In 1996, a university student interviewed the then Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP Secretary-General, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, as part of his research for his PhD thesis. The interview took place at the DAP National Headquarters in Petaling Jaya.
The student was then shown three cabinets crammed with files of original statements and speeches made by Mr. Lim since 1968. In his mind, the materials encapsulated all the most important and siginificant milestones in the history of Malaysian nation-building and political developments.
So excited he was with this “treasure chest” of information that he immediately sought permission to make copies of every single document.
As one of the longest-serving politicians in Malaysia, Mr. Lim Kit Siang has been prolifically and consistently articulating the people’s hopes and aspirations for more than 50 years.
Having been a Member of Parliament since 1969 and Secretary-General of the Democratic Action Party from 1969–1999, he has worked tirelessly to make Malaysia a country for all Malaysians irrespective of race and religion — a country where everyone is given due right and respect as a full citizen; where the poor and the under-privileged are protected; where worker-employer relations are based on equal partnership; and where gender equality is upheld.
This bibliotheca, or “library”, reflects the myriad aspects of Malaysian history from the people’s perspective, such as the unfair treatment of certain segments of society; the wasted opportunities which could have propelled the country forward economically; the discriminatory policies that have forced so many of the country’s brightest minds to leave; the ups and downs in the people’s struggle against an oppressive regime… all these and more, as experienced and related by someone who has been at the forefront of the country’s reform movement since its early days as a newly independent nation.
This bibliotheca contains the valuable history of a true Malaysian’s struggle, a lifelong journey dedicated to a better Malaysia, in pursuit of a Malaysian Dream.