An eulogy to the greatest CM of Penang

TUN DR LIM CHONG EU

By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on November 25, 2010 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (26) | TrackBacks (0)

1. We know that we must all leave this life one day. But knowing the inevitabilty of death cannot stop us from grieving over the passage of a great man, no matter how long he may have lived.

2. As a nationalist, as a friend, as a compatriot, I feel saddened by the passage from this life of Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu.

3. Except for Tun Razak, Tun Lim contributed most to the formation of the National Front, the coalition which succeeded the Alliance, ruled and developed Malaysia until today. He responded postively to the proposal by Tun Razak to rejoin the coalition for the good of Malaysia. He rose above many of the grievances which had led him to leave the MCA, to become a junior partner even though he had been victorious. He was content to be just a Chief Minister of Penang.
4.It was as a Chief Minister that he made Foreign Direct Investment a by-word in Malaysia and perhaps in the world. He brought the first foreign investments in electronics to Penang. It was the best thing for overcoming unemploymnet which had plagued Malaysia till then.

5. It was he who made the Penang the centre for the transformation of Malaysia into an industrial nation. Towards this end he was tireless, almost single-handedly contacting and persuading foreign industrialists to invest in the new electronics industry. So successfull was he that very quickly Penang was short of workers and other states benefitted from his effort at creating employment.

6. I worked closely with Tun Lim and always found him open to proposals on the development of Penang and Malaysia. When he lost in the 1990 elections, it came as a shock to me. I had thought that the people of Penang would remember his services and overcome partisan sentiments. But I suppose I was hoping for far too much.

7. Malaysia, and I dare say Penang, has lost a great leader with the passing away of Tun Dr Lim Ching Eu.

8. I offer my condolences to Toh Puan Goh Sing Yeng and all the members of Tun Lim's family.

Rest in Peace.

Good chance for BN win: Mahathir

Good chance for BN win: Mahathir
Nov 1, 10 2:46pm

Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes that BN stands a good chance of winning in both the Galas and Batu Sapi by-elections because of the internal problems of the opposition.

"I think BN stands a good chance because the performance of the opposition has not been very good. And now they are quarelling among themselves.

"If they win and become the government, it will be a disaster for the country," he said.

Commenting on claims that the PAS candidate for Galas, Dr Zulkefli Mohamed, would not be able to serve the people because of his obesity, Dr Mahathir said: "I dont think that his weight is something that we have to take into consideration."

"The main thing is that he is representing a party that has no credibility," the former prime minister told reporters at the World Conference on Riba in Kuala Lumpur.

Polling for both by-elections will be held on Nov 4. The BN candidate for the state seat in Kelantan is Ab Aziz Yusoff.

Linda Tsen Thau Lin is the BN candate for the parliamentary seat in Sabah. She faces SAPP president Yong Teck Lee and Ansari Abdullah of PKR.

- Bernama