James Wong (politician)
Encyclopedia
Datuk Amar James Wong Kim Min (August 6, 1922 - July 18, 2011) was a Malaysian politician active in the politics of Sarawak
for decades. Wong holds the record as the longest serving assemblyman in the history of the state of Sarawak, holding the office for nearly fifty years. Wong served as the first Deputy Chief Minister
of Sarawak and the president of the Sarawak National Party
(SNP). He held several other ministries of Sarawak politics until his retirement in 2001.
Wong was born in Limbang
, Kingdom of Sarawak
, on August 6, 1922. Sarawak was a British protectorate at the time. He began his political career in 1951, when he was elected to the Limbang District Council.
In 1956, Wong was elected to Sarawak's legislature, the Council Negri, which is now known as the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly. He continued to hold office in the Legislative Assembly until his retirement in 2001.
Malaysia became an independent country in 1963. Wong had been a member of the Malaysia Solidarity Consultative Committee's Sarawak delegation in 1962, which negotiated the formation of the new nation. Stephen Kalong Ningkan
, the then president of the Sarawak National Party
(SNAP), became the first Chief Minister of Sarawak
, while Wong became the state's first deputy Chief Minister. SNAP pulled out of the national coalition government, led by the Alliance Party, and became an opposition party. Wong, a member of the SNAP, won a seat in the Parliament of Malaysia
in the 1969 general election
, representing the Miri-Lubis constituency. Wong became the leader of the Malaysian Opposition
in 1974. Wong would later be arrested under the Internal Security Act
and held at the Kamunting detention center for several years. In 1981, Wong became the third president of the Sarawak National Party.
Wong's Sarawak National Party reconciled and rejoined the successor of the Alliance, the Barisan Nasional
. Under the new coalition, Wong became a minister in Sarawak's state cabinet, holding several portfolios during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Wong became the Environment and Tourism Minister of Sarawak from 1987 to 1994. He then became the state Minister of Environment and Housing from 1995 to 1997 and finally the state Minister of Environment and Public Health from 1998 until his retirement in 2001. In 2001, Wong, who was still serving as Environment Minister, was awarded the Langkawi Award for to work in launching a sea turtle
satellite tracking program and spearheading a new reefball project for coral reef
s.
Wong retired from politics in 2001. He continued to author new books and poems during his retirement. Wong authored The Price of Loyalty, a book about his imprisonment at the Kamunting detention center under the Internal Security Act. By 2003, Wong had published the third addition of The Birth of Malaysia, a history of the country. He also released a third book, Memories of Speeches at the Council Negri. In addition to his books, Wong also wrote poetry during his later life. His poetry collections included A Special Breed in 1981, Shimmering Moonbeams in 1983, Buy a Little Time in 1989 and Beautiful Butterfly in 2009.
Wong also spearheaded the push to have Malaysia Day
declared a national holiday
. In 2010, Malaysia Day was finally declared an official holiday, to be celebrated nationwide on September 16th of every year. Wong spoke of Malaysia Day in 2010 saying, "It is my hope that Malaysia Day will be celebrated every Sept 16. People should remember it because it’s a historic occasion."
James Wong suffered a heart attack on July 18, 2011. He died shortly after 10 a.m. at the Normah Medical Specialist Centre in Kuching
, Sarawak, Malaysia, at the age of 89. Wong was survived by his wife, Datin Valerie Bong; five daughters; three sons; thirteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was buried in Limbang
at the family cemetery in Jalan Pandaruan. Dignitaries in attendance included members of each of Sarawak's major ethnic groups, including the Chinese, the Kedayan
, Brunei Malays, Bisaya
, Iban
and the Tabun
.
Sarawak's government announced that it will put together an exhibit of Wong's documents at the state museum.
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
for decades. Wong holds the record as the longest serving assemblyman in the history of the state of Sarawak, holding the office for nearly fifty years. Wong served as the first Deputy Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of Sarawak and the president of the Sarawak National Party
Sarawak National Party
Sarawak National Party known by its acronym as "SNAP", is a political party in Malaysia. It was a member party of Barisan Nasional since Sarawak joined Malaysia until 2004 when it was expelled from Barisan Nasional...
(SNP). He held several other ministries of Sarawak politics until his retirement in 2001.
Wong was born in Limbang
Limbang
Limbang is a border town and the capital of Limbang District in the Limbang Division of northern Sarawak, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The division has an area of 3,978.1 square kilometers, and a population of 42,600...
, Kingdom of Sarawak
Kingdom of Sarawak
The Kingdom of Sarawak was a state in Borneo established by Sir James Brooke in 1842 by receiving independent kingdom status from the Sultanate of Brunei as a reward for helping fight piracy and insurgency...
, on August 6, 1922. Sarawak was a British protectorate at the time. He began his political career in 1951, when he was elected to the Limbang District Council.
In 1956, Wong was elected to Sarawak's legislature, the Council Negri, which is now known as the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly. He continued to hold office in the Legislative Assembly until his retirement in 2001.
Malaysia became an independent country in 1963. Wong had been a member of the Malaysia Solidarity Consultative Committee's Sarawak delegation in 1962, which negotiated the formation of the new nation. Stephen Kalong Ningkan
Stephen Kalong Ningkan
Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan was the first Chief Minister of Sarawak . As the executive of a newly-independent state which helped to form Malaysia, Kalong faced many challenges from within the state and from Sarawak's neighbour, Indonesia.- Personal life :Kalong was born on 20 August...
, the then president of the Sarawak National Party
Sarawak National Party
Sarawak National Party known by its acronym as "SNAP", is a political party in Malaysia. It was a member party of Barisan Nasional since Sarawak joined Malaysia until 2004 when it was expelled from Barisan Nasional...
(SNAP), became the first Chief Minister of Sarawak
Chief Minister of Sarawak
The Chief Minister of Sarawak is the head of the executive branch of the state government in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia. The Chief Minister is appointed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri from the State Legislative Assembly....
, while Wong became the state's first deputy Chief Minister. SNAP pulled out of the national coalition government, led by the Alliance Party, and became an opposition party. Wong, a member of the SNAP, won a seat in the Parliament of Malaysia
Parliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....
in the 1969 general election
Malaysian general election, 1969
General elections were held in Malaysia on 10 May 1969, although voting was postponed until between 21 and 27 June in Sabah and Sarawak. It resulted in the return to power, with a reduced majority, of the ruling Alliance Party, comprising the United Malays National Organization , the Malayan...
, representing the Miri-Lubis constituency. Wong became the leader of the Malaysian Opposition
Opposition (Malaysia)
The Opposition in Malaysia is a term used to describe political parties represented in the Parliament of Malaysia that are not in government either on their own or as part of a governing coalition. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in parliamentary systems, i.e...
in 1974. Wong would later be arrested under the Internal Security Act
Internal Security Act (Malaysia)
The Internal Security Act 1960 is a preventive detention law in force in Malaysia. The legislation was enacted after Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. The ISA allows for detention without trial or criminal charges under limited, legally defined circumstances...
and held at the Kamunting detention center for several years. In 1981, Wong became the third president of the Sarawak National Party.
Wong's Sarawak National Party reconciled and rejoined the successor of the Alliance, the Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
. Under the new coalition, Wong became a minister in Sarawak's state cabinet, holding several portfolios during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Wong became the Environment and Tourism Minister of Sarawak from 1987 to 1994. He then became the state Minister of Environment and Housing from 1995 to 1997 and finally the state Minister of Environment and Public Health from 1998 until his retirement in 2001. In 2001, Wong, who was still serving as Environment Minister, was awarded the Langkawi Award for to work in launching a sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
satellite tracking program and spearheading a new reefball project for coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s.
Wong retired from politics in 2001. He continued to author new books and poems during his retirement. Wong authored The Price of Loyalty, a book about his imprisonment at the Kamunting detention center under the Internal Security Act. By 2003, Wong had published the third addition of The Birth of Malaysia, a history of the country. He also released a third book, Memories of Speeches at the Council Negri. In addition to his books, Wong also wrote poetry during his later life. His poetry collections included A Special Breed in 1981, Shimmering Moonbeams in 1983, Buy a Little Time in 1989 and Beautiful Butterfly in 2009.
Wong also spearheaded the push to have Malaysia Day
Malaysia Day
Malaysia Day is held on September 16 every year to commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian federation on the same date in 1963. It marked the joining together of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore to form Malaysia...
declared a national holiday
National holiday
National holiday may refer to:*A National Day, in which a country celebrates its independence, establishment or an otherwise significant event....
. In 2010, Malaysia Day was finally declared an official holiday, to be celebrated nationwide on September 16th of every year. Wong spoke of Malaysia Day in 2010 saying, "It is my hope that Malaysia Day will be celebrated every Sept 16. People should remember it because it’s a historic occasion."
James Wong suffered a heart attack on July 18, 2011. He died shortly after 10 a.m. at the Normah Medical Specialist Centre in Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
, Sarawak, Malaysia, at the age of 89. Wong was survived by his wife, Datin Valerie Bong; five daughters; three sons; thirteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was buried in Limbang
Limbang
Limbang is a border town and the capital of Limbang District in the Limbang Division of northern Sarawak, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The division has an area of 3,978.1 square kilometers, and a population of 42,600...
at the family cemetery in Jalan Pandaruan. Dignitaries in attendance included members of each of Sarawak's major ethnic groups, including the Chinese, the Kedayan
Kedayan
The Kedayan are an ethnic group residing in Brunei, Labuan, Sabah, and parts of Sarawak on the island of Borneo. They are also known as Kadayan, Kadaian or simply badly spelled as Kadyan by British. The Kedayan language is the de facto national language of Brunei...
, Brunei Malays, Bisaya
Bisaya
The Visayans are a Filipino ethnic group whose members are speakers of one or more Visayan languages, the most widely spoken being Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and Waray-Waray. They live in the Visayan island group and in many parts of Mindanao. Some have migrated to other parts of the Philippines,...
, Iban
Iban people
The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. In Malaysia, most Ibans are located in Sarawak, a small portion in Sabah and some in west Malaysia. They were formerly known during the colonial period by the British as Sea Dayaks. Ibans were renowned for practising headhunting and...
and the Tabun
Tabun
Tabun may refer to:* Tabun Cave, a cave near Tabun, Israel where remains of Neanderthal Man were found.* A tabun oven, a clay oven used to make tabun bread...
.
Sarawak's government announced that it will put together an exhibit of Wong's documents at the state museum.