Lim Lip Eng

Summary

Lim Lip Eng (born 25 July 1972) is a DAP lawyer-politician who has represented Kuala Lumpur parliamentary constituencies continuously since 2008, first Segambut and then Kepong, where he was returned in both GE14 (2018) and GE15 (2022). He serves as DAP's National Public Complaints Bureau chairman and as a member of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Security, and is associated in parliament primarily with issues of anti-corruption, government transparency, and rule of law. In September 2025, the Court of Appeal finalised a defamation case against him — arising from statements he made in 2017 regarding an e-commerce company — upholding his liability but reducing damages from RM2 million to RM75,000.

Biography

Lim Lip Eng (Chinese: 林立迎; born 25 July 1972) is a Malaysian politician and lawyer serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kepong, W.P. Kuala Lumpur, since May 2018 [1]. He is a member and Secretary of Kuala Lumpur of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. Prior to representing Kepong, he served as the MP for Segambut from March 2008 to May 2018, having first entered Parliament in the 2008 general election by defeating a Barisan Nasional incumbent in what had previously been considered a BN stronghold [1]. He was re-elected to Segambut in 2013, and in 2018 switched to contest the Kepong constituency, winning by a large majority [1]. He retained the Kepong seat in the 2022 general election (GE15) with an official majority of over 61,000 votes [2]. Lim holds a law degree from the University of East London and practises as a lawyer [3]. Within DAP, he has served as the DAP National Public Complaints Bureau chairman [4]. He is also a member of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Security [5]. Lim has been an active parliamentary voice on issues including anti-corruption, government transparency, public finances, rule of law, and national security procurement, and has lodged multiple reports with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on land deals and other governance matters [4]. In August 2019, he drew public controversy after making remarks comparing the introduction of Malay Khat calligraphy into the school syllabus to rubbing "cow manure on our faces" [1].

Known for

Lim Lip Eng is recognised for his long parliamentary tenure representing urban Kuala Lumpur constituencies across four successive general elections since 2008, and for his role as DAP's National Public Complaints Bureau chairman, a position from which he has actively pursued anti-corruption referrals and public governance complaints [4]. He is also known for his vocal advocacy on government accountability, rule of law, and national security matters, including calling for Parliamentary oversight of defence procurement issues such as the navy's littoral combat ships programme [5].

Political positions

Lim Lip Eng has consistently advocated for government accountability and transparency in public spending. He called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to disclose a list of stalled government projects under the 12th Malaysia Plan and urged disciplinary action against agencies responsible for delays [2]. In 2018, shortly after GE14, he lodged a report with the MACC requesting an investigation into 64 DBKL land deals conducted under the previous Federal Territories minister [4]. On national security, he sits on the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Security and pressed for the committee to summon the Defence Minister to explain Norway's ban on exporting naval strike missiles to Malaysia, describing it as more than a procurement issue [5]. He has also spoken on subsidies, urging that any removal of fuel subsidies for high-income groups be supported by a sound mechanism and warning against the creation of fear through unclear standards [5]. On rule of law, he has questioned unequal application of law enforcement, citing cases where journalists were detained while politicians who made inflammatory statements were not [5]. He has stated publicly that Malaysia is a secular state and urged PAS to accept this framework [2]. In 2019, his remarks comparing the introduction of Malay Khat calligraphy into the school syllabus to rubbing "cow manure on our faces" generated significant public controversy [1].

Education

1. 1990sLim Lip Eng studied law at the University of East London, according to Wikidata citing the Chinese Wikipedia.⛓

Political career

1. March 2008Lim was first elected to Parliament, winning the Segambut seat from the Barisan Nasional coalition in the 2008 general election (GE12). Segambut had previously been considered a BN stronghold.⛓
2. May 2013Lim was re-elected to the Segambut seat for a second term in the 2013 general election (GE13).⛓
3. May 2018Lim switched from Segambut to contest the Kepong constituency in GE14, winning the seat by an extremely large majority and percentage of total votes.⛓
4. May 2018Shortly after GE14, Lim lodged a report with the MACC requesting investigation into 64 DBKL land deals said to have been conducted without open tender and below market price under the previous Federal Territories minister.⛓
5. November 2022Lim retained the Kepong parliamentary seat in GE15, winning with an official majority of over 61,000 votes.⛓

Election history

• 2022KepongWon⛓
• 2018KepongWon⛓
• 2013SegambutWon⛓
• 2008SegambutWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsThe Court of Appeal on 29 September 2025 unanimously upheld Lim's defamation liability in the MonSpace suit but reduced damages from RM2 million to RM75,000, finding the original award excessive and not in line with trends in defamation cases. This outcome is confirmed by Bernama, The Star, Malay Mail, The Edge Malaysia, and Free Malaysia Today.⛓
• GovernmentAs a member of the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition's DAP component, Lim has at times offered internal criticism of PH's pace of policy delivery. In May 2019, he stated publicly that PH 'has not been quick to translate their thoughts and intention to action' during its first year in government.⛓
• OppositionLim has been a persistent critic of the previous BN administration, lodging MACC reports over DBKL land deals and questioning direct-award contracts by former BN-era ministers. He also publicly questioned accountability over Petronas assets being seized in Luxembourg, describing it as an embarrassment following the 1MDB scandal.⛓
• PublicLim's crowdfunding of RM2.25 million from the public in under three days to cover his High Court defamation damages suggests a substantial level of personal financial support from his supporters. However, at separate events in both 2019 (Tanjung Piai by-election) and 2024 (Sungai Bakap by-election), crowds at events he attended applauded when Pakatan Harapan defeats were announced, a fact Lim acknowledged publicly.⛓

Notable legal history

Defamation suit — MonSpace (M) Sdn Bhd and Datuk Seri Jessy Lai Chai Suang v. Lim Lip Eng (finalised September 2025). The suit arose from statements Lim made in May 2017 and November 2018 when he accompanied a group of individuals, purportedly MonSpace investors, to the company's headquarters and subsequently to authorities. MonSpace and Lai filed the defamation suit in June 2019 (Source: theedgemalaysia.com). On 16 March 2023, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered Lim to pay a total of RM2 million in damages and RM250,000 in costs, finding that his statements had tarnished the reputations of the company and Lai; the court also ordered him to publish an apology in newspapers and on social media (Source: theedgemalaysia.com; malaymail.com). Lim filed an appeal the same day and subsequently crowdfunded approximately RM2.25 million from the public to cover the judgment sum (Source: malaymail.com). On 29 November 2023, a Court of Appeal panel granted a stay of execution pending disposal of the appeal, with the sum deposited in escrow (Source: theedgemalaysia.com). On 29 September 2025, the Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision upheld the finding of defamation but reduced damages to RM75,000 (RM50,000 to Lai and RM25,000 to MonSpace) and costs to RM50,000, finding the original RM2 million award excessive and not in line with trends in defamation cases (Source: bernama.com; thestar.com.my; malaymail.com; freemalaysiatoday.com). The balance of the crowdfunded amount was confirmed as intended for disbursement to charities (Source: theedgemalaysia.com).