Waves of Independence

Look inside the book | Get the E-book "It is important not to forget the role of the many people like [Gunn Chit Wha] who…played their part in helping our nation through the challenges of independence and beyond." —From a foreword by HRH Sultan of Selangor Meet Gunn Chit Wha, a pioneering role model with many firsts: she was one of the first female lawyers of Malaya, one of the first female Municipal Councillors of Kuala Lumpur, and the first female State Councillor of Selangor. Now 92, she recounts the years of her own independence while breaking barriers in the 1950s, a unique time in the country's history. Gunn Chit Wha was the third female lawyer in Malaya during the 20th century and later became the first female Municipal Councillor of Petaling Ward in Kuala Lumpur. Born in British Malaya, she is the daughter of Puan Sri Gunn-Chua Teck Neo and Tan Sri Gunn Lay Teik, a former High Commissioner for Malaya to Australia. She was married to the late Dato Lau Foo Sun and has three children and grandchildren. She lives in Kuala Lumpur.