Lim Guan Eng Biography-Wiki
Lim Guan Eng is a Malaysian politician born on 8th December 1960 in Malaysia. He is the finance minister of Malaysia and the Secretary-General of DAP and the former Chief Minister (CM) of Penang. He is the son of Lim Kit Siang, Leader of the Opposition in the Dewan Rakyat from 1973 to 1999 and 2004 to 2008.
Education Background
He attended La Salle Primary English School in Petaling Jaya, and later the Batu Pahat Montfort Primary English School. He attended Batu Pahat High School and Malacca High for his secondary education. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Monash University.
Lim Guan Eng Religion
Lim Guan Eng broadcast a Christmas message urging the Federal government to permit Malay-language Bibles to publish the word ‘Allah’.
Lim Guan Eng Wife
Lim Guan Eng is married to Betty Chew Gek Cheng, a Malaysian Chinese politician and the State Assemblywoman for Kota Laksamana in Melaka. She is the first serving assemblywoman to be married to a Chief Minister.
They have four children; Marcus Lim Whay Khai, Clint Lim Whay Chau, Rachel Lim Shay Wan and Ethan Lim Whay Zen.
Lim Guan Eng Political Career
Lim Guan Eng began his political career at Monarch University where he served as the president of MUISS (Monash University International Student Society) during his university years.
In 1986 he was elected as the member of parliament for Kota Melaka. He was re-elected in the subsequent 1990 and 1995 general elections. He became the first person to be elected for three consecutive terms in Kota Melaka.
In 1989 Lim Guan Eng was appointed as the DAP Socialist Youth chairman and in 1992 he was formally elected to the post. In 1995 he was elected as the DAP Deputy Secretary-General. In 2004 he was elected as the party secretary – General.
Lim Guan Eng Imprisonment
In October 1987 Lim Guan Eng along with 106 other politicians and activists were detained under the Internal Security Act in Operation Lalang. He was the first to be detained and last to be released in April 1989.
In 1994 Lim Guan Eng was arrested after criticizing the government’s failure to bring then-Chief Minister of Melaka, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik’s statutory rape case to trial when the Attorney General had decided not to press charges.
Lim was charged under Section 4(1) (b) of the Sedition Act 1948 for causing ‘disaffection with the administration of justice in Malaysia’. He was also charged under Section 8A (1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for ‘maliciously printing’ a pamphlet containing allegedly ‘false information’ which supposedly described the alleged rape victim as an ‘imprisoned victim’ because she was initially
detained by Malaysian police without parental consent for 10 days.
He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after a series of appeals and was released on 25th August 1999 after 12 months. He was barred from holding a public office for a period of 5 years.
Lim Guan Eng Political Comeback
In 2005 he suffered defeat in his bid for re-election to the Melaka DAP committee when he and his wife came in last and second-last (respectively).
Lim Guan Eng remained Secretary-General of DAP and was automatically included among the committee under the party constitution. On 23rd August 2008, he garnered the second-highest number of votes (620) at the party’s 15th National Congress.
During the 2008 general election, the coalition of DAP-PKR-PAS later known as the Pakatan Rakyat won 29 out of 40 state seats contested in Penang, in which DAP was the largest winning component party with 19 seats, PKR 9 seats, and PAS 1. They defeated Barisan Nasional, former ruling coalition for the authority to rule Penang for the next five years. Liam was nominated to be the next Chief Minister (CM) of Penang.
In the 2013 general elections, Pakatan Rakyat garnered a larger majority of 30 out of 40 state seats in Penang.
On 19 March 2008, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng announced that the state exco had approved an open tender system for projects exceeding RM 50,000. For projects between RM20,000 and RM50,000, a balloting system will be introduced and a two-week objection period would be given for both the open tender and balloting systems.
During his tenure as the Chief Minister, Penang maintained its rank of being top among the list of investments in Malaysia, attracting RM12.2 billion worth of total capital investments as of 2010, which accounts for 25% of total investments in Malaysia. This is also a 465% increase compared to the total investment of RM2.17 billion as of 2009. Consequently, in 2011, Penang was the top in manufacturing investments in Malaysia for the second consecutive year, with RM9.1 billion in total.
In 2011, Penang was the top in manufacturing investments in Malaysia for the second consecutive year, with RM9.1 billion in total. In a new indicator of total investment, however, which comprises manufacturing, services, and private sectors, Penang ranked second in Malaysia after Sarawak in total investments, with the total amount of RM14.038 billion. This was due to not having much primary sector investments.
In 2015 Penang’s economic growth was 5.5% which was higher than Malaysia’s growth rate of 5%. Penang also has the lowest unemployment rate of 1.5% as compared to the national unemployment rate of 3.1%.
On 28 April 2011, Lim Guan Eng signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China, witnessed by the Chinese premier Wen Jiabao and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on the proposal of the construction of three road and tunnel projects in Penang island, including a 6.5 km undersea tunnel, a third link between the island and Butterworth on the mainland. According to Lim, this would ease traffic congestion in the area and to improve the links between the island and the mainland.
On 25th July 2014, the Penang state government under Lim Guan Eng unveiled the RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan which comprises an integrated transportation network connecting both Penang Island and Seberang Perai. The master plan aims to achieve a well-defined and fully connected road network and dispersal system as well as a well-integrated and sustainable public transport system, which combines buses, trams, MRT and water taxis. The entire project is expected to start in 2015 and complete in 2030.
On 1st April 2014 Penang state government under Lim launched the ‘Penang Future Foundation (PFF)’ scholarship program which will be awarded to outstanding young Malaysian students who wish to pursue their undergraduate studies at local private higher educational institutions. Scholarship recipients will be offered a total of RM20 million to sponsor their studies and they are required to work in Penang after they graduate. The scholarship program is administered by the Penang state government but is fully funded by the private sector to ensure the program’s sustainability in the long run. This program is launched to attract young talented people to work in the state.
During the 2018 Malaysian general election, Pakatan Harapan (of which the DAP is part of) emerged victorious and formed the federal government. He was appointed as the Minister of Finance by the Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad.
Lim Guan Eng Controversies
On January 30, 2015, Lim Guan Eng, with two news portal, Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider were sued by Penang UMNO secretary, Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir, Maison Height Sdn Bhd and Penang Barisan Nasional secretary Datuk Omar Faudzar for making defamatory article on the alleged sale of Malay lands for profit. In the statement of claim, the plaintiffs referred to an article written by Lim titled “Pembohongan Umno” (Umno’s lies), which was published in The Malaysian Insider on Nov 27, 2014, and another article titled “Stop spreading lies about Penang government, Guan Eng tells Umno” which was also published in the same news portal on Nov 27. The plaintiffs stated that Lim, Mini, and Gan had
caused the publication of another article “Umno made profits by selling Malay Kampungs”, containing defamatory words in Malaysiakini. The plaintiffs filed a notice of discontinuance on April 1, 2016.
On 3 July 2015, Lim Guan Eng lost a lawsuit for calling the state’s opposition leader, Datuk Jahara Hamid as a “racist grandmother” in December 2013. and were ordered to pay RM500,000 in damages with 5% interest per annum and RM40,000 in legal cost. He also got an injunction from making a similar statement against Jahara and ordered to retract the statement. The judicial commissioner said that he was unprofessional (as a chief minister) to resort to name-calling on an opposition leader, slanderous and brought disrepute to both to the assembly and the chair of the chief minister. His sexist comment was condemned by the chairperson of the women’s wing of Democratic Action Party (DAP), Chong Eng, Zuraida Kamaruddin, chairperson of women’s wing of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and several female Senators.
Lim Guan Eng Salary
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission(MACC) revealed Lim Eng salary where he mentioned Lim to be earning RM86,464.92 a month. Lim happens to be the MP with the highest income.
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Who Is Lim Guan Eng?
Lim Guan is a Malaysian politician born on 8th December 1960 in Malaysia. He is the finance minister of Malaysia and the Secretary-General of DAP and the former Chief Minister (CM) of Penang.