The Lim dynasty: Nurturing 46 doctors across generations in Penang

February 9, 2024
Healthcaretoday, Dato' Dr Lim Boon Sho, The Lim family, family of doctors, Chinese New Year special, Lim's Clan Association, Penang, Dr Lim Boon Sin, Dr Lim Boon Hock, familial support, perseverance, Lee Foundation Scholarship,
(Seated 2nd from the right) is Dato’ Dr Lim Boon Sho with the rest of his family during the recent Chinese New Year celebration in Penang.
​Family reunions can be chaotic, boisterous, and occasionally awkward in inexplicable ways, but for the Lim family in Ross Road, Georgetown Penang, it's a different story altogether. With 46 doctors in the family, including six currently pursuing medical education, their Chinese New Year gatherings are infused with an extra dose of joy right from the outset. The legacy of medical professionals in the family traces back to the passing of the family patriarch, Lim Tang Too, a former rubber tapper, in 2008.

Despite facing poverty, Tang Too never allowed it to hinder his children's future. Dato’ Dr Lim Boon Sho, the eldest son, vividly recalls the challenges faced by his parents and his 10 siblings. "Back then, we lived in a rural area called Kampung Belemang in Serom, Johor," he reminisces. "But we were forced to leave our village for Muar when our family faced constant harassment from the communists, who demanded money from my father. When we were dislodged from Belemang, we had no means of survival. Hence, the support we had for each other was crucial. On weekends, my brothers and I went to the market to wash vegetables and clean fish. We earned one or two ringgit and brought it home."

"At the end of the day, we were given fish that was about to rot and brought it home to share with the rest of the family," Boon Sho recalls. He also fondly remembers an old Chinese man who regularly bought them a loaf of bread. "He was a very kind old man. He knew we were poor, so he never missed getting us a loaf of bread. We were fortunate to have him," he adds.

​A father's unyielding support
Boon Sho also recounts how his father, Tang Too, took on odd jobs before managing to open a small sundry shop, which helped the family earn a modest living. "During the fruit season, my father sold fruits. Basically, he did whatever was necessary to bring food to the family," he explains. "When it comes to education, all of us studied really hard despite our poverty, especially myself as the eldest brother. I tried my best to set a good example for the rest of my siblings."

"After completing my secondary school, I was inspired to study medicine in India. I had known a doctor by the name of G.L Guni. It was his wife who inspired me to go to India to study. I was fortunate to receive the Lee Foundation Scholarship and later another scholarship from Adventist Hospital Penang, where I was accepted to a medical school."

"But our family started to struggle financially when the second and third brother enrolled," Boon Sho continues. Call it luck or divine intervention, Boon Sho met a good friend from a wealthy family who eased his financial burdens. "He told us to study hard and pay him back once we returned home and became doctors. He trusted us. We managed to fulfill the promise. We also received support from our close relatives and from Lim’s Clan Association who helped us all the way," he adds.

Family's enduring commitment
After establishing himself as a doctor, Boon Sho extended his support to his siblings to achieve similar heights. "As time went by, one brother helped the other, and some of them went to study medicine in Australia and England. We came up helping each other. This is all thanks to our father, who was never tired of reminding us of the importance of education," he emphasizes.

According to the second son, Dr Lim Boon Sin, 69 years old, their father sold six acres of his plantation to support him and his third brother’s studies. "During that time, he sold them for RM3,000 to support me and my third brother in India. He emphasized the importance of education, reminding us that only education can help us achieve a better life," he shares.

Boon Shoo also recalls how their father was always ready to spend when it came to education. "When we asked to buy books, he quickly took out his money and gave it to us, yet he reacted differently when we told him that we wanted to watch a movie. He was very strict; he only gave us money if it was related to studies," he comments.

Meanwhile, the seventh son, Dr Lim Boon Hock, 60, acknowledges that their late father was always the driving force behind each of them. "My dream was to become a lawyer. My brother took me away from Muar to do Form Six in Penang. If I had done well, he would have sponsored me to the United Kingdom to pursue my passion in becoming a lawyer because I can speak very well. But somehow I failed to get the grades needed. This led my father to arrange for a meet at a coffee shop with me. The first thing he said to me was, ‘You are going to India to become a doctor.'"

Perplexed, Boon Hock expressed his doubts to his late father, deeming the request almost impossible to fulfill. "I told him that it was impossible because my result was very poor, but it did not stop him from trying to convince me to become a doctor. He said, ‘If the rest of your brothers managed to become doctors, then so should you.'"

"At this instance, the only thing I could ask him was, where he was going to get the money from?" Boon Hock recalls. "He said, ‘By hook or by crook. Beg, borrow or steal (in Hokkien), I will find the money.' I later found out that he managed to find the money from the eldest brother. His dream was to make all his children become doctors. His inspiration came when we went to Muar Hospital. We had to wait for many hours due to a long queue. It was some time later that he told us that he wanted us to become doctors, which is what led us to become who we are today," he shares.

The youngest sister, Karin Lim Ai Ching, who was also sent to a medical school in Australia, missed the cut to enter the university. According to Boon Hock, Karin is now a successful lawyer as well as the chief executive officer at Presgrave and Matthews in Penang.

Surprisingly, it was never a matter of force that their children followed in the same footsteps of becoming doctors. Rather, it was from inspiration — watching their parents become one — which led them on the same path. In the meantime, Boon Sin adds: "We see our eldest brother, Boon Sho, as the leader. He is the strongest figure in the Lim’s family beside our late father. All of us owe him a big thank you because he had helped us to become doctors — to study medicine in India."

All of Lim’s siblings now send their children mainly to the United Kingdom, Australia, and India for further studies in medicine. Currently, the Lim’s, comprising all doctors from the family, are planning to build their very own hospital in Jawi Jaya, Seberang Perai Selatan.

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