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= LIM FOO YONG  = This is a Chinese name; the family name is Lim (林) Dato' Lim Foo Yong is well known Malaysian Chinese businessman and builder on his time. He was conferred a Royal Datukship Selawatang by the Sultan of Selangor, His Royal Highness Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Alhaj in 1978. He was the founder and builder of the famous Merlin Hotel (now Concorde Hotel) in 1959 located along Jalan Sultan Ismail Kuala Lumpur. The success of the Merlin Hotel inspired Dato Lim Foo Yong to expand into chain of sister hotels throughout Malaysia. The Merlin Hotel in Cameron Highlands opened in 1960; Merlin Hotel in Penang was launched in 1967 and Merlin Hotel in Kuantan in 1972. He constructed one of the first high rise building in country the UMBC building (now known as Dataran Kewangan Takatful) in Jalan Sultan Sulaiman. Dato Lim Foo Yong is the owner of the Wisma Lim Foo Yong located in Raja Chulan it was commonly known then as"Fitzpatrick". Marco Polo Chinese Restaurant which is operating on the second floor of the building is also run and owned by Dato Lim Foo Yong.

DAWN OF HOPE (Early life)
Deep in the heart of Southeast Asia, amidst Kuala Lumpur's forest of gleaming skycrapers, stands a massive banyan tree. No one knows for sure how long this old wonder has been thriving in a quiet corner along the famed Jalan P. Ramlee. Judging from its gargantuan trunk and gnarly roots, it must have been a silent witness to the passing of time for many a decade.

Rising majestically from fertile ground, its verdant canopy casts a vast shadow. This is precisely why this particular tree, which has been a stately presence in his compound, has long fascinated Dato' Lim Foo Yong. It embodies his belief that it has always been his destiny to be a giant among men-not to satisfy his vanity-but to shelter his family and his descendants.

Far from being trite and self-serving, his comparison is uncannily accurate. As his life story unfolds, one cannot help but appreciate how his unswerving desire to protect and to provide for his loved ones has influenced his judgement and shaped his legacy.

Dato' Lim came into the world in a small shop which was located along Jalan Mountbatten in Kuala Lumpur now known as Jalan Tun Perak. The screaming, vigorous baby boy was born on 2oth January 1914. Europe was on the verge of being engulfed in the First World War, and Asia was still a continent that was shrouded in mystery. National boundaries were still shifting and boundless promises enticed merchants and adventurers.

Dato' Lim's father, Lim Khay Goh, was one of those fearless immigrants who dared the unknown to seek his fortune away from China. Hailing from the district Anxi in the province of Fujian,he had the distinction of being

A new chapter unfolded in Dato' Lim's young life as the ship sailed into the fabled port of Singapore. Waiting patiently on the dock were Wang Tien's relatives who thanked the heavens that her family survived the challenging voyage from China. The family, ragged and exhausted, found a new home in the shop house of a compatriot from their village, Lim Pek Lian. The spartan environment only had chairs for sitting and writing. There was no bed and at night, the family huddled together on sack cloth that was spread across the floor.There was no luxury, or even the basic necessities. Somehow, Wang Tien's love was enough to keep her family warm and secure, even on the darkest, coldest nights.

Wang Tien and her family returned to Malaya at a time when the local chinese community had embraced Sun Yat Sen's progressive ideology. Instead of wearing blue garments, the men had short hair and they appeared to be self-assured as they went about town in their Western clothes. Bland blue garments and long plaited hair were no longer in fashion. Women were not expected to bind their feet anymore. Dato' Lim was fortunate that his formative years took place at a time when the world was modernizing at a rapid pace.

The family arrived in Batu Road, now Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman - a predominantly Chinese neighborhood - just as the community was gearing up to celebrate Lunar New Year. The entire area was given a thorough cleaning while houses were spruced up and joyfully decorated. The family quickly settled into their new home.

Being a bright child, Dato' Lim was naturally inquisitive and mischievous. He had a robust personality and his childhood antics were certainly inventive. Dato' Lim is a born leader and his leadership insticts were apparent even at youg age. The boisterous boys of Church Road, now Jalan Gerenja, looked up to him to show the way during their carefree adventures and hair-raising escapades. Like all young boys, Dato' Lim had to stand his ground on many occasions when faced with bullies and troublemakers. He did not shy away from the occasional fist fight to defend his honour or to protect a friend.

Dato' Lim and his band of merry friends were easily bored, and they frequently had to manufacture their own fun. One of their favorite high jinks was to leap onto the bullock carts which were the primary mode of transportation during that era. After jumping on for a free ride, they would create harmless havoc until the bullock cart driver had no choice but to chase them away. Another game they enjoyed was going up to young girls with braids, pulling their hair, and then running away as fast as they could. In fact, on one such occasion, the girl turned out to be one of the boy's sister.

There was, however, one incident involving his childhood friend that made a lasting impression on Dato' Lim. He was playing with his buddy, Tong Ling, on the bank of the Klang River near High Street, now know as Jalan Tun H.S. Lee. They were enthralled by the activities of the workers who were excavating sand from the river. Neither of them could swim and boys being boys, they soon challenged each other to take a dip in the fast-flowing river. Dato' Lim foolishly thought it would be a good idea to let his friend win the dare. So he shoved his playmate into the river, but his delight soon turned to horror. Tong Ling began to drown while Dato' Lim stood helpless on the river bank. The incident had a happy ending because Tong Ling was rescued by the workers. However, the terror that Dato' Lim felt on that deceptively calm afternoon never quite left him. Throughout his life, Dato' Lim would be very careful about the consequences of his actions.

Dato' Lim's childhood was hardly an idyllic phase. Instead, his entire family had to struggle in the face of crushing poverty. Starting from the tender age of nine, Dato' Lim had to perform arduous daily chores at Lim Pek Lian's store.

During their free time, Dato' Lim and his brother would roam the streets with two huge bamboo baskets balanced on their puny shoulders with a long stick. They would trudge for hours under the merciless sun to scrounge for used and discarded items like bottles, bits and pieces of metal and paper for scrap. Due to his sheer determination, Dato' Lim managed to collect 30 to 35 kilos of discarded items daily. Although it was back-breaking labour to haul the items around, they were worth very little. Dato' Lim surrendered all the money that he earned to his brother, and only retained five cents daily to buy curry rice for lunch. Decades later, he recall that he would have enough money to buy only a plate of white rice for 2 cents, then, he would ask for curry gravvy at no extra charged. At times Dato' Lim and his siblings had to climb up Bukit Nanas where sekolah Menengah St. John was being built, to collect firewood for the family stove.

Dato' Lim was a precocious child with an inquisitive mind. Although his formal education consisted of sitting outside a crowded classroom for six months, he managed to master writing, book-keeping, auditing and negotiating on his own.

After much hard work, Dato' Lim's brother, Lim Poon, managed to scrape together enough capital to start a hawker business as a cigarette peddler. The business flourished and soon became rather profitable. Lim Poon had a flair for languages and he was able to speak the Cantonese dialect fluently. He was a silver-tongued salesman, and his mastery of Chinese fuelled the rapid growth of the enterprise.

Lim Poon carefully mentored Dato' Lim and within two years, the cigarette business was handed over to his younger brother. Having entrusted his business to the highly capable Dato' Lim, Lim Poon went to work for a rubber latex factory to guarantee a stable income for the family.

Equally entrepreneurial, Dato' Lim's mother and his two sisters established a laundry business which proved to be popular within their community. Undeterred by never-ending setbacks, Dato' Lim mother persevered against all odds to keep her family safe and happy in Kuala Lumpur.

The years flew by and inevitably, Dato' Lim emerged from his childhood. Like him, his friends left their mischievous ways behind to make their mark on the world. Goh Shu Yi became a respected entrepreneur and Ho Tong Ling went on to establish his own transportation service.

It is heartwarming to note that the Church Road gang did finally grow up, and their brotherly affection for each other only grew and mellowed with age.

ON THE RISE (Career and Business)
Category:Malaysia

Category:Malaysian people of Hokkien descent Category:Malaysian people of Chinese descent