made to kneel down under the scorching sun for four hours at a stretch, in addition to bearing other insults. After Shinozaki let him drink beer and persuaded him, telling him that Lim's position as president was merely to be a figurehead without needing to do much work, Lim finally relented. In March 1942, Lim was ordered by the Japanese to raise a "donation" of 50 million straits dollars for Japan. However, only 28 million dollars were raised with much difficulty. In response to the anger of Takase, Lim made an emotional speech: "We never told a lie. When we promised to give the military contribution, we mean to do it. Financial conditions are now such as to be beyond our control. If we are unable to pay, then die we will. I wish to point out, however, that the manner in which the Government raise this military contribution is without any parallel in any country." In the end, the Japanese agreed to a loan for the remaining sum through the Yokohama Specie Bank. Known as the grand old man of the Singaporean Chinese community, during the Japanese occupation, Lim feigned a drunken stupor rather than cooperate with the Japanese. Later life Lim led his remaining years in recluse in Singapore as an ordinary citizen. He died on 1 January 1957, two months after his 87th birthday. He was buried at Bidadari Cemetery in Singapore. His wife Grace died in 1972 and was buried there as well. Legacy The area now known as Boon Keng, including Boon Keng MRT station, Boon Keng Road and Upper Boon Keng Road are named after Lim. References Bibliography Cook, John Angus Bethune, Sunny Singapore: An account of the place and its people, with a sketch of the results of missionary work, E. Stock, 1907 Doran, Christine, The Chinese Origins of Democracy: Dynamic Confucianism in Singapore., Nebula, 2010 Frost, Mark Ravinder, Singapore: A Biography, Singapore, 2009. Frost, Mark Ravinder, Transcultural Diaspora: The Straits Chinese in Singapore, 1819–1918, NUS ARI Working Papers, 2003. 1869 births 1957 deaths Officers of the Order of the British Empire Queen's Scholars (British Malaya and Singapore) Alumni of the University of Edinburgh People from Penang Singaporean agnostics Singaporean Confucianists Singaporean businesspeople 20th-century Singaporean physicians Singaporean people of Hokkien descent Singaporean people of Malaysian descent Raffles Institution alumni Japanese occupation of Singapore