(Bandar Seri Begawan, 11th) Soon-to-retire Chung Hwa Middle School Deputy Chairman Lim Wen Hua has served as a board member of Chung Hwa for 60 years, contributing to the development of the school.
On this occasion, Lim Wen Hua, who has been connected with Chung Hwa for 60 years, shares his thoughts.
I was born in 1948 in Kampong Ayer, Brunei, and am now 77 years old. At the age of 5, I attended the kindergarten at Chung Hwa for one year,
then continued to primary school, lower secondary, and finally graduated from the seventh cohort of high school in 1966 at the age of 18. After graduating from high school, due to family reasons, I was unable to further my studies at university. The following year (1967), my alma mater gave me the opportunity to stay and serve as a primary school teacher at Chung Hwa with a monthly salary of $220.
In September 1970, encouraged by my colleagues and Principal Chen Hanwen, I went to Taiwan for further studies at National Taiwan University, majoring in Civil Engineering. In total, I taught at my alma mater for nearly 4 years. After graduating in 1974, I returned to Brunei and soon entered the engineering field, joining a private construction contractor company.
At the time, due to my busy work schedule, I had almost no direct involvement with affairs at my alma mater. However, in 1979, I was invited to join the 6th committee of the Taiwan Alumni Association as Recreational Officer (a bit unexpected, right?), which brought some dealings with my alma mater. In the re-election of the 7th Committee in 1981, I was elected Vice Chairman, and began representing the alumni association in Chinese community affairs.
At the end of 1982, the Chung Hwa board was re-elected and the Taiwan Alumni Association was elected to the board. As the chairman of the 7th Committee, Yu Qing Zai, had already served for many years, I, as vice chairman, represented the association as a board member and was elected as 'Board Academic Supervisor'.
From then, I started my renewed connection with Chung Hwa, actively participating in the promotion of various school reforms both in software and hardware under the leadership and support of the late board chairman Pehin Dato Lim Teck Hoo. At the time, as the country was preparing for full independence, national education policies were entering a new era, and the objective circumstances imposed certain limitations on the development of Chinese education. I was fortunate to join the board at that time to contribute to Chinese education. After all, my alma mater’s complete Chinese education nurtured who I became, and giving back to the alma mater seemed only natural. In a blink, more than 40 years have passed.
From being a student, to a teacher, and finally a board member, I can be called a model “Chung Hwa person.” Counting from the start, I have been connected with Chung Hwa for 60 years. Throughout this period, I have experienced so many things, learned so much, accumulated a wealth of experience, and gained a lot. Of course, I’ve also seen the many facets of life and human nature.
From joining at age 34, to retiring from the board at 77, I gave the most precious golden years of my life to participating in and completing the phase of Chung Hwa’s Chinese education reform, and I did not let down the original intention my late father had in naming me “Wen Hua” (Civilization and Culture). Someone once asked me, after serving as a Chung Hwa board member for so many years, what are my feelings? My answer: In eight words – “With a clear conscience, with no regret!”
Chinese education at Chung Hwa has transformed from the early days of mother tongue teaching and cultural inheritance, to quality education, aligning with national education policies to cultivate talent for the country. At the same time, we must adapt to the demands of the new era and explore advanced teaching methods such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), big data, VR (Virtual Reality), and online teaching.
This is key to the survival of Chinese schools – to keep up with the times, or else be eliminated.
Currently, Chung Hwa’s campus is fully utilized, with no further room for development. In view of this, the school has applied to the government for new land and has received approval from the authorities. It is hoped that the new board will work together to carefully plan and quickly complete the construction of a new campus in accordance with the requirements of contemporary education reform.
Finally, I sincerely wish Chung Hwa continuous prosperity.
Positions held by Lim Wen Hua on the Chung Hwa Board over the years:
From 1983 to 2001, served as 'Board Academic Supervisor' for 18 years
From 2002 to 2008, served as Deputy Chairman
From 2009 to 2012, served as Board Member
From 2013 to 2025, served as Deputy Chairman
On this occasion, Lim Wen Hua, who has been connected with Chung Hwa for 60 years, shares his thoughts.
I was born in 1948 in Kampong Ayer, Brunei, and am now 77 years old. At the age of 5, I attended the kindergarten at Chung Hwa for one year,
then continued to primary school, lower secondary, and finally graduated from the seventh cohort of high school in 1966 at the age of 18. After graduating from high school, due to family reasons, I was unable to further my studies at university. The following year (1967), my alma mater gave me the opportunity to stay and serve as a primary school teacher at Chung Hwa with a monthly salary of $220.
At the time, due to my busy work schedule, I had almost no direct involvement with affairs at my alma mater. However, in 1979, I was invited to join the 6th committee of the Taiwan Alumni Association as Recreational Officer (a bit unexpected, right?), which brought some dealings with my alma mater. In the re-election of the 7th Committee in 1981, I was elected Vice Chairman, and began representing the alumni association in Chinese community affairs.
At the end of 1982, the Chung Hwa board was re-elected and the Taiwan Alumni Association was elected to the board. As the chairman of the 7th Committee, Yu Qing Zai, had already served for many years, I, as vice chairman, represented the association as a board member and was elected as 'Board Academic Supervisor'.
From then, I started my renewed connection with Chung Hwa, actively participating in the promotion of various school reforms both in software and hardware under the leadership and support of the late board chairman Pehin Dato Lim Teck Hoo. At the time, as the country was preparing for full independence, national education policies were entering a new era, and the objective circumstances imposed certain limitations on the development of Chinese education. I was fortunate to join the board at that time to contribute to Chinese education. After all, my alma mater’s complete Chinese education nurtured who I became, and giving back to the alma mater seemed only natural. In a blink, more than 40 years have passed.
From being a student, to a teacher, and finally a board member, I can be called a model “Chung Hwa person.” Counting from the start, I have been connected with Chung Hwa for 60 years. Throughout this period, I have experienced so many things, learned so much, accumulated a wealth of experience, and gained a lot. Of course, I’ve also seen the many facets of life and human nature.
From joining at age 34, to retiring from the board at 77, I gave the most precious golden years of my life to participating in and completing the phase of Chung Hwa’s Chinese education reform, and I did not let down the original intention my late father had in naming me “Wen Hua” (Civilization and Culture). Someone once asked me, after serving as a Chung Hwa board member for so many years, what are my feelings? My answer: In eight words – “With a clear conscience, with no regret!”
Chinese education at Chung Hwa has transformed from the early days of mother tongue teaching and cultural inheritance, to quality education, aligning with national education policies to cultivate talent for the country. At the same time, we must adapt to the demands of the new era and explore advanced teaching methods such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), big data, VR (Virtual Reality), and online teaching.
This is key to the survival of Chinese schools – to keep up with the times, or else be eliminated.
Currently, Chung Hwa’s campus is fully utilized, with no further room for development. In view of this, the school has applied to the government for new land and has received approval from the authorities. It is hoped that the new board will work together to carefully plan and quickly complete the construction of a new campus in accordance with the requirements of contemporary education reform.
Finally, I sincerely wish Chung Hwa continuous prosperity.
Positions held by Lim Wen Hua on the Chung Hwa Board over the years:
From 1983 to 2001, served as 'Board Academic Supervisor' for 18 years
From 2002 to 2008, served as Deputy Chairman
From 2009 to 2012, served as Board Member
From 2013 to 2025, served as Deputy Chairman