graveyard of politics

DATUK SHAHRIR ABDUL SAMAD, 59, is Johor Baru Umno division chairman and also the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman, both posts that he has held since 2004.

Shahrir, who has a Masters in Business Administration from IMEDE University, Switzerland, began his political career after he became political secretary to Datuk (now Tun) Musa Hitam, the then Deputy Minister of Trade & Industry & Minister of Primary Industries in 1973.

Shahrir's illustrious career includes several prominent posts such as Deputy Finance Minister, Deputy Minister of Trade & Industry, Federal Territory Minister and even as Welfare Services Minister within a span of seven years (1980 to 1987).

Once seen as a rising star in Umno serving as a Cabinet Minister under Tun Mahathir Mohamad, and at 34, was one of the youngest to be appointed a minister (in June 1983).

The Johor MP for four terms since the 1978 general election resigned as MP in 1988 and forced a by-election when he refused to join Umno Baru.

He stood as an Independent and won the by-election with a majority of 12,613 votes.

Although he did not contest in the 1990 and 1995 elections, he came back to the scene in the 2004 general election and was elected as Johor Baru MP again.

In the last elections, Shahrir retained the Johor Bahru parliamentary seat with a 25,349-vote majority.

He is married to Datin Sharizan Abdullah and has one daughter.

TAN SRI MUHAMMAD MUHAMMAD TAIB, 63, is Umno information chief and former Selangor Mentri Besar, a post he held from 1986 to 1997. Born in Kampung Sungai Manggis, Kuala Kalumpang, Hulu Selangor, is a graduate from Universiti Malaya was also a former teacher in SMK Kuala Kubu Baru.

Muhammad was also former Batang Kali state assemblyman, winning in the general elections of 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1995.

The political veteran joined Umno in 1964, and quickly rose within its ranks to be elected Umno vice president in 2004.

He was also appointed as Selangor Umno deputy state liaison committee chief in the same year and in 2006, he was appointed as a senator.

Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, 54, is MCA secretary-general and also Perak MCA chairman.

He is the older brother of MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting. He has been appointed as Housing and Local Government Minister after Ka Ting declined a Cabinet post.

In the just concluded general election, Ka Chuan was elected as Tanjung Malim MP, winning the seat by a 5,422 majority.

Prior to this achievement, Ka Chuan was Chenderiang state assemblyman for four terms (1986 to 1999).

Born in Kota Tampan New Village, Lenggong, Perak, Ka Chuan joined the MCA in 1978 and actively participated in politics.

Ka Chuan, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Universiti Malaya (UM), worked as a teacher in Keng Chee Chinese Primary School, Pulau Ketam (1977 to 1979) and in Confucius School, Kuala Lumpur from 1982 to 1985.

He is married to Datin Chan Beng Choo and is blessed with two children.

Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen, 61, is Wanita MCA chief and formerly Deputy Finance Minister, a post she held since 2003.

Dr Ng, who is also Pahang Wanita MCA chairman, is now serving her third term as Raub MP since she was elected for the post in the 1999 general election.

She retained her parliamentary seat in the 2008 elections with a 2,752 majority against DAP's Abu Bakar Lebai Sudin of the DAP.

As a teenager, the Kelantan native, who was born in Kampung Kubang Pasu, Kota Baru, had to give tuition to finance her Sixth Form education at the Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur.

She then graduated from Universiti Malaya in 1972 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. She was also awarded a Diploma of Reproductive Medicine from the John Hopkins University, USA.

Dr Ng is married to Dr. Chin Chee Sue and has three children, all of which are successful professionals.

Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, 47, is MCA Youth Chief and former Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, a post he has held since 2006 after the Cabinet underwent a revamp.

From 1989 to 1999, he served as press secretary to the then Human Resources Minister Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek and later as his political secretary.

Born in Malacca, Liow officially joined the MCA in 1981 and actively progressed in the party. By 2005, he was appointed as MCA Youth chief.

He is also Bentong MP, and has retained the parliamentary seat since the 1999 general election. He won by a 12, 549 majority in the just concluded 12th general election against PKR's Ponusamy Govindasamy.

A fervent fighter for the Chinese community, Liow, who possesses a Bachelor of Science and Masters in Business Administration (MBA) is married to Datin Lee Sun Loo and has three children.

Datuk Ong Tee Keat, 52, is MCA vice president and formerly 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.

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.

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.

After becoming a full-time politician in 1989, he was elected as Ampang Jaya MP, a seat he held for four terms before contesting and winning the newly created Pandan parliamentary seat in the 2004 general election. He maintained the seat in the just concluded general election.

Ong is married to Datin Chooi Yoke Chun and has three daughters.

Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob, 48, is Bera Umno division chief and also Bera MP.

Born in Temerloh, Pahang, Ismail, who is a practising lawyer contested and won the seat in the 2004.

He joined Umno in 1986 and by 1995, became political secretary to then Minister of Culture, Arts and Tourism, Datuk Sabaruddin Chik.

He helmed various posts from 1987 to 2004, including Temerloh Umno Information Chief, Temerloh Umno Youth Chief, Temerloh Umno Division Deputy Chairman and Temerloh Umno Division Chairman.

Ismail is married to Datin Muhaini Zainal Abidin.

Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim, 54, is a prominent lawyer turned politician.

He is the chairman and founding partner of Zaid Ibrahim & Co, and became active in politics after he joined Umno in 2000.

One year later he became Kota Baru Umno division chief, and although he was suspended from the post, in 2003 he became Kelantan Umno deputy liaison chief.

Born in Kota Baru, Kelantan, he was Kota Baru MP since 2004 after he contested for the seat in the general election that year, but was dropped from the list of candidates in the just concluded 12th general election.

He was appointed as a senator yesterday (March 18). He was recently announced as one of the four Malaysians to make it into the Forbes Asia list for generous and interesting philanthropists.

Mohd Zaid is married to Datin Suliana Shamsuddin Alias and is blessed with three children.

Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz, 58, is former president and chief executive officer of Maybank.

His credentials have been exemplary since he became the bank's managing director in 1994 – taking over from Tan Sri Ahmad Don, who became Bank Negara governor – and subsequently president and CEO in 2002, having started his career there in 1977.

On March 18, 2008, he was sworn in as senator at Dewan Negara.

This is his first foray into politics.

New deputy ministers
(including those promoted from parliamentary secretary)

Deputy Home Minister I
Name: Datuk Chor Chee Heung (Alor Star MP)
Age: 53
He was formerly Deputy Home Affairs Minister from 1999 to 2004

Deputy Home Minister II
Name: Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh (Senator)
The former Kuala Terengganu MP, was previously Internal Security Ministry political secretary

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister II
Name: Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin (Larut MP)
He is the Ipoh Barat Umno chairman and Former Felcra chairman

Deputy Works Minister
Name: Datuk Yong Khoon Seng (Stampin MP)
Age: 66
SUPP vice-president. He was previously the Works Ministry parliament secretary

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister
Name: Datin Paduka Rohani Abdul Karim (Batang Lupar MP)
Age: 53
She was the previous Agriculture and Agro-based Industry parliament secretary

Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister I
Name: Datuk Liew Vui Keong
(Sandakan MP)
LDP president. Took over in 2006 after then president Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat stepped aside

Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister II
Name: Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan (Baram MP)
Age: 61
SPDP vice-president and Miri Port Authority chairman

Deputy Education Minister I
Name: Dr Wee Ka Siong (Ayer Hitam MP)
Age: 39
MCA Youth Education Bureau chairman and used to work as a transport consultant

Deputy Education Minister II
Name: Datuk Razali Ismail (Kuala Terengganu MP)
Age: 59
Kuala Terengganu Umno division chief and National Higher Education Fund Corporation chairman

Deputy Higher Education Minister I
Name: Dr Hou Kok Chung
(Kluang MP)
Age: 45
Former head of Universiti Malaya's Institute of China Studies, his first foray into politics

Deputy Higher Education Minister II
Name: Datuk Idris Haron (Tangga Batu MP)
Age: 42
Umno Youth executive committee member. He is an engineer, and had been an active in Belia 4 B movement and in Umno politics in Malacca

Deputy Human Resources Minister
Name: Datuk Noraini Ahmad (Parit Sulong MP)
Age: 41
Puteri Umno chief and formerly Padiberas Nasional Berhad General Manager

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister
Name: Noriah Kasnon (Sungai Besar MP)
Information Ministry parliament secretary, previously a lawyer

Deputy National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister
Name: Teng Boon Soon (Tebrau MP)
Age: 66
Johor MCA state liaison committee deputy secretary and a lecturer at a teacher's training college

Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister
Name: Fadillah Yusof (Petra Jaya MP)
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu youth chief

Deputy Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development Minister
Name: Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah
(Temerloh MP)
Age: 47
Party post: Temerloh Umno division deputy head

Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister
Name: Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh (Kalabakan MP)
Age: 64
Tawau Umno chief and former Sabah deputy chief minister (95-97)

Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister I
Name: Tan Sri Joseph Kurup (Pensiangan MP)
Age: 63
PBRS president and previously a lawyer

Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister
Name: Jelaing Mersat (Saratok MP)
Age: 59
SPDP vice-president and former political secretary to Sarawak Chief Minister

Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister
Name: A. Kohilan Pillay (senator)
Age: 40
Gerakan Youth deputy chief

Deputy Youth and Sports Minister
Name: Wee Jeck Seng (Tanjong Piai MP)
Age: 44
His is the Pontian MCA Youth division chairman and former political secretary to Housing and Local Government Minister

Deputy Information Minister
Name:Datuk Tan Lian Hoe (Gerik MP)
Age: 50
Gerakan Wanita chief and previously a Bahasa Malaysia teacher for 20 years

Deputy Tourism Minister
Name: Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib (Samarahan MP)
Age: 39
Son of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and former RHB chairman and RHB Capital director

Deputy Federal Territories Minister
Name:Datuk M. Saravanan (Tapah MP)
Age: 40
The MIC information chief, is a former two-term senator and volunteer policeman

Deputy Minister in Prime Minister's Department
Name: Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim (senator)
Age: 44
The former Baling MP, was Prime Minister's Department parliament secretary and motivational speaker

Deputy Minister in Prime Minister's Department
Name: S K. Devamany (Cameron Highlands MP)
Age: 41
He is the MIC central working committee member and formerly a teacher for 20 years

Deputy Minister in Prime Minister's Department
Name: Datuk Hasan Malek (Kuala Pilah MP)
Age: 62
Had served as ASEAN Youth Joint Action Committee Secretary-General and a state assemblyman