Former Royal Malaysia Police constable Sam Lim, 60, who served in the force for two years in the 1980s and later became a dolphin trainer, has been elected as an MP in Australia.
Lim (above) who represented the Australian Labour Party won the seat of Tangney, pulling a surprise win against Ben Morton, an adviser to outgoing Australian prime minister Scott Morison, according to Australia's ABC News.
"I was born in a very poor family. When it rained, we got a lot of funny noises in the house. Our floor was just earth and there was no power, no water.
"So we have to struggle for the first 15 years of my life. But that 15 years built me up to today and when I want to fight for this candidacy to win the seat, I used all that determination again," he was quoted as saying in his victory speech.
Lim's website said he migrated to Australia with his wife and three kids in 2002 as he wanted his children to receive a world-class education.
"After my MCE (Malaysian Certificate of Education), I joined the police in Malaysia but I couldn't survive because the pay was so low, then I applied for another job - the best job ever, a dolphin trainer. I loved it.
"Because dolphins are so genuine, they never hurt you. If you feel hurt, you jump into the swimming pool, the dolphin will come to you and try to comfort you," he said.
However, the place where he worked - Johor Safari Park, which was set up in 1982 - was liquidated in 1987.
"We had to send the dolphins back to the ocean and that was the worst part of my career at the time, we had to say goodbye to them but we were also happy they were back to their home," he said.
The Johor-born Lim said he later picked up business and built a number of small businesses over 18 years before migrating to Australia in 2002.
After migrating to Australia, he again joined the force, this time with the Western Australia Police Academy in 2006.
In 2020, he was named the best police officer of the year in Western Australia and was credited with his work with multicultural communities.
"I have always cherished and embraced my Chinese/Malay heritage. My diverse language skills led me to be appointed as a diversity engagement officer with Western Australia Police, where I work with multicultural communities across Perth," he said on his website.
Penny Wong as foreign minister
The Australian Labour Party is on track to win the House of Representatives election held yesterday, defeating the Liberal-National coalition which had been in power since 2013.
Lim is not the only elected representative in Australia with Malaysian roots.
Kota Kinabalu-born Penny Wong, who has served as the Senate leader under the Australian Labour Party since 2013, is tipped to become the country’s foreign minister under the new government.
She was previously Australia's first climate change minister from 2007 and 2010 and later finance minister from 2010 to 2013 when the Australian Labour Party was in power.
She was the first Asian-born member of an Australian cabinet and is also the first female federal parliamentarian who is openly part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.
Wong stood alongside Labour leader Anthony Albanese, who is set to become the new Australian prime minister. - Mkini
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