LIM May Cheng @ May 林美均
Economic Development of Singapore,
Accession Number 002260
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 20
Total Reels
- Lim Lai Hwa
Interviewer
- 19:07:01
Total Running Time
- Mandarin
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
Reel/Disc 1 of 20
Metadata
- 28 Sep 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:16
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Born in Batu Pahat in 1942. Coming to Singapore at early age. Sister adopted by Malay family.
Her father and his wood business. Memories of house moving. Attended Nanhua Primary School. Constructor of her current house at Spottiswood. Dr Du Xiang He and her father were acquaintances. Jackson Centre at Macpherson Road constructed by her father during the 1950s. Collected rent with uncle in her early teens.
University and polytechnic life in Singapore. Dilemma between studying music and accountancy. Life in Australia. Her children’s education. Progression of Chinese culture with computer technology. Kang You Wei’s grandson’s comments on Chinese culture. Names of her teachers and their brief backgrounds. Memories of PE teacher and art teacher. Her father’s arrival from China in 1927, 18 years old then. Working in relative’s wood sawing factory. Started wood factory with brother a few years later.
Her memories of programmes on children’s day. Other memories and activities in Muar at that time.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 20
Metadata
- 28 Sep 2005
Recording Date
- 00:59:10
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Happy childhood in Batu Pahat. Came from well-to-do family, did not feel different with other kids. Childhood memories. Brother’s kidnap. Helping father’s company with her first project in the mid 1960s. Successful tender of Hotel Malaysia. Brother’s grand wedding. Reasons for father’s successful business expansion. Father’s business values.
Reasons for studying accounting in Australia. Construction of Hotel Equatorial. Returned after graduation in 1969. Father’s new profession at age 60. Branching out from construction to hotelling. Admiration for father’s entrepreneurial spirit. Children’s support was one of the main reasons for business’ success. Company listed in 1984. Siblings never quarreled about money, only differences in management. Cordial relationship amongst siblings till now.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 20
Metadata
- 1 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:16
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Father’s business. Being categorised from basic contractor to A grade contractor between 1933 to pre-war. Projects during this period included army camp, cinema, etc. Developments till 1965. Uncle’s management style. Set-up of father’s construction business in Singapore. Conclusion of success during this period. Success not due to luck. Oldest brother took over management of Malaysia branch. Father’s success related to systematic financial management and choice of friends. Absorbing management experience from his brother.
Mother’s role. Father’s construction business’ developments in the 1950s. Eldest and second brothers’ education and joining the family business between 1955 and 1964. Cousin’s withdrawal from the company in 1972. Management philosophy differed amongst siblings. Reasons for diverging from construction to property.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 20
Metadata
- 1 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:57:38
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Malaysia’s LNK still managed by eldest brother. Working for a year in her father’s company before leaving for further studies in 1964. Scale of the company and manpower then. Her father opened a wood works factory in Tanglin Halt. Other family members in the company. Reasons for company’s public listing.
Father did not buy property for them, stayed in Geylang until 1961. Father passed away in 1988. Mother still living in Holland Rd property. Company listed in 1984. Father’s stroke in 1974. Siblings took over management. Economic slump in 1986. Their construction business expanded overseas. Joint venture with foreign company. Hotel projects in Shanghai, Guang Zhou and Qing Dao after China’s Cultural Revolution.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 20
Metadata
- 1 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:57:26
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Reasons for company’s heavy losses. Decision to sell Singapore’s Hotel Equatorial. Second brother’s involvement. Their businesses during the economic slump. Sentiments on demolition of Hotel Equatorial. Teachers’ background. Her educational history. Influences traditional cultures had on her. Her husband’s family history. SM Lee’s mother’s mee siam recipe and other dishes. Learning cooking from her. Invited by President Ong Teng Cheong to the Istana. May’s pride in her otah. Mooncake at temple, eating and learning how to make. Pros and cons of maid babysitting her children.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 20
Metadata
- 12 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:25
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
While studying in Australia in 1968, her father wanted her to manage Hotel Equatorial after her graduation. Returned in April 1969. Completion of Marco Polo Hotel in 1964, Mandarin Hotel still under construction. Government promoting tourism. Hotel Equatorial supposed to be an apartment but changed to hotel instead. Hotel’s trial run in August 1969. Management team at that time. Implementing construction company’s finance system into her hotel. Hotel opened by Rajaratnam in September 1969. Meaning behind hotel’s name.
Setting up and managing Golden Phoenix Sichuan Restaurant, Swiss restaurant “Chelsea” and Kampaji Japanese Restaurant. Reasons for Hotel Equatorial’s success related to Macpherson market. Her father supported the hawkers there to tender for the hotel and restaurants’ supplies. Fresh food supply crucial towards their success.
Her parents’ employment of professional management to achieve international standards. Overcoming difficulties in running her Japanese restaurant. How and why several Japanese experts helped her. Went to Japan 16 times to do market research. Difficulties experienced during the first 8 years.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 20
Metadata
- 12 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:30
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Reasons for Kampaji’s success. Reasons for her persistence despite 8 years of hardship. Supplying to hotel guests being the main reason. How she learned and improved. What her trips to Japan taught her. How she implemented them in her restaurant. Grooming a local chef to master Japanese dishes. Staff training and evaluation. Relationship with her staff. Differences between Japanese food then and now. Her secrets in managing a Japanese restaurant. Price and profit margin. Views on her children’s enjoyment of food. Her attitude in front of her staff.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 20
Metadata
- 12 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:24
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Her Japanese restaurant’s innovations. Combining three kinds of Japanese cuisine in her restaurant. Her management methods and strategy. Improving her Japanese language and how it helped her. Her gourmet experience since young. Her secrets to cooking shark’s fin. Ability to appreciate Japanese cuisine. The Japanese food culture.
Her language skills in Chinese, Japanese and French. How she got appointed for preparing meals for the Japanese Prime Minister at the Istana. Famous clientele at her hotel and restaurants. The hotel’s “Da Bin You Tiao” was their favourite dish. Menu designed by her. Highest record of hotel’s F&B guests. The café specialised in pastry and local food. Operation hours.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 20
Metadata
- 13 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:30
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Philosophy of life and age. China’s reformation and her participation. Appreciating the time and opportunity for her entrance into the China market, which allowed her to meet and interact with many artists. Eg. Pu Yi’s (傅仪) brother-in-law, Guo Bu Luo (郭布诺润麒). Guo’s optimism about life. Wang Dao Han (汪道涵) was humorous and very knowledgeable.
The reasons and results for running restaurants outside of Hotel Equatorial. What she achieved in this area. Singapore’s Golden Phoenix Restaurant at World Trade Centre and Chao Shan Ge (潮汕阁) at UIC Building. Running her western restaurant. Appointing agencies around the world. Very successful sales party in Taiwan. Hotel Equatorial’s stay-in rate. Party for Miss Universe pageant at Singapore’s Hotel Equatorial and party for International Women’s Travel Association at World Trade Centre.
Establishment of the first Hotel Equatorial and how it expanded beyond Singapore. First General Manager in Singapore. Staff recruitment. Kuala Lumpur Hotel Equatorial’s set-up and company distribution. Penang Hotel Equatorial’s design and set-up.
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