travel to other areas for basic necessities, thereby lowering traffic congestion. This philosophy—which was ultimately extended with the concept of regional centre, is generally accredited by many to have significantly contributed to the lower rate of congestion and burden on the central business district than before. In May 1961, the Bukit Ho Swee Fire broke out and some 16,000 people became homeless. Under Lim's guidance, the relocation and reconstruction of the lost housing was completed in just over four years, and 1200 housing flats were made available to those who lost their homes in the fire. The success of the housing project was considered by some to stem mainly from the standardised architectural designs that were used. Another important factor was Lim's decision to use private contractors rather than employing construction workers directly. This had allowed the HDB to supervise the contractors to ensure standards, rather than dealing with minute problems. The overall cost was also kept low by using a large pool of contractors and different sources of building materials. There are some who said that by solving Singapore's housing problem, Lim saved the People's Action Party (PAP) in the process. However, Lim was more than modest, saying the success of the housing programme was also due to government funding, as housing was, and still is, a top priority. Part of Lim's success at the HDB was that he had the trust of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. He also worked closely with the Minister for Finance Goh Keng Swee. These connections allowed Lim to keep the housing program well-funded. Another political factor that allowed the success of the Housing Project was that Lim managed to cut through bureaucratic red tape and rigid regulations that would have otherwise hindered the housing programme. Honours In June 1962, Lim was awarded the Order of Temasek (First Class), Singapore's highest civilian honour. In August 1965, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his community leadership. References 1916 births 2006 deaths Members of the Parliament of Singapore Members of the Dewan Rakyat Members of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore Singaporean people of Chinese descent People's Action Party politicians Members of the Cabinet of Singapore Anglo-Chinese School alumni Recipients of the Darjah Utama Temasek Ministers for Defence of Singapore Finance ministers of Singapore Environment ministers of Singapore Ministers for Education of Singapore Communications ministers of Singapore