Chancellor of Wawasan Open University

On 9 May 2011, the Wawasan Education Foundation invited Tun Dato’ Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik to succeed the late Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu as the Chancellor of Wawasan Open University.

The formal instalment of Tun Dr Lim as the second Chancellor took place during a special ceremony held at the main campus in Penang on 19 November 2012.

Noted for his sharp wit and candid opinions, Tun Dr Lim is a dedicated leader who never flinches from speaking out in the interest of the people and nation.  His innate wisdom, enhanced by years of public service and political sparring, will certainly benefit the University as it anchors itself to be a frontrunner in delivering quality higher education to adult learners in the country.

Educational background

Tun Dr Lim was born in Tapah, Perak on 8 April 1939 to a tin mining father and homemaker mother. He received his primary and secondary education from St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh before he proceeded to the prestigious Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland where he graduated with a degree in medicine in 1964.

Party involvement

Following a brief stint as a medical practitioner, Tun Dr Lim ventured into politics in 1968, first as a member of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), and later joining the Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia in 1973. He meteorically rose through the party ranks, becoming the party’s State Chairman for Perak in 1974, its National Deputy President in 1976 and National President in 1980. 

For well over 27 years, he was the President, voice and the public persona of Gerakan.  On retirement from active party politics on his birthday in 2007, he was appointed as the party’s National Advisor.He relinquished this post in October 2010, and was immediately appointed its Life Member Council Chairman.
 

Leadership in state and federal government

Tun Lim’s political ascendency also saw him playing various important roles in the Government for 37 years between 1971 and 2008, at both federal and state levels. He was the Minister with Special Functions in charge of new villages under Tun Abdul Razak (1971-73), then a member of the Perak State Legislature and State Executive Councillor (1978-86), and subsequently an elected Federal Parliamentarian.

He was appointed as a Perak State Executive Councillor upon winning the Jalong state seat in the 1978 General Election. He won the Beruas parliamentary seat in 1986, serving as MP for 22 years while being appointed Minister of Primary Industries (1986-2004) and Minister of Energy, Water and Communications (2004-2008).

Recogniton for contributions

He has been conferred numerous awards and honours in recognition of his distinguished and dedicated service to the community and the nation. The Perak Government bestowed upon him the DPCM (which carries the title Dato’) in 1981. He was also conferred the SPMP by the Perak Government in 1989, the DGPN by the Penang Government in 1997, the SSAP by the Pahang Government in 2006 and PNBS from the Sarawak Government in 2009. All these awards carry the title ‘Dato’ Seri’. He was conferred the Seri Setia Mahkota Malaysia (SSM) award which carries the title ‘Tun’ by the DYMM Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 7 June 2008.

His contributions have also been recognised by academia. In 1999, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by his alma mater Queen’s University of Belfast, and an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree by the Information and Communications University, South Korea in 2004.

Without Tun Dr Lim’s fierce representation in Government on behalf of the Wawasan Education Foundation as well his advocacy for open education, WOU would not have happened.  He was also instrumental, as WOU's first Chairman of the Council, in the continuing progress of the University.

Personal anecdote

Tun Dr Lim is married to Toh Puan Wong Yoon Chuan and they have three children – son Datuk Lim Si Pin and daughters Dr Lim Poi Giok and Lim Poi Jing.

Since his retirement from active politics, he spends more time on family business ventures and in numerous fund-raising activities, ever remaining a respected, popular national figure.