Teh Kok Lim

Summary

Teh Kok Lim (born 18 March 1970) is a DAP politician who has represented the Aulong state constituency in the Perak State Legislative Assembly since November 2022, and concurrently serves as the Perak EXCO member for Science, Environment and Green Technology under Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad. He previously served as MP for Taiping (2018–2022) and MLA for Pokok Assam (2013–2018), building over a decade of elected experience in the Taiping region of Perak. In his current EXCO role, he is the state's lead official on environmental regulation, mining oversight, and biodiversity conservation.

Biography

Teh Kok Lim (Chinese: 郑国霖; born 18 March 1970) is a Malaysian politician serving as the Member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Aulong since November 2022 and as a member of the Perak State Executive Council (EXCO) under Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad [1]. He is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. In the November 2022 Perak state election, Teh won the Aulong seat with 20,306 of 30,665 votes cast [1]. He was appointed to the EXCO with the portfolio of Science, Environment and Green Technology [2][3]. Before his current state assembly role, Teh served as the Member of Parliament for Taiping from May 2018 to November 2022 and as MLA for Pokok Assam from May 2013 to May 2018 [1]. In the 2018 general election, Teh won the Taiping parliamentary seat with 42,997 votes, representing 47.4% of votes cast [4]. Prior to holding elected office, Teh served as political secretary to then-Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming [5][6]. In his EXCO role, Teh has spoken publicly on matters including tin mining regulation, sand mining environmental compliance, and wildlife conservation including the Perak Elephant Sanctuary and Malayan Tiger conservation plan [7].

Known for

Teh Kok Lim is defined politically by his decade-long ground presence in the Taiping area of Perak, beginning as Nga Kor Ming's political secretary before rising through state and federal elected office. Since November 2022, he has served as the Perak EXCO member for Science, Environment and Green Technology, positioning him as the state government's primary voice on environmental regulation, mining oversight, and conservation policy. He has been publicly associated with the state's positions on sand mining compliance, tin mining regulation, and biodiversity initiatives including elephant and tiger conservation.

Political positions

In his capacity as Perak EXCO for Science, Environment and Green Technology, Teh Kok Lim has taken the position that approved mining projects in Perak comply with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements set by the Department of Environment and other regulatory bodies. He has stated that EIA reports are mandatory for most sand mining projects, including small-scale operations. Teh has also overseen the state's integrated monitoring system for mining and quarrying activities (MiQIMS) and has provided assurances in the Perak State Legislative Assembly that tin mining operations at 13 active sites are under regulatory control. On conservation, he has announced the RM52 million first phase of the Perak Elephant Sanctuary in Hulu Perak and referenced the state's Malayan Tiger Conservation Action Plan, framing these as key state government environmental commitments. His public statements have consistently aligned with the Pakatan Harapan-BN unity government's governance approach in Perak.

Before politics

1. Pre-2013Served as political secretary to Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming, establishing ground presence in the Taiping area for approximately a decade before contesting an elected seat.⛓

Political career

1. May 2013Elected as Member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly for Pokok Assam in the 13th General Election, under DAP/Pakatan Rakyat.⛓
2. May 2018Elected as Member of Parliament for Taiping in the 14th General Election, winning 42,997 votes (47.4% of votes cast) under DAP/Pakatan Harapan.⛓
3. November 2022Elected as Member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly for Aulong in the 2022 Perak state election, winning 20,306 of 30,665 votes cast (44.9% vote share).⛓
4. 22 November 2022Sworn in as a member of the Perak State Executive Council (EXCO) under Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad, representing DAP as part of the Barisan Nasional-Pakatan Harapan unity government in Perak.⛓
5. 23 November 2022Assigned the portfolio of Science, Environment and Green Technology in the Perak EXCO by Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad.⛓

Election history

• 2022Aulong (Perak State)Won44.9%⛓
• 2018Taiping (Parliament)Won47.4%⛓
• 2013Pokok Assam (Perak State)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsTeh Kok Lim won the Aulong state seat in November 2022 with 20,306 votes (44.9% of votes cast) and was sworn in as Perak EXCO for Science, Environment and Green Technology on 22 November 2022.⛓
• GovernmentAs Perak EXCO for Science, Environment and Green Technology, Teh has stated that all approved sand mining projects in Perak have met requirements set by the Department of Environment and other regulatory bodies, and that EIA compliance is mandatory for approved operations.⛓
• ExpertAccording to Bernama, a former Universiti Teknologi Malaysia professor and water quality expert dismissed the government's flood-mitigation justification for sand mining, arguing that continuous sand removal is not genuine mitigation — a position that implicitly counters the stance taken by Teh's committee.⛓
• IndustryBernama reported that Teh stated everyone benefits when the sand mining approval process is handled properly — the state profits from sand sales, locals gain employment, and flood mitigation is achieved — reflecting the government's framing of mining as a shared economic benefit.⛓