About Lim Nee Soon
Lived 1879 – 1936 (aged 56). Lim Nee Soon was a Singaporean and Chinese merchant.
Lim Nee Soon (; Peng'im: ; ; 12 November 1879 – 20 March 1936) was a Singaporean banker and businessman who promoted social and community matters, and was a respected community leader in Singapore. Lim was of Peranakan descent, with ancestry from Chenghai District, Shantou in Guangdong, China.
He was a rubber magnate and was nicknamed the "pineapple king" for being the leading pineapple planter in the region. He was also a banker, contractor and general commission agent. He was the first general manager of the Bukit Sembawang Rubber Company Limited, formed in 1908. Nee Soon and Company was formed in 1911.
As a Chinese Peranakan, known as "Baba" locally, he was affectionately known as Bah Soon Pah . Bah Soon Pah Road was named after him.
Early life Lim Nee Soon was born in Kampong Glam, Singapore. His family was from Shantou, Guangdong, China. His father died when he was eight and his maternal grandfather, a merchant, took care of him. Lim was educated in English at the St. Joseph's Institution, and then later, at the Qifa Primary School. near the mausoleum of his close friend, Dr Sun Yat Sen.
Family Lim married Ms. Wi Peck Hay and had 3 sons and 6 daughters. His sons Lim Chong Kuo and Lim Chong Pang later also became prominent merchants and community figures. One of his daughter, Lim Chit Geck, married Oei Tjong Tiong, son of Chinese-Indonesian Businessman, Oei Tiong Ham.
Legacy Nee Soon Road was officially named in 1950 by the Rural Board to facilitate postal services. Nee Soon also owned a large plot of land in the area and several roads in this area are named after his business concerns and family members. For example, Chong Kuo Road is named after his eldest son Lim Chong Kuo, and Chong Pang City his second son Lim Chong Pang.
The residential town of Yishun in the northern part of Singapore, is also named after him. Although originally named Nee Soon, the name was subsequently romanized to its current appellation, to reflect the Singapore government's move to use standardised Mandarin over the unstandardised Chinese variants prominent amongst local dialect groups.
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Important facts
People in Lim Nee Soon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Lim Nee Soon's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Lim Nee Soon?
Singaporean businessman
When was Lim Nee Soon born?
Lim Nee Soon was born on 12 November 1879 in Singapore.
When did Lim Nee Soon die?
Lim Nee Soon died on 20 March 1936 in Shanghai.
What was Lim Nee Soon's occupation?
Lim Nee Soon was a merchant.
What nationality was Lim Nee Soon?
Lim Nee Soon was Singaporean and Chinese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lim Nee Soon. https://biography.guide/lim-nee-soon/
MLA: "Lim Nee Soon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lim-nee-soon/.
Chicago: "Lim Nee Soon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lim-nee-soon/.
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