Keng Yaik deserves place in annals of political comedy, says new book

Free Malaysia Today

Chain-smoking former federal minister Dr Lim Keng Yaik loathed being told to stub out but always did whenever Dr Mahathir Mohammad appeared.   Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/09/25/keng-yaik-deserves-place-in-annals-of-political-comedy-says-new-book  Laporan Lanjut: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/09/25/keng-yaik-layak-dikenang-dalam-sejarah-komedi-politik-menurut-buku  Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews #DrLimKengYaik #AshrafAbdullah #SurvivingTheNewsroom

Transcript

00:00Former Federal Minister Dr. Lim Keng Yek deserves his own footnote in the annals of political comedy,

00:06writes former journalist Ashraf Abdullah,

00:09recalling the longtime Garakkan president's colorful encounters with then-Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

00:15In Surviving the Newsroom, the former media prima Burhad group managing editor

00:19describes Lim as a medical doctor by training, a chain smoker by choice, and a walking contradiction by nature.

00:27Ashraf writes how Lim loathed being told to stop smoking,

00:31and when then-Health Minister Liu Kim-sai once told him to stop out his cigarette,

00:35Lim retorted,

00:36You are a health minister who's not a doctor telling me, a doctor, not to smoke.

00:41Do you see anything wrong with me?

00:43Just then, Mahathir appeared.

00:45Lim quickly tossed his cigarette and saluted his boss, saying,

00:48This person is a qualified doctor. Cannot fool around.

00:53On another occasion, when Mahathir suddenly appeared out of nowhere,

00:56while Lim was smoking with reporters,

00:58he hurriedly passed his cigarette to one of his officers

01:01and began lecturing him about the hazards of smoking,

01:05only for Mahathir to say,

01:06Give the cigarette back to your boss.

01:09Lim was also remembered for his generosity with journalists,

01:12his memorable quotes, and his hyper-salivation,

01:15once telling a rookie reporter who stood too close,

01:18You must be new, didn't they tell you?

01:21Lim, who led Garakkan for 27 years,

01:23served as Primary Industries Minister from 1986 to 2004

01:28and Energy, Water and Communications Minister from 2004 to 2006.

01:33He died in 2012, age 73.

01:36Surviving the newsroom retails at RM34.90,

01:40excluding delivery charges,

01:42and can be purchased by contacting Ashraf Abdullah

01:44at 019-281-2213.

01:49Natasha Beast, FMT.

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