Thomas Su Keong Siong (simplified Chinese: 苏建祥; traditional Chinese: 蘇建祥; pinyin: Sū Jiànxiáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: So͘ Kiàn-siông) is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who has served as the Member of the Pahang State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Ketari since November 2022. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kampar from May 2018 to November 2022, for Ipoh Timor from May 2013 to May 2018, Member of the Perak State Executive Council (EXCO) in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state administration under former Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin from March 2008 to the collapse of the PR state administration in February 2009 and Perak MLA for Pasir Pinji from March 2004 to May 2013.[2][3] He is a member of Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and formerly PR and Barisan Alternatif (BA) coalitions. He is also a member of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the DAP.
Thomas Su Keong Siong | |
|---|---|
| 苏建祥 | |
| Member of the Perak State Executive Council (Higher Education, Science, Technology and Communications) | |
| In office 28 March 2008 – 10 February 2009 | |
| Monarch | Azlan Shah |
| Menteri Besar | Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin |
| Preceded by | Zambry Abdul Kadir (Higher Education, Science and Technology) Ho Cheng Wang (Communications) |
| Succeeded by | Mohamad Zahir Abdul Khalid (Higher Education, Science and Technology) Hamidah Osman (Communications) |
| Constituency | Pasir Pinji |
| Member of the Pahang State Legislative Assembly for Ketari | |
| Assumed office 19 November 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Young Syefura Othman (PH–DAP) |
| Majority | 120 (2022) |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Kampar | |
| In office 9 May 2018 – 19 November 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Ko Chung Sen (PR–DAP) |
| Succeeded by | Chong Zhemin (PH–DAP) |
| Majority | 11,801 (2018) |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Ipoh Timor | |
| In office 5 May 2013 – 9 May 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Lim Kit Siang (PR–DAP) |
| Succeeded by | Wong Kah Woh (PH–DAP) |
| Majority | 34,000 (2013) |
| Member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly for Pasir Pinji | |
| In office 21 March 2004 – 5 May 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Cham Kam (BN–MCA) |
| Succeeded by | Lee Chuan How (PR–DAP) |
| Majority | 2,841 (2004) 6,339 (2008) |
| Faction represented in Pahang State Legislative Assembly | |
| 2022– | Pakatan Harapan |
| Faction represented in Dewan Rakyat | |
| 2013–2018 | Democratic Action Party |
| 2018–2022 | Pakatan Harapan |
| Faction represented in Perak State Legislative Assembly | |
| 2004–2013 | Democratic Action Party |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Su Keong Siong 18 September 1966[1] Sitiawan, Perak, Malaysia |
| Citizenship | Malaysian |
| Political party | Democratic Action Party (DAP) |
| Other political affiliations | Barisan Alternatif (BA) (1999–2004) Pakatan Rakyat (PR) (2008–2015) Pakatan Harapan (PH) (since 2015) |
| Alma mater | University of Wolverhampton |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Earlier career
editA Lawyer by profession, he earned an LL.M. cum laude from University of Wolverhampton before returning to Malaysia to work for C K LEONG & CO. in Ipoh. He was admitted to the Malaysian bar in 1994.[4]
Political career
editSu first involved in politics when he contested but lost as DAP candidate in 1999 for the state seat of Malim Nawar in Perak. He however was elected to the Perak State Assembly in 2004 and again in 2008 for the constituency of Pasir Pinji in Perak. During the short Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition rules of Perak, he was elected as an exco member in the state government led by Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin in 2008. In the 2013 election Su won the Ipoh Timor parliamentary seat and succeeded incumbent Lim Kit Siang as its MP, who contested in Gelang Patah in Johor. In the 2018 election Su contested and won the Kampar parliamentary seat instead. Su change seat again in 2022, this time for Pahang State Assembly seat Ketari, replacing incumbent Young Syefura Othman who contested the federal seat of Bentong instead. Su won the seat with a slim majority of 120 votes, defeating the Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional candidates.
Controversy
editIn 2013, he was charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 with starting a peaceful assembly "without prior notice". Prior to a ruling on these charges, a 2014 ruling by the Court of Appeal found the law's requirement of giving ten-day prior notice before holding a peaceful assembly unconstitutional, and Su applied for the charges to be dismissed accordingly.[5] He was ultimately given a discharge not amounting to acquittal. Without an acquittal, Su was later charged again for the same alleged offense in 2016. In 2018 the Sessions Court acquitted Su after the Attorney General's Chambers withdrew the charges. According to Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran, the then recently-elected Pakatan Harapan government had instructed the Attorney General to review Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, which was the provision under which Su had been charged. Su's lead counsel Ramkarpal Singh called Su's acquittal a positive step towards abolishing that provision, which he said "curtails freedom of speech."[6]
Election results
edit| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | N39 Malim Nawar | Thomas Su Keong Siong (DAP) | 4,699 | 30.56% | Lee Chee Leong (MCA) | 10,678 | 69.44% | N/A | 5,979 | 61.90% | ||
| 2004 | N27 Pasir Pinji | Thomas Su Keong Siong (DAP) | 9,633 | 56.92% | Cham Kam (MCA) | 6,792 | 40.13% | 16,923 | 2,841 | 69.78% | ||
| 2008 | Thomas Su Keong Siong (DAP) | 12,526 | 65.76% | Khoo Boon Chuan (MCA) | 6,187 | 32.48% | 19,047 | 6,339 | 71.65% | |||
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | P064 Ipoh Timor, Perak | Thomas Su Keong Siong (DAP) | 49,086 | 75.24% | Kathleen Wong Mei Yin (MCA) | 15,086 | 23.13% | 65,217 | 34,000 | 79.70% | ||
| 2018 | P070 Kampar, Perak | Thomas Su Keong Siong (DAP) | 30,216 | 57.56% | Lee Chee Leong (MCA) | 18,415 | 35.08% | 53,567 | 11,801 | 77.15% | ||
| Yougan Mahalingam (PAS) | 3,864 | 7.36% | ||||||||||
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | N34 Ketari | Thomas Su Keong Siong (DAP) | 9,722 | 41.17% | Amizar Abu Adam (UMNO) | 9,602 | 40.66% | 23,614 | 120 | 76.77% | ||
| William Tan Wei Leong (GERAKAN) | 4,290 | 18.17% | ||||||||||
References
edit- ^ Chan, Li Leen (26 April 2008). "Rep not used to the attention". The Star. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ "Su Keong Siong, YB". Parlimen Malaysia. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ "YB Su Keong Siong". Kuasa. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "About SU KEONG SIONG". Malaysian Bar. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ Kaur, Manjit (4 May 2014). "May 16 decision on Ipoh Timor MP's bid to throw out charge under Peaceful Assembly Act". The Star. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ Looi, Sylvia (27 July 2018). "Kampar MP acquitted of illegally organising rally". Malay Mail. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 4 February 2017. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
- ^ a b "Malaysia General Election". undiinfo Malaysian Election Data. Malaysiakini. Retrieved 4 February 2017. Results only available from the 2004 election.
- ^ "KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM 13". Sistem Pengurusan Maklumat Pilihan Raya Umum (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- ^ "my undi : Kawasan & Calon-Calon PRU13 : Keputusan PRU13 (Archived copy)". www.myundi.com.my. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13". Utusan Malaysia. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
- ^ "SEMAKAN KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM KE - 14" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 17 May 2018. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
- ^ "The Star Online GE14". The Star. Retrieved 24 May 2018. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
- ^ "Keputusan:Pilihan Raya Umum Malaysia Ke-15". Astro Awani. Retrieved 27 November 2022.