View source for Lee Kim Sai

{{Short description|Malaysian politician (1937–2019)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Li (surname 李)|Lee (李)]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[Malay titles#Honorary styles|Yang Berbahagia]] [[Malay titles#Federal titles|Tan Sri]] [[Malay titles#State titles|Dato' Sri]]
| name = Lee Kim Sai
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=MYS|size=100%|PSM|SSAP|DPMS|PPN}}
| native_name = {{nobold|李金狮}}
| native_name_lang = zh-my
| image = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1937|3|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Rawang, Selangor]], [[Federated Malay States]], [[British Malaya]] (now [[Malaysia]])
| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|11|24|1937|3|1|df=y}}
| death_place = Jalan Setia Bakti, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| death_cause = 
| resting_place = Xiao En Nilai Memorial Park, 286 Km, KL-Seremban Highway (South Bound), Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| resting_place_coordinates =

| office3 = Deputy President of the [[Malaysian Chinese Association]]
| term_start3 = September 1986
| term_end3 = July 1996
| president3   = [[Ling Liong Sik]]
| predecessor3 = Ling Liong Sik
| successor3 = [[Lim Ah Lek]]

| office = [[Minister of Health (Malaysia)|Minister of Health]]
| term_start = 27 October 1990
| term_end = 7 May 1995
|monarch = [[Azlan Shah of Perak|Azlan Shah]]<br />[[Ja'afar of Negeri Sembilan|Ja’afar]]
| primeminister    = [[Mahathir Mohamad]]
| deputy    = Mohd Farid Ariffin
| predecessor = Ng Cheng Kiat
| successor = [[Chua Jui Meng]]
| constituency = [[Hulu Langat (federal constituency)|Hulu Langat]]

| office1 = [[Minister of Housing and Local Government (Malaysia)|Minister of Housing and Local Government]]
|monarch1 = [[Azlan Shah of Perak|Azlan Shah]]
| primeminister1    = [[Mahathir Mohamad]]
| deputy1    = Hussein Ahmad <br/> [[Osu Sukam]]
| term_start1 = 14 August 1989
| term_end1 = 26 October 1990
| predecessor1 = Ng Cheng Kiat
| successor1 = [[Ting Chew Peh]]
| constituency1 = [[Hulu Langat (federal constituency)|Hulu Langat]]

| office2 = [[Minister of Human Resources (Malaysia)|Minister of Labour]]
|monarch2 = [[Iskandar of Johor|Iskandar]] <br/> [[Azlan Shah of Perak|Azlan Shah]]
| primeminister2    = [[Mahathir Mohamad]]
| deputy2    = Zakaria Abdul Rahman (1985–1986) <br /> William Lye Chee Hien (1985–1986) <br/> Wan Abu Bakar Wan Mohamad (1986–1987) <br /> Kalakau Untol (1986–1989) <br/> [[K. Pathmanaban]] (1987–1989)
| term_start2 = 21 May 1985
| term_end2 = 14 August 1989
| predecessor2 = Mak Hon Kam {{small|as Minister of Labour and Manpower}}
| successor2 = [[Lim Ah Lek]] {{small|as Minister of Human Resources}}
| constituency2 = [[Ulu Selangor (federal constituency)|Ulu Selangor]]<br>[[Hulu Langat (federal constituency)|Hulu Langat]]

| constituency_MP5 = [[Hulu Langat (federal constituency)|Hulu Langat]]
| parliament5 = Malaysian
| term_start5 = 3 August 1986
| term_end5 = 23 April 1995
| predecessor5 = Rosemary Chow Poh Keong ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|MCA]]-[[Barisan Nasional|BN]])
| successor5 = Badrul Hisham Abdul Aziz ([[United Malays National Organisation|UMNO]]-[[Barisan Nasional|BN]])
| majority5 = 8,925 (1986)<br />9,691 (1990)

| constituency_MP6 = [[Ulu Selangor (federal constituency)|Ulu Selangor]]
| parliament6 = Malaysian
| term_start6 = 26 April 1982
| term_end6 = 2 August 1986
| predecessor6 = [[Michael Chen (politician)|Michael Chen]] ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|MCA]]-[[Barisan Nasional|BN]])
| successor6 = [[Subramaniam Sinniah|S. Subramaniam]] ([[Malaysian Indian Congress|MIC]]-[[Barisan Nasional|BN]])
| majority6 = 7,377 (1982)

| constituency_AM7 = [[Rawang (state constituency)|Rawang]]
| assembly7 = Selangor State Legislative
| term_start7 = 14 September 1974 
| term_end7 = 21 April 1982
| majority7 = 1,374 (1974)<br />3,196 (1978)
| predecessor7 = ''Constituency established''
| successor7 = Tang See Hang ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|MCA]]-[[Barisan Nasional|BN]])

| party = [[Malayan Chinese Association]] (MCA)
| occupation = 
| nationality = {{MAS}}
| citizenship = [[Malaysian people|Malaysian]] 
| relations = 
| spouse = Puan Sri Datin Sri Wan Yuet Fong
| children = Boon Kuan, Boon Tim, Boon Siew, Boon Cheng
| website = 
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Lee Kim Sai''' ({{zh|t=李金獅|s=李金狮|p=Lǐ Jīnshī}}) (1 March 1937 – 24 November 2019) was a [[Malaysian people|Malaysian]] politician. In the 1980s and 1990s, he served as [[Minister of Human Resources (Malaysia)|Labour Minister]] (1985–1989), [[Minister of Housing and Local Government (Malaysia)|Housing and Local Government Minister]] (1989–1990) and [[Minister of Health (Malaysia)|Health Minister]] (1990–1995); and was deputy president of [[Malaysian Chinese Association]] (MCA) (1986–1996), a major component party of the [[Barisan Nasional]] (BN) coalition.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IeQVAAAAIBAJ&pg=3621,365679&dq=lee-kim-sai&hl=en|title=Lee:more people suffering from mental illness|date=11 June 1983|publisher=[[New Straits Times]]|access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D7oTAAAAIBAJ&pg=4964,799358&dq=lee-kim-sai&hl=en|title=Kim Sai: Builders to get grace period|date=4 May 1990|publisher=[[New Straits Times]]|access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref>

==Early life==
Lee was born on 1 March 1937 to a poor family in [[Ulu Klang]], [[Selangor]], and was brought up in [[Jinjang]], [[Kuala Lumpur]]. He was educated at [[Chong Hwa Independent High School, Kuala Lumpur|Chong Hwa High School]] in Kuala Lumpur, then trained as a teacher at the Teachers' Training College in Kuala Lumpur. He started teaching in 1957, and rose to become the principal of [[Kepong]] Chinese School.<ref name=biography>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=v9QEBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA515 |title=Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary |editor= Leo Suryadinata |author=Lee Kam Hing |pages=515–517 |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |year= 2012 |isbn=978-9814345217 }}</ref>

==Political career==

Lee joined the MCA in 1965, and stood for [[Selangor State Legislative Assembly]] constituency of Kepong in the [[1969 Malaysian general election|1969 general election]], but lost to [[Tan Chee Khoon]] of the [[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia]] (Gerakan). In the [[1974 Malaysian general election|1974 general election]] he contested and won the [[Rawang (state constituency)|Rawang]] state seat, which he retained in the [[1978 Malaysian general election|1978 election]]. He became head of the MCA Youth in 1979, and was elected vice-president of the MCA the same year. He was elected as the [[Dewan Rakyat|Member of Parliament]] (MP) in the [[1982 Malaysian general election|1982 general election]] for [[Ulu Selangor (federal constituency)|Ulu Selangor]], and was appointed deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department.<ref name="biography"/>

In 1984, in a row over allegations of fictitious membership that supported the Acting President Dr. Neo Yee Pan, he was expelled from the MCA along with [[Tan Koon Swan]], [[Ling Liong Sik]] and others by the Acting President. In the ensuing party election to resolve the crisis, Tan Koon Swan was elected president with the largest majority in the party's history, and Lee was elected one of the party vice-presidents as well as the secretary general.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mca.org.my/2/Content/SinglePage?_param1=25-112019-105953-11-201925&_param2=TS |title=Party History (1980–1989)|work=Malaysian Chinese Association}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mysinchew.com/node/54087?tid=12 |title=An impossible dream for the MCA? |author=Thomas Lee Seng Hock |date= 2 March 2011 |work=My Sinchew}}</ref> Tan however resigned the next year over a scandal involving his business dealings in Singapore, and Ling Liong Sik took over as president while Lee moved up to become the Deputy President. Lee was appointed Minister of Labour in 1985, and in 1989, he became Minister of Housing and Local Government. He then became the Minister of Health from 1990 until 1995. Lee also successfully won the [[Hulu Langat (federal constituency)|Hulu Langat]] federal constituency for two terms consecutively in both the [[1986 Malaysian general election|1986 general election]] and [[1990 Malaysian general election|1990 general election]].

In 1993, he attempted to challenge Ling for the leadership of the MCA, but backed down after failing to gain enough support. He retired from politics in 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mca.org.my/2/Content/SinglePage?_param1=24-112019-105952-11-201924&_param2=TS |title=Party History (1990–1999)|work=Malaysian Chinese Association}}</ref>

== Controversy ==
Lee was outspoken on a number of sensitive issues, such as questioning the [[Malaysian New Economic Policy]] and the political dominance of the Malays. In particular, in early November 1986, the Selangor MCA of which he was its head, passed a resolution in its annual convention calling on the government to review the [[Sedition Act 1948|Sedition Act]] and to make it an offence to refer or call any of the country's three major races as immigrants or ''[[pendatang]]''. The resolution, which stated that Malaysia's three major races originated from other countries and that none of them should brand the others as immigrants and claim themselves to be natives.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://web.usm.my/km/KM%2021,2003/21-14.pdf |journal=Kajian Malaysia |volume= XXI |issue= l&2 |pages=331–361 |year=2003|title=The Bumiputera Policy: Chinese Views and Perspective |author=Lee Kam Hing }}</ref> This was interpreted as challenging the [[bumiputra]] status of the [[Malaysian Malays|Malay]]s, which led to calls for his sacking by members of [[United Malays National Organisation]] (UMNO),<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aOM0AAAAIBAJ&pg=4972,3741345&dq=lee-kim-sai&hl=en|title=Sack Kim Sai, UMNO Youth tells govt|date=18 October 1987|publisher=[[New Straits Times]]|access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref> and the withdrawal of his [[Malay titles#State titles|datukship]] by the [[Sultan of Selangor]] (later restored). He also joined a protest rally with the opposition; [[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|Democratic Action Party]] (DAP) objecting to the appointments of senior assistants and supervisors without qualifications in [[Malaysian Mandarin|Mandarin]] in Chinese primary schools.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/governmentsociet00crou |url-access= registration |title=Government and Society in Malaysia |author= Harold A. Crouch |page=[https://archive.org/details/governmentsociet00crou/page/108 108] |publisher=Cornell University Press |year= 1996 |isbn=978-0801483103 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c9EEhjQ3tQAC&pg=PA170 |title=Chinese Schools in Peninsular Malaysia: The Struggle for Survival |pages=169–171 |author= Ting Hui Lee |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |year= 2011 |isbn=9789814279215 }}</ref>

==Death==
After suffering from a stroke since October 2018, Lee died on 24 November 2019 at 12.30 a.m. at family home in Jalan Setia Bakti, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. His remains were buried at Xiao En Memorial Park, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/11/24/former-minister-lee-kim-sai-dies-at-82/1812877|title=Former minister Lee Kim Sai dies at 82|date=24 November 2019|work=[[Bernama]]|publisher=[[Malay Mail]]|access-date=25 November 2019}}</ref>

==Election results==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ '''[[Selangor State Legislative Assembly]]'''<ref>{{Citation |title=TindakMalaysia/HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS |date=2024-12-21 |url=https://github.com/TindakMalaysia/HISTORICAL-ELECTION-RESULTS/tree/main |access-date=2024-12-26 |publisher=TindakMalaysia}}</ref>
!|Year
!|Constituency
!colspan=2|Candidate
!|Votes
!|Pct
!colspan=2|Opponent(s)
!|Votes
!|Pct
!|Ballots cast
!|Majority
!|Turnout
|-
|[[1969 Malaysian general election|1969]]
|N03 Kepong
|{{Party shading/Alliance Party (Malaysia)}} |
|Lee Kim Sai ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|MCA]]) 
| align=righ|6,291
|32.10%
|bgcolor={{party color|Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia}} |
|'''[[Tan Chee Khoon]]''' ([[Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia|'''Gerakan''']])
| align=right|'''13,310'''
|'''67.90%'''
|20,804
|7,019
|68.43%
|-
|rowspan=3|[[1974 Malaysian general election|1974]]
|rowspan=6|'''N13 [[Rawang (state constituency)|Rawang]]'''
|rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|rowspan=3|{{nowrap|'''Lee Kim Sai'''}} ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|'''MCA''']]) 
|rowspan=3 align="right" |'''3,701'''  
|rowspan=3|'''48.72%'''
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|Tan Heng Swee ([[Democratic Action Party|DAP]])
|align="right" |2,327		
|30.63%
|rowspan=3|21,803
|rowspan=3|6,281
|rowspan=3|71.88%
|-
|{{Party shading/PEKEMAS}} | 
|J.P. Samuel Raj ([[Malaysian Social Justice Party|PEKEMAS]])
|align="right"|847
|align="right"|1.115%
|-
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |
|Chou Yew Koh ([[Independent politician|IND]])
|align="right"|722
|align="right"|9.50%
|-
|rowspan=3|[[1978 Malaysian general election|1978]]
|rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|rowspan=3|{{nowrap|'''Lee Kim Sai'''}} ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|'''MCA''']]) 
|rowspan=3 align="right"|'''6,763'''  
|rowspan=3|'''60.80%'''
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|Khoo Chin Tow ([[Democratic Action Party|DAP]])
|align="right" |3,567	
|align="right" |32.07%
|rowspan=3|N/A
|rowspan=3|3,196
|rowspan=3|N/A
|-
|{{Party shading/PAS}} |
|Hussein Ibrahim ([[Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party|PAS]])
|align="right" |667
|align="right" |6.00%
|-
|{{Party shading/PEKEMAS}} | 
|Zainuddin Karim ([[Malaysian Social Justice Party|PEKEMAS]])
|align="right"|127
|align="right"|1.14%
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ '''[[Dewan Rakyat|Parliament of Malaysia]]'''<ref name="election results">{{cite web|url=http://semak.spr.gov.my/spr/laporan/5_KedudukanAkhir.php|title=Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri|publisher=[[Election Commission of Malaysia]]|access-date=3 April 2011}} Percentage figures based on total turnout.</ref>
!|Year
!|Constituency
!colspan=2|Candidate
!|Votes
!|Pct
!colspan=2|Opponent(s)
!|Votes
!|Pct
!|Ballots cast
!|Majority
!|Turnout
|-
|rowspan=3|[[1982 Malaysian general election|1982]]
|rowspan=3|'''P075 [[Hulu Selangor (federal constituency)|Ulu Selangor]]'''
|rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|rowspan=3|{{nowrap|'''Lee Kim Sai'''}} ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|'''MCA''']]) 
|rowspan=3 align="right"|'''14,138'''  
|rowspan=3|'''48.70%'''
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |
|Mohamed Arif {{nowrap|Kamaruddin ([[Independent politician|IND]])}}
|align="right" |6,761		
|23.29%
|rowspan=3|30,088	
|rowspan=3|7,377
|rowspan=3|74.68%
|-
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |
|Wong Kim Wah ([[Independent politician|IND]])
|align="right"|5,232
|align="right"|18.02%
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|Pan Su Peng ([[Democratic Action Party|DAP]])
|align="right"|2,897	
|align="right"|9.98%
|-
|rowspan=2|[[1986 Malaysian general election|1986]]
|rowspan=3|'''P089 [[Hulu Langat (federal constituency)|Hulu Langat]]'''
|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|rowspan=2|{{nowrap|'''Lee Kim Sai'''}} ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|'''MCA''']])  
|rowspan=2align="right"|'''22,217'''
|rowspan=2|'''57.38%'''
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|Lam Man Yoon ([[Democratic Action Party|DAP]])
|align="right"|13,292
|34.33%
|rowspan=2|39,651
|rowspan=2|8,925	
|rowspan=2|71.37%
|-
|bgcolor={{Party color|Social Democratic Party (Malaysia)}} |
|Ahamad Kamari ([[Social Democratic Party (Malaysia)|SDP]])
|align="right"|3,208	
|align="right"|8.29%
|-
|[[1990 Malaysian general election|1990]]
|{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |
|{{nowrap|'''Lee Kim Sai'''}} ([[Malaysian Chinese Association|'''MCA''']]) 
|align="right" |'''28,714'''
|'''60.84%'''	
|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |
|Lim Ann Koon ([[Democratic Action Party|DAP]])
|align="right"|18,483		
|align="right"|39.16%
|48,954	
|9,691	
|76.18%
|}

==Honours==
* {{flag|Malaysia}}: 
**[[File:MY_Darjah_Yang_Mulia_Pangkuan_Negara_(Defender_of_the_Realm)_-_SMN.svg|50px]] Medal of the [[Order of the Defender of the Realm#Medal|Order of the Defender of the Realm]] (PPN) (1974)
**[[File:Order_of_Loyalty_to_the_Crown_of_Malaysia_-_PSM.svg|50px]] Commander of the [[Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia#Commander|Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia]] (PSM) – '''Tan Sri''' (2000)<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/semakanlantikanskp/|title=Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat}}</ref>

* {{Flag|Pahang}}:
**[[File:MY-PAH Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang - Grand Knight - SSAP.svg|50px]] Grand Knight of the [[Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang]] (SSAP) – '''Dato' Sri''' (1982)
* {{Flag|Selangor}}:
** {{strikethrough|[[File:MY-SEL_Order_of_the_Crown_of_Selangor_-_SMS_-_AMS.svg|50px]] Companion of the [[Order of the Crown of Selangor]] (SMS)}} (revoked on 23 October 1987)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19871024-1.2.9|title=Kim Sai stripped of Datuk title|publisher=The Straits Times}}</ref>
** [[File:MY-SEL Order of the Crown of Selangor - Knight Commander - DPMS.svg|50px]] Knight Commander of the [[Order of the Crown of Selangor]] (DPMS) – '''Dato'''' (1979,<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://awards.selangor.gov.my/sublinkyear.php?cat=33&subcat=D.P.M.S.|title=DPMS 1979}}</ref> revoked on 23 October 1987 and reinstated on 8 March 1990)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19900223-1.2.6.5|title=Sultan pardons daughter and Mentri Besar|publisher=The Straits Times}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://malaysiafactbook.com/Lee_Kim_Sai  Lee Kim Sai] at Malaysia Factbook

{{Second Mahathir cabinet}}
{{Third Mahathir cabinet}}
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{{Portal bar|Malaysia|Biography|Politics}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Kim Sai}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Malaysian people of Hakka descent]]
[[Category:Malaysian politicians of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:Malaysian Chinese Association politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Ministers of health of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia]]
[[Category:21st-century Malaysian politicians]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Crown of Selangor]]
[[Category:Medallists of the Order of the Defender of the Realm]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 1982–1986]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 1986–1990]]
[[Category:Malaysian MPs 1990–1995]]