Lim Keng Yaik Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Dr.
Lim Keng Yaik
Birth Name:Lim Keng Yaik
Birth Date:8 April 1939
Birth Place:Tapah, Perak, Federated Malay States, British Malaya (now Malaysia)
Death Place:Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Citizenship:Malaysian
Office2:3rd President of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia
Term Start2:1980
Term End2:8 April 2007
Deputy2:Kerk Choo Ting
Koh Tsu Koon
Predecessor2:Lim Chong Eu
Office:Minister of Energy, Water and Communications
Term Start:27 March 2004
Primeminister:Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Term End:18 March 2008
Predecessor:Leo Moggie Irok
Deputy:Shaziman Abu Mansor
Successor:Shaziman Abu Mansor
Constituency:Beruas
Office1:Minister of Primary Industries
Term Start1:11 August 1986
Primeminister1:Mahathir Mohamad
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Term End1:26 March 2004
Predecessor1:Paul Leong Khee Seong
Deputy1:Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad
Alias Ali
Tengku Mahmud Tengku Mansor
Siti Zainaboon Abu Bakar
Hishammuddin Hussein
Anifah Aman
Constituency1:Beruas
Monarch1:Iskandar
Azlan Shah
Ja'afar
Salahuddin
Sirajuddin
Constituency Mp3:Beruas
Parliament3:Malaysian
Term Start3:3 August 1986
Term End3:8 March 2008
Predecessor3:Michael Chen Wing Sum (BNMCA)
Successor3:Ngeh Koo Ham
(DAP)
Majority3:1,015 (1986)
863 (1990)
11,254 (1995)
1,455 (1999)
4,564 (2004)
Party:MCA (1968–1973)
Gerakan (1973–2008)
Otherparty:Alliance (1968–1973)
Barisan Nasional (1973–2008)
Occupation:Medical doctor
Alma Mater:Queen's University Belfast
Spouse:Toh Puan Wong Yoon Chuan
Children:Datuk Lim Si Pin
Lim Si Ching
Lim Poi Giok
Lim Poi Jing

Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik (; 8 April 1939 – 22 December 2012) was a Malaysian politician and former Minister of Energy, Water and Communications in the Malaysian cabinet. He was the third president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) from 1980 until stepping down on 8 April 2007 to pave the way for Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon.[1] Just before his death, he was among the only four living Chinese with Tunship holders in Malaysia.

Background

Lim was born on 8 April 1939 in Tapah, Perak with fifteen siblings, to a mining father and a homemaker mother. He was educated in St. Michael's Institution in Ipoh between 1947 and 1957 before travelling to Northern Ireland in 1958. He graduated from The Queens University of Belfast with a MB.BCh.BAO. in 1964 and returned to serve in the government hospital in Taiping and a few more places before he opened up his own clinic in Chemor, a place that earned him his famous sobriquet 'sor chai yee sang' or 'madcap doctor' as he used to play the clown when treating sick children. He was a popular doctor and he used to offer free services to the poor patients.[2] He married Wong Yoon Chuan and the couple have three children. Former Gerakan Youth Chief, Lim Si Pin is their son.[3]

Political career

Lim began his foray into politics in 1968 by joining the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). He subsequently contested in the Pekan Baru state seat in Perak in 1969 on an Alliance ticket, but lost.

In 1971, he became the chairman of MCA Perak. He was appointed as a senator to Dewan Negara and joined the federal cabinet in 1972. However, in 1973, Lim was expelled from the MCA after going against the then MCA president Tun Tan Siew Sin and in the same year joined Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan).

He became the Ulu Kinta Gerakan division head the next year and moved up to become Perak Gerakan head in 1974. In 1976, he became the party's deputy president. In July 1978, Lim resigned as senator and contested in the 1978 Perak General Elections in the Jalong state seat in Perak, which he won narrowly and was appointed as a state Exco member for two terms until 1986.

In 1980, the medical doctor-turned-politician became the Gerakan President. For the first three terms as the party head, he faced challenges and successfully defended the position at every party election since then. He contested the Beruas Parliament seat in 1986 and won by a handsome margin. He narrowly won the seat again in 1990, amid allegations of foul play, to which he has never respond.[4] In the 2004 Malaysian general election which was also the final time he contested in a general elections before retiring, he retained his seat for a last time with a clear majority of 4,564 with a total registered voter count of 15,867.[1] [3]

Cabinet position

Lim first became a minister in the Malaysian cabinet when he was made Minister with Special Functions dealing with New Villages and Emergency work in 1972. However, he resigned from the post the very next year as a protest against the expulsion of the MCA reform movement leaders at the time. He was then booted out of the MCA for it, where he subsequently joined Gerakan.

He made a Cabinet comeback as Minister of Primary Industries on 1986 and served in the position until 2004, when he was appointed Minister of Energy, Water and Communications. During his tenure as Minister of Primary Industries, Malaysian palm oil became very well-known and was the largest palm oil producing country in the world. Up until today, palm oil is still one of Malaysia's top money earner and job creator. He will be best remembered for bravely debating with major soya bean producers in the United States at a time when the US banned the import of Malaysia's palm oil due to the strong lobbying from the soya bean industry.

He also brought significant development to the timber industry as he worked hard and formed the Malaysian Timber Council. He also played a pivotal role in persuading Europe to import Malaysia's timber. He took the primary industries to new heights notably with the successful transformation of commodities exports to value-added products; rubber to rubber products, especially rubber dipped to furniture and cocoa to chocolates. He made unparalleled contributions in opening up the global market for Malaysian products like palm oil and timber. It was during his leadership that these commodity sectors were transformed and developed to be competitive as well as sustainable.

Tun Lim Keng Yaik switched his portfolio to the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications in 2004. He focused on the important and urgent issues in the industry as he kept reminding the industry players to buck up and provide the services as promised to the people and be up to par, he had brought further development to the information and communication technology by ensuring better services from the telcos, the sprouting of the content industry and many more. He successfully restructured the water industry of the country.[1]

Retirement

On 2 September 2005 at the Gerakan 35th Annual National Delegates Conference dinner, Lim announced that he would be retiring as president on 8 April 2007, which was also his 68th birthday. Lim retired from his Cabinet post shortly before the 2008 general election.

He avowed to no longer comment on issues of the Party unless he was asked by the press. But he has in turn disregarded it and commented on a wide range of issues regarding the party, including the succession of the Penang Chief Minister position, and the ousting of a party member that was working under the new opposition state government. These actions have drawn the ire of many within the party that is seeing his meddling in party affairs a cause in the continual deterioration of the party's support.[5]

Wawasan Open University (WOU) appointed Tun Lim Keng Yaik as its second chancellor on 9 May 2011 to succeed the Late Tun Lim Chong Eu.[1]

Death

After being plagued by illness for more than a year, Tun Lim Keng Yaik died peacefully on Saturday afternoon, 22 December 2012, surrounded by his family at his home in Tropicana, Petaling Jaya, he was 73.[3] [6] He was given a state funeral by the federal government to honour his decades of immense contributions to the country as he was one of the longest-serving ministers in the country and a highly revered statesman by the public.[2]

Election results

Year!
ConstituencyCandidate VotesPctOpponent(s)VotesPctBallots castMajorityTurnout
1986P062 Beruas (Gerakan)11,92648.82%Gong Ngie Hea (DAP)10,911 44.66%25,2361,015 72.46%
Hassan Mohamed (PAS)1,5946.52%
1990 (Gerakan)13,88951.60%Ngeh Koo Ham (DAP)13,02648.40%27,718863 71.38%
1995P065 Beruas (Gerakan)18,31368.46%Chen Lim Piow (DAP)7,059 26.38%36,84212,318 73.71%
Ramli Ariffin (IND)708 2.65%
Tan Kiat Seng @ Shuk Yik (IND)6712.51%
1999 (Gerakan)14,25651.81%Yew Teong Chong (DAP)12,801 46.53%28,2971,45564.02%
Abdul Roni (MDP)4571.66%
2004P068 Beruas (Gerakan)15,86758.40%Nga Hock Cheh (DAP)11,30341.60%28,3284,56467.17%

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sdr Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik (President from 1980 – 2007). . 20 May 2008.
  2. Web site: Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik laid to rest with national honour . The Star. 26 December 2012. 1 September 2017 .
  3. Web site: Leven Woon . Lim Keng Yaik dies . Free Malaysia Today (FMT). 22 December 2012. 1 September 2017 .
  4. News: DAP report Malaysia . 12 May 2008 . . 20 May 2008 .
  5. Web site: Andrew Ong . Quit and butt out, Gerakan ex-boss told . . 29 April 2008. 20 May 2008.
  6. Web site: FARAH HARITH . Former Gerakan Chief, Lim Keng Yaik Passed Away . https://web.archive.org/web/20161211113813/http://www.malaysiandigest.com/archived/index.php/12-news/local2/23976-former-gerakan-chief-lim-keng-yaik-passed-away.html. usurped. 11 December 2016. Malaysian Digest . 22 December 2012. 1 September 2017 .
  7. Web site: Three new Tuns head awards list. 7 June 2008. The Star. 26 September 2018.
  8. Web site: PCM 1976. pingat.perak.gov.my. 23 March 2022.
  9. Web site: DPCM 1981. pingat.perak.gov.my.
  10. Web site: SPMP 1989. pingat.perak.gov.my. 21 March 2022.
  11. Web site: Sultan of Pahang's 75th birthday honours list. 26 October 2005. The Star. 26 September 2018.
  12. Web site: Sarawak Honours List 2008. 5 November 2008. The Star. 26 September 2018.