“WAH, our ADUN such a lenglui (pretty girl)!” or “Oh xiao mei mei (little sister)!”.
These are not uncommon remarks from constituents on meeting Lim Yi Wei for the first time.
.Perhaps, for some Kampung Tunku voters, the idea of a female asseblyman takes some getting used to. It has had, after all, a male-dominated history. The constituency itself was largely carved out of new villages from the Emergency-era.
In 2004, the MCA won the seat by 3,612 votes. In 2008, DAP’s Lau Weng San flipped it by 7,977 votes and retained it in 2013 by 13,685.
In comes petite Lim Yi Wei in 2018 to win Kampung Tunku with a 30,644 majority as well as becoming its first female representative.
The Ipoh-born DAP politician’s gentle and soft-spoken demeanour may lead some to overlook her strengths.
But to Lim and most of her constituents, this can be grating. The 29-year-old Adun is strong-willed, well-read and committed to addressing the needs of her constituents.
“I think we need to learn not to consume politics as we do celebrity culture, which is very appearance based. It should be about substance,” she says.
More than meets the eye: The Ipoh-born politician hopes people can look beyond her appearance and judge her on her ability and work.
Lim has had extensive experience in breaking glass-ceilings.
Having survived the fast-paced, male-dominated world of finance in Hong Kong, in 2016, the-then 27-year old decided it was time to join the fight to restore Malaysian democracy.
“I sold off everything in HK, packed the rest of what I had in three suitcases and came back to join politics.”
Once here, she began work as Petaling Jaya Utara (later Damansara) MP Tony Pua’s political secretary: a demanding and intensive task. At the same time, she served as a local councillor in Petaling Jaya’s City Council (MBPJ) where she was effective in enforcing key initiatives and fostered a great working relationship with residents.
Big win: The petite politician won by a 30, 444 majority.
Therefore, it was no surprise when Lim was nominated for Kampung Tunku.
Nevertheless, the onset of the 2018 campaign still made her jittery. Her apprehension was understandable. Preceding her were a string of male political veterans, familiar to her prospective constituents. Yet, with guidance from some of DAP’s most experienced operatives, the young councillor was successful.
“There will be many who will want to belittle you especially because of your gender. But, as long as you have a mission, no one can distract you.”
Apart from raising awareness on civic consciousness and mental health issues, she hopes to also champion the progress of women in politics and society.
This is reflected by her office, which was set up and is run by five women.
“Girls run the world, we fixed the office furniture ourselves – with drills and everything,” she chuckles.
“But in all seriousness, women should be encouraged to make the jump from being service people to the front line.”
Role model: The 29-year-old assemblywoman also enjoys reading and is often invited to speak to youth at talks and conferences.
If she was not challenging the socio-political norms of Kampung Tunku, she could very well have made it in the music industry.
“I started playing the piano at the age of five, but I used to hate it. It was only when I realised I could play it by ear, that I started to enjoy it a lot more,” she recalls.
It is easy to imagine the articulate politician as a popular kid. She was a drummer in her teen years and part of a group called the No Girls Band – the only girl-member.
As noted — she’s no stranger to cracking glass ceilings.
Kampung Tunku’s voters have clearly elected a formidable and capable representative to be their voice in this new era of Malaysian politics. – By KRA Group- Star
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