She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Masters in Education from the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Houston. Su Kim is of Straits Chinese (Peranakan) parentage, and is a founder member and the first woman President of the Peranakan Baba Nyonya Association of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. She has authored a total of eight books including two bestsellers, Malaysian Flavours: Insights into Things Malaysian (2004) and Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest (1998)