Lim Ban Hong

Summary

Datuk Wira Lim Ban Hong is a Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) politician from Melaka who currently serves as the Kelebang state assemblyman and holds the position of Melaka Chief Minister's Special Investment and China Affairs Adviser. He previously served as Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry across the PN and BN federal administrations from March 2020 to November 2022, and as MCA Vice President since 2018. His political career has been centred on Kelebang and Melaka, with a focus on affordable housing, vernacular education, environmental issues, and Malaysia-China relations.

Biography

Datuk Wira Lim Ban Hong (林萬鋒; born 22 March 1977, Melaka) is a Malaysian politician and member of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a Barisan Nasional (BN) component party. He currently serves as Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Kelebang (N14), a seat he has held since November 2021 [1]. He previously held the same seat from May 2013 to May 2018. In his first term, he served as a member of the Malacca State Executive Council (EXCO) for the Transport, Project Rehabilitation and International Trade Executive Committee under Chief Minister Idris Haron [1]. He lost the Kelebang seat at the 2018 state election to Pakatan Harapan candidate Gue Teck [1]. Following the collapse of the PH federal government in the February 2020 Sheraton Move political crisis, Lim was appointed Senator and Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Perikatan Nasional administration, and subsequently continued in the same federal role under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's BN administration until November 2022 [1]. He regained his Kelebang seat in the November 2021 Melaka state election with an 876-vote majority in a three-cornered contest [2]. In November 2022, Lim contested the Tangga Batu parliamentary seat in GE15 under the BN ticket but was defeated [3]. At the party level, he has been MCA Vice President since November 2018 and serves as State Chairman of MCA Melaka [1]. As of March 2026, he holds the role of Melaka Chief Minister's Special Investment and China Affairs Adviser [4].

Known for

Lim Ban Hong is known as a two-term Kelebang assemblyman and former federal deputy minister, having served as Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry across both the PN and BN administrations from 2020 to 2022 [1]. He is a senior MCA figure in Melaka, serving as the state party chairman and MCA vice president since 2018 [1]. He has been a consistent advocate for vernacular education, affordable housing in Kelebang, and Malaysia-China bilateral relations in his capacity as the Melaka Chief Minister's Special Investment and China Affairs Adviser [4][4].

Political positions

Lim Ban Hong has publicly supported vernacular schools, arguing that their multi-ethnic student composition demonstrates they are not a cause of racial polarisation and that multilingualism gives Malaysian students an advantage in a globalised world [4][5]. On housing, he has pledged to ensure more affordable housing is constructed in Kelebang so that residents can secure homes [4][6]. On economic matters, he has emphasised Melaka's post-pandemic economic recovery and the importance of maintaining the state as an open investment and tourism destination [2][4]. In his capacity as Melaka Chief Minister's Special Investment and China Affairs Adviser, he has highlighted the opportunity to attract more Chinese and Southeast Asian tourists amid global uncertainties affecting Middle East tourism flows [4][7]. He has also raised concerns over pollution in Sungai Lereh, engaging the Environment Department on behalf of affected fishermen and constituents in his Kelebang seat [4][8].

Education

1. School years (pre-1995)Lim Ban Hong attended SMK Tun Haji Abdul Malek in Melaka, where he served as prefect head, according to a former teacher cited by Bernama.⛓

Political career

1. May 2013Lim first won the N14 Kelebang seat in the Malacca state election, beginning his first term as Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly under the BN-MCA ticket.⛓
2. July 2014Appointed as a member of the Malacca State Executive Council (EXCO) for the Transport, Project Rehabilitation and International Trade Executive Committee under Chief Minister Idris Haron.⛓
3. May 2018Lost the Kelebang state seat to Pakatan Harapan candidate Gue Teck in the 14th General Election (GE14), ending his first term as assemblyman and his EXCO role as BN lost state power.⛓
4. November 2018Elected Vice President of MCA in the party's leadership election following BN's defeat in GE14.⛓
5. March 2020Appointed Senator and Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Perikatan Nasional administration following the Sheraton Move political crisis.⛓
6. August 2021Continued as Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's BN administration after the collapse of the PN government.⛓
7. November 2021Won back the N14 Kelebang seat in the Melaka state by-election with an 876-vote majority in a three-cornered contest against PH's Gue Teck and PN's Bakri Jamaluddin.⛓
8. November 2022Contested the Tangga Batu parliamentary seat (P136) in GE15 under the BN ticket but lost; the seat was won by PN's Bakri Jamaluddin. Also resigned as Senator upon the collapse of the BN federal administration.⛓
9. 2026 (current)Serving as Melaka Chief Minister's Special Investment and China Affairs Adviser, in addition to his role as Kelebang assemblyman and MCA Melaka State Chairman.⛓

Election history

• 2022Tangga Batu (P136), MelakaLost⛓
• 2021Kelebang (N14), Melaka StateWon⛓
• 2018Kelebang (N14), Melaka StateLost⛓
• 2013Kelebang (N14), Melaka StateWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentAs Kelebang assemblyman under the BN state government, Lim has pledged to revive stalled projects and deliver affordable housing in the constituency. As the Melaka Chief Minister's Special Investment and China Affairs Adviser, he is tasked with supporting investment promotion and tourism growth for Melaka.⛓
• OppositionDuring the 2021 Melaka state election campaign, PKR urged Lim to take leave from his Deputy Minister post to avoid using government resources for campaigning, arguing that his position in the executive branch created an unfair advantage.⛓
• PublicBy March 2025, constituents had filed 11 pollution complaints with Lim regarding Sungai Lereh, reflecting local concern over environmental degradation and its impact on fishermen's livelihoods in the Kelebang constituency.⛓