Biodata of Lim Guan Eng

Lim Guan Eng

Date of birth: 8 December 1960

Place of birth: Johor Bahru

Family: Lim is married to Betty Chew Gek Cheng (State Assemblyperson for Kota Laksamana). They have a daughter and 3 sons.

Education:

PJ La Salle Primary English School
Batu Pahat Montfort Primary English School
Batu Pahat High School
Malacca High School
Monash University, Australia (Bachelor of Economics)

Professional qualification: Accountant

Occupation prior to joining politics: Bank senior executive

Political career:

1986	Elected as MP for Kota Melaka, by defeating former Malaysian football captain Soh Chin Aun with a majority of 17,606 votes.
October 1987 – April 1989	Detained under the Internal Security Act, or ISA, for 18 months (Operation Lalang).
1989	Elected as DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) chairman.
1990	Re-elected as MP for Kota Melaka for a second term.
1992	Elected as DAPSY chairman.
1995	Re-elected as MP for Kota Melaka for a third term. Elected as DAP Deputy Secretary-General.
1995	Charged under the Sedition Act for ‘prompting disaffection with the administration of justice’ after he publicly criticized the government's handling of allegations of statutory rape made against the former Chief Minister of Malacca, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik, in 1994. He was also charged under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) in connection with ‘maliciously’ printing a pamphlet containing allegedly ‘false information’ because he had described the alleged rape victim as an ‘imprisoned victim’ because she was initially detained by Malaysian police without parental consent for 10 days. After a series of appeals, Lim was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in August 1998.
1999	Released after 12 months on 25 August 1999, due to good behaviour. Due to his incarceration, he was barred from standing for election for a period of five years, and was therefore ineligible to contest in the 2004 General Election.
2004	Elected as Secretary-General of the party in May 2004.
8 March 2008	Lim contested in the Bagan parliamentary seat and Air Putih state seat in the 2008 General Election. He won the Bagan seat, defeated Song Choy Leng (BN) with a majority of 22,070 votes, and the Air Putih seat beating Tan Yoke Cheng (BN) with a 4,061 vote margin.
11 March 2008	Sworn in as the Chief Minister of Penang and initiated a system of governance based on the principles of ‘Competency, Accountability and Transparency’.