Moses Lim
{{Short description|Singaporean actor (1949–2025)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{infobox person
| name = Moses Lim
| image = Cropped_Photo_of_Moses_Lim.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name = Moses Lim Aik Ming
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1949|12|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Colony of Singapore,
British Empire
| death_date = {{nobr|{{Death date and age|2025|2|11|1949|12|12|df=y}}}}
| death_place = Singapore
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|television host|comedian|food critic}}
| years_active = 1984–2016
| education = Maris Stella High School
| alma_mater = Anglican High School
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
| spouse = {{Marriage|Monica|1977}}
| children = 2
| website = {{URL|https://moseslim.com/}}
| module = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes
| order = st
| c = 林益民
| p = Lín Yìmín
}}
}}
Moses Lim Aik Ming{{Cite web |last=Singapore |first=National Library Board |title=Portrait of Mr. Lim Aik Ming, student of Ngee Ann Technical College |url=https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/image-detail?cmsuuid=bf227e3b-5a27-4a03-a456-56d5f786f931 |access-date=12 February 2025 |website=National Library Board |language=en}} ({{lang-zh|s=林益民|p=Lín Yìmín}}; 12 December 1949 – 11 February 2025) was a Singaporean actor, television host, comedian, and food critic, best known for playing Tan Ah Teck in the Singaporean sitcom Under One Roof (1995–2003). Together with his comedy partner, Jack Neo, they were often compared to Wang Sa and Ye Fong, a popular Singapore comedy duo in the 60s and 70s.
Early life and education
Lim was born in Singapore to a businessman father and housewife mother on 12 December 1949.{{Cite web |date=26 March 2014 |title=Morphing of Moses |url=https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/morphing-moses |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108030654/https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/morphing-moses |archive-date=8 January 2023 |access-date=8 January 2023 |website=AsiaOne |language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Moses Lim 林益民|url=https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=919083474843278&id=143189895765977|access-date=24 August 2021|website=www.facebook.com|language=en}}{{Cite web |date=12 February 2025 |title=Moses Lim 林益民 |website=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/moseslim12/posts/pfbid0NApAU6ZN7cYsZu5Mbd2g2Yf1RQSdhLgHEzqHGJnfXiVAr2TLtkSok2PzSv3vwkw3l |access-date=12 February 2025}} He had one brother and two sisters.
Of the Chinese Henghua dialect group, Lim grew up speaking Puxian Min at home. He later learned English, Malay and Mandarin from his neighbours.
Lim took his primary school education at Catholic High School, secondary school education at Maris Stella High School and pre-university education at Anglican High School.{{cite web |url=http://ourstory.asia1.com.sg/days/compere.html |title=Battle of comperes |publisher=POSbank |first=Shu Hoong |last=Yong |accessdate=3 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908092348/http://ourstory.asia1.com.sg/days/compere.html |archive-date=8 September 2008 |url-status=dead}} He later studied commerce at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Career
=Media=
Lim started learning crosstalk at the age of eight from a Catholic missionary priest from Harbin, China, who was also a teacher at his primary school, Catholic High School. During the early 1970s, Lim performed crosstalk at his first television appearance. While working at other jobs, Lim would take on freelance entertainment jobs with the radio stations and occasionally made a few television crosstalk appearances.
Lim met Jack Neo during a Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) variety show in 1984 and their comedic personas matched and decided to be a double act.{{Cite news |last=Guan |first=Libing |date=22 March 1992 |title=Jack and the Fatman |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19920322-1.2.50.23.2 |access-date=12 February 2025 |work=The Straits Times |pages=14 |via=NewspaperSG}}
In 1988, they produced a comedy video movie, Fuji's Destiny (富士缘) with Neo as director and actor, Lim and other local comedians, Marcus Chin, Hua Liang, and Tan Tiaw Gim acted in it. However, in the same year, Lim and Neo were banned by SBC for two years. The duo made a comeback in July 1990, hosting a comic segment Gaoxiao Xingtong in SBC's variety show, Variety Tonight on Mondays. As a result of their popularity, they went on to host Variety Tonight from February 1992 onwards. Lim also hosted a weekly comedy talk show with Neo on Radio Heart. By then, Lim and Neo were compared to Wang Sa and Ye Fong, a popular Singapore comedy duo of the 1960s and 70s, as the next most successful comic duo.{{Cite news |date=15 May 1992 |title=Jokes aside |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19920515-1.2.68.2.1 |access-date=12 February 2025 |work=The Straits Times |pages=2}}
In 1992, Lim launched a book, Singapore Laughs / Smile Singapore (新加坡笑笑), containing his observations on Singapore's idiosyncrasies.{{Cite news |date=22 February 1992 |title=MOSES' LISA |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19920222-1.2.67.3.2 |work=The Straits Times |pages=3 |via=NewspaperSG}}{{Cite web |title=新加坡笑笑 |url=https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/book-detail?cmsuuid=86c5f6c7-8202-49dc-8180-ec6b3cfee00c |access-date=12 February 2025 |website=National Library Board |language=en}}
In 1994, Lim was one of the co-hosts of the multinational Asian talent program Asia Bagus along with fellow Singaporean Najip Ali.{{cite news |title=Pregnant Tomoko drops out of show |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19940714-1.2.43.6?qt=asia,%20bagus&q=Asia%20Bagus |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=The New Paper |date=14 July 1994}}{{cite news |title=Moses Lim's Roll of Honour |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19941108-1.2.27.3?qt=asia,%20bagus&q=Asia%20Bagus |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=The New Paper |date=8 November 1994}} In the same year, Robert Chua, a Hong Kong producer, took note of Lim's success and invited Lim to Hong Kong to work.{{Cite web |date=8 September 2020 |title=Moses Lim recalls how he was blacklisted from TV for 4 years after Under One Roof's success |url=https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/moses-lim-recalls-how-he-was-blacklisted-tv-4-years-after-under-one-roofs-success |access-date=8 January 2023 |website=AsiaOne |language=en |archive-date=8 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108030645/https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/moses-lim-recalls-how-he-was-blacklisted-tv-4-years-after-under-one-roofs-success |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last=Leong |first=Weng Kam |date=19 March 1994 |title=Media man Robert Chua seeks Singapore partners |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19940319-1.2.72.3.2 |access-date=12 February 2025 |work=The Straits Times |pages=3 |via=NewspaperSG}} According to Lim, who was considered a part time actor with Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS), TCS tried to get him to sign a contract as a full time artiste which he declined due to disagreement on how management worked at TCS. Lim also claimed TCS tried to persuade him to sign a contract not to work overseas which he declined also and which he claimed resulted in TCS blacklisting him from any work with TCS. Lim eventually signed with China Entertainment Television to appear on a cookery programme and variety talk show.{{Cite news |date=22 September 1994 |title=Moses Lim signs up with HK satellite TV |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19940922-1.2.61.4.1 |access-date=12 February 2025 |work=The Straits Times |pages=10 |via=NewspaperSG}}
In late 1994, Lim joined the Singaporean sitcom Under One Roof (1995–2003) on Mediacorp Channel 5, making him the first crossover artiste from Mediacorp Channel 8, after collaborating with Jack Neo, Mark Lee, Henry Thia, Marcus Chin, Jimmy Nah, and John Cheng in Comedy Night/Comedy Nite (1990–2000, 2003–2004). Lim's famous tagline from Under One Roof is: "This reminds me of a story! Long before your time, in the Southern province of China...". For his effort in Under One Roof, Lim became the first Singaporean actor to win an award at the Asian Television Awards for Best Male Actor in a Comedy in 1996.{{cite news |last=Toh |first=Christopher |date=7 July 2009 |title=Wholly Moses! |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainmentfeatures/view/440897/1/.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709073441/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainmentfeatures/view/440897/1/.html |archive-date=9 July 2009 |access-date=12 February 2025 |newspaper=Channel News Asia}}{{Cite news |last=Yeo |first=Edwin |date=30 November 1996 |title=Moses Lim is... No 1 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19961130-1.2.9.2 |work=The New Paper |pages=6 |via=NewspaperSG}}
In 2007, he played Eric Tan in the Singaporean film Just Follow Law.{{Cite web |title=【星星陨落】华校生突破刻板印象获奖 林益民曾遭封杀陷困境 |url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20250212-5865092 |access-date=12 February 2025 |website=www.zaobao.com.sg |language=zh-Hans}} In 2011, Lim also starred in the Okto television series Zero Hero as Grandpa Magnificent.{{cite news |last=Seah |first=Daphne |date=30 October 2011 |title=I don't eat pets: Moses Lim |url=http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/blogs/singapore-showbiz/don-t-eat-pets-moses-lim-015039980.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928193045/http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/blogs/singapore-showbiz/don-t-eat-pets-moses-lim-015039980.html |archive-date=28 September 2013 |accessdate=3 March 2013 |newspaper=Yahoo!}} He performed at the 2012 stage play, Happily Ever Laughter.{{cite news |date=8 June 2012 |title=Funny gang's worst moments |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1019188062 |accessdate=3 March 2013 |newspaper=The Business Times |id={{ProQuest|1019188062}}}}
In 2015, Lim starred in Our Sister Mambo, a commemorative film for Cathay Organisation's 80th anniversary.{{Cite web |date=24 July 2015 |title=InSing Review: Our Sister Mambo |url=https://www.sinema.sg/2015/07/24/insing-review-our-sister-mambo/ |access-date=9 May 2024 |website=Sinema.SG |language=en-GB}}
=Gourmet=
Lim's gourmet career started in 1993, when a tour agency asked him to host a thematic gourmet tour, to which Lim agreed. He was the founder and manager of the Moses Lim Gourmet Club, which organizes gourmet tours on a bi-annually basis.{{cite news |url=http://www.feveravenue.com/happy-ever-laughter-moses-lim/ |publisher=Fever Avenue |title=Happy Ever Laughter: Moses Lim |first=Wei Ho |last=Guo |date=9 June 2012 |accessdate=3 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131118144644/http://www.feveravenue.com/happy-ever-laughter-moses-lim/ |archive-date=18 November 2013 |url-status=dead}} Lim also served as brand ambassador for Singaporean porridge restaurant Zhen Zhou Dao, which was run by his son-in-law and eldest daughter.{{cite news |newspaper=The Sunday Times |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/lifestyle/story/celebrity-fronted-eateries-roll-out-chic-concepts-20121117 |title=Celebrity-fronted eateries roll out chic concepts |first=Eunice |last=Quek |date=17 November 2012 |accessdate=3 March 2013 |archive-date=24 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124204312/http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/lifestyle/story/celebrity-fronted-eateries-roll-out-chic-concepts-20121117 |url-status=live}} Zhen Zhou Dao eventually closed after three years of operations.{{Cite news |last=Quek |first=Eunice |date=26 April 2015 |title=The hit and miss of celebrity restaurants |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/the-hit-and-miss-of-celebrity-restaurants |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108023303/https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/the-hit-and-miss-of-celebrity-restaurants |archive-date=8 January 2023 |access-date=8 January 2023 |website=The Straits Times |language=en}}
=Other=
In 1975, Lim's father died of a heart attack and Lim joined the automotive spare parts import-export firm which his father co-owned. Lim eventually started his own spare parts trading company.
In the 1990s, Lim had other companies which traded and market health food and premium gifts.
Lim served as chairman for a bridal store and a real estate company.
Personal life and death
Lim was a Christian.https://saltandlight.sg/faith/when-they-receive-god-theyll-be-much-happier-than-laughing-at-my-jokes-veteran-comedian-moses-lim/
During one of his business trips while working for his own company, Lim met Monica, a Taiwanese woman. They married in 1977 and had two daughters together.
In 2018, Lim had heart surgery which was met with complications, resulting in a three-month recovery period.{{Cite web |last=Koh |first=Jiamun |date=30 March 2023 |title=Moses Lim, 73, On Why He Chose Not To Have A Pacemaker Implanted Despite His Heart Issues |url=https://www.8days.sg/entertainment/local/moses-lim-no-pacemaker-health-767361 |access-date=12 February 2025 |website=8days |language=en |archive-date=21 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921020726/https://www.8days.sg/entertainment/local/moses-lim-no-pacemaker-health-767361 |url-status=live}} In 2022, he was diagnosed with a slow pulse rate and was advised to implant a pacemaker which he refused due to previous complications. A review six months later revealed his conditions were stable and his doctor agreed on not implanting the pacemaker.
Lim died on 11 February 2025, at the age of 75,{{cite news |title=Veteran actor Moses Lim dies at age 75 |url=https://www.tnp.sg/entertainment/veteran-actor-moses-lim-dies-age-75 |access-date=12 February 2025 |publisher=The New Paper |date=12 February 2025}}{{Cite web |last=Yeo |first=Shu Hui |date=12 February 2025 |title=Moses Lim dies aged 75, 'old friend' Jack Neo expresses regret |url=https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/moses-lim-dies-aged-75 |access-date=12 February 2025 |website=AsiaOne}} of ischemic heart disease.{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Jan |date=15 February 2025 |title='A great scene partner': Friends pay respects to late entertainer Moses Lim at wake |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/moses-lim-died-of-ischaemic-heart-disease |access-date=15 February 2025 |work=The Straits Times}}
Filmography
As Host
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col" |Year ! scope="col" |Title ! scope="col" |Role ! class="unsortable" scope="col" |Notes ! class="unsortable" scope="col" |{{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
| scope="row" |1990–1992
| Gaoxiao Xingtong |rowspan="3"| Host, co-host with Jack Neo, Multiple roles in the Liang Po Po sketch, Office Politics CEO, Entrepreneur and Boss named Ah Bui (literally Fat Person), Tan Ah Teck and Tan Ah Keow (Tan Ah Teck's Elder Sister) in the Liang Xi Mei sketch |Comedy segment in Variety Tonight |
|---|
| scope="row" |1992–1994
|Variety Tonight |
| scope="row" |1994–2000, 2003-2004
|Comedy Night/Comedy Nite |Variety Tonight was renamed as Comedy Night/Comedy Nite{{Cite news |date=27 May 1994 |title=Changes on the new Channel 8 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19940527-1.2.67.6.9 |access-date=12 February 2025 |work=The Straits Times |pages=20 |via=NewspaperSG}} |
Television
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col" |Year ! scope="col" |Title ! scope="col" |Role ! class="unsortable" scope="col" |Notes ! class="unsortable" scope="col" |{{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
| scope="row" |1995–2003
|Tan Ah Teck |
|---|
| scope="row" |2002–2005
|Fruit Woo |{{Cite news |last=Loh |first=Cynthia |date=19 November 2002 |title=Time to laugh with Lydia again |work=The New Paper |pages=38}} |
| rowspan="2" scope="row" |2005
|Family Combo |rowspan="2"|Edmund |{{Cite news |last=Teo |first=Wendy |date=26 February 2005 |title=Family ties get strained |work=The New Paper |pages=36}} |
| Family Combo II |
| scope="row" |2011
|Zero Hero |Grandpa Magnificent | |
| scope="row" |2013
|The Recipe (回味) | |Telemovie |
Film
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.moseslim.com/}}
- {{IMDb name|0510578}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lim, Moses}}
Category:Singaporean people of Chinese descent
Category:Singaporean male television actors