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“It is no shame for a child to be afraid of the dark, the real tragedy is when a man or woman is afraid of the light”

(Speech by Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng on the occasion of his father Lim Kit Siang’s 75th birthday celebrations in Equatorial Hotel, Penang on 20 Feb 2016)

This is one of my most emotional speeches I am giving on behalf of my family, my party the Democratic Action Party and many Malaysians to pay tribute in commemoration of Lim Kit Siang’s 75th birthday party.

I am also speaking as a son, the first-born to his father, a son who gave him much anguish and anxiety as well as I hope joy and pride.

I wish to start as a son together with my two sisters Hui Ming, Hui Ying, my brother Dr Lim Guan Choon and also my dearest Mom.

No words can express our honour and blessings to have you as our father principally because we never have to doubt nor question your love for us.

You were always giving and generous and unstinting in your love that we know that even if the whole world was against us, you were always there for us.

Yes, you were never always there for us but your presence brought both solace and comfort, courage and strength to continue and the inner confidence that doing the right thing is the only thing that matters. Continue reading ““It is no shame for a child to be afraid of the dark, the real tragedy is when a man or woman is afraid of the light””

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“My father’s courage, steely determination and endurance in fighting for what is best for the country”

(Speech by Dr. Lim Guan Choon, Lim Kit Siang’s youngest son and fourth child, at Kit Siang 75th birthday party at Equatorial Hotel, Penang on 20 Feb 2016)

A very good evening distinguished guests, dear family and friends, including my father’s classmates from Batu Pahat Year 1959.

On behalf of my family, I would like to thank all of you for coming.

We are gathered here today to celebrate a very special occasion: my father’s 75th birthday.

We were in this same venue five years ago, and we hope to see you again in five years’ time for his 80th birthday party. Continue reading ““My father’s courage, steely determination and endurance in fighting for what is best for the country””

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“…to make many stop crying in despair”

(Speech by eldest daughter of Lim Guan Eng, Rachel Lim on Lim Kit Siang’s 75th Birthday celebrations at the Equatorial Penang on 20 Feb 2016)

My name is Rachel Lim Shay Wan and I am the eldest of Grand Dad Kit Siang’s seven grandchildren. On their behalf, I wish my Grand Dad “Happy Birthday – May you deservedly enjoy a happy, loving, long lasting healthy life!”

We do not know what to give you for your 75th birthday present because you have never cared for material gifts.

If you have, you would not have gone to prison twice or deprived yourself or suffer the painful trauma of seeing your own son, my Dad, go to prison twice.

That is why we never begrudged you when you did not shower us with rich material gifts, when you have nothing yourself. Continue reading ““…to make many stop crying in despair””

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Are there any bridges left to build?

by S Thayaparan
Malaysiakini
23rd February 2016

“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts… Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.”

― CS Lewis, ‘The Screwtape Letters’

COMMENT Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said some nice things about Lim Kit Siang during the birthday bash of the DAP’s supremo – Kit Siang will always be the supremo in my book no matter the brickbats calling for new blood from the DAP – which is a change of pace. Normally when it comes to Kit Siang, Umno and its affiliates go out of their way to paint the opposition leader as Malaysia’s public enemy number one.

In Ku Li who wants in from the cold, I wrote: “Razaleigh, of course, always nurtured the perception that he was the last honest man in Umno, a prince who reluctantly found himself consorting with thieves. Ku Li, as he is fondly known as, has the remarkable ability to engender goodwill from certain sections of the general public by disassociating himself from the excesses of Umno even though he contributed to the very culture he claims to despise.”

It does seem unpalatable to dismiss Ku Li’s rejoinder of goodwill especially when it was made in a bipartisan manner at a political rival’s birthday celebration but these days words are a plenty and depending on who says them, a sedition charge is waiting in the wings or a disinterested state security apparatus dismisses them as of no consequence.

Therefore, here are a few statements made by Ku Li that I find problematic. Continue reading “Are there any bridges left to build?”

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Greatest gift to Najib on his 40th anniversary celebrations in politics – a second sabotage of the PAC investigations into 1MDB!

There was considerabe fanfare to celebrate the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s “40 years of serving the people” “From Pekan to Putrajaya” especially the pages and pages of “congratulatory” advertisements by various Barisan Nasional Mentri-Mentri Besar and Chief Ministers and GLCS in thick supplements published by the Barisan Nasional controlled owned mainstream media.

(Note to Auditor-General: should check on propriety of UMNO leaders and GLCs using public funds to glorify Najib and whether surcharge should be imposed on the UMNO MBs, CMs and GLC CEOs to pay the advertising costs from their own pockets).

But the greatest gift to Najib on his 40th anniversary celebrations came from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman, Datuk Hasan Arifin – the second sabotage of PAC investigations into the RM55 billion 1MDB scandal with the shocking announcement that the tabling of the Auditor-General’s final report on 1MDB had been deferred until next month.

It would appear that the “cari makan” PAC Chairman has finally stamped his personality on the PAC because of the BN majority on the committee, transforming the PAC into his image by becoming a “cari makan” PAC! Continue reading “Greatest gift to Najib on his 40th anniversary celebrations in politics – a second sabotage of the PAC investigations into 1MDB!”

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Street racing is a public safety issue

Syerleena Abdul Rashid
22nd February 2016

According to Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor, the government may close several city roads to allow illegal racers or “mat rempits” to race in Kuala Lumpur. Our problem with illegal street car racing is nothing new. In the past decade, numerous reports of vehicle accidents and various gang related activities have been closely linked with the Mat Rempit culture. It is pathetic that until today, the government is unable to address this issue effectively. Instead of conducting research to ascertain best practices to prevent this social ill from escalating further, the government is proposing to sanction illegal street racing.

In general, humans can become easily discouraged when certain expectations or self goals are not met. This feeling of frustration may lead them to drug or alcohol abuse because of the overwhelming problems they face. Peer pressure, deterioration of family values, lack of solid familial structures, lack of discipline and boredom have also been identified by scholars as influencing factors of harmful activities – illegal street racing being one of them.

Strict and effective enforcement is crucial as this can dissuade them from partaking in such activities. On the other hand, softer approaches such as identifying psychological factors should also be carried out as this can provide the long term solution our society needs. Continue reading “Street racing is a public safety issue”