Lim Kit Siang

In this Chinese name, the family name is Lim (林).

Yang Berhormat Tuan Lim Kit Siang MP
林吉祥
4th, 7th and 10th 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
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 May 2018
Preceded by	Position established
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
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
Succeeded by	Thomas Su Keong Siong
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
Succeeded by	Chow Kon Yeow
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
Succeeded by	Yeoh Poh San
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
Majority	4,204 (1974)
In office 26 April 1982 – 3 August 1986
Preceded by	Chan Teck Chan
Succeeded by	Lim Guan Eng
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
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Majority	11,216 (1969)
Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly for Template:Nseat
In office 20 October 1990 – 24 April 1995
Preceded by	Lim Chong Eu
Succeeded by	Teng Chang Yeow
Majority	706
Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly for Template:Nseat
In office 3 August 1986 – 20 October 1990
Preceded by	Wong Hoong Keat
Succeeded by	Cheah Teik Hoe
Majority	3,689
1st Mentor of the Democratic Action Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 March 2022
Secretary-General	Anthony Loke Siew Fook
National Chairman	Lim Guan Eng
Preceded by	Position established
1st Chairman of the Central Policy and Strategic Planning Commission of the Democratic Action Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 September 2004
Secretary-General	Lim Guan Eng (2004-2022) Anthony Loke Siew Fook (since 2022)
National Chairman	Karpal Singh (2004-2014) Tan Kok Wai (2014-2022) Lim Guan Eng (since 2022)
Preceded by	Position established
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
Personal details
Born	Lim Kit Siang (1941-02-20) 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)
Website	limkitsiang.com

Lim Kit Siang (Chinese: 林吉祥; pinyin: Lín Jíxiáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Kiat-siâng; born 20 February 1941) is a Malaysian politician who served as 3rd Secretary-General, 2nd National Chairman, 1st Parliamentary Leader, 1st National Organising Secretary of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) opposition coalition from the founding of DAP in 1965 to 2018 as well as 1st Mentor of DAP since March 2022 and 1st Chairman of the Central Policy and Strategic Planning Commission of DAP since 2004. He served as the 4th, 7th and 10th Leader of the Opposition from April 1973 to August 1974, again from November 1975 to November 1999 and once again from March 2004 to March 2008. In total, he served in the position for 29 years or almost three decades, making him the longest-serving leader of the opposition of Malaysia.

Early life, education and ancestry

Lim was born in Batu Pahat, Johor, British Malaya (now Malaysia) on 20 February 1941. 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. 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 period during a period.

Lim was first elected as an MP for the Bandar Malacca seat in 1969. His election was initially held to be void, however, because the ineligibility, 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 exit retain his seat.

In 1992, Lim Kit Siang was suspended from Parliament for eight months for calling on the then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to present a White Paper in Parliament on the outcome of ACA re-opening of investigations into the MIC President and the Minister for Energy, Posts and Telecommunications, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and the MAIKA Telekom shares hijacking scandal.

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 (since 2018)

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 Kit Siang has 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 he lost 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 in the capacity of 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, is currently the Secretary-General of the party and was 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.

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. This caused the Perak MB swearing-in ceremony to be cancelled and only took place after Lim Kit Siang apologised and retracted his instruction.

Lim contested and won in Gelang Patah against Barisan Nasional's heavyweight and former Menteri Besar of Johor Datuk Abdul Ghani in the 2013 general election.

Detention without trial

In 1969 Kit Siang 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 an legitimate arms deal between the government and a Swiss company.

Lim was one of the people arrested during "Operation Lalang" in 1987. He spent 17 months in prison under the Internal Security Act, which allows for two years of detention without trial at the discretion of the Home Minister. The two-year sentence may, in practice, be extended indefinitely without any avenues for due process or appeal.

Retirement

On 20 March 2022, on the 17th DAP National Congress, Lim Kit Siang announced that he will not be contesting in the Central Executive Committee and will not participate in the following general elections and state elections. He said that he is too old so he retired. But the Secretary-general of DAP, Anthony Loke has appointed him as the party's mentor.

Personal life

He is married with 4 children. He is the father of Lim Guan Eng, a Malaysian politician who is currently Secretary-General 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.

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia

Year	Constituency			Votes	Pct	Opponent(s)		Votes	Pct	Ballots cast	Majority	Turnout
1969	Bandar 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	Kota Melaka		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	Petaling		Lim Kit Siang (DAP)	41,017	62.83%		Yeoh Poh San (MCA)	24,263	37.17%	90,611	16,754
1982	Kota Melaka		Lim Kit Siang (DAP)	29,310	54.51%		Chan Teck Chan (MCA)	24,459	45.49%	54,914	4,851	78.56%
1986	Tanjong		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			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	Bukit Bendera		Lim Kit Siang (DAP)	24,176	49.50%		Chia Kwang Chye (Gerakan)	24,280	49.72%	49,887	104	71.67%
2004	Ipoh Timor		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	Gelang Patah		Lim Kit Siang (DAP)	54,284	57.74%		Abdul Ghani Othman (UMNO)	39,522	42.04%	95,071	14,762	89.08%
2018	Iskandar Puteri		Lim Kit Siang (DAP)	80,726	58.4%		Jason Teoh Sew Hock (MCA)	35,862	25.9%	118,779	44,864	85.90%

Selangor State Legislative Assembly

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%

Malacca State Legislative Assembly

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

Penang State Legislative Assembly

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%

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.

Books

1. Time Bombs in Malaysia (1978)
2. DAP and Labour Issues (1978)
3. Malaysia in the Dangerous 80s (1982)
4. Constitutional Crisis in Malaysia (1983)
5. This Day in the Last 18 Months (1983)
6. The BMF Scandal (1984)
7. Harris Salleh – Politics & Morality (1984)
8. Human rights In Malaysia (1985)
9. Malaysia – Crisis of Identity (1986)
10. BMF – The Scandal Of Scandals (1986)
11. The North-South Highway Scandal (1987)
12. Prelude To Operation Lalang (1990)
13. The Dirtiest General Elections In The History of Malaysia (1991)
14. Selected Speeches & Press Statements – Vol. I (1991)
15. Samy Vellu and MAIKA Scandal (1992)
16. Battle For Democracy (1992)
17. Vijandran Pornographic Videotape Scandal II (1992)
18. The Bank Negara RM30 Billion Forex Losses Scandal (1994)
19. The Highland Tower Tragedy (1994)
20. Pendedahan Skandal Kewangan – Siapa Petualang FELCRA? (1994)
21. Land Acquisition Act – Abuses, Injustices, Reform (1994)
22. I.T. For All (1997)
23. Cyberlaws in Malaysia (1997)
24. Economic & Financial Crisis (1998)
25. Political & Economic Crisis in Malaysia (1998)
26. The Budget That Was Never Passed (1999)
27. Constitutional Case of the Millennium (2000)
28. BA & Islamic State (2001)
29. No To 929 (2002)
30. DAP (2004)

Notes and references

Other references

• Pillai, M.G.G. (1 November 2005). "Did Lee Kuan Yew want Singapore ejected from Malaysia?". Malaysia Today.

External links

• Official website
• Official Website for DAP Malaysia