Tired of Malaysia’s slow progress on climate change, Muda’s Abe Lim wants to push environmental issues starting from Bandar Utama
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Malaysian United Democratic Alliance’s (Muda) Bandar Utama candidate Abe Lim Hooi Sean said she is tired of seeing Malaysia playing catch up with neighbouring countries when it comes to climate change action.
Lim said the Bandar Utama constituency is a perfect place to start when it comes to pushing agendas related to climate change.
Lim, 27, citing unofficial data from her recycling firm, Purpose Plastics, together with Zero Waste Malaysia said Bandar Utama residents topped the list of communities practicing sustainable climate action.
“We do collections from shops and businesses, and we collect our data on which community recycles most or practices sustainable climate action and Bandar Utama ranked the highest. The place is strategic and aligned with our principles.
“Most of the people here in Bandar Utama are seniors and it’s their habit to not waste. They are practising sustainable lifestyles such as recycling newspapers and cooking oils without realising that they are helping with the climate issue. However, the younger ones have a higher understanding of what the topic is all about,” Lim told Malay Mail during a recent interview.
The trained lawyer from Oxford Brooke’s University said the climate crisis will affect the poorest and marginalised people the most and blamed the lack of political will to tackle the issue.
“Every time I talk about climate change, it will be branded as a rich people issue but that is not the case. It will affect the poor and marginalised the most. We can see it from the flood that happened in 2021.
“If we ask politicians about this, their answers will be ‘it’s natural disasters, nothing we can do’ or ‘it’s just bad luck’ but if we can get them to start talking about it, with the backing of facts, data and science then there will be realisation that it happens because of human activities such as deforestation.
Lim said her first action as Bandar Utama’s assemblyman is to come up with an urban planning framework if she is elected. — Picture by Hari Anggara
“That is why I’m standing in this election. To show and educate the masses that this crisis is happening in Malaysia and not just overseas,” she said.
While climate action is top of Lim’s list, she emphasised that the welfare of the people will not be neglected, especially the senior citizens.
“Our principle is that the people are always first and my first manifesto is people first, urban planning. The seniors, they like to walk and do gardening. We need more green spaces instead of more buildings. That is improving the quality of life which is welfare,” she said.
With Lim facing the seat’s incumbent Jamaliah Jamaluddin of Pakatan Harapan, who is a popular figure among Bandar Utama residents, she said Muda will give the voters there an option to pick professionals over a candidate that is tied to a political party.
“We are giving them an option whether to vote abilities over personalities. Our strategy is very simple, we identify issues and provide them with multiple solutions on what we can do if we are elected.
“I’m not from a political background and I want to solve and look into issues from professional perspectives where I can serve the public better instead of dealing with partisanships,” she said.
Lim said her first action as Bandar Utama’s assemblyman is to come up with an urban planning framework if she is elected.
“Why are people suffering from the same issues from 10 years ago? We’re supposed to be progressing,” she said.
Bandar Utama seat will be contested in a three-cornered fight between Lim, Jamaliah and Gerakan’s Nur Aliff Mohd Tafid.
