Lim Kit Siang
Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang (Chinese: 林吉祥; pinyin: Lín Jíxiáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Kiat-siâng; born 20 February 1941) is a retired Malaysian politician. He was the longest-serving leader of the opposition in Malaysia, having held the position for a total of 29 years on three separate occasions, as well as the second longest-serving member of parliament. He was also the former Secretary-General and National Chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is a component party of the Pakatan Harapan coalition.
Lim Kit Siang | |
|---|---|
| 林吉祥 | |
 Lim in 2013 | |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 21 March 2004 – 8 March 2008 | |
| Monarchs | Sirajuddin Mizan Zainal Abidin |
| Prime Minister | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi |
| Preceded by | Abdul Hadi Awang |
| Succeeded by | Wan Azizah Wan Ismail |
| In office 5 November 1975 – 29 November 1999 | |
| Monarchs | Abdul Halim Yahya Petra Ahmad Shah Iskandar Azlan Shah Jaafar Salahuddin |
| Prime Minister | Abdul Razak Hussein Hussein Onn Mahathir Mohamad |
| Succeeded by | Fadzil Noor |
| In office 17 April 1973 – 24 August 1974 | |
| Monarch | Abdul Halim |
| Prime Minister | Abdul Razak Hussein |
| Preceded by | Mohamed Asri Muda |
| Succeeded by | James Wong |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Iskandar Puteri | |
| In office 9 May 2018 – 19 November 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Liew Chin Tong (PH-DAP) |
| Majority | 44,864 (2018) |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Gelang Patah | |
| In office 6 May 2013 – 9 May 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Tan Ah Eng (BN-MCA) |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Majority | 14,762 (2013) |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Ipoh Timor | |
| In office 21 March 2004 – 5 May 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Thong Fah Chong (BN-MCA) |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Su Keong Siong (PR-DAP) |
| Majority | 9,774 (2004) 21,942 (2008) |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Tanjong | |
| In office 3 August 1986 – 29 November 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Koh Tsu Koon (BN-GERAKAN) |
| Succeeded by | Chow Kon Yeow (BA-DAP) |
| Majority | 11,690 (1986) 17,469 (1990) 6,895 (1995) |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Petaling | |
| In office 8 July 1978 – 26 April 1982 | |
| Preceded by | Oh Keng Seng (DAP) |
| Succeeded by | Yeoh Poh San (BN-MCA) |
| Majority | 16,754 (1978) |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Kota Melaka | |
| In office 24 August 1974 – 8 July 1978 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Chan Teck Chan (DAP) |
| Majority | 4,204 (1974) |
| In office 26 April 1982 – 3 August 1986 | |
| Preceded by | Chan Teck Chan (DAP) |
| Succeeded by | Lim Guan Eng (DAP) |
| Majority | 4,851 (1982) |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Bandar Malacca | |
| In office 10 May 1969 – 24 August 1974 Parliament suspended : 13 May 1969 – 20 February 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Tan Kee Gak (Alliance-MCA) |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Majority | 11,216 (1969) |
| Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly for Padang Kota | |
| In office 20 October 1990 – 24 April 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Lim Chong Eu (BN-GERAKAN) |
| Succeeded by | Teng Chang Yeow (BN-GERAKAN) |
| Majority | 706 |
| Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly for Kampong Kolam | |
| In office 3 August 1986 – 20 October 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Wong Hoong Keat (BN-MCA) |
| Succeeded by | Cheah Teik Hoe (GR-DAP) |
| Majority | 3,689 |
| 1st Mentor of the Democratic Action Party | |
| In office 20 March 2022 – 12 April 2022 | |
| Secretary-General | Anthony Loke Siew Fook |
| National Chairman | Lim Guan Eng |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Chairman of the Central Policy and Strategic Planning Commission of the Democratic Action Party | |
| In office 4 September 2004 – 2022 | |
| Secretary-General | Lim Guan Eng (2004-2022) Anthony Loke Siew Fook (2022) |
| National Chairman | Karpal Singh (2004-2014) Tan Kok Wai (2014-2022) Lim Guan Eng (2022) |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| 1st Parliamentary Leader of the Democratic Action Party | |
| In office 5 March 2008 – 11 July 2018 | |
| Secretary-General | Lim Guan Eng |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Loke Siew Fook |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lim Kit Siang 20 February 1941 Batu Pahat, Johor, British Malaya (now Malaysia) |
| Political party |  Democratic Action Party (DAP) (since 1966) |
| Other political affiliations | Gagasan Rakyat (GR) (1990-1996) Barisan Alternatif (BA) (1998-2004) Pakatan Rakyat (PR) (2008-2015) Pakatan Harapan (PH) (since 2015) |
| Spouse | Neo Yoke Tee (梁玉治) |
| Children | 4 (including Guan Eng and Hui Ying) |
| Website | limkitsiang |
Early life
Lim was born in Batu Pahat, Johor, British Malaya on 20 February 1941.[1][2]
Lim together with his son Guan Eng first visited his ancestral home in China in Nov 2008 as reported in Chinapress. His ancestral village is located in Zhangzhou, Fujian province. He met his brother-in-law during the visit.[3]
He qualified at Lincoln's Inn in 1977.
Political career
Member of Parliament
Lim first emerged as a politician when he was National Organising Secretary of the DAP from 1966 to 1969. At the same time, he was also entrusted to edit the party's newspaper, the Rocket. The course of the political landscape changed when he was promoted to Secretary-General in 1969 after being acting Secretary-General for a short stint during a period.
Lim was first elected as an MP for the Bandar Melaka seat in 1969. His election was initially held to be void, however, because of the ineligibility of an election agent who had previously failed to discharge his duties from standing for election in the future. The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Razak, moved a motion in Parliament to prevent Lim from serving as an MP, granting him instead a period of time to request a royal pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King). After receiving the royal pardon, Lim was allowed to retain his seat.[4]
Apart from 1999 to 2004, during which time he lost his seat due to the Chinese disenchantment with DAP entering into a political pact with the Islamist PAS for the general elections, Lim represented various constituencies in five states:
- Bandar Melaka, Melaka (1969–1974)
- Kota Melaka, Melaka (1974–1978)
- Petaling, Selangor (1978–1982)
- Kota Melaka, Melaka (1982–1986)
- Tanjong, Penang (1986–1999)
- Ipoh Timor, Perak (2004–2013)
- Gelang Patah, Johor (2013-2018)
- Iskandar Puteri, Johor (2018-2022)
He also served as a state assemblyman in Melaka and Penang during the following periods: Kubu, Melaka (1974–1982); Kampong Kolam, Penang (1986–1990); and Padang Kota, Penang (1990–1995).
In addition, Lim had also served as the Opposition Leader of Malaysia three times over a span of 50 years. He was first elected Opposition Leader for an 18-month stint from January 1973 to July 1974. Next, he assumed the position in November 1975 for the next 24 years before losing his parliamentary seat in the 1999 general elections. He served in the post once more for a four-year stint following the 2004 general elections until 2008.
He led the party as Secretary-General until 1999 when he was elected party chairman, succeeding Chen Man Hin. In 2004, he refused re-appointment as the chairman and Karpal Singh was elected to replace him. Lim was then elected to an advisory role as the leader of a newly created body called the "Policy and Strategic Planning Commission". His son, Lim Guan Eng, was the Secretary-General of the party and the Finance Minister of Malaysia.
After winning a parliamentary seat from Ipoh Timor during the 2004 general election, which also saw his party clinching the most seats of any opposition party, Lim became the Parliamentary Opposition Leader.
Lim contested and won in Gelang Patah against Barisan Nasional's heavyweight and former Menteri Besar of Johor Abdul Ghani Othman in the 2013 general election.
On 22 October 2015, Lim was suspended for six months from Parliament for insulting Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.[5][6] Earlier, he had stated that Pandikar was abusing his powers by ruling that the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) could not continue its ongoing investigation into 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal (1MDB) due to the transfer of four PAC members to the Cabinet. Pandikar had insisted that Lim apologize and withdraw his statement against him.[7] However, Lim did not apologise or retract his remarks.[8]
Retirement
On 20 March 2022, on the 17th DAP National Congress, Lim announced his retirement and that he will not be contesting in the Central Executive Committee and the following general and state elections, citing old age.[9] The Secretary-general of DAP, Anthony Loke had originally intended to appoint him as the mentor of the party.[10] However, Lim declined the offer.[11]
Controversy
In 1969, Lim was detained lawfully under the Internal Security Act for 18 months. Ten years later, in 1979, he was convicted of five charges under Official Secrets Act for exposing a legitimate arms deal between the government and a Swiss company.
In the March 2008 general election, he was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timor with a majority of 21,942 votes. Lim issued an instruction for all DAP representatives to boycott from the swearing-in ceremony for Perak Menteri Besar, claiming that there was no DAP mandate for PAS Menteri Besar in Perak.[12] This caused the Perak MB swearing-in ceremony to be cancelled and[13] only took place after Lim apologised and retracted his instruction.[14]
Personal life
He is married with 4 children.[15] He is the father of Lim Guan Eng, currently National Chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), and formerly served as Minister of Finance in the PH administration under former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad from May 2018 to the collapse of the PH administration in February 2020, and 4th Chief Minister of Penang from March 2008 to May 2018. Lim's daughter Lim Hui Ying is currently the MP of Tanjong, deputy Minister of Education, and formerly served as a senator.
Election results
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | P086 Bandar Malacca, Malacca | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 18,562 | 60.80% | Koh Kim Leng (MCA) | 7,346 | 24.06% | 31,484 | 11,216 | 73.77% | ||
| Hasnul Abdul Hadi (PSRM) | 4,621 | 15.14% | ||||||||||
| 1974 | P098 Kota Melaka, Malacca | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 17,664 | 51.93% | Loh Kee Peng (MCA) | 13,460 | 39.57% | 34,738 | 4,204 | 74.53% | ||
| Thum Kim Kui (PSRM) | 2,165 | 6.36% | ||||||||||
| Lee Kou Ming (PEKEMAS) | 726 | 2.13% | ||||||||||
| 1978 | P081 Petaling, Selangor | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 41,017 | 62.83% | Yeoh Poh San (MCA) | 24,263 | 37.17% | 90,611 | 16,754 | |||
| 1982 | P098 Kota Melaka, Malacca | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 29,310 | 54.51% | Chan Teck Chan (MCA) | 24,459 | 45.49% | 54,914 | 4,851 | 78.56% | ||
| 1986 | P045 Tanjong, Penang | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 27,611 | 63.43% | Koh Tsu Koon (Gerakan) | 15,921 | 36.57% | 44,463 | 11,690 | 73.32% | ||
| 1990 | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 30,954 | 69.66% | Boey Weng Keat (Gerakan) | 13,485 | 30.34% | 45,392 | 17,469 | 74.55% | |||
| 1995 | P048 Tanjong, Penang | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 25,622 | 56.75% | Oh Keng Seng (Gerakan) | 18,727 | 41.48% | 45,971 | 6,895 | 72.57% | ||
| Khor Gark Kim (PBS) | 800 | 1.77% | ||||||||||
| 1999 | P047 Bukit Bendera, Penang | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 24,176 | 49.50% | Chia Kwang Chye (Gerakan) | 24,280 | 49.72% | 49,887 | 104 | 71.67% | ||
| 2004 | P064 Ipoh Timor, Perak | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 28,851 | 60.20% | Thong Fah Chong (MCA) | 19,077 | 39.80% | 49,175 | 9,774 | 67.06% | ||
| 2008 | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 37,364 | 70.12% | Liew Mun Hon (MCA) | 15,422 | 28.94% | 53,994 | 21,942 | 70.45% | |||
| 2013 | P162 Gelang Patah, Johor | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 54,284 | 57.74% | Abdul Ghani Othman (UMNO) | 39,522 | 42.04% | 95,071 | 14,762 | 89.08% | ||
| 2018 | P162 Iskandar Puteri, Johor | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 80,726 | 69.24% | Jason Teoh Sew Hock (MCA) | 35,862 | 30.76% | 118,779 | 44,864 | 85.90% | ||
| Year | Constituency | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Serdang | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 5,928 | 42.98% | Thuan Paik Phok (MCA) | 6,535 | 47.38% | 607 | ||||
| Tan Han Swee (Gerakan) | 1,330 | 9.64% | ||||||||||
| Year | Constituency | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Kubu | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 4,746 | K. Sivapunniam (MIC) | 1,881 | 2,865 | 81.85% | |||||
| Tan Giap Seng (PEKEMAS) | 697 | |||||||||||
| Thum Kui Kim (PSRM) | 433 | |||||||||||
| 1978 | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 12,739 | 4,649 | |||||||||
| 1982 | Bandar Hilir | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 3,384 | Gan Boon Leong (MCA) | 6,447 | 10,050 | 3,063 | 77.9% | ||||
| Lee Ching Sen (IND) | 44 | |||||||||||
| Year | Constituency | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Kampong Kolam | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 8,900 | 63.07% | Tham Soon Seong (Gerakan) | 5,211 | 36.93% | 14,391 | 3,689 | 73.49% | ||
| 1990 | Padang Kota | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 6,317 | 52.96% | Lim Chong Eu (Gerakan) | 5,611 | 47.04% | 12,221 | 706 | 72.14% | ||
| 1995 | Tanjong Bunga | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 5,384 | 29.15% | Koh Tsu Koon (Gerakan) | 13,087 | 70.85% | 18,815 | 7,703 | 77.68% | ||
| 1999 | Kebun Bunga | Lim Kit Siang (DAP) | 5,142 | 37.11% | Teng Hock Nan (Gerakan) | 8,551 | 61.72% | 14,195 | 3,409 | 68.67% | ||
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
Malaysia :
Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (2023)[16]
Timeline
- 1941: Born in Batu Pahat, Johor, British Malaya
- 1966: National Organising Secretary of the DAP (1966 to 1969).
- 1969: Elected Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka (1969–1974);
- Promoted to Secretary-General of DAP;
- Detained under the Internal Security Act for 18 months.
- 1974: Elected Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka, and State Assemblyman for Kubu, Melaka (1974–1978).
- 1978: Elected Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya (1978–1982);
- 1979: Convicted of five charges under Official Secrets Act for exposing an arms deal between the government and a Swiss company.
- 1982: Elected Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka (1982–1986).
- 1986: Elected Member of Parliament for Tanjong, and State Assemblyman for Kampong Kolam, Penang (1986–1989).
- 1987: Detained under the Internal Security Act in Operation Lallang for 17 months.
- 1990: Elected State Assemblyman for Padang Kota, Penang (1990 -1995).
- 1999: Lost the election;
- Elected Chairman of DAP.
- 2004: Elected Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timur, led the opposition in parliament;
- Led the party's parliamentary caucus in the newly created position of Chairman of the Central Policy and Strategic Planning Commission.
- 2008: Incumbent and re-elected as Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timur.
- Post of Leader of Opposition succeeded by Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
- 2013: Contested in Gelang Patah Parliament Seat against Menteri Besar of Johor Abdul Ghani Othman, and won.
- 2018: Elected Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri.
- 2022: Retired from politics.
- 2023: Bestowed with the honorific title of Tan Sri during the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s formal 64th birthday celebrations.
Books
- Time Bombs in Malaysia (1978)
- DAP and Labour Issues (1978)
- Malaysia in the Dangerous 80s (1982)
- Constitutional Crisis in Malaysia (1983)
- This Day in the Last 18 Months (1983)
- The BMF Scandal (1984)
- Harris Salleh – Politics & Morality (1984)
- Human rights In Malaysia (1985)
- Malaysia – Crisis of Identity (1986)
- BMF – The Scandal Of Scandals (1986)
- The North-South Highway Scandal (1987)
- Prelude To Operation Lalang (1990)
- The Dirtiest General Elections In The History of Malaysia (1991)
- Selected Speeches & Press Statements – Vol. I (1991)
- Samy Vellu and MAIKA Scandal (1992)
- Battle For Democracy (1992)
- Vijandran Pornographic Videotape Scandal II (1992)
- The Bank Negara RM30 Billion Forex Losses Scandal (1994)
- The Highland Tower Tragedy (1994)
- Pendedahan Skandal Kewangan – Siapa Petualang FELCRA? (1994)
- Land Acquisition Act – Abuses, Injustices, Reform (1994)
- I.T. For All (1997)
- Cyberlaws in Malaysia (1997)
- Economic & Financial Crisis (1998)
- Political & Economic Crisis in Malaysia (1998)
- The Budget That Was Never Passed (1999)
- Constitutional Case of the Millennium (2000)
- BA & Islamic State (2001)
- No To 929 (2002)
- DAP (2004)
Notes and references
- Leifer, Michael (2013). Dictionary of the Modern Politics of Southeast Asia (3rd (revised) ed.). Routledge. p. 166. ISBN 978-1135129385.
- Ooi, Kee Beng (2011). The Right TO Differ: A Biographical Sketch of Lim Kit Siang. Research for Social Advancement. p. 3. ISBN 9789675942068.
- 與家人福建尋根‧冠英“還鄉”百感交集, 2008-11-26, Sin Chew Daily (in Chinese)
- Rahman, Rashid A. (1994). The Conduct of Elections in Malaysia, pp. 204–205. Kuala Lumpur: Berita Publishing. ISBN 967-969-331-7.
- Sivanandam, Hemananthani (22 October 2015). "Dewan suspends Kit Siang for six months". The Star.
- Chie, Kow Gah (22 October 2015). "Kit Siang suspended six months, BN MPs wave goodbye". Malaysiakini.
- "Parliament suspends Kit Siang six months for insulting Speaker". New Straits Times. 22 October 2015.
- PALANSAMY, YISWAREE (22 October 2015). "Kit Siang suspended six months from Parliament". Malay Mail.
- Tong, Geraldine (20 March 2022). "Kit Siang announces retirement from politics". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- "Loke elected new DAP secretary-general". Free Malaysia Today. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- "Kit Siang turns down offer to be DAP mentor". The Star (Malaysia). 13 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- No DAP mandate for PAS Menteri Besar in Perak.
- Perak MB swearing-in ceremony cancelled (updated)
- Swearing-in of Perak MB Tomorrow Archived 6 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- Lim Kit Siang: Biodata
- "Just call me Kit, says DAP veteran after receiving 'Tan Sri' title". FMT. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
Other references
- Pillai, M.G.G. (1 November 2005). "Did Lee Kuan Yew want Singapore ejected from Malaysia?". Malaysia Today.