Posted on by Kit

TQ to you all for the 70th birthday well-wishes

Rummaging through some old boxes, I came across this editorial which I wrote in the Form III class magazine “Light” (Vol. 2 – Nov. 1957) in Batu Pahat High School:

“During the past few years, the spirit of Malayan nationalism was aroused to such an extent that Malaya was granted Independence and a new nation was born.

“This grand and memorable achievement of Independence was only made possible through the united efforts of the various communities in the country.

“Now Malaya has become a young nation and she is taking her rightful place and her part of responsibility in this strifefuld world. She must accept and overcome all challenges and, one day, be counted among the greatest of the great. However, the great men of today who hold the steering-wheel of the country cannot be with us always.

“We, the youths of today, are the leaders of tgomorrow, who will take the helm and navigate the Ship of State to Utopia or Doom. We must now prepare ourselves to ‘serve to lead’. Let us not while away our time in meaningless pastimes and waste away precious moments. Say not that time is abundant, for,

‘Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though strong and brave,
Still, like muffled drums are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.’


“The role of youth in Independent Malaya is now more pressing and difficult for the inexperienced shoulders of the youth of this generation. We will be the first true independent shoulders to bear this responsibility. Let us then work with greater zeal and will, that our standard be not flying at half-mast, so that the whole world may say that the youths of Malaya, our youths, have not been wasted.

“However, to accomplish this in this new nation with a cosmopolitan population, we must bear in mind that co-operation between the different races is of paramount importance. It is only in the classrooms, where we are all working on a common basis, that we are imbued with the spirit of tolerance, co-operation and loyalty. Nowhere else is it tested more firmly, and , so let us ‘live and let live’ in friendly fraternity and harmony.”

Looking back, I have largely lived by the spirit of this schoolboy editorial 54 years ago.

I am turning 70 tomorrow and many thanks for your well wishes.

57 Replies to “TQ to you all for the 70th birthday well-wishes”

  1. Happy 70th birthday, Uncle Lim.

    70 years is a long period of time, but 70 years ‘young’ is not old. For your type of career, the more experience you accumulate, the better it is. I believe there will not be a second politician who will have your type of experience, especially the bad experience that you have gone through. It was because you have fought to make our society a better one, and you are continuing to fight for a better one for all of us.
    Indeed not many people were able to survive through like you. We saw some of your mates changed and reversed lane, eventually looking at their own benefit. But you are so different because you served the people. Some of the thing that I thought would never be happening in Malaysia, such as BN becoming an opposition in certain states, but you proved it to us. To our surprise, you did not seek for any post after PR secured the power of ruling in these states. I salute you and the several other DAP members who continued to fight without fear.

    Please take care of your health, and we wish you continued success in fighting for the people. 70 is another of your new beginning.

  3. Happy 70th birthday to bro Lim Kit Siang. May the good Lord bless you with many, many more good years ahead so that you can continue to fearlessly speak-up and fight for oppressed Malaysians and the interest of the nation. Once the goal of Bangsa Malaysia is realized, your name will go down history as a true Malaysian patriot.

    Again, chu ni sen ze guai le

  5. YB LKS,
    MAY GOD BLESS U WITH GOOD HEALTH AND LONG LIFE.HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU YB. MAY THIS 2011 BRINGS YOU GOOD NEWS AND GOOD ANG POW FOR THS COMING GE. PLEASE TAKE GOOD CARE OF U AS THERE LOTS OF WORK TO BE DONE FOR THIS COMING GE. WE MALAYSIAN NEED YOU FOR BETTER FUTURE FOR OF CHILDREN
    GOD BLESS

  9. Happy 70th Birthday to Mr.Lim Kit Siang.A very rare Malaysian who has earned the respect of fellow Malaysians for his more than 4 decades of selfless fight for democracy and a bright future for Malaysia.May God bless you and wish you good health and happiness.

  10. Many Happy Returns Of The Day to you, YB Kit!

    You are undoubtedly a true, great and genuine Malaysian.

    All the best in your unflinching struggle for a just and equal Malaysia for ALL Malaysians!

  11. Happy 70th birthday to you,Mr Lim kit Siang.Please eat well and rest well to stay healthy and fit.We all aprreciate what you have been sacrifing through 4 decaded relentlessly and i sincerely hope that you achieved what you desire.May the Rabbit good luck be on your side this time.O TANJOUBI OMEDETOU GOZAIMASU.

  12. Happy 70th Birthday to you, YB Lim Kit Siang!!
    May all ur dreams and wish come true in this 2011.. ANd may u be blessed with good health everyday and do take care of yourself..
    As a Sabahan, I would express my wish that the PR will bring another political tsunami to the east Msia in the coming GE and best of luck to the whole PR team!

  13. Congrats and happy 70th birthday. May you continue your admirable journey and see change for the better in this country in your time. We will never give the fight for freedom, peace and harmony for all Malaysians.

  15. Loh :
    Was the standard of English of an ordinary form 3 student in the 1950s the level shown by Kit, or has Kit the talents?

    from a different angle. that is what we have now: 54 years of failed education and failed nation building. thanks to BN.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY to LKS!

  16. Happy birthday to Mr Lim
    I wish Mr Lim bring us new generation of Malaysia, and let Barisan National become opposition party in coming election!
    As a Johorean, i wish DAP get more candidates to Johor area. My relative always complain there is no DAP Candidate for them to vote(Layang-Layang, Simpang Renggam). Because they only trust DAP Candidate.
    Happy Birthday! (^_?)??

  17. Dear Uncle Lim,

    My parents have given their support to DAP for decades. They have many reasons of doing so and you are always the significant one.

    Happy birthday and wishing you all the best! Thank you for the hard work and sacrifice..

  19. Loh #4:
    “Was the standard of English of an ordinary form 3 student in the 1950s the level shown by Kit, or has Kit the talents?”

    Yes, the standard of English was that good in those days. It was not uncommon to find good writers in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.

    Times have changed.

    And, oh yes, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIT. The nation salutes you for your sacrifice, courage and leadership. May God grant you good health, prosperity and especially success in the next GE.

    Let us march with you to PUTRAJAYA and make your 70th birthday dreams come true.

  21. dear kit, selamat hari jadi ke 70. i am amazed what u have written when u was only 16 years old. u r truly an “anak malaysia” who fought for the country. i truly admire in what u believe malaysia should be. me too have the same believe as yours. fighting a tough battle for the 54 years and u never gave up hope on what u believe when u was 16 is something rare like the morning star.

    take good care of your health and may the lord bless u with a century of life.

  22. YB Lim KS, I believe that although you have been an opposition all this while still your contribution sacrifice for this nation unmatched in the Malaysian political arena. All this you did in the midst of strong and varied odds. I am not a party member, but if I were ever to have an allegiance or forced to be directly involved in politic I would like to emulate you. I only met you once and very briefly on a flight from KL to Penang, years back. I valued the hand shake more than I would of a Prime Minister. Happy Birthday YB Lim KS, may God Bless you with many more years of active involvement in politic.

  23. MCA + Gerakan kakis n your TURNCOAT ex-comrades lamented: AIYAH, KIT, what a WASTE lah of your life, 70 yrs old, still barking at d wrong tree, still NO datuk/tan sri, still NO palatial mansions, NO power marsidi or bee em de pew, NO buta gaji directorship in GLCs, n NO BIG FAT Swiss bank account after so long in politics, aiyoh, kek sian lah

  27. Good,principled and honest leaders like LKS will forever live in the hearts and minds of the people.It is unlike the so many past and present opportunists and hypocrites in BN including the running dogs of MCA.They may be rich through ill gotten wealth and showered with all sorts of titles but they will soon be forgotten by the people.They maybe remembered by the people for their bad deeds only but will be cursed by our future generations.

  30. Read Ku Li’s birthday tribute to Kit on the Malaysianinsider website:

    http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/breakingviews/article/dear-kit-tengku-razaleigh-hamzah/

    Hello Tun M, Najib, Muhyiddin – time to say something nice to a towering Malaysian. At least, if you can’t be one, simply recognise and share the pride and joy of one who is truly towering after all the years of serving the country. Oh, btw, Tun M, maybe as a birthday gift to Kit, you should begin by apologising for throwing him behind ISA.

  31. Many happy returns of the day, Kit Siang and may you continue to lead us to a better life tomorrow. While some leaders are hell bent on tearing this nation apart, you are steadfast in ensuring we come together as a nation. Long live, Lim Kit Siang!

  32. You might not agree with everything this man has said / done, but as a real politician YB Lim Kit Siang deserve the highest respect from us for his commitment, dedication and preserverant in fighting for the best interest for all fellow Malaysian….

    Happy Birthday YB Lim. Do take at least a half day off and celebrate this special day with your family members whom obviously and rightfully are very proud of you…

  33. May I invite every visitor to this site to say a short prayer, in your own way. It does not matter which religion you are in. Pray that our dear, dear Kit will have a long healthy life to speak up for us and our children.
    No man has done so much for this country. No man except Saudara Lim Kit Siang.

    May God Bless him and his dear wife ( who have sacrificed and suffered so much with him) abundantly.

  35. Kit, congratulations on your 70th birthday. Wish you many happy returns of the day.

    I am surprised at the standard of English you achieved in Form III. I could only write short essays on “A Visit to a Zoo”, “The Happiest Day in My Life” etc. in Form III in 1969. Surely, the standard of Malaysian English has dropped over the years.

  37. It will not be exaggeration to claim that there would not even be an appearance of parliamentary democracy if not for issues raised and debates entered into by Kit. UMNO owes it to Kit to project the image of a functioning democracy, and certainly UMNO has also refined their skills to remain in power despite the incorrigible wishes to cheat. Would UMNO have sunk much lower without the constant check provided by DAP in parliament, so that it might have fallen decades ago and had joined the league of Myanmar? DAP and the opposition parties have managed only to delay the sure but continued decline of Malaysia. Let’s hope that a change of government will happen soon.

  41. ///It is only in the classrooms, where we are all working on a common basis, that we are imbued with the spirit of tolerance, co-operation and loyalty. …We the youths of today, are the leaders of tomorrow, who will take the helm and navigate the Ship of State to Utopia or Doom? Looking back, I have largely lived by the spirit of this schoolboy editorial 54 years ago///

    Yes you have – Happy Birthday- but sadly youthful inclusive idealism in 1957 (“spirit of tolerance, co-operation and loyalty”) was not shared by all especially your seniors who by 1957 was old enough to influence and leave an indelible mark on national discourse in another direction.

    One in particular trained to become a doctor because it was a good spring board to politics. He would look at the nation as a sick patient, observe it like a patient, and record its history, then diagnosed and prescribed a “cure”. He expounded his ideas of the cure to the country’s malaise through his writings to newspapers and later books.

    The doctor left government service in 1957 to set up the first Malay clinic in Alor Star (Klinik Maha).

    He thrived in private practice and was able within 2 years to own a Pontiac Catalina. Resenting the fact that chauffeurs in Malaysia were then Malays which he attributed to the economic dominance of the ethnic Chinese at that time he employed an ethnic Chinese chauffeur.

    Unfortunately for th country, his “cure” was not the inclusive spirit of tolerance, co-operation and loyalty. It was directed at boosting the health of only one particular community.

    He was able to set the chart of the course of the Ship of State which he was to helm in time to come. It is definitely not to Utopia. But for him the ship might have taken a different course.

  42. Happy Birthday Uncle Lim. Without you, Malaysia may have gone the way of Zimbabwe much sooner. May the coming GE be the greatest birthday gift for you as Pakatan breaks through the “glass ceiling” and take control of the federal government and start the process of healing Malaysia, propelling her forward once more. You just need to tell your supporters what needs to be done and we will mobilise.

  43. Did grandpa KIT really contribute a lot, a lot 2 our beloved nation n humanity?
    Y no got award fr gomen n other gomens 1?
    Y our Fat Lady OM nonstop got award after award 1? Latest, d city of Ankara will give her d prestigious “Award of Social Responsibility” for her social work; she really best1

  46. I am surprised at the standard of English you achieved in Form III. I could only write short essays on “A Visit to a Zoo”, “The Happiest Day in My Life” etc. in Form III in 1969. Surely, the standard of Malaysian English has dropped over the years. by yhsiew

    Wah yhsiew,you better than me la.I could only constructed one short sentence of “A visit to the loo,moo and poo”Good la you.

  47. No worry, today’s Form 3 kids r better, can write “A day in d life of a sodomist” – can describe vividly oral seks, anal seks, doggie style, semen on perianal region, etc
    All learnt fr msm n court proceedings, lots of fun learning them too, TQ 2 UmnoB gomen

    Wonder if KIT regretted NOT staying back in S’pore postAug 1965 n working with PAP?
    Would he b a giant politician working on positif things in d little red dot?
    LIFE is strange, a simple decision n lots of wasted opportunities ……….

    Anyway, here’s 2 KIT (mayb dis dedication is still too early in KIT’s political journey)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKxMzc6Rig4&feature=related

  48. Happy 70 Birthday my best4rakyat YB Lim Kit Siang.There will never be a tiring day since 1957 and journey just begin for many include our future youth who shout for ‘Merdeka and Democracy’ to Malaysia.

    Yours faithfully,

  49. ///He thrived in private practice and was able within 2 years to own a Pontiac Catalina. Resenting the fact that chauffeurs in Malaysia were then Malays which he attributed to the economic dominance of the ethnic Chinese at that time he employed an ethnic Chinese chauffeur.///– Jeffrey

    The man is a racist no doubt. But whether the decision to employ a Chinese chauffeur was out to spike, or out of pride is something only he knew, and he was free to give any reason he chose. One certainly hope that the chauffeur one employs would carry out his duties properly for one’s life depends on his judgement. The chauffeur would not be at his best when he senses that the employer wanted to let off steam through him. However, if what he said he did was true, then he must be the earliest person in UMNO who harboured racism. But he was not pro-Malay yet at that time since less than ten years earlier, he registered himself as Muslim Indian when studying in Singapore. Well, it could still be true that he was anti-Chinese all the while.

  50. ///However, if what he said he did was true, then he must be the earliest person in UMNO who harboured racism/// – Loh

    As point of clarification, it is my interpretation of what I regard an unusual situation of him then hiring a Chinese chaffeur.

    It is not based on any quote of him having directly said so found by me.

    However he did then (and still does) espouse views that the Chinese were the economically dominant segment (as compared to Malays).

  52. The good old doctor (or is it not so good in this case) not sharing YB Kit’s youthful idealism as pointed out by Jeffrey #41 is just an aberration. To the doctor, the spirit of tolerance, co-operation and loyalty are good only if they are directed towards him. In a parallel universe, I wonder people in how many countries would have tolerated him for as long as he had hoodwinked Malaysia.

    But there are other contemporaries and seniors to YB Kit, all of whom must have at some point shared in such idealism though not necessarily in the same political leanings. Just to mention two of those that I can think of at this moment:-

    One such person trained as a doctor too. He had a humble start in life, feeding livestock and tapped rubber as a youngster but later in life unselfishly served his constituents from his Batu Road clinic for many years. Mr. Opposition, as he was called, had doggedly remained true to his ideals ‘without fear of or favour to’ anyone.

    Another trained and practised as a lawyer but later led his countrymen to seek independence from Britain. Being fiercely competitive some regard him as harsh but he has delivered the goods; leading his island nation to economic prosperity and success while never wavering from the ideals of tolerance and cooperation.

    On another note, Tengku Razaleigh’s glowing tribute sums it all up. His citing of “stood your ground on matters relating to the fundamental rights of all the rakyat…political, judicial and legal justice”, “courageously spoken up against the corruption and the various misdeeds…of the government…despite the possible reprisals…and even possible punitive actions” clearly demonstrates his appreciation and value of the good qualities in a principled man like you, YB Kit.

    Like no other MPs before or even now, you have faced 6 Prime Ministers in Parliament, served as Opposition leader several times, contested in at least 10 GEs, been held under ISA more than once, a party stalwart almost since inception, writing and striving for nation building since 1957 all seem too much for anyone of us ordinary folks to take in let alone achieve by age 70. But the reality is – you have.

    YB Kit, hope you find this point in your life and this juncture in Malaysia’s political road give you more reasons to forge ahead and work to achieve your dreams. Happy Birthday!.

  56. A happy birthday to a truly great man.

    And the horrifying truth is today school kids are exam geared. They have little ideals save for dreams of becoming film stars.

    Of course cintanegara can think of nothing else except free rambutans and dreaming of who would take away his red hairy fruits. He knows nothing about peaches and apples and oranges. Poor fella. He does not want to know them.

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