Never Retire

“He most enjoyed doing charity, and never wanted to taking a rest.” Said by Mr. Chuang Shik Ping.

 

“In Hong Kong, Lim Por-yen’s name is known to nearly all the families. He is a great entrepreneur, a great philanthropist, and a good friend of mine. He is the chairman of Hong Kong’s Lai Sun Group, ATV’s permanent honorary chairman, and also Honorary Citizen of Kwangchow, Swatow, Kunshan and HsiaMun.

 

Mr. Lin Por-yen was born in Chiuchow, Kwangtung in 1914. In the year 1931, he moved to Hong Kong. He worked as a salesman of sweat shirt and cotton clothing. In 1939, he started to operate his own business. In 1947, he founded Lai Sun Garment Factory. After over 50 years, Lai Sun has developed as a major enterprise with properties worth over several tens of thousands of million dollars, thereby creating wealth for the society and providing employment opportunities.

 

Professor Jas Tsung-I once wrote the four Chinese characters “永不言休” as a gift for Mr. Lim Por-yen. Mr. Lim was so pleased that he kept hanging the calligraphy in his office for use as a reminder. That is exactly a true picture of his livelihood.

 

While at work, Lim Por-yen never thought of taking a rest. Although he was already 90-years old, he still worked for more than 10 hours a day – from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the evening. To save time during the luncheon hours, he usually ate only a hamburger, so that he could arrange to have meeting with relevant persons of high-level staff members. He once said, “Doing exercise and using your brain everyday will help you to retain good memory. It is scaring to have nothing to do, and so I hope everyone will work more.” He used to give helping hands to younger generation, and keep having faith in subordinate staff. He also looked into the company’s business personally, and regularly travelled oversea and to China and Taiwan. As the helmsman of the group and with his abundant personal experiences and working experiences, and also his human connections as well as his good reputation, that was really very helpful to the group’s steady advancement. As he considered about the group’s company affairs, he would not think of today and tomorrow alone, not just about this year and next year, but deep planning on what lies ahead in 10 to 20 years. It is exactly the course why the group’s business operation and development can maintain its continuity and perspective.

 

In the course of learning, Lim Por-yen never took a rest. Through continuous learning, he kept absorbing new knowledge as that he could keep pace with the time movement and continue to create new target. During his boyhood, he was living in Swatow and worked daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.. He kept up with the writing of Chinese characters for one-and–a-half hours daily throughout the year, and in that way he developed a very good habit. At the present, he kept reading books and newspaper everyday. During the time of SARS attack in Hong Kong, he read 8 newspapers every so that he could learn about the prevention of SARS in various places, and also know about SARS’ influence to the economy. Thus many items of his donation were for the most seriously affected SARS areas and for the poor communities. As he said, “Money should be spent in the right way.” In 2002, when he was investing in land properties in Guangzhou, of the Building Square needed to be given a meaningful name, but no proper one came to mind. One day, he finally got the idea from a book, and he at once contacted the Mayor of Guangzhou and had the name registered. Mr. Lim never stopped doing charity work, and continuous learning enable Mr. Lim Por-yen to stand ahead of the time that enable him to attain success in his business and his charity work more essential and meaningful. So, his kind work in contributing to the society never carried any stopping sign. After attaining his wealth and success, Mr. Lim never forgot to reciprocate the society with his enthusiasm for communal charity. His generous donations reached all the areas in China. A rough statistical survey revealed that in just Hong Kong, Kwangchow, Swatow, Shanghai and Taiwan, his donation already totaled nearly 700 million Hong Kong dollars, covering charity items of education, medical care and culture. He used to tell his friends: “My life-long belief is: cultivating without asking for reward, and working hard without seeking any vain fame.”

“Mr. Lim and I were from the same home-town. Having known him for half-a-century, I was deeply touched by Mr. Lim’s honorable character. His spirit of never taking a rest or retiring is well-worth learning.

 

(Mr. Chuang Shik Ping, Vice-chairman of all-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hong Kong Nanyang Commercial Bank, and awardee of the Grand Bauhinia Medal.)

Original album《為善最樂林百欣》recorded and published in January, 2004