Mary Lim

[4] Mary Lim, born Hii Yang Eng in 1948 in Sibu, Crown Colony of Sarawak, was the second eldest of ten siblings, with three sisters and six brothers.

Although she harboured a strong ambition to pursue higher education, she had to forgo this dream after graduating from secondary school in 1965 due to her family's financial constraints.

[4] Lim started her teaching career at Kampong Sungai Liang's Chung Lian School, a modest establishment with just a few dozen students.

Despite a number of obstacles, such as fierce rivalry and a lack of money, her teaching style enabled the school to expand quickly, reaching 500 pupils in just five years.

[4] In order to shorten the typical five-year secondary course to four years, Lim brought the "express class" concept from abroad to Brunei in 2001.

That year also marked a significant achievement as she was honoured with the 6th Asia Pacific International Entrepreneur Excellence Award in Kuala Lumpur, standing out as the only female recipient.