim, which she declined; but she said that she could send a pile of photographs of her to them if they wanted. Before his disappearance, the Foreign Ministry had scheduled for him to serve as Malaysian Ambassador to
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. However, after the incident, the Foreign Ministry arranged for him to work as Deputy Secretary (Special Duties) to the Ministry instead."TUN LIM: I HAVE QUIT FOREIGN MINISTRY" (7 November 1968)Morais (1966), p. 166. Lim resigned from the Foreign Ministry in August 1968, putting an end to his political career in Malaysia. Shortly after, the Government abruptly revoked his title as Tun in late November of the same year, making his disappearance in Australia a bewildering mystery."I knew it was coming says Yew Hock" (30 November 1968) According to his autobiography published after his death, he chose to go missing because his relationship with his wife had broken down and he was emotionally overwhelmed.


Late years

Lim met with a traffic accident and was badly injured in September 1961. Despite having made a full recovery, he had occasional health problems. For instance, before his disappearance in June 1966, he had undergone two months of medical treatment earlier on. After resigning from the Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Lim initially settled in
Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has bee ...
, until his marriage broke down. He then chose to convert to
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
and emigrated to
Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...
,
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
to start a new life and adopted an Islamic-sounding name, Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock. In his late years, Lim moved to
Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...
. He joined the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...
and worked as a special assistant to the President of the Islamic Development Bank. He died on 30 November 1984 at his Jeddah home, at the age of 70, and was buried in Mecca that night. His autobiography, ''Reflections'', was published after his death in
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...
in 1986.


Legacy and reputation

Unlike
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean lawyer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and Secretary-General o ...
, David Marshall, Toh Chin Chye and other Singaporean political leaders who emerged after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, who received their
tertiary education Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...
in prestigious UK institutions, Lim had only received local education. Despite this, he started work as a clerk and later joined
trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
s. He later became the Legislative Councillor and Assemblyman, and was eventually appointed as Chief Minister, becoming an influential politician in colonial Singapore. Unlike his predecessor Marshall, Lim chose to cooperate with the British. He adopted a tough stance against
leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in so ...
groups, students and teachers, gaining trust from the British, leading to re-negotiations for self-rule with the British."A Forgotten Past – The Curious Case of Lim Yew Hock" (2012)Tan, Guan Heng (2007), p. 142. Under his leadership, Singapore reached an agreement with Britain following a series of talks, granting full internal self-rule in 1959. However, he lost the support of the Chinese majority due to his crackdown of teachers and students in Chinese schools. Moreover, the British had gradually changed their position to support the opposition PAP and its leader Lee Kuan Yew throughout the successive self-rule talks in London, tipping Lee as the potential future leader of Singapore. Despite having achieved full internal self-rule for Singapore, he lost the support of the people, handing over the post of
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
to Lee. There have been views, showing that despite losing the support of the people, he had achieved full internal self-governance for Singapore and eliminated left-wing influence in the PAP, paving the way for Lee and his PAP to remain in power thereafter for a long period of time."林有福是李光耀的上馬石" (3 April 2008) After he stepped down as Chief Minister, he gradually declined in Singaporean politics. His political career in Singapore came to an end when he chose not to contest in the Legislative Assembly election in 1963. Lim got involved in Malaysian politics the following year. However, it, too, came to an end after his disappearance in 1966 in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. He eventually chose to lead a low-profile life in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
and was no longer involved in Singaporean nor Malaysian politics. Lim made such an evaluation about himself in his autobiography published after his death:


Personal life

Lim married Chia Kim Neo on 12 January 1937. They had one son and three daughters. After having been through his disappearance in 1966 and resignation from the Malaysian Government in 1968, Lim's marriage with Chia broke down. When he converted to
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
and was living in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
in his late years, he remarried ethnic Chinese Hajjah Hasnah Abdullah, another
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
convert. Both of them had a daughter with the name of Hayati.


Works

* ''Reflections''. Kuala Lumpur: Pustaka Antara, 1986.


Honours


Foreign honours

* : ** (conferred 31 August 1958, revoked 1968) * : ** Commander of the
Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei ( ms, Darjah Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Yang Amat Mulia), also translated as The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei, is an order of Brunei. It was established on 1 March 1954 by ...
(1961)Issue 42414
", ''London Gazette'', 18 July 1961, p.4.
)


Honorary degrees

*
Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...
**
University of Malaya The University of Malaya ( ms, Universiti Malaya, UM; abbreviated as UM or informally the Malayan University) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of highe ...
(September 1957)


Titles

* Lim Yew Hock (15 October 1914 - August 1958) * Tun Lim Yew Hock, SMN (August 1958 - November 1968) * Lim Yew Hock (November 1968 – 1972) * Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock (1972–30 November 1984)


Notes


References


English-language

*
MARSHALL NAMES HIS MEN
", ''The Straits Times'', 7 April 1955, p. 1. *
DOCKS BOSS SIGNS THE AGREEMENT
, ''The Straits Times'', 7 July 1955, p. 7. *
CITY COUNCIL WORKERS TO STRIKE
", ''The Straits Times'', 15 August 1955, p. 1. *
GOVT. ASK ILO AID ON LABOUR TROUBLES
, ''The Straits Times'', 31 August 1955, p. 5. *
Hotel strike inquiry
, ''The Straits Times'', 7 October 1955, p. 1. *
STC strike: Mr. Lim has a plan
, ''The Straits Times'', 28 December 1955, p. 1. *
THE NEW CABINET WITH SIR ROBERT
, ''The Straits Times'', 9 June 1956, p. 1. *
Assembly Debates Bust-the-Gangs Bill
, ''The Straits Times'', 14 August 1958, p. 2. *
The Peoples' Alliance
, ''The Straits Times'', 12 November 1958, p. 6. *
FRANCIS THOMAS RESIGNS
, ''The Straits Times'', 1 February 1959, p. 1. *
Chew Resigns
, ''The Straits Times'', 4 March 1959, p. 1. *
A busy day for Lim
, ''The Straits Times'', 7 March 1959, p. 1. *
'NO' TO NANYANG DEGREES
, ''The Straits Times'', 23 June 1959, p. 1. *
Tengku takes the pulse of Tun Lim Yew Hock
, ''The Straits Times'', 27 September 1961, p. 7. * * "The Diplomat & the Samaritan", ''Time Magazine'', 1 July 1966. *
Sandra: I'm ready to send a bundle of photos
, ''The Straits Times'', 24 August 1966, p. 11. * *
TUN LIM: I HAVE QUIT FOREIGN MINISTRY
, ''The Straits Times'', 7 November 1968, p. 11. *
I knew it was coming says Yew Hock
, The Straits Times, 30 November 1968, p. 1. * YEO, Kim-wah,
Political Development of Singapore, 1945–1955
''. Singapore: Singapore University Press, 1973. *
Lim Yew Hock dies in Jeddah
, ''The Straits Times'', 1 December 1984, p. 1. *
Man who thumped the Reds
, ''The Straits Times'', 1 December 1984, p. 14. * Lim, Yew Hock, ''Reflections''. Kuala Lumpur: Pustaka Antara, 1986. *

, ''Headlines, Lifelines'', 1999. * Wong, Ting-hong,
State Formation, Hegemony, and Nanyang University in Singapore, 1953 to 1965
, ''Formosan Education and Society'', 1, 59–87, 2000, pp. 59–85. * Wong, Ting-hong,
Hegemonies Compared: State Formation and Chinese School Politics in Postwar Singapore and Hong Kong
''. Great Britain: Routledge, 2002. * Lau, Albert, "Lim Yew Hock", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford University Press, 2004. * Mukunthan, Michael,

, ''Singapore Infopedia''. National Library Board Singapore, 2004. * Nor-Afidah,

, ''Singapore Infopedia''. National Library Board Singapore, 2005. *
11 April 1957: Britain agrees to Singapore self-rule
", ''BBC On This Day 1950–2005'', 2005. * Tan, Guan Heng,
100 Inspiring Rafflesians: 1823–2003
''. New Jersey : World Scientific, 2008. * Lee, Edwin,
Singapore: The Unexpected Nation
''. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2008. * Tan, Kevin,
Marshall of Singapore
''. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2008. * Trocki, Carl A.,
Paths Not Taken: Political Pluralism in Post-War Singapore
''. Singapore: NUS Press, 2008. * Ng, Tze Lin Tania,

, ''Singapore Infopedia''. National Library Board Singapore, 2009. * Quah, Jon S. T.,
Public Administration Singapore-Style
''. UK: Emerald Group Publishing, 2010. * "Singapore Legislative Assembly General Election - 1955", ''Singapore Infopedia''. National Library Board Singapore, 2010. * Sutherland, Duncan,

, ''Singapore Infopedia'', 25 June 2010. * Corfield, Justin,
Historical Dictionary of Singapore
''. Singapore: Scarecrow Press, 2011. *
A Forgotten Past – The Curious Case of Lim Yew Hock
", ''Remember Singapore'', 13 November 2012.


Chinese-language

* Lee, Kuan Yew, 李光耀40年政論選 [''Lee Kuan Yew's Forty Years in Politics'']. Taipei: Linking Publishing Company, 1994. * Lee, Kuan Yew

Beijing: Foreign Language Press, September 1998. *
戰後馬來亞地區閩南人與華文教育之發展 [Hokkiens and the Development of Chinese Education in Post-war Malaya]
", Xinjiapo Wenxian Guan (sginsight.com), 26 November 2006. *
林有福是李光耀的上馬石 [Lim Yew Hock, Source of Lee Kuan Yew's Rise in Power]
", Xinjiapo Wenxian Guan (sginsight.com), 3 April 2008. *

", Nanyang University Alumni Leisure Website (nandazhan.com), 13 September 2012.


External links


Legislative Council election, 1951




{{DEFAULTSORT:Lim, Yew Hock 1914 births 1984 deaths Singaporean emigrants to Malaysia Singaporean people of Hokkien descent Members of the Parliament of Singapore Members of the Legislative Council of Singapore Malaysian politicians of Chinese descent Singapore People's Alliance politicians Labour Front politicians Raffles Institution alumni Ministers for Education of Singapore Ministers for Labour of Singapore Immigrants to Saudi Arabia High Commissioners of Malaysia to Australia Progressive Party (Singapore) politicians Honorary Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm