Malaysia-born Australian MP receives praise for multilingual speech in parliament

Malaysian-born Australian member of parliament Sam Lim drew praise after he spoke in Bahasa Melayu and Mandarin in his maiden speech during parliament on Wednesday (Sep 7).

In his speech, Mr Lim thanked those who had supported him throughout the electoral process.

"To all my friends in Australia, Malaysia and abroad, thanks for all your care and love. Special thanks to all who have reached out to support and help in the Australian general election. Thank you," the 61-year-old said in Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin and in English.

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob took to Twitter to congratulate Mr Lim and added that he was proud when he spoke in Bahasa Melayu.

“Bahasa Melayu is heard in Australian Parliament! I am proud to see Bahasa Melayu being elevated in the world stage by @SamLimMP when delivering his inaugural speech in the Australian Parliament.

“Congratulations on your appointment as Tangney MP in Perth and best of luck to you,” he said.

Mr Lim, a member of the Australian Labor Party, was appointed as MP after winning the Tangney seat in Perth in the recent Australian general election.

Born in 1961, Mr Lim served in the Royal Malaysia Police for two years in 1983 before working as a dolphin trainer, on top of operating businesses in Malaysia and Australia.

He later migrated to Australia with his wife and their three children, joining the Western Australia Police Academy in 2006 before serving in Perth.

For his service to the community from various cultural backgrounds during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was named police officer of the year.