DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has announced his retirement from politics, saying he will not contest for any party position in today's DAP congress or any parliamentary or state assembly seat in the future.

He announced this during the DAP congress held at the Ideal Convention Centre in Shah Alam today.

"I take this opportunity to announce my political retirement and I will not contest for any position, including the party central executive committee (CEC) today - you should delete No 39 from the CEC candidate list - or any parliamentary or state assembly seat," Lim said in his speech at the congress.

The Iskandar Puteri MP said he has been with the party for 56 years and has seen it develop from a small opposition party into a major political party in the Pakatan Harapan coalition which won the 14th general election.

He described himself as having been privileged to share this journey to realise the “Malaysian Dream” in making the country a world-class nation with many patriotic Malaysians, both inside and outside the DAP.

At the end of his speech, he was greeted with a standing ovation and thundering applause, while many chanted his name.

When asked later why he made the decision to retire, he simply retorted, “Because I’m 81. I’m old. How many of you here are 81 years old?”

His son, Lim Guan Eng, had also paid tribute to him, describing the 81-year-old as “the best prime minister that Malaysia will never have because of his ethnicity” and “the only worthy opponent” for many former prime ministers and ministers.

“Kit Siang embodied the DAP’s lonely struggle in the opposition and ultimate success in winning power.

“DAP is the beneficiary of his love so that DAP is the vehicle that brings about a better future for our children,” Guan Eng said in his speech as the party secretary-general at its congress today.

On a more personal note, he said the family is jealous of the time DAP has taken away from Kit Siang and that they have to share his love with the party.

However, they fully respect and support his life-long determination to make Malaysian lives better.

“For many of us who know that without Kit Siang leading our veteran leaders, there would be no DAP today, as well as many of us who remained in DAP during the painful days in opposition due to Kit Siang’s example, or the young leaders here who joined DAP because they were inspired by Kit Siang. We want to thank Kit Siang for all you have done,” said an emotional Guan Eng, who appeared to be holding back tears.

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