Lim Lean Teng () was a successful businessman who established schools in Penang with his wealth. He was born in 1870 in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. He first migrated to

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

, then to

British Malaya The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. U ...

Career

Lim Lean Teng ventured into business in Penang. He was successful and became a millionaire. He was one of the richest people in Penang at that time. He owned a

bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas. The first house in England that was classified as a b ...

as a personal residence. He also owned several other properties around the island. He helped establish the

Han Chiang School Han Chiang School () is a group of three schools in Malaysia. The first school was founded on 10 October 1919 in Jalan Lim Lean Teng, Penang. All three schools are controlled by the Han Chiang Board of Directors. Han Chiang School is also a Teoch ...

with the Teochew Association of Penang. In 1919, the Teochew Association tried to established

SJK(C) Han Chiang SJKC Han Chiang ( 韩江小学) is a national-type primary school located in Lim Lean Teng Road, Penang, Malaysia. The school is known for its excellent results in the UPSR nationwide examinations. It is also considered one of the best primary ...

but was short of funds. Lim Lean Teng came forward and donated the needed funds. The school was established on Chulia Street in Penang. In 1950, Mr. Lim also established

Han Chiang High School Han Chiang High School (韩江中学) is a Chinese independent high school in Jalan Han Chiang, Penang, Malaysia. The school was founded in 1950 by the Teow Chew Association of Penang and a local businessman, Lim Lean Teng. Teng gave the schoo ...

. This school was also on Chulia Street. However, by the time Han Chiang High School was founded, the school was overcrowded. Lim Lean Teng donated a piece of property piece to construct a new school. He gave of land in Jalan Datuk Keramat, George Town for the school's construction purposes. Lim Lean Teng continued to support the two Han Chiang schools. In 1963, Lim Lean Teng died at age 93.

mourned the loss of their founder. Many people paid their respects and remembered his philanthropy for Chinese education in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Recognitions and honours

In 1958, Lim Lean Teng was honoured with a bronze statue established in front of

. It was unveiled by the 1st Prime Minister of the then

Federation of Malaya The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi script, Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Empire, British Straits Settlements, P ...

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 ...

. After his death, Jalan Lim Lean Teng (aka Lim Lean Teng Road) was dedicated in memory of his works. The named road is the location of the

Honour of Malaya

* : Companion of the

Order of the Defender of the Realm The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace o ...

(J.M.N.) (1958)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lim, Lean Teng 1860 births 1963 deaths Chinese emigrants to Malaysia Malaysian people of Chinese descent Malaysian philanthropists School founders Companions of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Naturalised citizens of Malaysia