5 Lim Kit Siang quotes that show just how Malaysian he is

It was coming sooner or later, but DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has finally called it quits on politics, saying he would not contest for any party position or general/state elections in the future:

“However, we must remain constant in our objectives and never compromise our principles and ideals.” – Lim Kit Siang

Born during the dawn of the Second World War, Lim has lived through the Japanese Occupation, the Communist Insurgency, the May 13th riots, and even oversaw Malaysia’s first change in government, playing a pivotal role in the Pakatan Harapan victory in 2018.

To reflect on a long and eventful political career spanning 56 years, here are 5 quotes that show Lim Kit Siang the Man, the Myth, the Malaysian, at his finest.

1) “There were no ‘lazy natives’ during the Occupation.”

As a young boy, Lim learned much of the brutality of the Japanese Empire, but also recognized their capacity for hard work, as well as spotting and nurturing talent. Probably the best example was the late GOAT of Malaysian music himself, Tan Sri P. Ramlee, who found his first start in music from a Japanese teacher named Hirahe-san.

In an anecdote recounted on his personal blog, Lim’s own father, who struggled with learning English, became proficient at Japanese language and alphabet (kanji) thanks to a very simple Japanese principle: ‘learn, or else!’. He pointed out how the sight of locals loitering about would be unimaginable during the Occupation:

“Malays worked very hard then; there were no “lazy natives” despite all the produce going to the Japanese. The consequences of being idle were too horrendous to contemplate.” – Lim Kit Siang

It’s no surprise then, that Lim Kit Siang keeps himself busy with writing when he’s not doing politics-related stuff; he’s written an estimated 25,000 press statements since 1968⁠—way more than Cilisos has written articles. And up until the 80s, he used a typewriter too.

2) “Let’s go out and form a political party.”

Although young Lim never really harbored dreams to become a politician, he had become very interested in politics from a young age. And the 50s was an especially exciting time for world politics, with decolonization and the Cold War being the trends of the day.

But for Lim, it was the 1955 Bandung Conference that would be the first serious spark for Lim’s political interest as a young boy:

“We’d go to the deserted school at night, sit beside the longkang and yarn, and someone will say, “let’s go out into the world and form a political party.” – Lim Kit Siang

Some quotes don’t age well. That one definitely did.

3) “Dr Mahathir Mohamad should talk straight or just shut up.”

Just like how the Batman needs the Joker, one can argue that Tun Dr Mahathir defined Lim Kit Siang as either a hero or villain, depending on which side of the fence you stand. But these two were at loggerheads for the best part of the century, and it would be difficult to imagine one without the other; we’ve even done a whole article on the similarities between the two.

This particular quote is actually from Lim’s blog post entitled “Another cock-and-bull story from Mahathir”, which said, very simply:

“Dr Mahathir Mohamad should talk straight or just shut up. Whenever he rebuts allegations of wrongdoing during his tenure as prime minister, he appears to sound not only defensive but deceptive as well.” – Lim Kit Siang

Oof. But of course, the animosity between the two was to be expected, especially considering that Tun Dr Mahathir put Lim Kit Siang in jail for 7 months under the ISA back in 1987’s infamous Ops Lalang. And a quick Google search will show you that the two have constantly traded punches in the past; Lim’s even said Dr M was responsible for the ‘rot’ in Malaysian politics.

Which makes it even more amazing when you consider the following quote:

4) “I’ve never hated Mahathir, I’ve never hated anybody.”

… which we translated as:

“You complete me.” – Joker  to Batman, The Dark Knight (2008)

Ok, but jokes aside, this sudden about-turn came about because as we all know, the pair decided to set aside their differences and work together to beat the Fire Nation ruling government at the time. But looking back on their complex relationship, despite all the things Lim has said about Dr M, he never personally attacked him, always speaking against the things he did, rather than the person himself, because:

“… in politics you cannot be personal.” – Lim Kit Siang

Well, even though the original PH alliance is now pretty much broken up, it was nice to see two longtime rivals bury the hatchet to achieve the greater good for the nation.

Which is the perfect segue into the final quote, which we believe perfectly sums up Lim as a Malaysian:

5) “It’s the belief that you have to do something good for the country and the people.”

With a schedule that would burn out a young person in their twenties, one has to wonder what keeps him going. And the above was his answer when asked.

Because it hasn’t been easy at all for Lim throughout his career: not only has he been imprisoned twice, he’s also had an eye infection which temporarily totally blinded him in his left eye, which is why he had to wear shades for a bit in 2011:

“… I couldn’t see anything out of my left eye. Of course, it was a frightening thought. Suddenly you’re incapacitated. I was a one-eyed jack and that was my good eye, my right eye is my lazy eye.” – Lim Kit Siang

That was 11 years ago. As we all know, he didn’t slow down one bit. Which is a testament to the man, who was still tearing things up in Malaysian politics well into his eighties. Because one thing about Lim is that, regardless of whether you love or hate him, he’s not an easy person to put down; in fact, he just tested positive for C-19 yesterday.

But even Lim is aware of his own limitations in old age, which is why he tries to keep himself physically fit:

“I think I should be exercising lah, but I haven’t had proper exercise for a long time because of my heavy schedule… but I’m not exactly sedentary. I’m walking here and there, walking up and down the country.” – Lim Kit Siang

Lim Kit Siang: hated, adored, but never ignored

You may or may not agree with his views, but it’s undeniable that Lim Kit Siang really did fight for what he believed in for decades; even Chak, our ex-Cilibos called him ‘the one politician who has had the most consistent message in his decades long battle for a multicultural Utopia’. And let us tell you, it’s really not easy for ex-Cilibos to praise Malaysian politicians.

It’s no wonder why Lim is respected by both friend and foe; even longtime rivals were gushing over him in tribute when he finally stepped down from politics:

“He was certainly a tough opposition politician and I admire him for his doggedness. I am going to miss him.” – Nazri Aziz

Because yes, he may have stepped on a few toes, but it just goes to show that if you stick to your guns, people will remember you… even your enemies.