FOR 33-year-old Lim Meng Jin, saving lives is not just a responsibility but a lifelong mission due to a personal tragedy.

When he was in Form One, his father died in the hospital after a horrific accident in George Town. Lim, then a pillion rider, survived when a car rammed into them — an experience that changed the course of his life.

“It was a bitter pill to swallow. I couldn’t accept that my father had passed away so suddenly, on top of his health complications,” he recalled in an interview with Buletin Mutiara at his apartment in Paya Terubong.

“As a child, I told myself and pledged that when I grew up, I would save more people.”

Raised as an only child, Lim said his mother still reminds him daily to return home safely, no matter how busy he is.

“My mother advises me to be cautious and prioritise my own safety before helping others,” he said with a smile.

His journey in public service began with the Scouts and St John Ambulance before he moved on to first responder work. He started volunteering in 2005, joined the Civil Defence Force (APM) in 2014, and this year began serving the Red Crescent in Taman Iping, Batu Maung.

“When I’m off-duty, I’m still on standby. People call me from morning till night. My focus is Air Itam, Farlim and Paya Terubong, but I’ll try to go further if I can. If not, I’ll ask my friends to back me up,” he said.

Relying on his motorcycle to beat traffic jams, Lim often arrives at emergencies before an ambulance.

“If there’s a traffic jam, an ambulance can take an hour. That’s long enough for lives to be lost. With my motorcycle, I can get there faster and clear the way,” he explained.

Lim focuses on asthma, heart attack and CPR cases, stressing the importance of early intervention with automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

“AEDs are critical in saving lives, and more people need to be trained to use them,” he said.

“No matter what, we need to resuscitate the person first. Broken bones can heal. The priority is to save a life,” he said, urging the public not to be afraid to perform CPR.

Determined to be always prepared, Lim purchased his first AED on instalments for over RM8,000, which he managed to pay off within six months.

“That device alone has helped save 60 lives. I also carry an oxygen tank and other equipment — all bought with my own savings. Whatever money I have left, I set aside to buy more equipment to help people,” he shared.

Among his most memorable rescues were reviving a badminton friend using his AED within 10 minutes, pulling a 100-year-old man from a house fire in Paya Terubong in January 2023, and helping a pregnant woman deliver her baby in a car.

Not every mission ended in success. Lim recalled rushing to a call in his neighbourhood within 90 minutes, only to lose the victim, and more recently, losing a close friend of over 10 years despite his best efforts.

“Even if it’s not my family or a close friend, I try my best,” he said.

In his community, Lim is fondly known as “Qiu Ming Ge” (Saving Hero). Despite the emotional challenges, he remains on call, driven by teamwork and a desire to raise public awareness about CPR and AED use.

“Even if you can save just one life, it’s worth it,” he said.

Story by Edmund Lee Pix by Siew Chia En