Lim Kok Wing, well-known for the universities that bear his name, has died at the age of 75.
The university confirmed this to Coconuts this afternoon, hours after reports came out that Lim died at the Pantai Hospital in Kuala Lumpur this morning, citing an unnamed aide.
“With deep sadness we convey the passing of Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Datuk Sri Paduka Dr Lim Kok Wing, our Founder President,” LimKokWing University said in a statement, a week after it revealed that Lim was hospitalized due to a fall but noted that he was in stable condition. The university did not reveal the cause of his death.
“A visionary, Tan Sri’s career has been synonymous with creativity, and he assisted in developing innovative education globally, empowering especially the developing world. We are humbled by the loving condolences and support extended by so many, and ask for privacy as we mourn a man we are very proud of,” it added. The family has yet to issue a public statement.
Lim, who was an artist, entrepreneur, and educationalist, began his career as an illustrator before moving on to advertising. He started his own company, Wings Creative Consultants, the first professional Malaysian advertising agency, in 1975.
In 1991, Lim turned to the education sector and founded the Limkokwing Institute of Creative Technology, which in 2002 became the first private college in Malaysia to be recognised as a university college. It was later renamed the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, and has campuses located in Cyberjaya, Sarawak, Cambodia, Botswana, Sierra Leone and the U.K.
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