Who will be the heir to Lim Kit Siang's legacy?
26 Feb 2025 • 9:00 AM MYT
TheRealNehruism
Writer. Seeker. Teacher
image credit: Lim Kit Siang FB / Lim Guan Eng FB / Steven Sim FB / Lim Hui Ying FB
Lim Kit Siang is a big deal in the politics of DAP.
In a career spanning 6 decades, Lim Kit Siang’s foray in politics is as old as DAP itself.
Considering that until 2018, Malaysia has been ruled by the same party, while Lim Kit Siang was a part of the opposition that opposed the ruling party during all this time, and the fact that Lim Kit Siang had not taken any important posts in the government after his party was finally was able to be a part of the government in 2018 and then again in 2022, will quite likely cause Lim Kit Siang to achieve a legendary status, in the years to come.
In the history of the world, I think you can count with one hand the number of politicians who spent their entire life fighting those who ruled, until they won, but declined to rule after they had won.
They are so rare, that other than Gandhi, I can’t think of anyone else off the cuff.
Considering that Lim Kit Siang, like Gandhi, had fought when fighting was hard but declined to rule when victory had been won, I don’t see how history will have any other choice but to remember him as a legend, if DAP continues to rule in the times to come.
The problem with being a legend however, is that everybody wants to be associated with your legacy.
In India for example, politicians have been trying to associate themselves with the legacy of Gandhi, although it has been almost 80 years since Gandhi passed away.
In nearby Singapore, the right to possess the legacy of Lee Kuan Yew, had also torn Lee Kuan Yew’s family apart after Lee Kuan Yew had passed away.
Political legacy is unlike wealth. Wealth tends to be inherited by our own children, but political legacy does not necessarily end up with a political leader’s children.
Rather, political legacy will be inherited by anyone who was not only close to a legendary politician, but who has most closely resembled the struggles and beliefs of the political leader.
So what did Lim Kit Siang believed and struggled for during the span of his political career?
I will go out on a limb and state that what Mr Opposition, as Lim Kit Siang was often called, stood and fought for, was the belief that all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, deserve to be seen as an equal in Malaysia.
There are a variety of reasons as to why Malaysians do not feel like we are all equals in Malaysia, and the reason this is so is much more complicated than we tend to assume. We must remember that even in DAP, the party where Lim Kit Siang held sway, not everyone feels that they are seen as equal, regardless of their race, religion or skin colour.
Regardless of the reality however, it is this concept of equality of citizens, regardless of race, religion or skin colour – as well as his socialist, anti-corruption crusade or fight for justice – that will be seen as the legacy of Lim Kit Siang.
In his long career, Lim Kit Siang had personally fought and steered his party, DAP, to fight for his beliefs from outside of the government, but now that DAP is a part of the government, what he stood and fought for will have to be upheld from inside the government.
The question however is who will continue Lim Kit Siang’s legacy from inside the government, and whether they will continue his legacy inside the government, now that they have become a part of the government ?
As a rule of thumb, it is often assumed that it will be Lim Kit Siang’s son, Lim Guan Eng, that will carry the mantle of Lim Kit Siang, but Lim Guan Eng’s fortune in DAP’s politics and national politics has been dimming in the last few years.
Other than his son, Lim Kit Siang’s daughter, Lim Hui Ying, is also active in DAP’s politics, and she has long been touted to be the next and first female Chief Minister of Penang.
However, there has been increasing murmurs of discontent against the hold that Lim Kit Siang’s family has been having on DAP’s leadership.
It is perhaps to prevent a political “dynasty” from forming in DAP out of Lim Kit Siang’s legacy, that according to party insiders, there is genuine movement within DAP to remove Guan Eng from leadership position during party election on March 16.
Without his son Lim Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang could still count on his daughter and perhaps even the Human Resource minister, Steven Sim, who has long been seen as the blue eyed boy of Lim Guan Eng, to carry the torch of Lim Kit Siang in DAP.
However, Lim Guan Eng might not be yet ready to ride to the sunset of his career just yet.
During Lim Kit Siang’s 84th birthday celebration last week, Lim Guan Eng would hit out at critics of the “Lim dynasty,” by reminding everyone, in case they have forgotten, about how he and his father, Lim Kit Siang were imprisoned twice for their political beliefs and struggles for justice.
In the same dinner, an aide to Lim Guan Eng would also accuse Steven Sim as being a "Fan Gu Zai" or traitor.
"Eh, Steven, am I wrong? You are a traitor, aren't you?
"If he dares to fight, we will fight too. What is there to be afraid of? He has his supporters, and we have ours. Let's see what happens!" the aide was quoted as saying.
Just a few days after he was heckled, Steven would go on to write a glowing tribute to his Lao Da, Lim Kit Siang, which was published in the mainstream media, and remark how he sees Kit Siang as visionary ahead of his time, and express his willingness to carry out Lim Kit Siang’s legacy. Lim Guan Eng however, was mentioned nowhere in the tribute.
It is hard to say whether Steven's tribute was a spontaneous gesture from his heart, or whether it is something more calculated, to preserve his image as a "student" of Lim Kit Siang, after he was so openly rebuked by the aide of Lim Kit Siang's son, Lim Guan Eng, as a traitor, at the birthday celebration of Lim Kit Siang.
Looking at all the signs that are emerging since his 84th birthday celebration, it looks like a fight to bear the legacy of Lim Kit Siang might indeed be about to break out in DAP. This fight will likely peak by the time DAP’s election occurs on March 16.
Will Lim Kit Siang’s legacy survive the fight?
It is hard to say.
We must remember that Lim Kit Siang spent most of his career fighting for his beliefs outside of the corridors of power. His successors however, will likely have to carry his legacy from within the corridors of power.
As it is, there are already voices that are troubled by the notion that DAP today is not acting in sync with how it was in the past.
Power tends to corrupt. Lim Kit Siang was fortunate to never have his beliefs tempted by the prospect of power, but the heirs to his legacy might find not be so lucky. Will Lim Kit Siang's principles and beliefs survive the temptation of power? Only time will tell.
Also, as I see it, the political prospects of Lim Kit Siang’s son, Lim Guan Eng, is going to trouble Lim Kit Siang’s legacy, regardless of whether Lim Guan Eng manages to maintain his relevance in both party and national politics.
If Lim Guan Eng succeeds in securing his place in party and national politics, the accusation of “dynasty building” might ruin Lim Kit Siang’s egalitarian principles.
On the other hand, if Lim Guan Eng fails, by the looks of it, he is not going to fall down without a fight, and if Lim Guan Eng’s triggers an infighting in DAP to the point that it weakens it, Lim Kit Siang legacy might also suffer together with the party that his name is most associated with.
On March 16, DAP’s election will commence.
Let us wait and see as to what will happen by then.
***
Postscript by matey Nehru in Readers column (presumably in response to reader Superdaisy):
superdaisy
• 15h
Time changes everything, it is no longer in anti-govt mode, it is part of the govt now.. and Steven Sim will lead the way!
nehru_sathiamoorthy
• 19h
in the future, i reckon DAP's history will be broken into a anti-government phase and a "part of the govt" phase. The anti govt phase will be synonymous with the Lim Kit Siang Era. Now that DAP has shifted phase, it is a question about what DAP will want to do with the legacy of lim kit siang. organisations and groups always have a dilemma in dealing with the heroes of its previous phase. The legacy of Mao zedong underwent difficulties when china changed phase in the deng xiaoping era. Even the legacy of someone as esteemed as gandhi, is facing scrutiny, now that india has changed phase in the BJP era
***
By a Nazi-like organization that has been rotten
Yet easily forgiven by a political flash in the pan
(iii) The biased badmouthing of Ravana - As to be expected, as the principal villain in the Ramayana, the author would have described Ravana as a demon king. A demon is, according to the dictionary, an evil spirit. Remember the stereotype narration - heroes would be handsome studs who wore white, while villains were ugly monsters who wore black.
This sort of typical discrimination is quite common in religious books, most of which were written by biased human beings, who were naturally prejudiced in their perception of who should be the 'hero' and who the 'villain'.
Fortunately, there were Ramayan scholars more sympathetic to Ravana who pointed out Ravana as a devout follower of the god Shiva, a great scholar, a capable ruler and a maestro of veena.
26 Feb 2025 • 9:00 AM MYT
TheRealNehruism
Writer. Seeker. Teacher
image credit: Lim Kit Siang FB / Lim Guan Eng FB / Steven Sim FB / Lim Hui Ying FB
Lim Kit Siang is a big deal in the politics of DAP.
In a career spanning 6 decades, Lim Kit Siang’s foray in politics is as old as DAP itself.
Considering that until 2018, Malaysia has been ruled by the same party, while Lim Kit Siang was a part of the opposition that opposed the ruling party during all this time, and the fact that Lim Kit Siang had not taken any important posts in the government after his party was finally was able to be a part of the government in 2018 and then again in 2022, will quite likely cause Lim Kit Siang to achieve a legendary status, in the years to come.
In the history of the world, I think you can count with one hand the number of politicians who spent their entire life fighting those who ruled, until they won, but declined to rule after they had won.
They are so rare, that other than Gandhi, I can’t think of anyone else off the cuff.
Considering that Lim Kit Siang, like Gandhi, had fought when fighting was hard but declined to rule when victory had been won, I don’t see how history will have any other choice but to remember him as a legend, if DAP continues to rule in the times to come.
The problem with being a legend however, is that everybody wants to be associated with your legacy.
In India for example, politicians have been trying to associate themselves with the legacy of Gandhi, although it has been almost 80 years since Gandhi passed away.
In nearby Singapore, the right to possess the legacy of Lee Kuan Yew, had also torn Lee Kuan Yew’s family apart after Lee Kuan Yew had passed away.
Political legacy is unlike wealth. Wealth tends to be inherited by our own children, but political legacy does not necessarily end up with a political leader’s children.
Rather, political legacy will be inherited by anyone who was not only close to a legendary politician, but who has most closely resembled the struggles and beliefs of the political leader.
So what did Lim Kit Siang believed and struggled for during the span of his political career?
I will go out on a limb and state that what Mr Opposition, as Lim Kit Siang was often called, stood and fought for, was the belief that all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, deserve to be seen as an equal in Malaysia.
There are a variety of reasons as to why Malaysians do not feel like we are all equals in Malaysia, and the reason this is so is much more complicated than we tend to assume. We must remember that even in DAP, the party where Lim Kit Siang held sway, not everyone feels that they are seen as equal, regardless of their race, religion or skin colour.
Regardless of the reality however, it is this concept of equality of citizens, regardless of race, religion or skin colour – as well as his socialist, anti-corruption crusade or fight for justice – that will be seen as the legacy of Lim Kit Siang.
In his long career, Lim Kit Siang had personally fought and steered his party, DAP, to fight for his beliefs from outside of the government, but now that DAP is a part of the government, what he stood and fought for will have to be upheld from inside the government.
The question however is who will continue Lim Kit Siang’s legacy from inside the government, and whether they will continue his legacy inside the government, now that they have become a part of the government ?
As a rule of thumb, it is often assumed that it will be Lim Kit Siang’s son, Lim Guan Eng, that will carry the mantle of Lim Kit Siang, but Lim Guan Eng’s fortune in DAP’s politics and national politics has been dimming in the last few years.
Other than his son, Lim Kit Siang’s daughter, Lim Hui Ying, is also active in DAP’s politics, and she has long been touted to be the next and first female Chief Minister of Penang.
However, there has been increasing murmurs of discontent against the hold that Lim Kit Siang’s family has been having on DAP’s leadership.
It is perhaps to prevent a political “dynasty” from forming in DAP out of Lim Kit Siang’s legacy, that according to party insiders, there is genuine movement within DAP to remove Guan Eng from leadership position during party election on March 16.
Without his son Lim Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang could still count on his daughter and perhaps even the Human Resource minister, Steven Sim, who has long been seen as the blue eyed boy of Lim Guan Eng, to carry the torch of Lim Kit Siang in DAP.
However, Lim Guan Eng might not be yet ready to ride to the sunset of his career just yet.
During Lim Kit Siang’s 84th birthday celebration last week, Lim Guan Eng would hit out at critics of the “Lim dynasty,” by reminding everyone, in case they have forgotten, about how he and his father, Lim Kit Siang were imprisoned twice for their political beliefs and struggles for justice.
In the same dinner, an aide to Lim Guan Eng would also accuse Steven Sim as being a "Fan Gu Zai" or traitor.
"Eh, Steven, am I wrong? You are a traitor, aren't you?
"If he dares to fight, we will fight too. What is there to be afraid of? He has his supporters, and we have ours. Let's see what happens!" the aide was quoted as saying.
Just a few days after he was heckled, Steven would go on to write a glowing tribute to his Lao Da, Lim Kit Siang, which was published in the mainstream media, and remark how he sees Kit Siang as visionary ahead of his time, and express his willingness to carry out Lim Kit Siang’s legacy. Lim Guan Eng however, was mentioned nowhere in the tribute.
It is hard to say whether Steven's tribute was a spontaneous gesture from his heart, or whether it is something more calculated, to preserve his image as a "student" of Lim Kit Siang, after he was so openly rebuked by the aide of Lim Kit Siang's son, Lim Guan Eng, as a traitor, at the birthday celebration of Lim Kit Siang.
Looking at all the signs that are emerging since his 84th birthday celebration, it looks like a fight to bear the legacy of Lim Kit Siang might indeed be about to break out in DAP. This fight will likely peak by the time DAP’s election occurs on March 16.
Will Lim Kit Siang’s legacy survive the fight?
It is hard to say.
We must remember that Lim Kit Siang spent most of his career fighting for his beliefs outside of the corridors of power. His successors however, will likely have to carry his legacy from within the corridors of power.
As it is, there are already voices that are troubled by the notion that DAP today is not acting in sync with how it was in the past.
Power tends to corrupt. Lim Kit Siang was fortunate to never have his beliefs tempted by the prospect of power, but the heirs to his legacy might find not be so lucky. Will Lim Kit Siang's principles and beliefs survive the temptation of power? Only time will tell.
Also, as I see it, the political prospects of Lim Kit Siang’s son, Lim Guan Eng, is going to trouble Lim Kit Siang’s legacy, regardless of whether Lim Guan Eng manages to maintain his relevance in both party and national politics.
If Lim Guan Eng succeeds in securing his place in party and national politics, the accusation of “dynasty building” might ruin Lim Kit Siang’s egalitarian principles.
On the other hand, if Lim Guan Eng fails, by the looks of it, he is not going to fall down without a fight, and if Lim Guan Eng’s triggers an infighting in DAP to the point that it weakens it, Lim Kit Siang legacy might also suffer together with the party that his name is most associated with.
On March 16, DAP’s election will commence.
Let us wait and see as to what will happen by then.
***
Postscript by matey Nehru in Readers column (presumably in response to reader Superdaisy):
superdaisy
• 15h
Time changes everything, it is no longer in anti-govt mode, it is part of the govt now.. and Steven Sim will lead the way!
nehru_sathiamoorthy
• 19h
in the future, i reckon DAP's history will be broken into a anti-government phase and a "part of the govt" phase. The anti govt phase will be synonymous with the Lim Kit Siang Era. Now that DAP has shifted phase, it is a question about what DAP will want to do with the legacy of lim kit siang. organisations and groups always have a dilemma in dealing with the heroes of its previous phase. The legacy of Mao zedong underwent difficulties when china changed phase in the deng xiaoping era. Even the legacy of someone as esteemed as gandhi, is facing scrutiny, now that india has changed phase in the BJP era
***
kt comments:
I like this article by matey Nehru, especially his postscript comment - there he most correctly raised people's "dilemma in dealing with the heroes of its previous phase", citing as examples personalities like Mao Zedong, Deng, Gandhi and of course Malaysia's own Lim KS.
Personally I have an innate distrust of Lim KS, much as I admire his earlier self in Malaysian politics. The break in my respect for Uncle Lim was when he "abandoned" his fight for Teoh Beng Hock to curry favour (rubbed chummy shoulders) with the MACC - see post below from KTemoc Komposes:
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Teoh. Sort by date Show all posts
6/01/2017
Let us not forget Teoh Beng Hock
Alas, someone in the DAP might have forgotten
The evil that was perpetuated on a young manBy a Nazi-like organization that has been rotten
Yet easily forgiven by a political flash in the pan
All for grubby politics, none for integrity nor justice
For a man slain on the very eve of his wedding day
Oh we weep, what treachery to become so solicitous
To abandon principles, an evil crime now is gainsay
When is the MACC going to hand over to the police the person responsible for the untimely death of Teoh Beng Hock?
 |
DAP leader Lim Kit Siang shook hands with Rohaizad Yaakob, a top Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) official to show the opposition’s solidarity with the MACC Yet just a year earlier Kit Siang in his article, titled "Malaysians will not rest until justice is done for the killing of Teoh Beng Hock" said DAP and Pakatan Rakyat would continue to highlight the injustice of Teoh Beng Hock’s unresolved murder what utter bullshit |
But I haven't!
When is the MACC going to hand over to the police the person responsible for the untimely death of Teoh Beng Hock?
Yes, we/I know why he did that, but to do so just one year after his "hypocritical" declaration for Teoh BH in "Malaysians will not rest until justice is done for the killing of Teoh Beng Hock" took my breath and erstwhile respect for Uncle Lim away - as I had mentioned angrily then, "What utter bullshit" by Uncle Lim KS!
Uncle Lim and his very "dark moments" has disturbed me ever since, just as modern scholars (and admirers) are pondering over the "dark" moments, weaknesses and faults of national heroes like Mao, Deng, Gandhi, and even mythical/legendary/religious personalities like:
(i) Rama (for unchivalrously killing Monkey King Vali by sneaky stealth - a disgraceful act by the so-called 'Perfect Man'),
(ii) Krishna (egging Arjuna to kill Karna whilst the latter was changing his chariot wheel, an unchivalrous act akin to modern day's war crime), and
This sort of typical discrimination is quite common in religious books, most of which were written by biased human beings, who were naturally prejudiced in their perception of who should be the 'hero' and who the 'villain'.
Fortunately, there were Ramayan scholars more sympathetic to Ravana who pointed out Ravana as a devout follower of the god Shiva, a great scholar, a capable ruler and a maestro of veena.
So with 'victors' writing the history or lore, some modern Ramayana scholars today even pose queries on who has been the far more chivalrous hero, namely, Rama or Ravana?
The scholars have considered reversing the roles and status of the two principal antagonists, Rama and Ravana, something that would have been previously considered as an unimaginable proposition, namely, that Rama was a cad in many ways while Ravana was a chivalrous hero of sorts.
Some conservative Hindus may even take that proposition as blasphemous, not unlike conservative Malays on the role reversal of Kassim Ahmad’s Tuah and Jebat - for more, read Kassim Ahmad's book titled 'Perwatakan dalam Hikayat Hang Tuah: Penyelidekan umum tentang cara2 penggambaran watak serta uraian dan penafsiran watak2 Hang Tuah dan Hang Jebat'.
The scholars have considered reversing the roles and status of the two principal antagonists, Rama and Ravana, something that would have been previously considered as an unimaginable proposition, namely, that Rama was a cad in many ways while Ravana was a chivalrous hero of sorts.
In the course of their mission until their eventual triumphant return to Ayodha, Rama accused Sita TWICE of infidelity, even though she was innocent. Each time Sita was forced to prove her purity (chastity) by Agni Pariksha, an ordeal of fire.
But in spite of her repetitive demonstration of virtue, she was considered a 'tainted' partner. Sita was never accepted by Rama as a loyal, chaste wife and a full member of the Ayodha family.
Why did such a so-called righteous hero like Rama, ironically termed in the Ramayana as the ‘Perfect Man’, treat his partner Sita with such distrust, lack of respect and injustice, not once but on two separate occasions? By contrast, Ravana treated his hostage Sita with great respect and chivalry, not touching her at all.
So, who's actually the hero and who's the villain in Ramayana?
So, who's actually the hero and who's the villain in Ramayana?
Some conservative Hindus may even take that proposition as blasphemous, not unlike conservative Malays on the role reversal of Kassim Ahmad’s Tuah and Jebat - for more, read Kassim Ahmad's book titled 'Perwatakan dalam Hikayat Hang Tuah: Penyelidekan umum tentang cara2 penggambaran watak serta uraian dan penafsiran watak2 Hang Tuah dan Hang Jebat'.
(iv) Abraham for really sembelih-ing Isaac (sorry, there was no last-minute rescue of Isaac by any angel, as kerbau-ed in the Bible)
Two last points - I must correct matey Nehru that Lim KS was known as "Mr Opposition". That reputable title belongs to the late Tan Sri (Dr) Tan Chee Khoon.
And I gratefully thank matey for not being given to describing the CM-potential of Lim Hui Ying, and thus the possibility of her inheriting the political legacy of her father Lim KS. I did shudder at that thought😂😂😂
No comments:
Post a Comment