Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The Greatest Singaporean Hero Part 1: Robert Kho-Seng Lim 1


Ever since PAP came to power, it has been endeavouring to depoliticize Singapore, hoping to make everyone a mercenary creature. Making Singaporeans forget about our collective history, to be oblivious to giants, are few aspects of such depolitization.

Today, the only "great man" Singaporeans are more aware is Lee Kuan Yew, who is actually a rascal. Other than him, Singaporeans can name a few more including Stamford Raffles or probably Lim Bo Seng without knowing finer details about their life.

The protagonist of this article Robert Kho-Seng Lim, is the greatest, the most intelligent, the most courageous, the most virtuous......etc Singaporean ever. He is forgotten by every Singaporeans, because Lee Kuan Yew desires such thing to happen. His name is not mentioned in textbook, nor in mass media.

Ironically. he was fondly remembered by doctors in China and Taiwan. The best doctors are his students. PRC and ROC medical school fight hard to claim Lim as their heritage.

Lim's Popularity on Internet

30,600 results on Google

50,800 results on Baidu
If we google and Baidu his name, 30,600 and 50,800 results show up. How can Singaporeans abandon such a person when so many people (a large numbers of these Chinese website are written by doctors )  wants to claim his heritage.

Achievements
1924-1938 Professor and Head, Department of Physiology, Peking Union Medical College (the best doctor school and hospital in China even until today, Lim was the first Chinese HOD)
1926  Founded Chinese Physiological Society 中国生理学会
1930s President of the Chinese Medical Association and Chairman of the North China Council for Rural Reconstruction
1939-1941
Director, Emergency Medical Service Training School
1942 Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences 
1945-1949

China Military's Surgeon General and Lieutenant (Chief MO), holding rankof Lieutenant General
1946 Founded National Defense Medical Center 国防医学院
(now the premier institution of medical training and pharma industries in Taiwan )
1948  Offered portfolio of Ministry of Health of China but he turned down.

Decorations
Great Britain: 1914-1915 Star; General Service Medal, Victory Medal, 1918

United States: Legion of Merit, Officer Grade, 1943; Medal of Freedom with
Silver Palms, 1946

Republic of China: Kan Ching Medal; Chung Ching Medal; Sheng Li Medal;
Yun Hui Order, 1st Class; Victory Medal, 1945

Greatest Scientist from Singapore
Lim was the greatest scientist not only in Singapore, but the Numero Uno Chinese scientist. He is the first Chinese and ONLY Singaporean to be made associate ( equivalent to member because member is only given to US citizen) of US National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

Many Singaporeans have no idea about the prestige of NAS membership. To put it simply, it is ultra-prestigious, probably next to Nobel prize in terms of commending natural science achievements. During the period of 37 years, from 1942 to 1979, merely 8 Chinese were members of NAS. Out of these 8, 4 or 50% of them won the Nobel prize.

1942

林可勝

Robert Kho-Seng Lim


1958 吳健雄Chien-Shiung Wu
1962 林家翹 Chia-Chiao Lin
1964 李政道 Tsung-Dao Lee Nobel prize
1965 楊振寧 Chen-Ning Franklin Yang  Nobel prize
1977 丁肇中 Samuel C. C. Ting Nobel prize
1978 田炳耕 Ping King Tien
1979 李遠哲 Yuan-Tseh LeeNobel prize

Singaporeans are intelligent. Why are we not producing any more academic giants after PAP and the MOE laid their hands on educating us?

TO BE CONTINUED

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hi There:
I wondered if you had a chance to complete this nice introduction on Dr. Lim? We are in the process of gatheric informaiton on the CRC/MRC and wondered if there were additional archives that you were away of. Your help is most appreciated.

Robert mamlok, MD