Lim Keng Fatt （林廷法）was
a member of the Kinabalu Guerillas. In other literature, his name is
also spelled as Lim Ting Fatt. Lim was a well established businessman
in the business community in Bond Street (present Gaya Street).
He was the richest
Hainanese among the Hainan community in then Jesselton (Kota
Kinabalu). Lim was a partner of Ban Guan Company in Bond Street. He
held agency right to Philip radios and donated a radio to Albert
Kwok, the leader of the Kinabalu Guerilla. Of course, he did more
than just donated a radio to Kwok. He acted as intermediary between
Kwok and Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro Suarez, commander of the US
Forces in the Philippines (USFP) based in Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines.
Lim Keng Fatt was
returning with a party of fresh fighters from the Philippines and
consignment of weapons from USFP to reinforce the Kinabalu Guerilla.
They arrived in North Borneo 29 December 1943 from Tawi-Tawi.
Unfortunately, Albert Kwok and his men had surrendered to the
Japanese Imperial Army on 19 December 1943. Lim was reported betrayed
by the natives in Tuaran to the Japanese and was beheaded at the age
of 51, weeks after the uprising. Based on this information, we can
deduce that he was born in 1893. Country of birth, hitherto, remains
unknown until further information surface.
With thanks to Mr Bartholomew Chua of Gaya Street
With thanks to Mr Bartholomew Chua of Gaya Street
