Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his family (Photo via Kwyb)
About the newly-sworn-in Chief Minister of Malaysia's Penang State, I can't find any word to describe but admire! A fighter of Democratic Acition Party against Malaysia's bullish UMNO, Lim Guan Eng [wiki] was jailed two times for his political movement.
“When you are in jail, you lose all your humility. You have to fight everyday to stop yourself from turning into a mere digit. They want to suck you out completely but you must fight, persevere and come out stronger.
“When I was in jail, I never imagine that I will be CM one day. This is a huge transformation for me - from a jailbird to CM,” he told reporters after the one-hour press conference at the chief minister’s office in Komtar, Penang.
A jovial Lim, who is DAP secretary-general, conceded he was excited over the new post, which he described as a “rare and distinguished honour”.
“I am emotional and excited, that’s why I want to give my best shot possible. I want to bring positive changes which are permanent and have lasting effects,” he stressed.
In 1998, when he was Kota Melaka MP, Lim was imprisoned after he was convicted under the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act for alleging that former Malacca chief minister Rahim Tamby Chik of committing statutory rape.
Eleven years before that, he was held under the Internal Security Act for 18 months when the government launched a nationwide crackdown on dissents and activists, dubbed ‘Operasi Lalang’.