Lim Swee Aun

Tan Sri Dr. Lim Swee Aun (1 September 1915 – 13 August 1977) was a Malaysian Chinese politician from the Malaysian Chinese Association, and a Cabinet member.

The eldest son of Lim Tee Hooi and Foong Cheong Ngan, Swee Aun was born on 1 September 1915 in Taiping, Perak and educated at the King Edward VII School (Taiping).

He was a keen Rugby player and played for the school in the 1930s.

Swee Aun with Yahayaudin, Sulaiman and Harun were the first to be awarded colours.

In June 1932, Swee Aun joined the King Edward VII College of Medicine, in Singapore (subsequently merged with Raffles College to form the University of Malaya) at the age of 16 years.

He was Captain of the Singapore All Blues Rugby Team in 1935 which won the Trophy for Pan-Malayan Interstate Rugby Matches.

Lim Swee Aun completed his housemanship in Singapore General Hospital.

He was a brilliant scholar and gained Distinction in Anatomy in the 2nd Professional Examination, an honour he shared with his classmate Quek Eng Lan (whom he subsequently married on 22 August 1938).

He was awarded a scholarship for this achievement.

In the Final examination in 1938, Swee Aun obtained Distinction in Medicine and Materia Medica and was awarded the much coveted Lim Boon Keng Medal.

While in College, he was also a great sportsman.

In 1939 he was posted to the Sungai Buloh Leprosarium before moving to Ipoh General Hospital and to Taiping, Perak, his hometown in 1940.

In December 1941, war came and Taiping experienced the 1st bomb on 8 December.

The main attack from the Japanese Army came from the north.

So Lim Swee Aun decided to evacuate his whole family to Rev. Quek Kheng Hoon's (his father-in-law) rambutan estate in Bukit Timah, Singapore.

Lim Swee Aun stayed on in Taiping Hospital and evacuated with the Medical Convoy by stages going southwards as the enemy came closer from the north.

He finally arrived in Singapore and joined the Medical Team there.

But soon the whole family had to abandon the Bukit Timah rambutan estate as the enemy approached.

They moved to the Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church where they took refuge under the church pews, together with many others.

Bombing and cannon fire continued all day and night from across the causeway.

Singapore surrendered and the Japanese soldiers were everywhere.

All non-Singaporeans were returned to Malaya.

Lim Swee Aun and his family travelled in a cattle wagon, taking 4 days and 3 nights to reach Taiping.

Dr. Lim Swee Aun worked for Dr. Tan Chen Leng in Taiping.

During the occupation period, Lim Swee Aun secretly supplied medicine to the Prisoners of War.

Dr. Lim Swee Aun, Dr. Tan Cheng Leng and the Parsi Jal Manecksha also secretly helped the Indian Prisoners of War of the Motor Transport Unit No. 1 under the Command of Subedar Nurud Din.

They contributed a sum of $15,000/- to Dr. Tarlok Singh to help them buy medicines and food for the sick Indian P.O.W.s.

They had also been using a radio to listen to the Allied news, dismantling the radio and hiding it away after listening each time.

They were part of the "inner circle of war news."

He kept this secret, even from his wife.

After the war, Lim Swee Aun was awarded a commendation Certificate for his deeds by the British Government through Malcolm McDonald.

After the Japanese surrender on 2 September 1945, Lim Swee Aun resigned from Dr. Tan Chen Leng's employment and started his own practice at 75 Kota Road, Taiping, Perak.

He had to raise money to buy the premises by pawning whatever jewellery he could from his mother and wife.

He worked hard, day and night attending to his sick patients and doing house calls even though the country was in a state of Malayan Emergency from the communist activities.

He often treated his patients for free when they could not afford it.

He was a founder and Life member of the Malaysian Chinese Association in Taiping.

In 1959 Lim Swee Aun became a member of Parliament when he won the seat of Larut Selatan.

He was appointed Minister of Health in 1962 and later in the year he became Minister of Commerce and Industry.

Lim Swee Aun's responsibility as minister was to industrialise the country.

He encouraged Foreign investments in Joint Ventures but stood firm on the 51% Malaysian participation.