Mr. Lim Teck Kin

An article that caught my eye which states that on 27 May 1951, more than 4,500 relatives and friends attended the funeral of the late Mr. Lim Teck Kin, a Chinese millionaire, pineapple magnate, rubber dealer and sole proprietor of Messrs. Teck Hin and Co. at Bukit Brown Cemetery, Bukit Timah. Another thing that caught my eye was that he was murdered under the orders of the Communist Party of Malaya also known as the Malayan Communist Party.

Mr. Lim Teck Kin came to Singapore from Fukien (Fujian) in 1904. He owned the United Malayan Pineapple Growers and Canners Ltd. with a factory in Scudai, Johore. Beside pineapple (which the papers said that he once held a record sales of pineapples to Europe and America), he was one of the principal agents for Shell Company oil. He managed several benzine kiosk with the main one being in Beach Road (Kian Hin) and a dealer in motor tyres and spare parts. He was also well-known in Trengganu where he owned Teck Siong and Company, dealing in General merchandise. Lim Teck Kin was 65 years old when he passed away. 

Lim Teck Kin 

Assassinated 

Mr. Lim was shot dead in his car by two masked men armed with pistols on 21 May 1951. This happened as he was leaving his residence at Siglap for work. His driver, Mr. Sairi bin Mohamed Nadir who was Mr. Lim's  driver heard the shot and saw him bleeding profusely from his face. Mr. Lim's wife, Madam Ong Kim Neo was in the kitchen when he heard the shots. She, her daughter-in-law and the driver rushed him to the General Hospital but Mr. Lim Teck Kin died due to shock and hemorrhage from a gunshot wound in the chest. Another bullet smashed his lower jaw and the Blue Hudson car bear the marks of a hole made by the bullet in the upholstery of the car. 

Blue Hudson car of Lim Teck Kin where he was murdered

$50,000 reward offered

A reward of $50,000 - the biggest ever in the Colony of Singapore at that time was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killers or killers of Mr. Lim Teck Kin, the Singapore pineapple magnate and rubber dealer. The cheque was deposited by Mr. Lim's family with the C.I.D to pay for the reward and the reward held good for 3 months. 

The Malayan Communist Party (MCP) was behind it all

A captured Communist document  (Singapore Freedom Press, published by the Malayan Communist Party and edited by Wong Su, Director of the Singapore Office of the Malayan National Liberation Army), was released by the Police on 6 January 1955 which disclosed that the M.C.P. Workers' Protection Corps comrades were responsible. For a full picture of the incident, refer to this BiblioAsia article - Iron Spearhead: The Story of a Communist Hitman (in which Wong Fook Kwang alias "Tit Fung" -Commander of "E" Branch, the assassination wing of the Malayan Communist Party was ordered to carry out the murder of Lim Teck Kin). 

Family

It was from the thank you notice by the family of Mr. Lim, i am able to know who the family members are:

Wife: Madam Ong Kim Neo, 

Sons: Lim Kay Lai, Lim Kay Tiong, Lim Kay Hua, Lim Kay Kok (Yale Uni, U.S.A), Lim Kay Seng (Yale, Uni, U.S.A)

her daughters: Lim Lay Huay, Lim Siew Huay, Lim Siew Bee, Lim Siew Geok and Lim Siew Choo.

3 daughters-in-laws

sons-in-law: Chee Cheang Swee and Chia Hock Soon

2 grandsons, 3 granddaughters

They thanked friends, relatives, staff of the United Malayan Pineapple Growers and Canners, Ltd, Teck Hin Co, Rubber Department, and Benzine Kiosks, Kian Hin Co. Ltd., and Teck Siang &  Co., Trengganu.

Funeral and Burial Location 

The funeral procession was about 2 miles long and took 2 hours to reach the Cemetery accompanied by more than 10 lorries were filled with 300 floral wreaths and 500 banners. It was reported that he was buried in Bukit Brown Cemetery, Bukit Timah as the article mentions. However i found no record of him on the burial registrar. Was he buried in Lao Sua, Hokkien Huay Kuan Cemetery (Gelong Pah), or maybe even Kopi Sua ? Well the investigation continues.....

Funeral procession for Lim Teck Kin

Lim Teck Kin Tower

Lim Teck Kin Tower and a new extension at  the St. Andrew's School at Francis Thomas Drive was unveiled together with a plaque. Erected at cost of $250,000, it was contributed by his 6 sons and officially  opened on 12 Jan 1953 as legacy and memorial to their father, Lim Teck Kin. 

Lim Teck Kin Tower (source: NAS)

References

Shot-Dead. (1951, May 22). Singapore Standard, page 1

Killed in car. (1951, May 22). The Straits Times, page 1

Masked Youths Shoot Millionaire. (1951, May 22). Singapore Standard, page 2

$50,000 reward offered. (1951, May 25). The Straits Times, page 1 

Coroner returns murder finding. Lim Teck Ki inquest. (1951, June 6). The Straits Times, page 7

Advertisements. (1951, May 30). The Singapore Free Press, page 8

The MCP was behind it all. (1955, January 7). Singapore Standard, page 1