Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to recognise the 40th anniversary of the Cambodian Association of Victoria and to acknowledge two longstanding Cambodian-Australian community leaders in my electorate of Isaacs: Dr Richard Lim OAM and Mr Youhorn Chea. The Cambodian-Australian community has deep roots in my electorate of Isaacs. Many in the community arrived as refugees seeking safety following the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime. Over four decades, the community has made enduring contributions to Australia's social, intellectual, cultural and civic life.

My friend Dr Richard Lim OAM was born outside Phnom Penh and began studying pharmacy before the  Khmer Rouge came to power. Targeted during the regime's persecution of intellectuals, he narrowly avoided execution due to a clerical error and lived for years under threat. He later undertook a long and dangerous journey by bicycle across Cambodia, eventually reuniting with his surviving siblings near the Thai border.

Richard arrived in Australia in 1980. With his qualifications lost, he returned to high school at the age of 24, working long hours to support himself. He went on to establish Lim's Pharmacy in Springvale, offering vital pharmacy services in multiple languages to our local community. Lim's Pharmacy also raises money for Cambodia Vision, who carry out vital cataract procedures and provide medical care for Cambodians in rural areas. Richard also mentors young Cambodian Australians and co-founded the Cambodian Youth Association. He later served as deputy mayor of Greater Dandenong. In 2014, Richard received the Order of Australia medal for his extraordinary service to our community.

My friend Mr Youhorn Chea arrived in Australia with his family as refugees in 1980, also having escaped from the Khmer Rouge. He helped establish the Cambodian Association of Victoria, serving as its president for more than 20 years. In 2001, he became the first Cambodian mayor in Australia for the City of Greater Dandenong and has served several terms as mayor of Greater Dandenong. Youhorn has led youth programs, language classes and welfare services that have supported countless families. He remains a very respected leader in the Cambodian Australian community.

Richard Lim and Youhorn Chea are not alone in their experience and their contribution to our nation. Many Cambodian Australians in my electorate of Isaacs have overcome profound hardship and gone on to serve others. Richard and Youhorn exemplify that civic spirit. I'm grateful for the enduring friendship that I have shared with members of the Cambodian Australian community in my electorate of Isaacs. I commend the Cambodian Association of Victoria on its 40 years of service to our community, and I thank Richard Lim and Youhorn Chea for their extraordinary commitment to public life.

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