Never Retire
“Charity for Pleasure, and never wanted to retire.” Mr. Chuang Shih-ping said of Mr. Lim.
“In Hong Kong, Lim Por-yen’s name was known to nearly all. He was a great entrepreneur, a great philanthropist, and a good friend of mine. He was the chairman of Hong Kong’s Lai Sun Group, ATV’s permanent Honorary Chairman, and also Honorary Citizen of Guangzhou, Shantou, Kunshan and Xiamen.”
“ Professor Jao Tsung-I once wrote the four Chinese characters “永不言休” as a gift for Mr. Lim Por-yen. Mr. Lim was so pleased that he kept the calligraphy in his office as a motto. It was an exactly true picture of his philosophy of life.”
“While at work, Lim Por-yen never thought of retirement. When he was already 90 years old, he still worked for more than ten hours a day, from 9:00 am. to 7:00 pm. To save time during the lunch hour, he usually ate only a fishburger, so that he could arrange to meet with business contacts or staff members. He once said, “Doing exercise and using your brain every day will help you to keep a good memory. It is scaring to have nothing to do, and so I hope everyone will work more.” He used to give a helping hand to the younger generation and have faith in his subordinates. He looked into the company’s business personally and regularly travelled overseas to China and Taiwan. His status as helmsman of the Lai Sun group and his abundant personal experience, his human connections and good reputation were crucial to the Group’s steady advancement. As he considered the Group’s affairs, he would not think of today and tomorrow alone, not just about this year and next year, but on what lay ahead in 10 to 20 years.”
"Mr. Lim also never rested in the process of life-long learning. He kept absorbing new knowledge so that he could keep pace with the times and create new targets. During his boyhood, he lived in Shantou and worked daily from 7:30 am. to 9:30 am., but still spent one and a half hours a day writing Chinese calligraphy. Throughout his life, he kept reading books and newspapers. During the time of the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong, he read eight newspapers daily so that he could learn about the effect and prevention of SARS in various places, and SARS’ effect on the economy. Thus many of his donations could be targeted at the most seriously affected SARS areas and the poorest communities. As he said, “Money should be spent in the right way.”
"After attaining wealth and success, Mr. Lim never forgot to repay society. His generous donations reached all areas in China. A rough survey reveals that in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shantou, Shanghai and Taiwan, his donations totalled over HK$700 million, including contributions to education, medical care and culture. He used to tell his friends: 'My life-long belief is: contributing without asking for reward, and working hard without seeking any vain fame'.”
“Mr. Lim and I were from the same home-town. Having known him for half a century, I was deeply touched by his honorable character. His spirit of never taking a rest or retiring is worth emulating.”
Original album《為善最樂林百欣》recorded and published in January, 2004
Note: Mr. Chuang Shih-ping, Vice-chairman of all-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hong Kong Nan Yang Commercial Bank, and awardee of the Grand Bauhinia Medal.