In Pursuit of the Malaysian Dream

𝗜𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺

Review by Chad Merchant

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘵, January 2024 issue

Consider it the second half of a long tale, and one that’s worth telling. In the biographical continuation of Lim Kit Siang’s remarkable life and his extensive 56-year political odyssey, celebrated dramatist-journalist Kee Thuan Chye seamlessly picks up the DAP icon’s narrative right where it left off, namely from the October 1987 cliffhanger that concluded ‘Volume One: None But the Bold’. What unfolds in this second volume of 𝙇𝙞𝙢 𝙆𝙞𝙩 𝙎𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙜: 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 is a comprehensive account complete with intrigue, heartrending moments, and dramatic twists and turns, punctuated occasionally with everything from disbelief and outrage to laughter and joy.

The core theme that permeates the second half of this dense biography, ‘Volume Two: Bold to The Last Battle’, is Lim Kit Siang’s indomitable resilience in the pursuit of his ‘Malaysian Dream’ — an enduring vision of a united, democratic, and prosperous nation. Throughout the pages, Kit Siang emerges as a tenacious fighter, committed to creating a country for all Malaysians, where anyone can find and realise opportunities for success and fulfilment.

The book unfolds to reveal Kit Siang’s capacity to rise above deep-seated political animosities, showcasing instances where he forgives his erstwhile political adversaries who, unjustly, had inflicted pain and suffering upon him and his son, right from the book’s opening pages. This act of forgiveness, described in the pages, is emblematic of his solid commitment to realizing his overarching vision for the country, despite the personal and professional challenges and costs presented along the way.

Of course, the book chronicles the political tales of Kit Siang’s life, not only from an outside perspective looking at the overarching impact of his professional pursuits, but also from a more personal point of view, exploring how the public life so well-known intersects with more personal tales.

Indeed, a particularly poignant aspect of the narrative is the exploration of the pivotal roles played by Kit Siang’s devoted wife and children. Their support becomes a crucial foundation as he confronts forces that seek to divide the nation, pilfer from its people, and undermine the rule of law. The biography becomes not just a portrayal of Lim Kit Siang, the politician, but delves into the dynamics of Lim Kit Siang, the family man, and how personal relationships intertwine with his political battles.

This biography showcases the profound impact of Lim Kit Siang’s political struggles and sacrifices on the trajectory of Malaysia. Through Kee Thuan Chye’s deep-dive narrative, the reader is given insights into the intricate tapestry of Kit Siang’s career. The biography underscores that he is not merely a politician driven by ambition but, fundamentally, an individual deeply invested in the wellbeing of his country and its people.

Author Kee Thuan Chye embodies an array of talents – actor, playwright, political commentator, journalist, and lecturer among them – but he continues to show why he’s, perhaps first and foremost, among Malaysia’s most prolific, talented, and fearless writers with this exhaustive biography of one the country’s most dynamic and transformative politicians.

Lim Kit Siang’s visionary – and relentlessly optimistic – outlook, as unveiled through these pages, really underscores him as a public servant ahead of his time, shaping Malaysia’s political landscape with lasting influence. The biography compellingly explores the essence of Lim Kit Siang with candour and sensitivity, revealing a statesman whose journey is integral to the very fabric of Malaysia’s modern political history.

For expats – and indeed Malaysians, too – who want a genuinely illuminating glimpse ‘behind the curtain’ of the country’s politics, this lengthy but highly readable tale of one of Malaysia’s most notable Opposition leaders should be considered required reading.

** 𝙇𝙞𝙢 𝙆𝙞𝙩 𝙎𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙜: 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩, 𝙑𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙚 𝙏𝙬𝙤: 𝘽𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝘽𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁:

𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗮𝘆𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗮𝘆𝗮,

𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗸𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘆𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗟𝗖𝗖,

𝗘𝘀𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆,

𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀,

𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗮𝘆𝗮.𝗰𝗼𝗺/ 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁/𝗹𝗶𝗺-𝗸𝗶𝘁-𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴-𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲-𝘁𝘄𝗼

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲, 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝟱𝟰𝟵 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘀.