Mr Lim Chye Joo was already in his late 80s when I first interviewed him for my book on Pulau Ubin. He was in his usual pajama pants and T-shirt. He struck me as a benevolent patriarch and was quick to offer me Chinese tea in the dainty porcelain cups. I could not help but notice the accolades that adorned the wall behind him. The late President Sheares pinning a medal on his blazer stood out among the rest. He reminisced of the days when he set sail from Swatow , China at the age of 30 to seek a better life for his family. There is no short cut to success; he had to endure hardship by toiling in the farms and granite quarries before making out on his own. From the Japanese occupation to the racial riots in 1969, Pulau Ubin could not have a better leader than him.
I completed the interview in one sitting and there were numerous occasions when I purposely stopped–by to have a chat with him. He offered me slices of oranges that were prepared for him and I went home with cocoa fruits and chikus (compliments from my kind host). He was as always the perfect host and he encouraged me to view his menagerie. It was also the first time I saw the Wild Jungle Fowl and the Straw-headed Bulbul and marvelled at the creatures at close range. I was also allowed to roam his living room. The altar is central to the living room and beside it, was a portrait of his beloved wife who was shot as she tried to protect the family from a robbery in 1962.
He grew frail with the years but he still travelled in his wheelchair with his maid. He readily offered a wave of his hand if anyone acknowledged him. He was also stoic when faced with cancer in 1995 and although his family members help him recuperate on the mainland; his appetite was poor. Back on the island, he ate well. Pulau Ubin is where his heart truly belonged. He would sit by himself and peer the newspapers with a magnifying glass. It was one of my most memorable image of him in that pose and was the last time I photographed him.
I will always remember him – Mr Lim Chye Joo, a risk taker, an adventurer, an optimist, an illustrious person, a leader and a lover of people. He was one of Pulau Ubin's greatest treasures. We will all miss him.