Wee Ka Siong

Datuk Seri Ir. Dr. Wee Ka Siong (Chinese: 魏家祥; pinyin: Wèi Jiāxiáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Gūi Ka-siông; born 20 October 1968) is a Malaysian politician, and engineer who has served as Minister of Transport in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin since March 2020 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayer Hitam since March 2004. [1] He served as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and the Deputy Minister of Education in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak and former Ministers Hishammudin Hussein and Muhyiddin Yassin from March 2008 to the collapse of the BN administration in May 2018. He has also served as President of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a component party of the BN coalition, elected during the party election in November 2018. He is the sole Chinese Minister and sole candidate from MCA to be elected in the 2018 general election. [2]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Wee (魏).
Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Ir. Dr.

Wee Ka Siong

DMSM DGSM MP
魏家祥
Minister of Transport
Assumed office
10 March 2020
MonarchAbdullah
Prime MinisterMuhyiddin Yassin
DeputyHasbi Habibollah
Preceded byAnthony Loke Siew Fook
ConstituencyAyer Hitam
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department
In office
27 June 2014 – 10 May 2018
MonarchAbdul Halim
Muhammad V
Prime MinisterNajib Razak
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
ConstituencyAyer Hitam
Deputy Minister of Education
In office
19 March 2008 – 15 May 2013
Serving with Razali Ismail (2008–2009)
Mohd Puad Zarkashi (2009–2013)
MonarchMizan Zainal Abidin
Abdul Halim
Prime MinisterAbdullah Ahmad Badawi
Najib Razak
MinisterHishammuddin Hussein (2008–2009)
Muhyiddin Yassin (2009–2013)
Preceded byHon Choon Kim
Succeeded byKamalanathan Panchanathan
ConstituencyAyer Hitam
President of the Malaysian Chinese Association
Assumed office
4 November 2018
DeputyMah Hang Soon
Preceded byLiow Tiong Lai
ConstituencyAyer Hitam
Deputy President of the Malaysian Chinese Association
In office
21 December 2013 – 3 November 2018
PresidentLiow Tiong Lai
Preceded byLiow Tiong Lai
Succeeded byMah Hang Soon
ConstituencyAyer Hitam
Youth Chief of the Malaysian Chinese Association
In office
13 October 2008 – 21 December 2013
PresidentOng Tee Keat
Chua Soi Lek
DeputyMah Hang Soon
Preceded byLiow Tiong Lai
Succeeded byChong Sin Woon
ConstituencyAyer Hitam
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Ayer Hitam
Assumed office
21 March 2004
Preceded byPosition established
Majority15,763 (2004)
13,909 (2008)
7,310 (2013)
303 (2018)
Personal details
Born
Wee Ka Siong

(1968-10-20) 20 October 1968
Jasin, Malacca, Malaysia
NationalityMalaysian
Political partyMalaysian Chinese Association (MCA)
Other political
affiliations		Barisan Nasional (BN)
Perikatan Nasional (PN)
Spouse(s)Jessica Lim Hai Ean (林海燕)
Children2
ResidenceJohor Bahru, Johor
(Hometowns: Tampin, Negeri Sembilan and Jasin, Malacca)
Alma materUniversiti Teknologi Malaysia
Nanyang Technological University
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionEngineer
Websiteweekasiong.com.my

Biography

He was born in Jasin, Melaka to a Hakka clan and later brought up in Tampin, Negeri Sembilan. He attended the SJK(C) Yu Hsien primary school and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Datuk Bendahara Jasin, Melaka.

He studied Civil Engineering at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in 1986–1991. He later pursued his Master in Traffic Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore from 1993 to 1996 and a PhD in Transportation Planning at the UTM from 1996 to 2001. He is a qualified Civil Engineer and is a member of the Board of Engineering Malaysia (BEM).

He is married to Datin Seri Jessica Lim Hai Ean (林海燕), a lawyer and they have 2 children, a daughter and a son.

MCA career

Wee, who speaks Malay, English and Mandarin, begin his political career in the Johor Bahru Malaysian Chinese Association, which he joined in 1992.. He was its Secretary General (Johor Bahru Division) from 1993 to 2005. After that, he is elected as Johor Bahru's MCA Majidi Branch chairman from 1996 to 2008, and became the MCA Johor Bahru Division Youth Chief from 2002 to 2008.

In 2005 during the National MCA Youth election, he was elected as the National MCA Youth Wing Secretary General, and was appointed as the National MCA Youth Education Bureau Chief (2005–2008). He was awarded The Outstanding Young Malaysian (TOYM) Award (Politics, Governmental Affairs & Legal) (马来西亚十大杰出青年奖) by the Junior Chamber International Malaysia; this award was presented to him by Dato' Sri Ong Tee Keat, then Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, in Kuala Lumpur on 25 November 2005.

On 13 October 2008, Wee was elected unopposed as the MCA Youth Chief for the 2008–2011 term, taking over the position from the Health Minister, Dato' Sri Liow Tiong Lai. On 11 November 2008, Wee Ka Siong was elected to lead the MCA Malacca State Liaison Committee.[3] Prior to this, he was the secretary general for Malaysia Chinese Association Youth Wing.

In 2013, he contested, and won, the deputy presidency of the full party.[4]

Deputy Education Minister (2008–2013)

Under the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, he was given the mandate to continue leading the Education Ministry as a Deputy Education Minister along with Dr. Mohd Puad Zarkashi. Its Education minister is the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

As minister, he reversed the decision to close the SJKC Damansara School, closed in 2001 because it "no longer provided a conducive learning environment because of traffic jams and noise pollution" due to a nearby trunk road. Its closure was opposed by some parents, who refused to transfer their children to its replacement.[5] When it reopened in late 2009, it was renamed 'SJKC Chung Hwa'.[6] He was given the mandate by the cabinet to handle and execute the Government's stimulus package in November last year that RM200mil will be given out in equal measure to Chinese, Tamil, religious (Sekolah Agama) and Mubaligh (missionary) schools (each medium schools will be given RM50 Million).

Cabinet Minister (2014–2018)

After the MCA's disastrous performance in the 2013 election, losing eight of its fifteen seats, the MCA voluntarily withdrew from its ministerial positions. The party returned in 2014 and Wee, by then the deputy president of the party, was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister in the Department of Prime Minister Najib Razak.[7]

After months of public speculations about Wee's health, on 2 May 2016 he made a statement that he would undergo a spinal surgery abroad and promised he will recover and return to duty soon.[8][9][10]

Wee Ka Siong is the only member of MCA to hold a seat in the parliament after the Malaysian general election in May 2018.[11] On 22 August, Wee Ka Siong publicly announced that it is better for Malaysia to proceed with the ECRL and Gas Pipeline projects instead of postponing it because he believes it will adversely affect ties with China.[12]

Election results
Parliament of Malaysia: P148 Ayer Hitam, Johor[13][14][15][16]
Year Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2004 Wee Ka Siong (MCA) 20,065 82.34% Mohd Zamri Mat Taksis (PAS) 4,302 17.66% 25,218 15,763 76.87%
2008 Wee Ka Siong (MCA) 20,230 76.11% Hussin Sujak (PAS) 6,321 23.78% 27,488 13,909 78.98%
2013 Wee Ka Siong (MCA) 22,045 59.79% Hu Pang Chaw (PAS) 14,735 39.96% 37,839 7,310 88.18%
2018 Wee Ka Siong (MCA) 17,076 43.98% Liew Chin Tong (DAP) 16,773 43.20% 38,824 303 85.52%
Hj Mardi Marwan (PAS) 4,975 12.82%

Honours

See also

References
  1. "SEATING ARRANGEMENT OF MEMBERS OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES". Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  2. "MCA polls: New leaders will bring a breath of fresh air, says Lee". The Star. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. ‘Old and new’ formula for Malacca MCA to regain seats, The Star (Malaysia), 22 November 2008
  4. "MCA polls: Former health minister Liow Tiong Lai is new president". asiaone. 21 December 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  5. Tan Ee Loo (6 December 2008). Sec 17 school now called Chung Hwa, The Star (Malaysia)
  6. Yeng Ai Chun (6 January 2009). "Government kept its word, says Wee" The Star (Malaysia)
  7. Akil Yunus (14 October 2014). "Dr Wee's first 100 days challenging, but minister happy with progress". The Star. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  8. FOONG PEK YEE (2 May 2016). "Dr Wee to undergo spinal surgery". The Star. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  9. KOI KYE LEE (2 May 2016). "MCA deputy president to undergo spinal surgery this week". New Straits Times. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  10. "Wee Ka Siong to undergo spinal surgery". Free Malaysia Today. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  11. Foong Pek Yee (2 June 2018). "Wee: MCA had no room to say 'no' in the past". The Star.
  12. FMT Reporters (22 August 2018). "MCA: ECRL cancellation will affect ties with China". Free Malaysia Today.
  13. "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  14. "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  15. "KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM 13". Sistem Pengurusan Maklumat Pilihan Raya Umum. Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  16. "Malaysia General Election". undiinfo Malaysian Election Data. Malaysiakini. Retrieved 4 February 2017. Results only available from the 2004 election.
  17. "Datukship for Shah Rukh Khan". The Star. 11 October 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  18. "Dr Wee gets Malacca award". The Star. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
Political offices
Preceded by
Liow Tiong Lai		 Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) President
4 November 2018 – Incumbent		 Succeeded by
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.