M. Kayveas

Tan Sri Datuk Seri^[1] Dr. M. Kayveas (born 29 April 1954) is a Malaysian politician, President of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) and currently a Special Advisor to the Minister of Transport Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai. He was formerly a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

He was the Member of Parliament for Taiping constituency, losing in the 2008 Malaysian General Election to a candidate named Nga Kor Ming from the opposition Democratic Action Party. Previously, he was a senator in the Malaysian bicameral parliament and a Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government. Kayveas was conferred the title of 'Datuk' by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 1 June 1996.

Background

Kayveas was born on 29 April 1954, in Benta Estate, Kuala Lipis, Pahang, Malaysia. He is married to Puan Sri Datin Seri Blanche Olbery, currently a Malaysian Ambassador to Republic of Finland, and has four children, Marsella Kayveas, Yasheena Kayveas, Mikhaerl Kayveas and Mikhryan Kayveas.

He became president of PPP People's Progressive Party, a component member of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional, in 1993. He was credited for putting the PPP on a strong footing after many years of internal strife within the party. Membership of the PPP in the coalition was suspended from 1988 until 1993. When Kayveas started restructuring the party and brought it back to the coalition in 1994, many old timers who caused the party's internal squabbles wanted to take back the helm and push Kayveas out. However, he emerged victorious and worked on growing the party and regaining its past glory. Today, the PPP is 574,000 strong with a network of over 3700 branches throughout the country. The restructure started with Kayveas himself having a membership card signed by the secretary-general as #000001 and all subsequent cards are personally signed by Kayveas as President himself. It is also understood that the Malaysian Book of Records is notified and it would be registered as the most number of signature of sorts.

Former Deputy Minister

Kayveas was a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, which is a ministry by itself. Kayveas previous responsibilities as a deputy minister includes:

• Pardon's Board
• Attorney General's Chambers
• Legal Affairs Division
• Legal Aid Bureau
• Public Trustees (Amanah Raya Berhad)
• KL Regional Centre for Arbitration
• Department of Insolvency Malaysia
• Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court

Controversy

In July 2007, Kayveas was alleged to have mentioned an ultimatum to leave the Barisan Nasional coalition if the ISA is not amended and his party is not given any allocation of seats in the next general election. He later clarified that there was no such thing as an ultimatum but simply stating the PPP's stand and made a 'friendly request' on the seats .^[2]

Murugiah and ROS Issue

The Registrar of Societies (ROS) has affirmed that Kayveas, and not former Youth chief Datuk T. Murugiah, is the rightful president of PPP. ROS has also stated that the extraordinary general meeting called by Murugiah, and which elected him as the president, was invalid. Further the ROS also ruled that the Murugiah's sacking from the party by the committee headed by Kayveas was valid and effective.These findings were revealed by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein at a press conference in Putrajaya.

References

External links

• Official blog