Theresa Lim Chin Chin: Liberation Theology, Operasi Lalang, and the Price of Pursuing Justice

This compelling biography brings together the personal journals, reflections and letters of Theresa Lim Chin Chin and her husband, Dave Anthony, alongside recollections from family members and friends. Through their combined accounts, readers gain an intimate insight into their lives, their shared struggles and their commitment to social justice.

From an early age, Chin Chin developed a strong intellectual and moral compass that guided her lifelong commitment to social justice. Her subsequent embrace of liberation theology and involvement in social activism eventually led to her detention under Malaysia’s Internal Security Act (ISA) during Operation Lalang in October 1987. In her pursuit of justice, she endured arrest, detention and torture.

Remembered by activists as an “unsung Malaysian hero” who courageously spoke truth to power, Chin Chin left a lasting legacy through her work and convictions.

Drawing on Chin Chin’s historical journal, Dave’s contemporaneous journal, her personal reflections and letters, and the recollections of her sister Elizabeth, their sons and friends, this book offers a multifaceted account of her life, from her childhood and family background to her activism and experiences under detention. It also recounts the couple’s shared struggles and their family life in the years that followed.

Following years of illness, Theresa Lim Chin Chin passed away in 2025. This book preserves the story of her life, her commitment to social justice and the experiences she and Dave Anthony shared.

Book Details

• Authors: Theresa Lim Chin Chin, Dave Anthony

• Publisher: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre (SIRD)

• ISBN: 9786297575674

• Publication Date: 1 April 2026

• Format: Paperback

• Pages: 312

• Weight: 474 g