The Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng

Lim Guan Eng (林冠英) is the eldest son of the former opposition leader from DAP(Democratic Action Party). He is now the MP for Bagan, state assembly for Air Puteh & Chief Minister of Penang. He is also the Secretary General for his party, DAP.

Lim attended La Salle Primary English School in Petaling Jaya, then Batu Pahat Monfort Primary English School. His secondary school was with Batu Pahat High School and Malacca High School. He graduated from Monash University , Melbourne, Australia, with a Bachelor of Economic and was a qualified professional accountant in 1983. He was the President of Monash University International Student Society(MUISS).

He joined Chung Kiew Bank, Kuantan branch(located at Jalan Teluk Sisek) as Bank senior executive. He was involved in credit work(or loan officer). I was in Kuantan at that time, every bankers knew that he is Lim Kit Siang’s son. Even he worked with the bank, we know that his destiny will be in politic.

He became MP for Kota Melaka in 1986, defeating our former soccer star, Soh Chin Aun, with a big majority of 17,606 votes. He was re-elected in 1990, 1995,thus consecutively for 3 terms in Kota Melaka.

He was first appointed as DAP’s Socialist Youth Chairman in 1989, and was elected in 1992. In 1993,

Lim was arrested by Malaysian Police in 1994 under Sedition Act 1948 and Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984, for criticized on the former Chief Minister of Malacca, and published a pamphlet containing allegedly false information on the case(please refer to his blog). He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, despite a series of appeals. In 1995, he was elected as the DAP Deputy Secretary-General.

He studied Law and passed the LLB, while in retention camp. He was released after 12 months on 25-8-1999. But he was ineligible to stand for 2004 Malaysian General Election. Lim is married to Betty Chew Gek Cheng(周玉清), the state assemblywoman for Kota Laksamana in Malacca. They have 4 children.

He was elected as the party Secretary-General in 2004, and has held the position since. His leadership has resulted in leading DAP to its biggest electoral win in the 12th general election on March 8th, 2008. I saw him waiting to cross the road from the WW2 memorial side to the polling station at the Chinese School (Kong Min School)early morning of the Election Day. He was visiting the Paya Terubong polling station with the candidate Yeoh. Our car stopped in front of the zebra crossing; he and the group of supporters were crossing in front of us. Unexpectedly he raised his thumb upward, looking toward us , indicated that the rocket is going upward (which meant the party is going to win). Looking at the support during the dinner at Han Chiang High School, we know that his party is going to win big……we agreed with him, and and in return we raised our thumb up too.....

The Penang people has given a strong mandate to PM Abdullah during last election, but it seems that it was not like Kedah where the PM will provide more development for his home state. He was not able to do it, due to internal pressure. The people said it was time to decide otherwise, once the Penang people decided to give Lim a chance, we need to give him a strong mandate. And Penang people really gave a strong mandate, stronger than expected. It sparked off the fumes of political changes to the whole Malaysia, from a dinner at Han Chiang High School. They called it 308 political Tsunami..... a historical event in Malaysian political history. They said anybody contested in opposition ticket during 308 can win. It is true, some candidates were not expected to win, but they won. This later give rise to problems for Lim, and others in the newly formed state government.

He won in the 308 election(3-8-2008 election), with 19 state seats from DAP, and other alliances, they have together 29 seats out of 40 seats. The alliance was able to form a coalition government (Pakatan Rakyat). He was appointed as 4^th Chief Minister of Penang. The previous Chief Minister are Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee, Tun Dr Lim Ching Eu, and Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon. Lim is the only and first non-Penang Chief Minister, he is from Batu Pahat(or politically from Malacca).

The rest is history, and he made history...... .from a humble prisoner to the Chief Minister of Penang, first outsider (not from Penang,which is not easy task in Penang), first lawyer, first banker, first accountant .....first Chief Minister with a wife who is s serving state assemblywoman.

He worked very hard for the people and the state. Some Penanag citizens are worried that he is over worked, even the opposition.

He is my Chief Minister.....a down to earth person.

To know more about him and his political philosophy and ideology, please visited his blog at

http://limguaneng.com/

(photo of the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng , credited to www.vistipenang.gov.my)