‘Carrying on a legacy’: WP’s Sylvia Lim remembers her policeman-lawyer father 9 years after his passing

Singapore's Workers' Party chair Sylvia Lim recently shared a photo of her father, Lim Choon Mong, alongside the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, commemorating the ninth anniversary of his passing. Mr Lim initially worked in law enforcement before studying law and becoming a lawyer at the age of 39. In a similar vein, Ms Lim pursued careers in both the police force and as a lawyer.

"Today, 17 Aug 2026, is the 9th anniversary of my late father's death. Coincidentally, over the past week, this photo (published in 2014 in ST) resurfaced in colour, thanks to a social media page named Heritage SG Memories. The photograph speaks a thousand words," she wrote in an Instagram post. The caption states that Mr Lim was discussing matters with Mr Lee at an army camp when the photo was taken.

A netizen commented, "He left a legacy that you carried on." Ms Lim, who has been a member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC since 2011, has been vocal about her relationship with her father in recent social media posts. While acknowledging some "turbulent times" in the past, she reflected that later in his life, they became close friends.

In an October 2023 Instagram post, Ms Lim recounted a surprising encounter with a secondary school classmate of her father at a market, who became emotional upon recalling his late father's impact on him. Ms Lim, WP chair since 2003, revealed that her father imparted a political education to her during dinner discussions about Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his policies. The article was originally published by The Independent Singapore News.