Lim Kee Jin was born in 1923 in Penang. The second son of Lim Keong Lay, a prominent Chinese businessman and civic citizen, he came of age in the twilight of empire. His remarkable career spanned the era encompassing the achievement of Independence. Those who came into contact with him never failed to be moved by his enthusiasm, ideals and concern for both people and nature.
His candid memoir – the centrepiece of this volume, supplemented by Patricia Lim – recounts a life rich in experiences and encounters that defined his life. This includes the period of the Japanese Occupation, his contribution to postgraduate medical training in Malaysia, and visits to a newly opened China in the early post-Mao years. Other contributions to this volume discuss his Penang roots, the Malaysian Nature Society, the Malaysian Medical Association, the founding of the Johor Specialist Hospital and KPJ Healthcare, his agricultural and artistic endeavours as well as his work with the disabled.
Dr Lim Kee Jin was an example of a true Malaysian. As a youth, he provided leadership to a group of medical students facing the Japanese occupation forces, determined to travel home from Singapore to Penang by any means. He successfully raised donations to finance and develop his pet projects in advanced professional medical training. The details in the book are simply amazing; it feels as though they come out of a well-looked-after personal diary! – Tun Musa Hitam, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
Kee Jin will long be fondly remembered as an outstanding physician who had an infectious passion for the teaching and learning of medicine, and who established the foundation of training and certification of postgraduate medical manpower in Malaysia. – Lim Pin, University Professor, National University of Singapore
About the Author
Now living in Johor Bahru, Datin Patricia Lim Pui Huen grew up in Singapore, worked in Singapore libraries, ending her career as Founding Librarian of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS). She studied Arts at the University of Malaya where she met her husband Dato’ Dr. Lim Kee Jin.
She wrote a book about her great-grandfather, Wong Ah Fook: Immigrant, Builder, and Entrepreneur (2002), and is also the author of Johor: Local History, Local Landscapes 1833–1937 (2009), Through the Eyes of the King (2009), War and Memory in Malaysia and Singapore (2000) and One-Legged Football and Other Stories – a collection of short stories dedicated to Dato’ Dr. Lim’s work for the disabled.
BOOK LAUNCH at George Town Literary Festival (GTLF) 2025
George Town Literary Festival (GTLF), 29 November: We joined Patricia Lim for a meaningful conversation on her husband, whose life was rich in experiences and encounters, and is remembered by many as someone full of enthusiasm and deep concern for both life and nature. The conversation was followed by the official launch of her latest title, Lim Kee Jin: Doctor and Mentor, a heartfelt tribute to her husband’s extraordinary life, covering his experiences during the Japanese Occupation, his Penang roots, and his pioneering contributions to medicine, healthcare, and nature.
