Wong Soon Koh
Dato' Sri Wong Soon Koh (simplified Chinese: 黄顺舸; traditional Chinese: 黄順舸; pinyin: Huáng shùngě; born 16 May 1942),[1] is a Malaysian politician from the United Sarawak Party (PSB), in his sixth-term as an assemblyman (MLA) representing Bawang Assan.
Wong Soon Koh | |
|---|---|
黄顺舸 | |
 Wong Soon Koh in 2018 | |
| Minister for International Trade and E-Commerce (Sarawak) | |
| In office 6 May 2017 – 15 July 2019 | |
| Governor | Abdul Taib Mahmud |
| Chief Minister | Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg |
| Deputy | Mohd Naroden Majais (E-Commerce) |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Awang Tengah Ali Hasan |
| Constituency | Bawang Assan |
| Minister for Local Government and Community Development (Sarawak) | |
| In office 28 September 2011 – 12 May 2016 | |
| Governor | Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abdul Taib Mahmud |
| Chief Minister | Abdul Taib Mahmud Adenan Satem |
| Deputy | Dr. Jerip Susil Peter Nansian Ngusie John Sikie Tayai |
| Succeeded by | Dr. Sim Kui Hian |
| Constituency | Bawang Assan |
| Minister for Environment and Public Health (Sarawak) | |
| In office 2008 – 27 September 2011 | |
| Governor | Abang Muhammad Salahuddin |
| Chief Minister | Abdul Taib Mahmud |
| Succeeded by | Abdul Taib Mahmud (Environment) |
| Constituency | Bawang Assan |
| President of the Parti Sarawak Bersatu | |
| Assumed office 2015 | |
| Deputy | Jerip Susil |
| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
| Minister for Finance II (Sarawak) | |
| In office 2004 – 15 July 2019 | |
| Minister | Abdul Taib Mahmud Adenan Satem Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg |
| Governor | Abdul Taib Mahmud |
| Chief Minister | Abdul Taib Mahmud Adenan Satem Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg |
| Succeeded by | Douglas Uggah Embas |
| Constituency | Bawang Assan |
| Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for Bawang Assan | |
| Assumed office 28 September 1991 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Majority | 2,892 (1991) 2,709 (1996) 7,096 (2001) 2,504 (2006) 1,808 (2011) 4,131 (2016) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Wong Soon Koh 16 May 1942 Sibu, Japanese occupation of British Borneo (now Sarawak, Malaysia) |
| Citizenship | Malaysian |
| Political party | Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP) United Sarawak Party (PSB) |
| Spouse(s) | Pauline Leong |
| Children | Andrew Wong Kee Yew |
| Residence | Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia |
| Alma mater | University of Western Australia |
| Occupation | Politician |
Education
Wong graduated from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts.[2][3]
Personal life
Wong's spouse is Pauline Leong. Their only son Andrew Wong Kee Yew, suspectedly died of stroke on 10 February 2019 at their family home in Sibu.[4] Andrew, former deputy chairman of Sibu Municipal Council, is married and has two children, a son and a daughter.[5]
Political career
In September 2011, Wong was reappointed as Second Minister for Finance and reassigned as Minister for Local Government and Housing by Abdul Taib Mahmud.[6]
In May 2014, Wong was sacked from Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP), while still being SUPP Sibu branch chairman, by then-president Peter Chin Fah Kui.[7] The party was reportedly unhappy with Wong's decision to appoint a number of community leaders.[8] Soon before he was officially sacked, Wong announced in a hurriedly called press conference that he was joining a newly formed party, Sarawak People's Energy Party (TERAS), together with former Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president William Mawan Ikom. Less than three months later, Wong announced that he was leaving TERAS to form a new party, United Peoples' Party (UPP), bringing with him three other elected state assemblymen.[9]
In May 2017, Wong was reassigned by the sixth Chief Minister of Sarawak Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg to head the new Ministry of International Trade and E-Commerce.[10][11]
In late 2018, Wong's party, UPP, announced that it was changing its name to United Sarawak Party (PSB).[12] In July 2019, Wong tendered his resignation as the International Trade and e-Commerce Minister and second Minister of Finance from the state Cabinet, marking PSB turning its status into independent.[13]
Election results
| Year | Constituency | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Bawang Assan | Wong Soon Koh (SUPP / BN) | 6,112 | 65.50% | Ling Sie Ming (DAP) | 3,220 | 34.50% | 9,401 | 2,892 | 68.45% | ||
| 1996 | Wong Soon Koh (SUPP / BN) | 6,953 | 62.10% | Chian Pao Koh (DAP) | 4,244 | 37.90% | 11,300 | 2,709 | 61.45% | |||
| 2001 | Wong Soon Koh (SUPP / BN) | 9,465 | 79.98% | Michael Tiang Ming Tee (DAP) | 2,369 | 20.02% | 11,920 | 7,096 | 68.85% | |||
| 2006 | Wong Soon Koh (SUPP / BN) | 6,804 | 61.28% | Wong Kee Woan (DAP) | 4,300 | 38.72% | 11,172 | 2,504 | 66.32% | |||
| 2011 | Wong Soon Koh (SUPP / BN) | 7,316 | 57.05% | Alice Lau Kiong Yieng (DAP) | 5,508 | 42.95% | 12,936 | 1,808 | 77.26% | |||
| 2016 | Wong Soon Koh (UPP) | 9,015 | 61.12% | Stanley Chiew Sung Ngie (DAP) | 4,884 | 33.38% | 14,801 | 4,131 | 80.70% | |||
| Watson Bangau Johnathan Renang (IND) | 569 | 3.89% | ||||||||||
| Wong Sing Wei (STAR) | 100 | 0.68% | ||||||||||
| Yeu Bang Keng (IND) | 63 | 0.43% | ||||||||||
Honours
Sarawak :
Member of the Order of the Star of Sarawak (ABS)[1]_-_3._Commander_(PGBK).svg.png.webp)
Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (PGBK) – Datuk (1994)[1]- Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of Sarawak (PNBS) – Dato' Sri (2003)[1]
See also
- Bawang Assan (state constituency)
References
- "DEWAN UNDANGAN NEGERI SARAWAK". Sarawak State Legislative Assembly. 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- "Awards for highly talented world citizens". Michael Sinclair-Jones. University of Western Australia. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- "Quality education, teachers attract students, private Chinese schools told". Borneo Post. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- "Son of Sarawak Second Finance Minister Wong Soon Koh passes away". Andy Chua. The Star. 11 February 2019.
- "Cops classify death of Second Finance Minister's son as sudden death". Andy Chua. The Star. 11 February 2019.
- "Sarawak Cabinet (2011)". rimau atas kerusi. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- "SUPP sacks Wong Soon Koh". Stephen Then. The Star. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- "Soon Koh: I'm not a deserter, SUPP sacked me". Raymond Tan. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- "Wong, Three Others Leave TERAS To Form UPP". Malaysia Today. Bernama. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- "Awang Tengah appointed new Deputy CM in S'wak cabinet reshuffle". The Sun. Bernama. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- "Abg Johari unveils his new team". Lim How Pin. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- "United People's Party renamed Parti Sarawak Bersatu, pledges support for Abang Johari". Sulok Tawie. 8 December 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- "Sarawak CM: Wong Soon Koh's resignation as Cabinet minister accepted". Malay Mail. 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.