The Inspiring Life of a Malayan Pioneer, Rubber Planter, and Visionary Philanthropist (1869–1963)
By Jeffery S. L. Seow
Straits Heritage Inquest
23 June 2026
From humble beginnings as a penniless 1892 immigrant from China, Lim Lean Teng rose through grueling labor to become one of Malaya’s most successful rubber planters and corporate leaders. Known affectionately as the "man who gave away a million," he transformed his massive fortune into legendary acts of philanthropy, funding landmark schools, universities, and public monuments across Penang and Kedah. Despite facing the immense hardships of the Japanese occupation, his character remained unblemished, leaving behind a lasting legacy as a revered Justice of the Peace and a pillar of Malayan civic society.
Contents
I. From China to Malaya: The Early Years of Struggle (1869–1900)
* Birth and Roots: Early life in Guangdong Province, China, born in 1869 amidst regional economic hardship [Pinang Gazette, 12 Feb 1934].
* The Voyage South: Emigration to Penang in 1892 as a penniless young laborer [Pinang Gazette, 12 Feb 1934].
* The "Oxcart" Era: Surviving early hardships through grueling physical labor as a coolie and oxcart puller [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
II. Agricultural Pioneering and Rise to Fortune (1901–1930s)
* Retail and Business Beginnings: Establishing the Ban Seng poultry and butcher shop in Lunas, Kedah [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* The Planting Boom: Cultivating massive rubber, tapioca, and coconut estates across Kedah, Penang, and Province Wellesley [Pinang Gazette, 12 Feb 1934; The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* Building Communities: Founding the Sungei Lallang new village in central Kedah (1916) as a pioneer planter [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* "Woodville" Mansion: Commissioning the landmark French-château style estate on Penang's Northam Road (1925).
III. Civic Leadership, Honors, and Monuments (1934–1940)
* Community Leadership: Serving on the Chinese Advisory Board, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the Po Leung Kuk Home [Pinang Gazette, 12 Feb 1934].
* The Chinese Recreation Club: His role as Patron and laying the historic foundation stone for the new pavilion [Pinang Gazette, 12 Feb 1934].
* Justice of the Peace (Kedah): Conferred as a J.P. by the Kedah government for his 40 years of local contribution (1936) [Malaya Tribune, 5 June 1936].
* The King George V Clock Tower: Funding and presenting the 60-foot illuminated monument to the Raja Muda of Kedah in Sungei Petani (June 1936) [Malaya Tribune, 5 June 1936].
* Penang Rotary Club: Hosting over 150 regional delegates and being inducted as an honorary Rotarian at Woodville (1938) [Pinang Gazette, 18 April 1938].
* Justice of the Peace (Penang): Appointed J.P. for Penang and celebrated by the Teochew Association and Kek Lok Si Temple (1940) [Pinang Gazette, 29 July 1940].
IV. World War II, Occupation, and Complete Vindication (1941–1945)
* The Japanese Occupation: Navigating the severe economic and political perils of wartime Malaya.
* The Legal Challenge: Facing post-war restriction orders and false allegations regarding wartime conduct [The Straits Times, 24 December 1945].
* Judicial Exoneration: The District Court's complete withdrawal of restrictions, with Special Magistrate Conaghan publicly praising his unblemished character and historic charity work (December 1945) [The Straits Times, 24 December 1945].
V. The Million-Dollar Philanthropist (1946–1959)
* The Han Chiang Legacy: Gifting 33 acres of prime land to establish the co-educational Han Chiang Primary and High Schools (1950).
* Higher Education Endowments: Donating $50,000 to the University of Malaya in 1949, followed by a specific $20,000 endowment in 1950 for the Chinese-domiciled Lim Lean Teng Scholarship [The Straits Times, 7 September 1950; The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* The Nanyang University Gift: Contributing a staggering $500,000 in 1953 to build the university library in Singapore [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* The Bronze Statue: Malaya’s Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman unveiling Lim's statue at Han Chiang High School to honor his contributions (1958).
VI. Final Years, National Honor, and Immortal Legacy (1960–1963)
* The Johan Mangku Negara (JMN): Receiving the prestigious federal honor from the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the anniversary of Merdeka (1958) [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* The Final Chapter: Passing away at his Northam Road home at the age of 94 on February 11, 1963 [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* Posthumous Tribute: The naming of Jalan Lim Lean Teng in Penang to permanently immortalize the "man who gave away a million" [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
Arriving as a penniless laborer, Lim was forced to take on the most punishing physical jobs available in the bustling colonial port. He began his Malayan life working as a coolie and an oxcart puller, navigating the rugged roads of Penang to transport goods. This grueling period of manual labor earned him his very first local moniker among the Chinese community: "Gu-chia-teng" (Oxcart Teng). Rather than consuming his meager earnings, he lived with extreme frugality, systematically hoarding every cent of surplus capital. By the close of the 1890s, this relentless discipline allowed him to successfully transition from an indentured laborer into an independent retail operator, eyeing commercial opportunities across the Penang strait on the Malayan mainland.
Over the next two decades, Lim’s foresight paid off exponentially as he rode the waves of the global commodity boom. He systematically amassed massive, highly profitable rubber, coconut, and tapioca estates stretching across Kedah, Penang, and Province Wellesley. To diversify his growing empire, he also ventured into industrial operations, establishing regional liquor distilleries. By 1925, his status as one of Malaya's richest men was permanently cemented. He commissioned the renowned architect Joseph Charles Miller to construct "Woodville", a grand, French château-style mansion on Penang’s prestigious Northam Road, commonly known as "Millionaires' Row."
Lim’s forty years of visionary commercial development in Kedah did not go unnoticed by the colonial government. In early 1936, the Kedah administration officially appointed him a Justice of the Peace (J.P.), an honor celebrated at a massive tea party given by the Chinese community at the Sin Min School in Sungei Patani, where local leaders publicly praised his humble nature and endless generosity.
To commemorate the twenty-five-year reign of King George V, Lim funded and presented a magnificent, 60-foot illuminated Art Deco clock tower to the people of Kedah. Officially unveiled on June 4, 1936, by the Raja Muda of Kedah in a grand public ceremony accompanied by the Penang Municipal Band, the tower featured solid bronze memorial tablets in English, Malay, and Chinese, standing proudly as the first completed monument to the late King anywhere in the world.
Lim’s influence crossed cultural lines; on April 17, 1938, he hosted over 150 international delegates at his Woodville estate, where the President of Rotary International inducted him as an honorary member of the Penang Rotary Club amidst cross-cultural speeches delivered in eight distinct languages. His civic honors peaked in July 1940, when he was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Settlement of Penang. This dual-state honor was celebrated with a massive parade of over 150 Han Chiang school students at the Teochew Association premises on Chulia Street and an official reception at the historic Kek Lok Si Chinese Temple, where Lim served prominently as the Chairman of the Temple Committees. Around this time, he further expanded his property footprint by acquiring and renaming the prominent commercial-residential block on Farquhar Street, known thereafter as the Lim Lean Teng Mansions.
When British forces returned to Malaya in late 1945, the chaotic post-war transition triggered a wave of intense suspicion, with many prominent civic leaders facing scrutiny regarding their wartime survival strategies. Amidst this climate, anonymous and malicious allegations were levied against Lim and his contemporary, Lim Huck Aik (who had served as a deputy public prosecutor under the Japanese regime to maintain the integrity of local legal systems). Consequently, British authorities slapped a restriction order on Lim Lean Teng, threatening to tarnish his decades of unblemished public service.
The matter was brought swiftly to the Penang District Court. On December 22, 1945, after a thorough and meticulous investigation, Special Magistrate G. H. Conaghan completely dismissed the charges, declaring that the allegations were entirely false and fabricated. Turning directly to Lim in an emotional and packed courtroom, Magistrate Conaghan announced the immediate withdrawal of the restriction order, stating: "Remembering your generous espousal of and contribution to so many deserving charities, I am pleased to record this complete vindication of your character." Exonerated without a single stain on his name, Lim walked out of the court to the warm, tearful congratulations of Penang's most prominent residents, his integrity fully intact.
However, it was his unprecedented, million-dollar contributions to education that defined this golden era. Having already funded the early roots of the Han Chiang school system in 1919, Lim teamed up with the Penang Teochew Association on July 15, 1950, to formally establish the co-educational Han Chiang Primary and High School. To guarantee its survival and long-term expansion, he personally donated 33 acres of prime land along Jalan Datuk Keramat, providing the expanding institution with a permanent, sprawling campus. On November 11, 1951 (Armistice Day), he further honored the community by officially unveiling the Ayer Itam War Memorial in Penang, dedicated to the regional victims of World War II.
Lim’s educational vision rapidly expanded beyond primary and secondary schooling to target higher education. In January 1949, he gifted a substantial sum of $50,000 to the University of Malaya General Fund. He followed this in September 1950 with an additional $20,000 cheque to the University of Malaya Endowment Fund, explicitly creating the Lim Lean Teng Scholarship. This prestigious fund was designed to permanently sponsor higher education for students of Chinese parentage domiciled in Malaya.
His ultimate act of educational patronage occurred in 1953, when he contributed a staggering $500,000 to fund the entire building costs of the library at Nanyang University in Singapore, securing vital tertiary education resources for the Chinese diaspora across Southeast Asia. In profound gratitude for his unparalleled lifetime of giving, Han Chiang High School commissioned a magnificent bronze statue in his image. On October 11, 1958, Malaya’s very first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, personally arrived on the school grounds to unveil the statue, cementing Lim's legacy in the bedrock of the newly independent nation.
Lim spent his final years quietly at his beloved Woodville mansion on Northam Road, surrounded by the deep respect of the George Town community. After a prolonged period of declining health, the iconic philanthropist passed away peacefully at his residence on February 11, 1963, at the advanced age of 94. His death marked the conclusion of a remarkably vibrant 70-year Malayan journey. His passing was mourned across the country, with newspapers and civic leaders universally remembering him by the title he had so rightfully earned: "the man who gave away a million".
To permanently preserve his memory, the Penang municipality named Jalan Lim Lean Teng (Lim Lean Teng Road) in the Green Lane area of George Town in his honor. Today, his descendants and the Lim Lean Teng Foundation continue to actively oversee his vast charitable endowments. The institutions he created and fiercely protected—most notably the Han Chiang educational ecosystem, which has since evolved to include Han Chiang University College of Communication—stand as living, thriving monuments to an impoverished migrant who reshaped the educational and cultural landscape of Malaysia.
Straits Heritage Inquest
23 June 2026
From humble beginnings as a penniless 1892 immigrant from China, Lim Lean Teng rose through grueling labor to become one of Malaya’s most successful rubber planters and corporate leaders. Known affectionately as the "man who gave away a million," he transformed his massive fortune into legendary acts of philanthropy, funding landmark schools, universities, and public monuments across Penang and Kedah. Despite facing the immense hardships of the Japanese occupation, his character remained unblemished, leaving behind a lasting legacy as a revered Justice of the Peace and a pillar of Malayan civic society.
Contents
I. From China to Malaya: The Early Years of Struggle (1869–1900)
* Birth and Roots: Early life in Guangdong Province, China, born in 1869 amidst regional economic hardship [Pinang Gazette, 12 Feb 1934].
* The Voyage South: Emigration to Penang in 1892 as a penniless young laborer [Pinang Gazette, 12 Feb 1934].
* The "Oxcart" Era: Surviving early hardships through grueling physical labor as a coolie and oxcart puller [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
II. Agricultural Pioneering and Rise to Fortune (1901–1930s)
* Retail and Business Beginnings: Establishing the Ban Seng poultry and butcher shop in Lunas, Kedah [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* The Planting Boom: Cultivating massive rubber, tapioca, and coconut estates across Kedah, Penang, and Province Wellesley [Pinang Gazette, 12 Feb 1934; The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* Building Communities: Founding the Sungei Lallang new village in central Kedah (1916) as a pioneer planter [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* "Woodville" Mansion: Commissioning the landmark French-château style estate on Penang's Northam Road (1925).
III. Civic Leadership, Honors, and Monuments (1934–1940)
* Community Leadership: Serving on the Chinese Advisory Board, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the Po Leung Kuk Home [Pinang Gazette, 12 Feb 1934].
* The Chinese Recreation Club: His role as Patron and laying the historic foundation stone for the new pavilion [Pinang Gazette, 12 Feb 1934].
* Justice of the Peace (Kedah): Conferred as a J.P. by the Kedah government for his 40 years of local contribution (1936) [Malaya Tribune, 5 June 1936].
* The King George V Clock Tower: Funding and presenting the 60-foot illuminated monument to the Raja Muda of Kedah in Sungei Petani (June 1936) [Malaya Tribune, 5 June 1936].
* Penang Rotary Club: Hosting over 150 regional delegates and being inducted as an honorary Rotarian at Woodville (1938) [Pinang Gazette, 18 April 1938].
* Justice of the Peace (Penang): Appointed J.P. for Penang and celebrated by the Teochew Association and Kek Lok Si Temple (1940) [Pinang Gazette, 29 July 1940].
IV. World War II, Occupation, and Complete Vindication (1941–1945)
* The Japanese Occupation: Navigating the severe economic and political perils of wartime Malaya.
* The Legal Challenge: Facing post-war restriction orders and false allegations regarding wartime conduct [The Straits Times, 24 December 1945].
* Judicial Exoneration: The District Court's complete withdrawal of restrictions, with Special Magistrate Conaghan publicly praising his unblemished character and historic charity work (December 1945) [The Straits Times, 24 December 1945].
V. The Million-Dollar Philanthropist (1946–1959)
* The Han Chiang Legacy: Gifting 33 acres of prime land to establish the co-educational Han Chiang Primary and High Schools (1950).
* Higher Education Endowments: Donating $50,000 to the University of Malaya in 1949, followed by a specific $20,000 endowment in 1950 for the Chinese-domiciled Lim Lean Teng Scholarship [The Straits Times, 7 September 1950; The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* The Nanyang University Gift: Contributing a staggering $500,000 in 1953 to build the university library in Singapore [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* The Bronze Statue: Malaya’s Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman unveiling Lim's statue at Han Chiang High School to honor his contributions (1958).
VI. Final Years, National Honor, and Immortal Legacy (1960–1963)
* The Johan Mangku Negara (JMN): Receiving the prestigious federal honor from the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the anniversary of Merdeka (1958) [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* The Final Chapter: Passing away at his Northam Road home at the age of 94 on February 11, 1963 [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
* Posthumous Tribute: The naming of Jalan Lim Lean Teng in Penang to permanently immortalize the "man who gave away a million" [The Straits Times, 12 February 1963].
I. Origins, Migration, and the "Oxcart" Era (1869–1900)
Lim Lean Teng’s story began in 1869 in the Guangdong Province of Qing Dynasty China, a region deeply scarred by economic volatility, overpopulation, and social unrest. Raised in a humble environment, he learned the values of intense industry and perseverance from a young age. Seeking an escape from the limited opportunities of his homeland, he joined the mass diaspora of Chinese laborers heading south toward Nanyang. In 1892, at twenty-three years old, he stepped off an immigrant vessel onto the shores of Penang, British Malaya, possessing no material wealth or societal connections.Arriving as a penniless laborer, Lim was forced to take on the most punishing physical jobs available in the bustling colonial port. He began his Malayan life working as a coolie and an oxcart puller, navigating the rugged roads of Penang to transport goods. This grueling period of manual labor earned him his very first local moniker among the Chinese community: "Gu-chia-teng" (Oxcart Teng). Rather than consuming his meager earnings, he lived with extreme frugality, systematically hoarding every cent of surplus capital. By the close of the 1890s, this relentless discipline allowed him to successfully transition from an indentured laborer into an independent retail operator, eyeing commercial opportunities across the Penang strait on the Malayan mainland.
II. Agricultural Pioneering and Rise to Fortune (1901–1930s)
At the turn of the century in 1901, Lim capitalized on his saved capital by relocating to Lunas, Kedah, where he established the Ban Seng poultry and butcher shop business. This successful venture quickly made him a recognized commercial figure on the mainland, earning him his second local nickname, "Bak Beh Teng". Recognizing that the true wealth of Malaya lay in its fertile soil, Lim aggressively shifted his focus toward large-scale agriculture. By 1916, he had become a pioneer planter in central Kedah, purchasing vast tracts of land and physically clearing the wilderness to build the village of Sungei Lallang.Over the next two decades, Lim’s foresight paid off exponentially as he rode the waves of the global commodity boom. He systematically amassed massive, highly profitable rubber, coconut, and tapioca estates stretching across Kedah, Penang, and Province Wellesley. To diversify his growing empire, he also ventured into industrial operations, establishing regional liquor distilleries. By 1925, his status as one of Malaya's richest men was permanently cemented. He commissioned the renowned architect Joseph Charles Miller to construct "Woodville", a grand, French château-style mansion on Penang’s prestigious Northam Road, commonly known as "Millionaires' Row."
III. Civic Leadership, Honors, and Monuments (1934–1940)
By the mid-1930s, Lim’s vast wealth was matched by his profound influence within colonial civic circles. He became an indispensable leader of public welfare, serving as an active member of the Chinese Advisory Board in Penang, a committee member of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Chinese Town Hall, and a dedicated committee member of the Po Leung Kuk Home, which protected vulnerable Chinese women and girls. His passion for community recreation led him to serve as President and later Patron of the Chinese Recreation Club, where he personally laid the historic foundation stone for the club's new sports pavilion.Lim’s forty years of visionary commercial development in Kedah did not go unnoticed by the colonial government. In early 1936, the Kedah administration officially appointed him a Justice of the Peace (J.P.), an honor celebrated at a massive tea party given by the Chinese community at the Sin Min School in Sungei Patani, where local leaders publicly praised his humble nature and endless generosity.
To commemorate the twenty-five-year reign of King George V, Lim funded and presented a magnificent, 60-foot illuminated Art Deco clock tower to the people of Kedah. Officially unveiled on June 4, 1936, by the Raja Muda of Kedah in a grand public ceremony accompanied by the Penang Municipal Band, the tower featured solid bronze memorial tablets in English, Malay, and Chinese, standing proudly as the first completed monument to the late King anywhere in the world.
Lim’s influence crossed cultural lines; on April 17, 1938, he hosted over 150 international delegates at his Woodville estate, where the President of Rotary International inducted him as an honorary member of the Penang Rotary Club amidst cross-cultural speeches delivered in eight distinct languages. His civic honors peaked in July 1940, when he was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Settlement of Penang. This dual-state honor was celebrated with a massive parade of over 150 Han Chiang school students at the Teochew Association premises on Chulia Street and an official reception at the historic Kek Lok Si Chinese Temple, where Lim served prominently as the Chairman of the Temple Committees. Around this time, he further expanded his property footprint by acquiring and renaming the prominent commercial-residential block on Farquhar Street, known thereafter as the Lim Lean Teng Mansions.
IV. World War II, Occupation, and Complete Vindication (1941–1945)
The outbreak of World War II and the rapid Japanese invasion of Malaya in December 1941 thrust the region into a dark era of severe oppression, economic ruin, and political fear. For a high-profile tycoon like Lim Lean Teng—who had openly served as the supervisory chairman of the China Relief Fund to aid anti-Japanese efforts in China—the occupation presented immense personal and financial peril. He was forced to navigate the treacherous wartime landscape under the constant, suspicious surveillance of the Japanese military administration, focusing his efforts on survival and maintaining quiet support for local orphanages and emergency food distribution networks.When British forces returned to Malaya in late 1945, the chaotic post-war transition triggered a wave of intense suspicion, with many prominent civic leaders facing scrutiny regarding their wartime survival strategies. Amidst this climate, anonymous and malicious allegations were levied against Lim and his contemporary, Lim Huck Aik (who had served as a deputy public prosecutor under the Japanese regime to maintain the integrity of local legal systems). Consequently, British authorities slapped a restriction order on Lim Lean Teng, threatening to tarnish his decades of unblemished public service.
The matter was brought swiftly to the Penang District Court. On December 22, 1945, after a thorough and meticulous investigation, Special Magistrate G. H. Conaghan completely dismissed the charges, declaring that the allegations were entirely false and fabricated. Turning directly to Lim in an emotional and packed courtroom, Magistrate Conaghan announced the immediate withdrawal of the restriction order, stating: "Remembering your generous espousal of and contribution to so many deserving charities, I am pleased to record this complete vindication of your character." Exonerated without a single stain on his name, Lim walked out of the court to the warm, tearful congratulations of Penang's most prominent residents, his integrity fully intact.
V. The Golden Era of Philanthropy (1946–1959)
With his name completely cleared and peace restored to Malaya, Lim dedicated the post-war era to reconstruction, community healing, and a massive surge of philanthropy. In Province Wellesley, he acted as a pioneer developer by constructing the village of Permatang Pauh to help resettle families displaced by wartime devastation. Concurrently, he entered the banking sector, lending his considerable prestige and financial acumen to the Overseas Union Bank (OUB) Limited as a director from 1949 to 1952, eventually stepping up as Chairman of the Board in 1952—a position he held for the rest of his life.However, it was his unprecedented, million-dollar contributions to education that defined this golden era. Having already funded the early roots of the Han Chiang school system in 1919, Lim teamed up with the Penang Teochew Association on July 15, 1950, to formally establish the co-educational Han Chiang Primary and High School. To guarantee its survival and long-term expansion, he personally donated 33 acres of prime land along Jalan Datuk Keramat, providing the expanding institution with a permanent, sprawling campus. On November 11, 1951 (Armistice Day), he further honored the community by officially unveiling the Ayer Itam War Memorial in Penang, dedicated to the regional victims of World War II.
Lim’s educational vision rapidly expanded beyond primary and secondary schooling to target higher education. In January 1949, he gifted a substantial sum of $50,000 to the University of Malaya General Fund. He followed this in September 1950 with an additional $20,000 cheque to the University of Malaya Endowment Fund, explicitly creating the Lim Lean Teng Scholarship. This prestigious fund was designed to permanently sponsor higher education for students of Chinese parentage domiciled in Malaya.
His ultimate act of educational patronage occurred in 1953, when he contributed a staggering $500,000 to fund the entire building costs of the library at Nanyang University in Singapore, securing vital tertiary education resources for the Chinese diaspora across Southeast Asia. In profound gratitude for his unparalleled lifetime of giving, Han Chiang High School commissioned a magnificent bronze statue in his image. On October 11, 1958, Malaya’s very first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, personally arrived on the school grounds to unveil the statue, cementing Lim's legacy in the bedrock of the newly independent nation.
VI. Final Years, National Honor, and Immortal Legacy (1960 onwards)
As Malaya stepped confidently into its era of independence, the nation took formal steps to honor the aging pioneer who had given so much to its civic foundation. On the very first anniversary of Merdeka in August 1958, the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaya) bestowed upon Lim the highly prestigious federal award of Johan Mangku Negara (JMN). This award recognized a lifetime of patriotic service that spanned from the humble handles of a nineteenth-century oxcart to the highest echelons of national development and corporate leadership.Lim spent his final years quietly at his beloved Woodville mansion on Northam Road, surrounded by the deep respect of the George Town community. After a prolonged period of declining health, the iconic philanthropist passed away peacefully at his residence on February 11, 1963, at the advanced age of 94. His death marked the conclusion of a remarkably vibrant 70-year Malayan journey. His passing was mourned across the country, with newspapers and civic leaders universally remembering him by the title he had so rightfully earned: "the man who gave away a million".
To permanently preserve his memory, the Penang municipality named Jalan Lim Lean Teng (Lim Lean Teng Road) in the Green Lane area of George Town in his honor. Today, his descendants and the Lim Lean Teng Foundation continue to actively oversee his vast charitable endowments. The institutions he created and fiercely protected—most notably the Han Chiang educational ecosystem, which has since evolved to include Han Chiang University College of Communication—stand as living, thriving monuments to an impoverished migrant who reshaped the educational and cultural landscape of Malaysia.
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