Group 1 - Lim Bo Seng

Group 1 Members:
Xiaohui (25)
Miichiang (9)
Nuanlin (19)
Yueenn (14)
Mavis (18)


What makes a hero?
To provide an accurate definition of the word 'hero', our group have found three different types of definition for the word.
-Hero refers to a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
-These are a definition from (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Hero).
In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.
-A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.
-And these, from (http://www.yourdictionary.com/hero).
A hero is a man of great strength and courage, favored by the gods and in part descended from them, often regarded as a half-god and worshiped after his death
-A hero is a man, admired for courage, nobility, or exploits, especially in war
-A hero is the central figure in any important event or period, honored for outstanding qualities.



Are heroes only those who have achieved what they want to achieve or did they arise from some 'special' circumstances?
Some heroes are great people who achieved what they wanted to not only for themselves, also for the people. They dont arise from any 'special' circumstances. While other heroes arise from 'special' circumstances, these circumstances are merely just coincidence that occurred to aid the heroes to achieve what they want. Therefore, in different point of views, heroes can be people who achieved what they wanted to and people who arose from 'special' circumstances.



What challenges does a hero face and how does his/her qualities enable him/her to overcome challenges? Describe at least one challenge and how the hero overcomes the challenge.
A hero will face difficulties on saving people. They will have to find the savest and the best way to save those who are in danger. Sometimes, they will have a lot of pressure, as people know that when they themselves' in danger, the hero will appear on time and save their lives, people count on them which made them feel stress.
Their own confidence lead them to the victories they made till today. Their high self-esteem enable them to overcome all the obstacles and twist and turn in life.

Lim was the 11th child but the first son of Lim Chee Gee. At the age of 16, he came to Singapore and studied at Raffles Institution. He discontinued his education at the University of Hong Kong in 1929 when, upon his father's death, he inherited senior Lim's businesses which included the Hock Ann Biscuits and factories for brick manufacturing. In 1930, he married Gan Choo Neo, a Straits-born Nonya with whom he had seven children. Their's was a love marriage, unusal in those days.

Lim Bo Seng is a national hero in Singapore for his resistance to Japanese forces during World War II. A native Chinese who moved to Singapore as a child, Lim led efforts to raise funds to help China fight Japanese invasion in the late 1930s. When the Japanese captured Singapore, Lim escaped to India and joined Force 136, a group of resistance fighters organized by the British. He was captured after infiltrating Japanese territory in 1944; despite punishment and torture, he refused to reveal the names of other resistance fighters. He died in captivity, becoming a martyr to the cause of Singapore.

During the Japanese Occupation, in the 1930s, Lim Bo Seng under the alias Tan Choon Lim participated in anti-Japanese activities in Singapore, particularly in supporting the China Relief Fund. Upon the request of Sir Shenton Thomas, the Governor, he also formed the Chinese Liason Committee to assist in civil defence. With the fall of Kota Bahru in Malaya in 1942, Lim, as head of the Labour Services of the Overseas Chinese Mobilization Council, and Tan Kah Kee organised more than 10,000 men for the British Government to man essential services and to construct defences around the island. As the Japanese troops decended upon Singapore, his men helped dynamite the Causeway.

He escaped to India before Singapore's fall where he was joined by the British resistance group, Force 136, and was trained by the British for intelligence work. In 1943, he went to China to recruit Kuomintang colleagues for Force 136 - a special operations force formed by the British and the Chinese governments in June 1942 to support resistance groups behind enemy lines and to coordinate guerilla operations in support of the eventual British invasion of Malaya. With a group of fellow Force 136 members, he landed in Japanese-occupied Malaya by submarine in 1943 and set up an intelligence network in the urban areas in Pangkor, Lumut, Tapah and Ipoh. The intelligence network - Operation Zipper - was targetted at recapturing Malaya with British support by 1945. While on a mission in Ipoh on 27 March 1944, Lim was betrayed by Lai Teck, the Malayan Communist Party leader, and was caught by the Japanese at a road checkpoint. He died in Batu Gajah Jail on 29 June 1944 under torture. Lim was posthumously awarded the rank of Major-General by the Chinese Nationalist Government and his remains reburied in Singapore at the MacRitchie Reservoir.

Well, Force 136 was the general cover name for a branch of the British World War II organization, the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The organisation was established to encourage and supply resistance movements in enemy-occupied territory, and occasionally mount clandestine sabotage operations. Force 136 operated in the regions of the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II which were occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945.

During the Second Sino-Japanese war, he participated actively in activities organised by the Nanyang Federation to boycott Japanese goods and raise funds for the Chinese army. During that time, Singapore was in need of money. In order to keep the army going, he had to think of strategies to overcome this problem. He had to do all he means to raise funds. And also, at that time, the government is bias towards the English and Malays, instead of Chinese. So, there was very little money provided to the Chinese army and Lim Bo Seng had to raise funds to help continue and managing the army. Lim Bo Seng is a very thoughful person. He is willing to do everything to help the Chinese army, which could protect the people’s life.

He was captured by the Japanese soldiers, and he was forced to spit everything regarding Singapore. At this moment, he could only choose between him and his country. Being a very devoted citizen, Lim Bo Seng refused to reveal any information about Singapore and thus he was tortured. In this case, the challenge he was facing was the pain and torture he had. He overcome the fear in his heart and stood strong on his ground, protecting his country. Not everyone would be like Lim Bo Seng, who puts Singapore infront of himself. For the sake of his country’s welfare and safety, he sacrificed his life for it. This is something we should be proud of, and honour him.

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