The Ethnic Soul: Mr. Lim Lian Geok

"An extraordinary man in our Chinese community died on December 18, 1985. Remarkable by all standard, he was not a high-ranking Government official, nor was he a millionaire. However, the number of people turned up at his funeral was a record. For days, Chinese from all over the country left their work behind, and rushed to the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall to pay him their last respect. The funeral cortege was more than a mile long.

Every year near around the same time, members of the Chinese community turn up at his burial ground to worship him. By now, the date itself bears another meaning -- it is also celebrated among members of the Chinese community as the Chinese Education Day.

This great soul is Mr Lim Lian Geok.

Mr Lim was an ordinary teacher. After the Second World War, he took on the mission to defend ethnic rights of the Chinese. During his eight-year tenure as Jiao Zong’s Chairman, Mr Lim faced with blow after blow made on Chinese education in this country, never gave way, even in the face of death threat, bribery and temptation. With Mr Lim at the helm, the Chinese community stood firm to reject all unreasonable policies, saving Malaysian Chinese schools from the fate of extinction.

Mr Lim will always be remembered for his integrity, courage and righteousness. He is identified as the Ethnic Soul, because of the examples he has set for the Chinese community in Malaysia."


(dipetik dari http://www.djz.edu.my)


Demikianlah gagah dan kukuhnya yang namanya iltizam sesebuah perjuangan itu. Apakah gerakan yang sedemikian ini bertentangan dengan semangat kita untuk membina sebuah negara yang aman, makmur lagi adil?

Bila lagikah agaknya kita dapat perolehi jawapan yang cukup ikhlas - tanpa sezarah pun yang namanya prasangka itu?

Bayangkan jika orang-orang Melayu memiliki seorang LLG yang setara, apakah tuan fikir bahawa tulisan Jawi itu begitu nasibnya hari ini?

Ramai yang kurang percaya dengan kebesaran akar budaya ini. Untuk melihat khazanah apa yang telah hilang dari sebuah bangsa yang namanya Melayu itu, cuba teliti:


"PEMBINAAN SEMULA TEORI KEPEMIMPINAN DAN KEPENGURUSAN RUMPUN MELAYU" (Shaharir, UMT, 2008) oleh Prof Shaharir Mohamad Zain.


Selamat membaca. Insyallah satu hari nanti, kita sama-sama teliti karya ini.