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He dejectedly walked away from Penang politics following his dual defeats in Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat and Kebun Bunga state seat in the 1999 general election, putting an end to his party’s long held dream to rule the state.
He then made a comeback in 2004 in Ipoh by winning the Ipoh Timur federal seat. He is defending this seat in this general election.
However, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang is still a crowd puller and an influential political character in Penang.
This was clearly evident with the crowd he pulled every time he made an appearance in this island-state. The latest, on Wednesday night for a ceramah, was no different.
About 1,000-odd voters applauded Lim when he arrived to address them at a DAP rally in Bandar Baru Air Itam on that night. Since electoral campaign began, this was the first time Lim has addressed a DAP rally in Penang.
Although he has lost his voice due to over-speaking in rallies elsewhere, he did not lose any of his usual firebrand style.
The crowd cheered and clapped each time he drives home a political point, especially when he took a swipe on Umno's political hegemony.
He called on Penangites to take the lead to initiate the political change in the country and to vote for a stronger opposition presence in both the federal parliament and state legislative assembly.
He said the country was at a critical political crossroad and each vote in this general election was imperative to decide the nation's future direction.
He said Umno's hegemony and total political dominance had rapidly grown into a monster threatening international relations, economic competitiveness, democracy, electoral fair play, racial unity, religious harmony and social stability.
"Penang voters have an important decision to make here. Deny the two-third majority of the ruling party, both in the state and Parliament," Lim told the voters, who have braved a heavy downpour to hear the DAP speeches.
End Umno’s political hegemony
He said that Makkal Sakti (people's power) fervour fired up by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) was not merely a tagline to inspire voters to cast their ballots for the opposition.
He said Makkal Sakti was a spirit, desire and zeal of people's drive for change, equality, fairness, freedom and democracy
He said it does not belong just to Indians and supporters of Hindraf, but to all Malaysians who love their country.
Not only Indians, he said, but Chinese, Pribumis and even Malays were marginalised in the country.
"I believe that the Makkal Sakti will inspire all to go the political change long overdue in this country.
"The Umno political hegemony and dominance must come to end," said Lim.
He criticised Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's BN government’s failure in making this country a secure place to live and invest.
"The BN has failed in providing security, checking inflation, increasing foreign direct investments, scientific and technology based innovation and invention, education excellence and upholding democratic values.
"Abdullah's has a bad report card for his miserable performance in his four-year reign as the Prime Minister," he said.
The time is right
Earlier, Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow called on Penangites not to split their votes and disrupt the party’s drive to initiate changes to the political landscape of the country.
"You should cast both your state and federal ballot papers to the DAP or the opposition parties, not to Barisan Nasional," he said.
Penang has a sizeable number of voters who practise the so-called `notorious' split-voting trend in which they would cast one vote to BN, mainly for state seats, and the other for DAP mainly for the parliamentary seats.
This is main reason behind DAP's failure to capture more than one state seat in three successive general elections despite winning between three and four parliament constituencies.
Chow said it was crucial for the voters to deny the ruling party the two-third majority at parliamentary and state legislature levels in view of the delineation exercise of constituency boundaries due to take place in two years time.
Chow warned voters that if BN was not denied its two-third majority this time around, the imminent delineation would make it virtually impossible for DAP and others to make any considerable inroads in coming elections.
"Therefore it is crucial for Malaysians to deny the two-third majority to safeguard democracy, free and fair elections in this country.
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