Liew Chin Tong

Yang Berhormat Tuan Liew Chin Tong (; born 27 November 1977) is a Malaysian politician and author who has served as the deputy minister of investment, trade and industry in the Unity Government administration under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz since April 2023, Member of Parliament (MP) for Iskandar Puteri since November 2022 and Member of the Johor State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Perling since March 2022. He served as deputy minister of international trade and industry in the PH administration under Prime Minister Anwar and Minister Tengku Zafrul from December 2022 to April 2023, State Leader of the Opposition of Johor from April 2022 to his reappointment as a deputy minister in December 2022, the Deputy Minister of Defence in the PH administration under former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and former minister Mohamad Sabu from July 2018 to the collapse of the PH administration in February 2020, senator from July 2018 to July 2021 and the MP for Kluang from May 2013 to May 2018 and Bukit Bendera from March 2008 to May 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the PH coalition. He has served as the National Strategic Director of DAP since March 2025 and the State Committee Member of DAP of Johor since October 2024. He served as Deputy Secretary-General of DAP from March 2022 to March 2025 and was the National Political Education Director of DAP and the State Chairman of DAP of Johor.

Background

Liew was born on 27 November 1977 at Subang Jaya, Selangor. He had his early education at Kwang Hua Private High School up to 1995 before he pursued his tertiary education at Australian National University (ANU) and graduated with Bachelor of Asian Studies (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2004. He later obtained International Masters in Regional Integration at Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya (UM) in 2006.^[1]

Liew previously was the executive director of Penang Institute (previously Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute, SERI), 2009-2012 and executive director of Research for Social Advancement (REFSA), 2007–2011. He was also former visiting research fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore.^[1]

In 1999, Liew joined the Democratic Action Party (DAP).^[1]

Political career

Liew was first elected to the Malaysian Parliament in the 2008 general election winning the constituency of Bukit Bendera, Penang.^[2] A political strategist prior to his election, Liew has been credited for masterminding Pakatan Rakyat's takeover of the Penang State Legislative Assembly.^[3] In the 2013 general election, Liew wrestled the Kluang parliamentary seat in Johor from the predecessor, Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)'s Hou Kok Chung. In May 2018, he contested for the Ayer Hitam federal seat against the incumbent, Wee Ka Siong, who is also then-Deputy President of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Liew was narrowly defeated by 303 votes in the 2018 general election which then-Opposition coalition PH coalition claimed victory and ousted the then-ruling BN coalition from the administration for the first time.

In 2017, Liew pointed out that the overall prices of goods had increased since 2013 general election due to the combined effects of GST implementation, a 30 percent depreciation of the ringgit since October 2014, and successive subsidy cuts. He said Prime Minister Najib Razak and the government should cease blaming the victims of their failed economic policies.^[4]

Deputy defence minister

Liew was appointed deputy defence minister on 17 July 2018 until 24 February 2020, being the first Malaysian not of Malay descent to hold this office. During his tenure, together with then-defence minister Mohamad Sabu, the Ministry of Defence unveiled the inaugural Defence White Paper (DWP), a blueprint on building a national policy on defence and security. The DWP is an open document containing the direction and priorities of defence for a period of 10 years, from 2021 to 2030, spanning the 12th and 13th Malaysia Plans.

Deputy secretary-general of DAP

On 20 March 2022, on the 17th DAP National Congress, Liew was re-elected into the Central Executive Committee with 1008 votes, the 22nd highest vote.^[5] He was then appointed deputy secretary-general in the 17th DAP CEC under current secretary-general, Anthony Loke.^[6]

Bibliography

Books

• Liew Chin Tong (2024), Second Takeoff
• Liew Chin Tong (2021), Lim Kit Siang: Patriot. Leader. Fighter
• Liew Chin Tong (2020), The Great Reset: 100 Days of Malaysia's Triple Crisis
• Liew Chin Tong (2013), Putrajaya Milik Siapa?: Genta Media
• Liew Chin Tong (2013), Middle Malaysia: Centre Ground Is Battle Ground: Genta Media
• Liew Chin Tong (2009), Speaking for the reformasi generation Kuala Lumpur: Research for Social Advancement (REFSA)

Journals

• Liew Chin Tong and Francis Hutchison (2010), “Implementing Pro-Employment Policies at the Sub-national Level” in Ooi Kee Beng and Goh Ban Lee (eds) Pilot Studies for a New Penang, Penang: Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI), pp. 111–128.
• Liew Chin Tong (2007), “PAS’ Leadership: New Faces and Old Constraints" in Lorraine C. Salazar and Daljit Singh (eds) Southeast Asian Affairs 2007, Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, pp. 201–213
• Liew Chin Tong (2007), “PAS politics: defining an Islamic State” in Edmund Terence Gomez Politics in Malaysia: the Malay dimension Oxon: Routledge, pp. 107–137.
• William F. Case and Liew Chin Tong (2006) How Committed Is PAS to Democracy and How Do We Know It? Contemporary Southeast Asia, Volume 28, Number 3, December 2006, pp. 385–406

Chinese Books

• 《追寻理想国家：马来西亚政治史上的林吉祥》(2021) 吉隆坡：义腾研究中心
• 《大复兴：马来西亚三重危机下的百日反思》(2020)吉隆坡：义腾研究中心
• 《决战在中间：共创马来西亚2.0》(2013) 吉隆坡：众意出版
• 《小市民的政治经济学》（2011）吉隆坡：众意出版
• 《华教运动，动或不动》（2011）吉隆坡：新纪元学院校友会
• 《亮剑—踢爆马来政治》（2007）吉隆坡：义腾研究中心

Election results

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

• Malaysia
  • Recipient of the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (2024)

References

1. ^ Tan Sze Ming (31 October 2012). "Malaysian Representatives alpha : Liew Chin Tong". #MyMP UndiMsia! Sinar Project. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
2. ^ "Malaysia Decides 2008". The Star (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
3. ^ Tan, Joceline (10 March 2008). "The swing that caught everyone by surprise". The Star (Malaysia). Retrieved 31 December 2009.
4. ^ "Stop blaming victims of failed economic policies, MP tells gov't". Malaysiakini. 2017-09-29.
5. ^ "Gobind receives highest votes in DAP polls". The Star. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
6. ^ "Anthony Loke dilantik Setiausaha Agung baharu DAP". Berita Harian. Mar 20, 2022. Retrieved Mar 20, 2022.
7. ^ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 19 June 2010. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
8. ^ "Malaysia General Election". undiinfo Malaysian Election Data. Malaysiakini. Retrieved 4 February 2017. Results only available from the 2004 election.
9. ^ "KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM 13" (in Malay). Sistem Pengurusan Maklumat Pilihan Raya Umum. Election Commission of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
10. ^ "P.125 Kluang (2008 & 2013)" (in Malay). Sinar Harian. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
11. ^ "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.
12. ^ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13". Utusan Malaysia. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
13. ^ "Dashboard SPR". dashboard.spr.gov.my. Retrieved 2022-03-13.