Ling Liong Sik Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Dr.
Ling Liong Sik
Birth Date:18 September 1943
Birth Place:Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Japanese occupation of Malaya
Citizenship:Malaysian
Office1:Chancellor of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
Term Start1:18 January 2017
Predecessor1:Position established
Order:Acting
Office:Prime Minister of Malaysia
Term Start:4 February 1988
Term End:16 February 1988
Term Label:Covering duties
Predecessor:Mahathir Mohamad
Successor:Mahathir Mohamad
Office2:6th President of the Malaysian Chinese Association
Term Start2:3 September 1986
Term End2:23 May 2003
Predecessor2:Tan Koon Swan
Successor2:Ong Ka Ting
Embed:yes
Office3:Minister of Transport
Term Start3:7 January 1986
Term End3:23 May 2003
Monarch3:Iskandar of Johor
Azlan Shah
Ja'afar
Salahuddin
Sirajuddin
Primeminister3:Mahathir Mohamad
Predecessor3:Chong Hon Nyan
Successor3:Chan Kong Choy
Constituency3:Labis
Office4:Deputy Minister of Education I
Term Start4:25 March 1985
Term End4:7 January 1986
Monarch4:Iskandar
Primeminister4:Mahathir Mohamad
Minister4:Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Constituency4:Mata Kuching
Office5:Deputy Minister of Finance II
Term Start5:30 April 1982
Term End5:16 July 1984
Monarch5:Ahmad Shah
Primeminister5:Mahathir Mohamad
Minister5:Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah
Constituency5:Mata Kuching
Office6:Deputy Minister of Information
Term Start6:1978
Term End6:1982
Monarch6:Ahmad Shah
Primeminister6:Hussein Onn
Mahathir Mohamad
Minister6:Mohamed Rahmat
Constituency6:Mata Kuching
Office7:Parliamentary Secretary of the
Ministry of Local Government and Federal Territories
Term Start7:1976
Term End7:1978
Monarch7:Yahya Petra
Primeminister7:Hussein Onn
Minister7:Hassan Adli Arshad
1Blankname7:Deputy Minister
1Namedata7:Subramaniam Sinniah
Constituency7:Mata Kuching
Office10:Faction represented in Dewan Rakyat
Subterm10:1974–2004
Suboffice10:Barisan Nasional
Party: Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)
Otherparty:Alliance
Barisan Nasional (BN)
Occupation:Doctor
Spouse:Ong Ee Nah (王维娜)
Children:Ling Hee Leong, Ling Hee Keat
Education:Royal Military College
Alma Mater:University of Singapore

Ling Liong Sik (; Foochow Romanized: Lìng Liòng-sĭk; born 18 September 1943) is a retired Malaysian politician. He was the sixth president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and also the former Malaysian Minister for Transport.[1] [2] Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak filed the suit against Ling Liong Sik on 2015, alleging that Ling had made libellous remarks against him in an article carried on a news portal.[3]

He is the current chancellor and former chairman of the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR).[4] UTAR's Dewan Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik is named in honour after him.[5]

In 27 October 2015, Prime Minister Najib Razak is suing Ling Liong Sik for allegedly implying that he had misused public fund for his personal interests.[6] In 22 May 2018, Najib has withdrawn his defamation suit against Ling Liong Sik over the alleged misuse of public funds.[7]

He is also one of the most influential Chinese politicians in contemporary Malaysia. He played a significant role in Malaysian politics during his tenure.

Personal life

Ling was born on 18 September 1943, at Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Japanese occupation of Malaya. He received his primary education at King Edward VII School in Taiping, Perak from 1950 to 1957, and his secondary education at the Royal Military College in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan from 1958 to 1960. Ling went on to pursue his higher education at the University of Singapore in 1961, graduating with a MBBS medical degree in 1966. His first post-varsity occupation involved a move to the Pearl of the Orient, where he was stationed as a physician in Penang General Hospital from 1966 to 1968. Ling later left the hospital to set up his own private practice in Butterworth, Province Wellesley from 1968 to 1975.

He is married to Toh Puan Ong Ee Nah and has two sons, Ling Hee Leong and Ling Hee Keat.

Education

Ling studied in Royal Military College (Malaysia) in 1956. He graduated as a medical doctor from University of Singapore in 1966. Subsequently, he set up his practice in Penang.

Political career

Ling Liong Sik joined the MCA in 1968.[8] In 1974, he was elected as Member of Parliament for Mata Kuching, Penang and become a Central Committee member of the party in the same year. He successfully reelected in 1978 and 1982. In 1986, Ling Liong Sik move to Labis parliamentary seat in Johor and elected Member of Parliament of the seat. He also subsequently successfully defended his position in the 1990, 1995 and 1999 general elections. He was elected in 1986 as the sixth President of the MCA, replacing Tan Koon Swan; he held this position for almost 17 years until his retirement in 2003.

Ling Liong Sik first appointed as Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Federal Territories. Later, Deputy Minister of Information, Deputy Minister of Finance and Deputy Minister of Education. On 7 January 1986, he was appointed Minister of Transport until his retirement on 23 May 2003.

Acting Prime Minister

In 1988, Ling was briefly the acting Prime Minister from 4 to 16 February 1988, due to an internal struggle between different factions in UMNO, leading to a legal challenge and the deregistration of UMNO.[9]

Post political career

UTAR chancellor

On 18 January 2017, Ling Liong Sik was installed as University Tunku Abdul Rahman's (UTAR) first chancellor during the university's 24th convocation ceremony.[10]

Najib Razak defamation case

See main article: 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal. On 27 October 2015, Prime Minister Najib Razak has filed a suit against Ling Liong Sik for allegedly defaming him. Ling Liong Sik had made remarks in an article entitled "MCA's Liong Sik joins call for Najib's ouster for allegedly putting people's money in his own pocket" which were published in the Malay Mail online portal. Ling Liong Sik was quoted saying in the article that he agreed with former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad's demands for Najib to resign, claiming that Najib "has taken people's money and put it in his own personal accounts".[11]

On 13 January 2016, Najib said Ling Liong Sik did not act as a bona fide "elder statesman". In his reply to Ling's defence and counter-claim against his suit for defamation, Najib said Ling had acted recklessly and with mala fide (bad intention) to tarnish his image and reputation.[12]

In 18 February 2016, Ling Liong Sik spared no bullets in his latest attack on Prime Minister Najib Razak. According to Ling, there is nothing wrong with UMNO and BN.[13]

On 18 July 2016, The High Court in Kuala Lumpur dismissed former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's affidavit in support of Ling Liong Sik's application to strike out Najib's suit. In her decision made in chambers, Justice Nor Bee Ariffin considered the affidavit filed by Mahathir as hearsay.[14]

On 23 December 2016, The High Court fixed March 23, 2017, to decide on an application by Ling Liong Sik to strike out a suit filed against him by Najib.[15]

On 22 February 2017, the court deferred a decision on the application, on the grounds that Najib could sue in his capacity as a public official.[16]

On 8 January 2018, The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has postponed the hearing of the defamation suit brought by Najib against Ling Liong Sik. According to Najib's lawyer Nor Emelia Iszeham, the court has yet to dispose of Ling's application to strike out the suit, filed in February 2016, which will push the hearing to April 2018.[17]

On 16 March 2018, Ling Liong Sik has failed to strike out the suit filed by Najib. Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Justice Nor Bee Arifin said the matter should go on trial to see whether Najib has the legal standing in the suit.[18]

On 22 May 2018, Najib has withdrawn his defamation suit against Ling Liong Sik over the alleged misuse of public funds. Ling's lawyer Ranjit Singh told reporters after meeting High Court judicial commissioner Goon Siew Chye in chambers that Najib decided to withdraw the suit against his client and the court ordered him to pay a RM25,000 in costs.[19] [20]

Election results

Year!
ConstituencyCandidateVotesPctOpponent(s)VotesPctBallots castMajorityTurnout
1974P036 Mata Kuching, Penang (MCA)13,75553.97%Ong Yi How (PEKEMAS)8,45733.18% 26,3545,29883.97%
(DAP)3,27312.84%
1978Ling Liong Sik (MCA)23,56465.27%bgcolor= (SDP)8,36523.17%N/A15,199N/A
(PAS)5,29811.56%
1982Ling Liong Sik (MCA)26,99562.11% (DAP)14,83934.14%44,64612,15677.46%
Raja Ahamed Narudin @ Raja Mohamed Raja Sulaiman (IND)1,6263.74%
1986P118 Labis, JohorLing Liong Sik (MCA)18,18267.96% (DAP)8,57132.04%27,6509,61172.26%
1990Ling Liong Sik (MCA)17,71058.65% (DAP)12,48541.35%31,2925,22574.06%
1995P128 Labis, JohorLing Liong Sik (MCA)24,18572.57% (DAP)9,14027.43%34,69315,04573.17%
1999Ling Liong Sik (MCA)23,70970.53% (DAP)9,90829.47%34,77513,80171.44%

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2003/12/31/features/6972955&sec=features Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik
  2. http://www.mca.org.my/English/PastPresidents/Pages/DatukSeriDrLingLiongSik.aspx Past Presidents, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik
  3. Web site: Mageswari. M.. Najib sues Dr Ling for defamation. 2021-09-04. The Star. en.
  4. Web site: University Council. UTAR. 20 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160623061834/http://www.utar.edu.my/econtent_sub.jsp?fcatid=1&fcontentid=10545. 23 June 2016. dead.
  5. News: UTAR Commemorates 10th Anniversary . UTAR . March 17, 2015.
  6. Web site: 2015-10-29. Najib sues Ling over defamatory remarks. 2021-09-04. NST Online. en.
  7. Web site: Nazlina. Maizatul. Najib withdraws defamation suit against Ling Liong Sik. 2021-09-04. The Star. en.
  8. Web site: The Rise and Fall of Dr Ling Liong Sik. lib.perdana.org.my.
  9. News: For A Few Days In 1988, Malaysia Actually Had A Chinese Prime Minister. 26 February 2019. Malaysia Today .
  10. Web site: Leen. Chan LI. Dr Ling installed as Utar chancellor. 2022-01-24. The Star. en.
  11. Web site: 2015-10-29. Malaysian PM Najib sues former Cabinet minister Ling Liong Sik for defamation. 2021-09-04. The Straits Times. en.
  12. Web site: Yatim. Hafiz. 2016-01-13. Najib: Ling acted recklessly to tarnish image, reputation. 2022-01-23. Malaysiakini.
  13. Web site: Chie. Kow Gah. 2016-02-18. Ling: Peace and progress will return if Najib, Rosmah removed. 2022-01-24. Malaysiakini.
  14. Web site: Yatim. Hafiz. 2016-07-18. Najib succeeds in expunging Mahathir's affidavit in support of Ling. 2022-01-20. Malaysiakini.
  15. Web site: 2016-12-23. Ling to know in March whether he can strike out Najib's suit. 2022-01-20. Malaysiakini.
  16. Web site: Yatim. Hafiz. 2017-02-22. Pending Guan Eng's appeal, court declines to rule in Najib-Ling case. 2022-01-23. Malaysiakini.
  17. Web site: Chie. Kow Gah. 2018-01-08. Court postpones hearing of Najib's suit against ex-MCA president. 2022-01-20. Malaysiakini.
  18. Web site: Yatim. Hafiz. 2018-03-16. Ex-MCA president fails to strike out Najib's suit. 2022-01-20. Malaysiakini.
  19. Web site: 2018-05-22. Najib drops 1MDB defamation suit against Dr Ling. 2021-09-04. NST Online. en.
  20. Web site: Najib drops 1MDB defamation suit against former transport minister Ling Liong Sik. 2021-09-04. news.nestia.com.
  21. Web site: Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 2004..
  22. Web site: DPMP 1982. pingat.perak.gov.my. 22 May 2022.
  23. Web site: SPMP 1989. pingat.perak.gov.my. 14 March 2022.
  24. Web site: DPMS 1992. awards.selangor.gov.my. 14 March 2022.
  25. Web site: Pengurniaan Darjah Kebesaran Bergelar Bagi Tahun 1993 Mengikut Negeri.. Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia). 7 June 2024. 29 June 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140629010135/http://www.istiadat.gov.my/v8/images/stories/DKBP_NEGERI_UPDATE/1993.pdf. dead.
  26. Web site: 22 July 2003. Mahathir heads Sarawak honours list. The Star (Malaysia). 15 October 2019.