Keng Yaik, a ‘Malaysian-minded’ politician best remembered for razor wit and earthy humour

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 – Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik, 73, was a plain-speaking battle-hardened medical doctor-turned politician who is widely remembered as a formidable statesman, known for his razor sharp wit and earthy humour, former colleagues in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) said today, hours after news of his death went viral on Twitter.

“He was a great reformist leader with great vision for the party. He was a strong fighter and humorous in many ways. He was a risk taker in many political decisions he took when he helmed the party. He will be greatly missed by all. The nation lost a great leader,” Gerakan secretary-general, Teng Chang Yeow told The Malaysian Insider.

“We lost a great statesman. He was a Malaysian-minded leader. I can still remember this quote he used to tell me: The day when the Chinese accepts an Indian leader or the Malays accept a Chinese or Indian leader, then this country will be truly Malaysian,” Penang Progressive People’s Party chairman, Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan, shared.

His contempory, Gerakan veteran advisor, Datuk Liang Thau Sang, related that Dr Lim(picture) remained close to his roots and never forgot old friends, a “nice man” in an increasingly vicious world that Malaysian politics appears to have become.

“When he left MCA many years ago, I followed him and joined Gerakan. All these years, even when he became a minister, he was always a simple and humble man. Each time I gave him a call, if he had time, he would come over and visit me. He was a great leader and a nice man. There’s no other leader like him,” Liang, who at 73 is the same age as Dr Lim.

Former comrades remember him as a rare breed of leader, who puts on no airs, as Parti Cinta Malaysia vice president, Huan Cheng Guan, said.

“He was a great man. There are no leaders like KY anymore. His style, his straight talk, how he does not put on airs and makes you laugh. He was a rare breed of leader. I have the utmost respect for him even though I’ve left Gerakan,” the former Gerakan vice-president said.

Pandan MP, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, recalled Dr Lim’s huge sense of humour and a big man who could always spare time for his juniors.

“When he was a minister, I was a deputy minister and we often met. He liked to joke, his character was certainly bright. When he was a minister, he loved joking with me in Cantonese,” the former MCA president said.

“Even though he was sacked from MCA at one point in the past, but he continued his fight in Gerakan. I feel very sad. A few months ago, I underwent physio in the same hospital where he was. I did not expect him to go,” Ong said.

Dr Lim’s contributions to build a better Malaysia across the span of three decades spent as a federal minister have won him the grudging admiration from his political foes, several DAP leaders told The Malaysian Insider.

Bukit Bendera MP, Liew Chin Tong, said: “Tun Lim presided over the politically most successful period of Gerakan when the party had national representation beyond its Penang base.

“He also helmed one of the most powerful ministries during Tun Abdullah’s tenure as PM. While we disagreed with his politics, he was one of those few politicians with character,” said the 35-year-old DAP national political education director.

And among those who only knew him from across the political divide, they felt he “had contributed to the nation-building process” as DAP vice-chairman, Chow Kon Yeow, said.

DAP secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng expressed the party’s condolences to the Lim family today.

“As one of the longest serving Ministers in Malaysian history, the late Tun Lim was known as one of the few outspoken Ministers in former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Cabinet who dared to speak up in a docile and submissive Cabinet,” said Guan Eng.

“Keng Yaik was also known for his easy-going nature, earthy humour and language that he used to great effect to cleverly concealed his razor sharp mind and ability to connect with the grassroots,” he said, adding that it was demonstrated not only by Dr Lim’s unchallenged stewardship as Gerakan’s longest serving President for 27 years, “but also by the fact that he never lost his parliamentary seat of Bruas to the DAP from 1986.”

“Only after his retirement, did Bruas fall to the DAP, albeit by a smaller than expected margin due to Keng Yaik’s strong influence in his parliamentary constituency. He will be missed by many in his party for providing the leadership that offered stability and direction,” the Penang chief minister said.

Dr Lim leaves behind a wife and three grown children, and an entire nation who will no longer see the leader or his grizzled humour again.