Lim Koon Teck

Lim Koon Teck (? – ?) was a lawyer and politician in Malaya and Singapore.

World War II

In 1941 Lim Koon Teck was a magistrate in Penang, a member of the "Straits Settlements Legal Service", created to satisfy local demands while preserving the purity of the Whites-only "Colonial Legal Service". He was a captain of the Straits Settlements Volunteer Corps.

After first insisting that British commanders, their troops and even the local population should die before allowing an inch of ground to the invaders, Churchill and the chiefs of staff gave the order to surrender. With that order began the withdrawal of British troops from Penang and all of Malaya. On 13 December 1941, fearing the very real possibility of execution for being a magistrate and officer of the Straits Settlements Volunteer Corps “C” Company, Lim Koon Teck and his family prepared to board a ferry and withdraw with the rest of the troops only to be refused entry and told that the ferry was for "whites" only. Cast aside and deserted by the Colonial masters he had long idolised, Lim Koon Teck could only watch as an entire contingent, including his former colleagues, left.

As the Japanese army preceded by their shock troops descended on the tiny island of Penang, Lim Koon Teck and his volunteers of Company “C” were to become the accepted backbone of law and order in the tiny village of Ayer Itam on which the population of George Town had descended.

Independence

Lim Koon Teck was one of a select few included in Singapore's Merdeka Mission to London in 1957. There were five delegates - three from the Coalition Government and one each from the Liberal Socialist Party and the People's Action Party. The delegation of five was made up of the Chief Minister, Mr. Lim Yew Hock, the Minister for Education, Mr. Chew Swee Kee, the Assistant Minister for Education, Inche Sidek bin Haji Abdul Hamid, Liberal Socialist Mr Lim Koon Teck and the PAP leader, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

Lim Koon Teck stood for elections for the City in 1949 under the Progressive Party, Payar Lebar in 1955 under the Progressive Party and Aljunied in 1962 under the Singapore Alliance.

1949 Legislative Assembly Results for City (1,156):
16.90% -- 326 -- PP -- Lim Koon Teck
27.40% -- 527 -- PP -- Mohamed Kassim bin Oli Mohamed
20.70% -- 398 -- PP -- Sandy Gurunathan Pillay
19.50% -- 375 -- IND -- Hassan Ali bin Jivabhai
15.50% -- 299 -- LP -- Syed Mumtaz bin Hussain

1955 Legislative Assembly Results for Paya Lebar (12,827):
52.07% -- 3,330 -- PP -- Lim Koon Teck
47.93% -- 3,065 -- DP -- Tan Eng Joo

1963 Legislative Assembly Results for Aljunied (16,152):
11.05% -- 1,681 -- SA -- Lim Koon Teck
50.90% -- 7,745 -- PAP -- S. V. Lingam
30.39% -- 4,624 -- BS -- Thio Kheng Lock
07.66% -- 1,165 -- UPP -- Woo Kong Seng

Lim Koon Teck became the 8th President of the Saint Andrew's School Old Boys Association (SAOBA [http://www.saints.org.sg/] ) in 1952 and concentrated on raising funds for the School Building Project and on the promotion of sports among members of the OBA. The play "Lady Precious Stream" was hosted again by the SAOBA raising $15,615 for the School Building Fund.

Notes

#Blood on the Golden Sands by Lim Kean Siew (Pelanduk)
#Forgotten Armies - The Fall of British Asia 1941 - 1945 by Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper (Allen Lane 2004)
#Photograph collection of the British Association of Malaysia and Singapore, Supreme Court, Singapore, on the eve of Their Lordships on furlough, Reference BAM 2/5 by Paul and Co 28 Mar. 1928 -- A group portrait showing the members and staff of the Supreme Court. The figures in the group are: W. PIYANAGE, Secretary to Puisne Judge; CHIN YONG LOCK, Chinese interpreter; G.V. ROWE, Indian interpreter; YEO TIANG SWEE, Senior Chinese interpreter; Henry Auguster FORRER (1886-1969), Malayan CivilService 1909-, Registrar; Sir George Campbell DEANE (1873-1948), Puisne Judge, Straits Settlements 1924-1929; Sir James William MURISON (1872-1945), Chief Justice, Straits Settlements, 1925-1933; Bertram Reginald WHITEHOUSE (1891-), Malayan Civil Service 1915-1935, Deputy Registrar; LIM KOON TECK, Deputy Registrar; C.W. CHELAPPA, Secretary to Chief Justice; L. NATURAJAN, Indian interpreter.
#Thanks to Lim Koon Teck — letter to ed., Utusan Melayu, 9th Dec 1955
# [http://library.perdana.org.my/Digital_Content/Merdeka_Ed/SS-20021957_2.pdf Only Five Will Go to London, Straits Times, 20th Feb 1957]

ee Also

* [http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0115%2FBAM%202%2F5 Supreme Court, Singapore, on the eve of Their Lordships on furlough Reference BAM 2/5 created by Paul & Co Covering Dates 28 Mar. 1928] [280 x 227 mm (mounted on card). Letterpress caption and identification. A group portrait showing the members and staff of the Supreme Court. The figures in the group are: W. PIYANAGE, Secretary to Puisne Judge; CHIN YONG LOCK, Chinese interpreter; G.V. ROWE, Indian intepreter; YEO TIANG SWEE, Senior Chinese interpreter; Henry Auguster FORRER (1886-1969), Malayan CivilService 1909-, Registrar; Sir George Campbell DEANE (1873-1948), Puisne Judge, Straits Settlements 1924-1929; Sir James William MURISON (1872-1945), Chief Justice, Straits Settlements, 1925-1933; Bertram Reginald WHITEHOUSE (1891-), Malayan Civil Service 1915-1935, Deputy Registrar; LIM KOON TECK, Deputy Registrar; C.W. CHELAPPA, Secretary to Chief Justice; L. NATURAJAN, Indian interpreter.]