Wong Chin Huat
Encyclopedia
Wong Chin Huat is a Malaysian political scientist, an university lecturer, a political activist and a columnist
.
Obtaining his undergraduate degree
from Universiti Malaya, he completed his Master's degree
at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
and is finishing his PhD
on electoral system and party politics in West Malaysia
between 1982 and 2004 at the University of Essex
. He is currently a journalism lecturer at Monash University Malaysia Campus.
He is known among the wider public as a columnist at a Malaysian online news organization called The Nut Graph, as a spokesperson for an electoral reform pressure group known as Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih)
and the chairman of a non-governmental organization
called Writers Alliance for Media Independence.
, federalism
, press freedom and voting system
.
(MCA) forcibly took over the Nanyang Press (controlling Nanyang Siang Pao and China Press) with the tacit help of Sin Chew Media group (controlling Sin Chew Daily and Guang Ming Daily). The group later formed the Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI), which Wong became its chairperson since 2006.
Due to his opposition to the monopoly
, with Sin Chew boss Tiong Hew King now controlling all the four major Chinese-language national dailies, Wong and his colleagues like Tang Ah Chai and Josh Hong are constantly blacked out by these dailies especially Sin Chew Daily. Nevertheless, Wong's arrest did appear in Tiong's newspapers.
On the eve of the 1999 general elections, Wong and a few other writers like Teoh Kian Hoon, Fong Wai Foong, Teh Hoon Seng, Lee Wing Keat and the late Ng Boon Jieh launched a trilingual declaration of citizen awareness titled "People are the Boss", using simple business language to explain the concept of democracy. Formulated to counter Dr Mahathir's argument that people should be thankful to the government, the concept is now widely used ten years later, even by Barisan Nasional leaders.
in protesting to what it called as an "ongoing Perak coup" by Barisan Nasional
. Wong was one of the representatives present at the launch of the campaign.
In the evening of the same day, Wong was arrested by the police for sedition under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act 1948
for several articles. He was eventually remanded for 4 days before release.
His arrest prompted protests in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kuching. Further arrests were made by the police for assembling illegally. The further arrests later created a controversy where the police arrested several legal counsels who were trying to defend the detainees. Approximately 200 lawyers gathered and protested against the arrests of legal counsels in the next day.
No charge however was filed and all were released in matter of days.
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
.
Obtaining his undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. It is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a university...
from Universiti Malaya, he completed his Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
The National University of Malaysia is a public university located in Bangi, Selangor which is about 35 km south of Kuala Lumpur...
and is finishing his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
on electoral system and party politics in West Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
between 1982 and 2004 at the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
. He is currently a journalism lecturer at Monash University Malaysia Campus.
He is known among the wider public as a columnist at a Malaysian online news organization called The Nut Graph, as a spokesperson for an electoral reform pressure group known as Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih)
Bersih
The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections or Bersih is a coalition of non-governmental organisations with the aim of revising the current electoral system to ensure fair elections in Malaysia.-2007 Bersih rally:...
and the chairman of a non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
called Writers Alliance for Media Independence.
Issues
He has written and spoken on multiple national issues. Among of them are local electionLocal election
Local elections vary widely across jurisdictions. In electoral systems that roughly follow the Westminster model, a terminology has evolved with roles such as Mayor or Warden to describe the executive of a city, town or region, although the actual means of elections vary...
, federalism
Federalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
, press freedom and voting system
Voting system
A voting system or electoral system is a method by which voters make a choice between options, often in an election or on a policy referendum....
.
Suqiu
Prior to his pursuit of PhD in UK, he worked for a Chinese-community reformist group Suqiu (The Malaysian Chinese Organization Election Appeals Committee) as its executive secretary from May 2000 to March 2001. Suqiu was attacked by the then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad as a threat to national security comparable to communist insurgents and religious fanatics in his 2000 National Day address. In that capacity, Wong was one of the civil society pioneers in lobbying parliamentarians.Press activism
Wong cut his teeth as a political columnist and freelanced writer for Nanyang Siang Pao from 1998 to 2001. Together with over 90 other writers, Wong quit writing for all the four major Chinese-language national dailies in May 2001 when the Malaysian Chinese AssociationMalaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that represents the Malaysian Chinese ethnicity; it is one of the three major component parties of the ruling coalition in Malaysia called the Barisan Nasional in Malay, or National Front in English.Along with the largest...
(MCA) forcibly took over the Nanyang Press (controlling Nanyang Siang Pao and China Press) with the tacit help of Sin Chew Media group (controlling Sin Chew Daily and Guang Ming Daily). The group later formed the Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI), which Wong became its chairperson since 2006.
Due to his opposition to the monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
, with Sin Chew boss Tiong Hew King now controlling all the four major Chinese-language national dailies, Wong and his colleagues like Tang Ah Chai and Josh Hong are constantly blacked out by these dailies especially Sin Chew Daily. Nevertheless, Wong's arrest did appear in Tiong's newspapers.
On the eve of the 1999 general elections, Wong and a few other writers like Teoh Kian Hoon, Fong Wai Foong, Teh Hoon Seng, Lee Wing Keat and the late Ng Boon Jieh launched a trilingual declaration of citizen awareness titled "People are the Boss", using simple business language to explain the concept of democracy. Formulated to counter Dr Mahathir's argument that people should be thankful to the government, the concept is now widely used ten years later, even by Barisan Nasional leaders.
Arrest under Sedition Act and subsequent protests
Bersih launched 1BlackMalaysia campaign on May 5, 2009 as an act of civil disobedienceCivil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
in protesting to what it called as an "ongoing Perak coup" by 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...
. Wong was one of the representatives present at the launch of the campaign.
In the evening of the same day, Wong was arrested by the police for sedition under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act 1948
Sedition Act (Malaysia)
The Sedition Act in Malaysia is a law prohibiting discourse deemed as seditious. The act was originally enacted by the colonial authorities of British Malaya in 1948...
for several articles. He was eventually remanded for 4 days before release.
His arrest prompted protests in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kuching. Further arrests were made by the police for assembling illegally. The further arrests later created a controversy where the police arrested several legal counsels who were trying to defend the detainees. Approximately 200 lawyers gathered and protested against the arrests of legal counsels in the next day.
No charge however was filed and all were released in matter of days.
External links
- People are the boss. Blog of Wong Chin Huat.