A former Malaysian policeman, Sam Lim, 60 has been elected as an Australian member of Parliament after winning the Perth seat of Tangey on Sunday (22 May 2022). According to news sites, Sam Lim beat Ben Morton – who was an adviser to outgoing Australian prime minister Scoot Morison.
Here are some interesting facts about Sam Lim:
1. He was a former Malaysian policeman
Before migrating to Australia, Sam served as a police officer for two years with the Royal Malaysian Police Force. However, he couldn’t survive due to the low pay and decided to quit. His next career was life-changing.
2. He then became a dolphin trainer
After quitting as a police officer, Sam later turned to train dolphins at a safari park in Malaysia. He said working as a dolphin trainer in Malaysia was the “best job ever”.
“I love it because dolphins are so genuine, dolphins never hurt you. If you feel hurt, you jump into the swimming pool. The dolphin will come to you and try to comfort you.”
“If you got angry and you jump into the pool, they run away,” he said.
Unfortunately, the park went into liquidation. So all the animals were released into the ocean.
“That was the worst part of my career at that time, but we got to say goodbye to them.”
3. He grew up in a poor family
Muar-born Australian MP grew u in a poor family with no power or water. He is the eldest of eight children and he had to struggle for the first 15 years of his life. But, he credits those hard times for building his character and preparing him for hardships.
4. Sam Lim can speak 10 languages
Surprisingly, Sam Lim can speak 10 languages. Prior to moving to Australia with his family in 2002, he ran several small businesses in Malaysia so his three kids could get a world-class education.
5. He joined WA Police Academy in Australia
Four years later, he then joined the WA Police Academy in Australia and was appointed as a diversity engagement officer with WA Police to work in multicultural communities across Perth.
“Being a police officer is a great job, I love the blue uniform,” Sam shared.
He was awarded Police Officer of the Year in 2020 for his outstanding work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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