Lim Boo Chang

Lim Boo Chang (born in Penang, Malaysia on November 26, 1957; Chinese: 林武灿; pinyin: Lín Wú Chán) is a Malaysian politician. He obtained three seperate academic achievements : Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics from North East London Polythenic in 1981; Barrister-at-law from Lincoln's Inn in 1984 ,and ; Master of Literature from Nanjing University. He is the only son of Datuk Lim Ee Heong, a vetern politician who assisted Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu in the formation of the Malaysian People's Movement Party (Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, or PGRM)and its successful wrestling of the power of the Penang State Government from the Alliance in May 1969. He was appointed to serve as a Penang Island Municipal Councillor from 1990-1995. He was elected and served for two consecutive terms as the Penang State Assemblyman of Datok Keramat from 1995 – 1999, and from 1999 to 2004. For his outstanding contribution to the Malaysian society,he was conferred the federal title of Kesatria Mangku Negara or KMN by the Malaysian King in 2006.He is currently serving voluntarily as an Honorary Legal Advisor for over 200 NGO's in Penang. He followed his father to join PGRM in 1984 upon his return from UK after being called to the English Bar. Subsequently, he was elected as its National Youth Chairman and thus ex-officio vice-president of the Party (1993-1996). In December 1999, he resigned from PGRM with Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu's elder son Lim Chien Aun, also a State Aseemblyman of Penang, apparently in open conflict with the then Gerakan leadership, and both of them joined the other component of Barisan National i.e. the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) as members, causing almost a change of the Chief Ministership in Penang. In December 2002, his party membership, together with that of another Panang State Assembly Lady Tan Cheng Liang, was suspended indefinitely by MCA for abstaining in voting on the opposition party DAP's motion to suspend the controversial Penang Outer Ring Road project. But their suspension was later on lifted in September 2003, a few months before the Malaysian 11th General Elections. He wrote two books on politics in Mandarin. One on his experince in Gerakan called <The Cross-Section> in August 1996 (ISBN 983-99150-0-2), and the other which is based on his Master thesis on the MCA titled <Towards a Participatory Model of Political Culture- A Treatise on the MCA's Development> in July 2005 (ISBN 983-42670-0-2). He resigned on 4th April, 2008 as its life member. He is now a political commentator and maintaining his own blog since 19th April, 2008 via www.limboochang.com. Lim Boo Chang is married to Diong Chong Mee, they have two boys and one girl.