Ong Tee Keat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Yang Berhormat Menteri Datuk Ong Tee Keat |
|
|
Malaysian Minister of Transport
|
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office March 18, 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office March 21, 2004 |
|
| Preceded by | New constituency |
|
|
|
| Political party |  Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)part of Barisan Nasional |
| Spouse | Datin Chooi Yoke Chun |
| Children | 3 daughters |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Religion | Buddhism |
Datuk Ong Tee Keat is a Malaysian politician and is the current Transport Minister in the Malaysian federal cabinet. He is also vice president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).
The son of a fishmonger, Ong was an active grassroots MCA member even while at varsity. Six years after graduating as a mechanical engineer, and while enjoying a lucrative post at an engineering firm, he quit to become political secretary to the then Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Lee Kim Sai in 1986.
After becoming a full-time politician in 1989, he contested the Ampang Jaya parliamentary seat. He faced a tough challenge in his maiden effort to be a member of parliament when he was pitted against former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Harun Idris who was standing on a Semangat 46 ticket.[1] Ong beat the former Umno strongman by 4,500 votes. He went on to hold the seat for four terms before contesting and winning the newly created Pandan parliamentary seat in the 2004 general election. He maintained the seat in the 2008 general election.
When Ong was MCA Youth Chief, he criticised the party top brass for the decision in 2002 to acquire Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd. A few years later, he was censured by the Cabinet for speaking out at the shoddy renovation work at a Chinese school in Muar, Johor.
Ong was previously Deputy Higher Education Minister. He was appointed to the post after a Cabinet reshuffle in 2006, where prior to that he was Deputy Youth and Sports Minister.
Ong is married to Datin Chooi Yoke Chun and has three daughters.
A gifted writer, Ong, who has won several literary awards for his works was once a columnist for Chinese daily Sin Chew Jit Poh. His articles ran from 1979 to 1986.
[edit] References
- ^ MCA needs to stay relevant, The Star, May 5, 2008
- New ministers and deputy ministers, The Star, March 19, 2008.
