Liow Tiong Lai
| Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai 廖中莱 (Chinese) |
|
|---|---|
| Malaysian Minister of Health | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 18 March 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Chua Soi Lek Ong Ka Ting (Acting) |
| Member of Parliament for Bentong |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1999 |
|
| Majority | 12,549 |
| Deputy President of Malaysian Chinese Association | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 28 March 2010 |
|
| President | Chua Soi Lek |
| Preceded by | Chua Soi Lek |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1961 Jasin, Melaka |
| Political party | Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) part of Barisan Nasional |
| Spouse(s) | Lee Sun Loo (李善如) |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Nutritionist |
| Religion | Buddhist |
| Website | http://www.liowtionglai.com/ |
Dato' Sri Liow Tiong Lai (Chinese: 廖中莱; pinyin: Liào Zhōnglái; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Liāu Tiong-lâi) is a Malaysian politician who is currently serving as the Health Minister in the Malaysian cabinet.[1] He is the deputy president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a major component party of the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Background
Born in Jasin, Malacca, Liow had ambitions of being a doctor but was thwarted by the university quota system under the New Economic Policy and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia instead.[3] He later obtained his MBA from the University of Malaya.[4]
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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.[5][6] 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.[7][8]
The crisis came to a close after Dr Chua resigned on March 4, 2010.[9] The subsequent election saw Dr Chua being elected president, while Liow defeated Kong Cho Ha in the contest for deputy president.[10]
[edit] Filmography
Liow made a special appearance in the 15Malaysia short film "Healthy Paranoia", playing himself. [11]
[edit] References
- ^ a b New ministers and deputy ministers, The Star, 19 March, 2008.
- ^ Chua is new MCA President, Liow Deputy President, New Straits Times, 28 March, 2010
- ^ MCA must engage the young, The Star, 7 April, 2008.
- ^ Biography Liow Tiong Lai. Accessed June 9, 2010
- ^ New EGM mired in legal wrangling while Ong pushes unity plan The Malaysian Insider, Nov. 4, 2009
- ^ Liow tells Soi Lek to quit The Malaysian Insider, Jan. 7, 2010
- ^ MCA boycott sign of frustration The Malaysian Insider, Feb. 3, 2010
- ^ Don’t make me your scapegoat, Soi Lek tells Tiong Lai The Malaysian Insider, Jan. 7, 2010
- ^ Soi Lek quits, fresh MCA polls imminent The Malaysian Insider, March 4, 2010
- ^ Soi Lek wins, Liow is MCA No. 2 The Malaysian Insider, March 28, 2010
- ^ 15Malaysia - Healthy Paranoia
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||
