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Lim Kit Siang
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. Having held the position for a total of 29 years on three separate occasions, he is the longest-serving leader of the opposition, as well the second longest-serving member of parliament in Malaysia. He was also the former secretary-general and national chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan coalition, leading it through eight general elections.
Lim was born on 20 February 1941 at Batu Pahat, Johor, British Malaya. His father was from Qinying Village, while his mother was from Zhangtang Village, both located in Dongshan County, Zhangzhou, Fujian, in China. The youngest of four children, Lim's parents gave their eldest daughter to a farmer in Qinying for adoption before immigrating to Malaya and giving birth to Lim. He had one sister and two brothers. Lim visited his ancestral village of Qinying for the first time in November 2008, meeting his brother-in-law.
Lim spent two years studying at a Mandarin-language night school before transferring to Batu Pahat High School, graduating with 5 As in his Cambridge School Certificate of Education examination. Lim was admitted to the English College Johore Bahru to continue his sixth form studies but dropped out after two months to marry his wife, Neo Yok Tee, at the age of 19. The pair had met when they were 15 but their marriage was not approved by Lim's parents, who had wanted him to become a doctor, and disowned him.
He gained employment teaching English at the Senai Chinese Primary School before working as a reporter for The Straits Times and Singapore Radio in Singapore, where he would live until 1965. During this time, he became the secretary-general of the Singapore National Union of Journalists at the age of 22 and came into contact with Devan Nair, then head of the National Trades Union Congress.
He pursued a legal education his at London University, earning a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1977.
Upon the separation of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965, Devan Nair, who was also the member of parliament for Bungsar in Malaysia, left Singapore to return to the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur and offered Lim a position as his political secretary, which he accepted. A founding member of Nair's new Democratic Action Party, he was made the editor of the party's publication; The Rocket, and appointed National Organising Secretary in 1966.
Lim was elected the member of parliament for Bandar Malacca in the 1969 Malaysian general election, which saw substantial gains made by multi-racial opposition parties such as the DAP. The results of the election and subsequent reaction led to the 13 May incident, a racial riot in Kuala Lumpur. Lim was named by the government as a suspected instigator arrested under the Internal Security Act, which allowed for indefinite detainment. Upon hearing the news of his impending arrest, Lim had initially fled to Singapore but returned on 15 May. He was denied access to a lawyer or his family for the first of two months he was held in solitary confinement, and Lim claimed the authorities tried to break him down psychologically. He was only freed on 1 October 1970 after 16 months.
His election as a member of parliament for Bandar Malacca was initially held to be void because of the ineligibility of an election agent who had previously failed to discharge his duties from standing for election in the future.[clarification needed] The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdul Razak Hussein, 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 a royal pardon, Lim was allowed to retain his seat.
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Lim Kit Siang
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. Having held the position for a total of 29 years on three separate occasions, he is the longest-serving leader of the opposition, as well the second longest-serving member of parliament in Malaysia. He was also the former secretary-general and national chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan coalition, leading it through eight general elections.
Lim was born on 20 February 1941 at Batu Pahat, Johor, British Malaya. His father was from Qinying Village, while his mother was from Zhangtang Village, both located in Dongshan County, Zhangzhou, Fujian, in China. The youngest of four children, Lim's parents gave their eldest daughter to a farmer in Qinying for adoption before immigrating to Malaya and giving birth to Lim. He had one sister and two brothers. Lim visited his ancestral village of Qinying for the first time in November 2008, meeting his brother-in-law.
Lim spent two years studying at a Mandarin-language night school before transferring to Batu Pahat High School, graduating with 5 As in his Cambridge School Certificate of Education examination. Lim was admitted to the English College Johore Bahru to continue his sixth form studies but dropped out after two months to marry his wife, Neo Yok Tee, at the age of 19. The pair had met when they were 15 but their marriage was not approved by Lim's parents, who had wanted him to become a doctor, and disowned him.
He gained employment teaching English at the Senai Chinese Primary School before working as a reporter for The Straits Times and Singapore Radio in Singapore, where he would live until 1965. During this time, he became the secretary-general of the Singapore National Union of Journalists at the age of 22 and came into contact with Devan Nair, then head of the National Trades Union Congress.
He pursued a legal education his at London University, earning a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1977.
Upon the separation of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965, Devan Nair, who was also the member of parliament for Bungsar in Malaysia, left Singapore to return to the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur and offered Lim a position as his political secretary, which he accepted. A founding member of Nair's new Democratic Action Party, he was made the editor of the party's publication; The Rocket, and appointed National Organising Secretary in 1966.
Lim was elected the member of parliament for Bandar Malacca in the 1969 Malaysian general election, which saw substantial gains made by multi-racial opposition parties such as the DAP. The results of the election and subsequent reaction led to the 13 May incident, a racial riot in Kuala Lumpur. Lim was named by the government as a suspected instigator arrested under the Internal Security Act, which allowed for indefinite detainment. Upon hearing the news of his impending arrest, Lim had initially fled to Singapore but returned on 15 May. He was denied access to a lawyer or his family for the first of two months he was held in solitary confinement, and Lim claimed the authorities tried to break him down psychologically. He was only freed on 1 October 1970 after 16 months.
His election as a member of parliament for Bandar Malacca was initially held to be void because of the ineligibility of an election agent who had previously failed to discharge his duties from standing for election in the future.[clarification needed] The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdul Razak Hussein, 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 a royal pardon, Lim was allowed to retain his seat.