Liow Tiong Lai
| Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai MP 廖中莱 | |
|---|---|
 Kien Ling Khoo with Liow Tiong Lai | |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Bentong | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1999 | |
| Majority | 379 (2013) 12,549 (2008) 16,839 (2004) 10,715 (1999) |
| President of Malaysian Chinese Association | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 21 December 2013 | |
| Deputy | Wee Ka Siong |
| Preceded by | Chua Soi Lek |
| Malaysian Minister of Health | |
| In office 18 March 2008 – 5 May 2013 | |
| Prime Minister | Najib Razak |
| Preceded by | Chua Soi Lek Ong Ka Ting (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Datuk Dr S Subramaniam (MIC) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1961 Jasin, Malacca, Malaya (now Jasin, Malacca, Malaysia) |
| Political party | Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) part of Barisan Nasional |
| Spouse(s) | Lee Sun Loo (李善如) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | National University of Malaysia University of Malaya |
| Occupation | Nutritionist |
| Religion | Buddhist |
| Website | www.liowtionglai.com |
Dato' Seri Liow Tiong Lai (Chinese: 廖中莱; pinyin: Liào Zhōnglái; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Liāu Tiong-lâi) is a Malaysian politician who is currently as a Member of Parliament for Bentong, Pahang. He served as the Health Minister in the Malaysian cabinet from 18 March 2008 until 5 May 2013.[1] He is the president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a major component party of the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition.
Background
Born in Jasin, Malacca, Liow had ambitions of being a doctor but graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia instead.[2] He later obtained his MBA from the University of Malaya.[3]
He is married to Datin Sri Lee Sun Loo and has three children. He is a strong advocate of healthy eating, especially eating organic food.
Political involvement
Liow officially joined the Malaysian Chinese Association in 1981. Soon after graduating from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1986, he joined MCA as a research assistant with a monthly salary of RM700. He became press secretary and later political secretary to former MCA deputy president Lim Ah Lek from 1989 to 1999.[1] After two decades of steady rise in the party, he was elected as MCA Youth chief in 2005 and was elected as a vice-president in 2008.
Liow is also Bentong Member of Parliament, having held the parliamentary seat since 1999. In 2006, he was appointed Deputy Youth and Sports Minister in a Cabinet reshuffle. Following the 2008 general elections, Liow became Minister of Health under prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He remained in this position after Najib Tun Razak assumed the premiership in April 2009.
Following the MCA poor performance in the 13th General Election, Liow was dropped from the cabinet. [4]
Call for Second Deputy Prime Minister
In October 2008, Dato Liow Tiong Lai who was then the outgoing National Youth Chief of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) raised the prospect of a second Deputy Chairman of Barisan Nasional to be appointed from among its component parties. The call was made at the MCA's internal party elections. As the Deputy Chairman of Barisan Nasional would be appointed the Deputy Prime Minister, it would mean creating a second Deputy Prime Minister position for Malaysia. Observers felt that Liow's proposal was simply a gimmick for him to win the internal MCA party elections.
While MCA accepted UMNO's leadership of the Barisan Nasional coalition, MCA felt that its seniority in the coalition should be reflected through a second Deputy chairman's position that would be filled by MCA. Liow said, "MCA is the second largest component party. The proposed deputy president should be represented by the MCA."[5]
Various MCA leaders backed Liow's proposal. Dato Wee Ka Siong who was the incoming MCA youth chief (then), said: "It (Barisan top leadership) must be well represented. We don’t want to see any kind of perception that Barisan is nominated by one or two parties. We don’t want to paint a picture where Barisan is dominated by one party and its decisions are accepted by the rest." Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, MCA's deputy president (then) said: "The history in Barisan Nasional shows that there is no hard and fast rule that only the senior leaders of any party can automatically assume the positions in the coalition. Tan Sri Michael Chen (a former MCA deputy president) was the Barisan Nasional secretary-general in 1974."[6]
In response to Liow's call, the Deputy Prime Minister (then) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said, "The present Barisan setup is still workable. There is a history behind why the Barisan chairman is the Prime Minister and the deputy chairman is the Deputy Prime Minister and all the heads of the component parties become vice-chairmen. Since 1974 when Barisan was formed, it has been working very well. I don’t think it is correct to say you cannot express your views because your post is only a vice-chairman. Sometimes you come and don’t say anything at all, then even if you become deputy, it's useless."[7]
Liow had planned to raise the issue at the Barisan Nasional level after the MCA had approved it. After winning his internal party elections, Liow, who had become the new MCA Vice-President said: "One step at a time. Let us reform Barisan first. We reform Barisan, (and only) then we will reform the government."[8]
MCA crisis
From late 2009 to early 2010, Liow became embroiled in a leadership crisis in MCA, vocally opposing the "Greater Unity Plan," a temporary political alliance between the factions aligned to then-president Ong Tee Keat and deputy president Chua Soi Lek.[9][10] Liow led a third faction pushing for new elections, but was unable to persuade two-thirds of the central committee to resign, which would have triggered an election under the party constitution.[11][12]
The crisis came to a close after Dr Chua resigned on 4 March 2010.[13] The subsequent election saw Dr Chua being elected president, while Liow defeated Kong Cho Ha in the contest for deputy president.[14]
Election Results
| Year | Constituency | Barisan Nasional | Votes | Pct | Opponent | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | P083 Bentong, Pahang | Liow Tiong Lai (MCA) | 23,104 | 63.92 | Abdul Wahab Bin Sudin (KeADILan) | 12,389 | 34.27% | 36,996 | 10,715 | 72.59% | |||
| 2004 | P089 Bentong, Pahang | Liow Tiong Lai (MCA) | 27,144 | 72.02 | Abu Bakar bin Lebai Sudin (DAP) | 10,305 | 27.34% | 38,689 | 16,839 | 73.46% | |||
| 2008 | Liow Tiong Lai (MCA) | 25,134 | 66.35 | Ponusamy A/L Govindasamy (PKR) | 12,585 | 33.22% | 39,168 | 12,549 | 73.01% | ||||
| 2013 | Liow Tiong Lai (MCA) | 25,947 | 50.25% | Wong Tack (DAP) | 25,568 | 49.51% | 52,627 | 379 | 84.52% |
Filmography
Liow made a special appearance in the 15Malaysia short film "Healthy Paranoia", playing himself.[15]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New ministers and deputy ministers, The Star, 19 March 2008.
- ↑ MCA must engage the young, The Star, 7 April 2008.
- ↑ Biography Liow Tiong Lai. Accessed 9 June 2010
- ↑ New cabinet - Waytha, Khairy, Paul Low in; MCA out
- ↑ The Star, 17 October 2008. Liow proposes one more Barisan deputy chairman (updated). URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/17/nation/20081017105342&sec=nation
- ↑ The Star, ‘Deputy chairmanship in BN will reflect MCA's seniority’. URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/17/nation/20081017124325&sec=nation
- ↑ The Star, 21 October 2008. Muhyiddin: Barisan parties need to band together. URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/21/nation/20081021193833&sec=nation
- ↑ The Star, 28 October 2008. Liow: Consult MCA on second BN deputy chairman position. URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/28/nation/2389131&sec=nation
- ↑ New EGM mired in legal wrangling while Ong pushes unity plan The Malaysian Insider, 4 November 2009
- ↑ Liow tells Soi Lek to quit The Malaysian Insider, 7 January 2010
- ↑ MCA boycott sign of frustration The Malaysian Insider, 3 February 2010
- ↑ Don’t make me your scapegoat, Soi Lek tells Tiong Lai The Malaysian Insider, 7 January 2010
- ↑ Soi Lek quits, fresh MCA polls imminent The Malaysian Insider, 4 March 2010
- ↑ Soi Lek wins, Liow is MCA No. 2 The Malaysian Insider, 28 March 2010
- ↑ 15Malaysia – Healthy Paranoia
External links
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