Book review: why Kit Siang is a towering figure in M’sian politics – P. Gunasegaram

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KEE Thuan Chye’s biography on Lim Kit Siang is perhaps the most important independent contribution to literature on the DAP stalwart. It explains more clearly than anything I have read why he is such a towering and influential figure in Malaysian politics and deserves a place in the history of our country. 

For all the talk of DAP being a parochial, Chinese-based party, his leadership of the party rattled Umno/Alliance and subsequently Barisan Nasional (BN) to its very roots in over half a century of him being a key opposition leader. The depth and breath of the issues he covered is truly amazing.

That’s not because of the Chinese-ness of the party, but the true multiracial and multicultural tenets that Lim held to by example and sacrifice in the face of enormous adversity. He continuously and unwaveringly championed the cause of democratic socialism against all odds, holding on to his principles tenaciously and paying the price for it.

And this meant taking the battle to key elements within his own party, many of whom wanted Lim to champion mainly the Chinese cause, because that was where DAP’s support base was and still is. But no, that was not for him.

It is largely due to Lim’s credit that DAP has maintained its multiracial mantle, wielding non-Chinese candidates in Chinese-majority areas and winning seats. In fact, there have been far more Indian MPs from DAP than from MIC, for instance.

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