The world of Tzu Chi August 2020 (Vol.125)

TZU CHI 125 45 Grandpa Lim decided to donate the lower level of two shoplots under his name to Tzu Chi Klang to be converted into a Community Centre and a Free Clinic, subsequently expanding to ten shoplots. Since then, Tzu Chi Klang has established a notable presence in the community, its dedication to compassionate causes reinforced by the volunteers’ charitable deeds. Never too old to contribute Grandpa Lim was born in 1928 and lived through the Sino-Japanese War. He boarded a ship from China to Kuala Lumpur at the age of 12 and worked as an apprentice in his uncle’s iron factory, before graduating to opening his own factory in Klang. From his apprentice days to establishing Cheng Hua Engineering Works Sdn. Bhd. in 1967, Grandpa Lim built his hard-earned reputation by upholding the virtues of integrity and sincerity. The business venture flourished and expanded its reach to several countries abroad. Grandpa Lim gave back to society with his self-made fortune and widened his philanthropic outreach after committing to Tzu Chi. He was certified as a Tzu Chi commissioner in 2003 and strengthened his resolve to pursue the righteous Bodhisattva Path. “Grandpa Lim was present at the Free Clinic every Sunday, except on Recycling Days. He was always the earliest to arrive and swept the road outside the Free Clinic with a broom. The road was spotless so long as he was around. Grandpa Lim was humble and diligent; he eagerly volunteered for various tasks – assisting the disabled to push their wheelchair, playing with the children waiting for their turn at the Free Clinic. He was a beacon of hope for many of the patients at the Free Clinic…” Kwai Wan Lim’s curiosity towards the organization. The following day, he requested his daughter-in- law to summon Kwai Wan to the house again, for he had wanted to know more about the organization. Kwai Wan’s sharing of Tzu Chi’s mission and values endeared to Grandpa Lim and appealed to his philanthropic nature. He excused himself from the Chinese New Year visiting rounds and chose to follow Kwai Wan to Taman Sinar Harapan Kuala Kubu Bharu, a home for the disabled, with his wife Tan Ngin Neo instead to deliver love and care to the residents, connecting him closer to Tzu Chi. This insightful experience marked the beginning of a new life chapter for Grandpa Lim with Tzu Chi. Kwai Wan recalled the initial years of Tzu Chi Klang’s operations, when the volunteers lacked a designated venue for meetings, until volunteer Lee Sow Wah allocated an upstairs space in her company’s premises for the purpose. Whenever volunteer gatherings were held, Kwai Wan never hesitated to fetch Grandpa Lim and his wife around to collect food orders and run other errands in preparation for the events. Once, as she drove Grandpa Lim past the neighbourhood of Taman Sentosa, Klang (the current location of the Tzu Chi Taman Sentosa Community Centre), the latter mentioned that he owned some properties there. “From then on, I would circle the neighbourhood a few times whenever I was fetching them,” revealed Kwai Wan with a smile. Her well-meaning efforts to secure a place for the volunteers’ activities eventually bore fruit. After returning from a Tzu Chi Entrepreneurs’ Camp in Taiwan in 2001,