Wee Ka Siong

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Wee Ka Siong (Template:Lang-zh; born 20 October 1968) is a Malaysian politician and engineer who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayer Hitam since March 2004. He served as Minister of Transport for the second term in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 to the collapse of the BN administration in November 2022 and his first term in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin from March 2020 to the collapse of the PN administration in August 2021, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and the Deputy Minister of Education in the BN administration under former Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak as well as former Ministers Hishammuddin Hussein and Muhyiddin from March 2008 to the collapse of the BN administration in May 2018.[1] He is a member of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a component party of the BN coalition. He has also served as the 11th President of MCA since November 2018. He also served as the Deputy President of MCA from December 2013 to his promotion to the party presidency in November 2018 as well as the Youth Chief of MCA from October 2008 to his promotion to the party deputy president in December 2013. He was the sole minister of Chinese ethnicity and MCA in the PN and BN administrations from March 2020 to November 2022 and sole MCA candidate to be elected in the 2018 general election.[2]

Early life and education

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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

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 Engineers Malaysia (BEM).Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

He is married to Datin Seri Jessica Lim Hai Ean (Script error: No such module "Lang".), a lawyer and they have 2 children, a daughter and a son.

Early political career

Wee begin his political career in Johor Bahru Malaysian Chinese Association, which he joined in 1992.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".. He was the Division Secretary of MCA 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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

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) (Script error: No such module "Lang".) 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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

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]

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (2013–2018)

After the MCA's disastrous performance in the 2013 election, losing eight of its fifteen seats, the MCA voluntarily withdrew from its ministerial positions. Wee Ka Siong, by then the deputy president of the party, was then later appointed to the Cabinet as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department after a minor cabinet reshuffle.[5]

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.[6][7][8]

Wee Ka Siong is the only member of MCA to hold a seat in the parliament after the Malaysian general election in May 2018.[9]

Transport Minister (2020-2022)

After the 2020–21 Malaysian political crisis, Wee has been appointed Minister of Transport by the ruling government Perikatan Nasional.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Loke Siew Fook took over as Minister of Transport following the 2022 Malaysian general election.[10]

Controversies and issues

Cabotage policy

Wee Ka Siong, had on 13 November 2020, signed a federal gazette revoking the cabotage exemption to foreign ships involved in the repair of submarine cables, which connects Malaysia to the global internet network. The exemption helped speed up repairs of submarine cables that are damaged from time to time, causing internet disruption in the country. In November 23, tech giants, including Microsoft, Google and Facebook, have turned to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for intervention over a decision by Wee Ka Siong, which they say will hamper Malaysia's internet infrastructure.[11]

On 26 November, Wee Ka Siong has assured tech giants Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Malaysia Internet Exchange (MyIX) that foreign vessels would be allowed to carry out undersea communications cable repair works if local vessels are unable to do it or are located too far from the areas where repairs are needed.[12]

The long-running spat between Wee Ka Siong and DAP's Lim Guan Eng over the cabotage policy on foreign ships that repair submarine cables in Malaysia. On 2 November 2021, the two rival politicians are set for a one-hour debate session that started at 9.30pm. It is aired on Astro Awani and 8TV, as well as on TV3's social media pages.[13]

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia[14][15][16][17]
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2004 P148 Ayer Hitam Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | Wee Ka Siong (MCA) 20,065 82.34% Template:Party shading/PAS | Mohd Zamri Mat Taksis (PAS) 4,302 17.66% 25,218 15,763 76.87%
2008 Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | Wee Ka Siong (MCA) 20,230 76.11% Template:Party shading/PAS | Hussin Sujak (PAS) 6,321 23.78% 27,488 13,909 78.98%
2013 Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | Wee Ka Siong (MCA) 22,045 59.79% Template:Party shading/PAS | Hu Pang Chaw (PAS) 14,735 39.96% 37,839 7,310 88.18%
2018 rowspan=2 Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | Wee Ka Siong (MCA) 17,076 43.98% Template:Party shading/Keadilan | Liew Chin Tong (DAP) 16,773 43.20% 38,824 303 85.52%
Template:Party shading/PAS | Mardi Marwan (PAS) 4,975 12.82%
2022 rowspan=2 Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | Wee Ka Siong (MCA) 18,911 40.50% Template:Party shading/PH | Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali (DAP) 15,948 34.16% 46,692 2,963 76.49%
bgcolor=Template:Party color | Muhammad Syafiq A Aziz (BERSATU) 11,833 25.34%

Honours

See also

References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  3. ↑ ‘Old and new’ formula for Malacca MCA to regain seats, The Star (Malaysia), 22 November 2008
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  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". Results only available from the 2004 election.
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links

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Political offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Deputy Minister of Education
Serving with: Razali Ismail (2008–2009) and Mohd Puad Zarkashi (2009–2013)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
2008–2013 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
New title Minister in the Prime Minister's Department
2014–2018 Template:S-ttl/check 		Position abolished
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Minister of Transport
2020–present Template:S-ttl/check 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Youth Chief of the Malaysian Chinese Association
2008–2013 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Deputy President of the Malaysian Chinese Association
2013–2018 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
President of the Malaysian Chinese Association
2018–present Template:S-ttl/check 		Incumbent
Vice Chairman of Barisan Nasional
Serving with: Vigneswaran Sanasee and Joseph KurupScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
2018–present Template:S-ttl/check
Template:Error
New constituency Member of Parliament for Ayer Hitam
2004–present Template:S-ttl/check 		Incumbent

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