The Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo in Silver

Dr Lim Kok Wing Awarded for:

His excellent contribution to education internationally, with special focus to the African Continent.

Profile of Dr Lim Kok Wing

Dr Lim Kok Wing is a prominent educationist, business entrepreneur and brand strategist who at the age of 29 set up his first business, Wings Creativity Consultants, in 1975. His abilities made him the perfect person to help South Africa as the country prepared for its first democratic election. He had the closest of ties with former President Nelson Mandela.

His relationship with South Africa and other southern African countries like Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland has proved to be valuable. Already the Limkokwing University has campuses in Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland where young people are learning world-class technological skills.

His perseverance, talent and skills within a short time, catapulted his business into the top rung. An international network wooed him and his enterprise grew to become a global business through a merger with the third largest communication network in the world. He broke away to form his own integrated communications organisation that created a name for itself for outstanding work.

He is one of Asia’s most well-known communications strategists. He built his campaigns on meaningful messages. Companies, governments and humanitarian organisations sourced in one man a strategist who was not only highly creative, but one who was able to move people, change mindsets, touch people’s hearts and shape opinions. He worked closely with the Malaysian Government delving into cause marketing and relationship building.

Dr Lim Kok Wing’s contributions to society long preceded Community Service Responsibility, the much-touted catchphrase that describes the community and social service performed by the corporate sector. He is an unusual entrepreneur in that he looks beyond the profit margin for satisfaction. For close to 40 years he has applied his skills in helping the country achieve its objectives, often simplifying complex policies to bridge the information gap between government and people.

His kind of entrepreneurship was what a developing country like Malaysia has needed to transform itself into a thriving prosperous economy. His outstanding entrepreneurial achievements received recognition in 2005 when he was selected the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Malaysia.