Lim Keng Yaik (; 8 April 1939 – 22 December 2012) was a Malaysian politician and former Minister of Energy, Water and Communications in the Malaysian cabinet. He was the third president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) from 1980 until stepping down on 8 April 2007 to pave the way for Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon. Just before his death, he was among the only four living Chinese with Tunship holders in Malaysia.
Background
Lim was born on 8 April 1939 in Tapah, Perak with fifteen siblings, to a mining father and a homemaker mother. He was educated in St. Michael's Institution in Ipoh between 1947 and 1957 before travelling to Northern Ireland in 1958. He graduated from The Queens University of Belfast with a MB.BCh.BAO. in 1964 and returned to serve in the government hospital in Taiping and a few more places before he opened up his own clinic in Chemor, a place that earned him his famous sobriquet 'sor chai yee sang' or 'madcap doctor' as he used to play the clown when treating sick children. He was a popular doctor and he used to offer free services to the poor patients.
He married Wong Yoon Chuan and the couple have three children. Former Gerakan Youth Chief, Lim Si Pin is their son.
Political career
Lim began his foray into politics in 1968 by joining the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). He subsequently contested in the Pekan Baru state seat in Perak in 1969 on an Alliance ticket, but lost.
In 1971, he became the chairman of MCA Perak. He was appointed as a senator to Dewan Negara and joined the federal cabinet in 1972. However, in 1973, Lim was expelled from the MCA after going against the then MCA president Tun Tan Siew Sin and in the same year joined Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan).
He became the Ulu Kinta Gerakan division head the next year and moved up to become Perak Gerakan head in 1974. In 1976, he became the party's deputy president. In July 1978, Lim resigned as senator and contested in the 1978 Perak General Elections in the Jalong state seat in Perak, which he won narrowly and was appointed as a state Exco member for two terms until 1986.
In 1980, the medical doctor-turned-politician became the Gerakan President. For the first three terms as the party head, he faced challenges and successfully defended the position at every party election since then. He contested the Beruas Parliament seat in 1986 and won by a handsome margin. He narrowly won the seat again in 1990, amid allegations of foul play, to which he has never respond. In the 2004 Malaysian general election which was also the final time he contested in a general elections before retiring, he retained his seat for a last time with a clear majority of 4,564 with a total registered voter count of 15,867.
Wawasan Open University (WOU) appointed Tun Lim Keng Yaik as its second chancellor on 9 May 2011 to succeed the Late Tun Lim Chong Eu. He was given a state funeral by the federal government to honour his decades of immense contributions to the country as he was one of the longest-serving ministers in the country and a highly revered statesman by the public.
!|Year
!|Constituency
! colspan=2|Candidate
!|Votes
!|Pct
! colspan=2|Opponent(s)
!|Votes
!|Pct
!|Ballots cast
!|Majority
!|Turnout
|-
|1969
|N24 Pekan Bharu
| |
|Lim Keng Yaik (MCA)
| align=right|2,688
|17.96%
|bgcolor= |
| (PPP)
| align=right|12,281
|82.04%
|15,617
|9,593
|75.18%
|-
|1978
| rowspan=2|N10 Jalong
| |
| (Gerakan)
| align=right|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1982
| |
|Lim Keng Yaik (Gerakan)
| align=right|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ Parliament of Malaysia
!|Year
!|Constituency
!colspan=2|Candidate
!|Votes
!|Pct
!colspan=2|Opponent(s)
!|Votes
!|Pct
!|Ballots cast
!|Majority
!|Turnout
|-
|rowspan=2|1986
|rowspan=3|P062 Beruas
|rowspan=2 |
|rowspan=2| (Gerakan)
|rowspan=2 align="right" |11,926
|rowspan=2|48.82%
| |
|Gong Ngie Hea (DAP)
|align="right" |10,911
|44.66%
|rowspan=2|25,236
|rowspan=2|1,015
|rowspan=2|72.46%
|-
| |
|Hassan Mohamed (PAS)
|align="right" |1,594
|align=right|6.52%
|-
|1990
| |
|Lim Keng Yaik (Gerakan)
|align="right" |13,889
|51.60%
| |
|Ngeh Koo Ham (DAP)
|align="right" |13,026
|48.40%
|27,718
|863
|71.38%
|-
|rowspan=3|1995
|rowspan="5"|P065 Beruas
|rowspan=3 |
|rowspan=3|Lim Keng Yaik (Gerakan)
|rowspan=3 align="right" |18,313
|rowspan=3|68.46%
| |
|Chen Lim Piow (DAP)
|align="right" |7,059
|26.38%
|rowspan=3|36,842
|rowspan=3|12,318
|rowspan=3|73.71%
|-
| |
|Ramli Ariffin (IND)
|align="right" |708
|align=right|2.65%
|-
| |
|Tan Kiat Seng (IND)
|align="right" |671
|align=right|2.51%
|-
|rowspan=2|1999
|rowspan=2 |
|rowspan=2|Lim Keng Yaik (Gerakan)
|rowspan=2 align="right" |14,256
|rowspan=2|51.81%
| |
|Yew Teong Chong (DAP)
|align="right" |12,801
|46.53%
|rowspan=2|28,297
|rowspan=2|1,455
|rowspan=2|64.02%
|-
|style="background-color: #000080;" |
|Abdul Roni (MDP)
|align="right" |457
|align=right|1.66%
|-
|2004
|P068 Beruas
| |
|Lim Keng Yaik (Gerakan)
|align="right" |15,867
|58.40%
| |
|Nga Hock Cheh (DAP)
|align="right" |11,303
|41.60%
|28,328
|4,564
|67.17%
|}
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
- 50px Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM) – Tun (2008)
- 50px Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – Dato' Sri (2005)
- 50px Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Perak State Crown (SPMP) – Dato' Seri (1989)
- 50px Knight Commander of the Order of Cura Si Manja Kini (DPCM) – Dato' (1981)
- 50px Commander of the Order of Cura Si Manja Kini (PCM) (1976)
- 50px Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DGPN) – Dato' Seri (1997)
- 50px Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak (PNBS) – Dato Sri (2008)