Ong Kee Hui

Tan Sri Datuk Amar Ong Kee Hui Tan Sri Datuk Amar, Dato' Sri

Founder of Sarawak United People's Party
In office 1959–1982
Preceded by	Post created
Succeeded by	Stephen Yong Kuet Tze
Malaysian Minister of Local Government and Housing
In office 9 February 1971 – 4 March 1976
Preceded by	Khaw Kai Boh
Succeeded by	Michael Chen Wing Sum
Malaysian Minister of Science, Technology and Environment
In office 5 March 1976 – 16 July 1981
Preceded by	Portfolio created
Succeeded by	Stephen Yong Kuet Tze
Personal details
Born	1941 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Died	2000 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Nationality	Malaysian
Political party	Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP)
Spouse(s)	Wee Bee Siok
Occupation	Politician

Tan Sri Datuk Amar Ong Kee Hui (1914–2000) was a Malaysian Chinese politician and founder / President of the Sarawak United People's Party (founded 12 June 1959). His family trace their origins to Bai Jiao, Fujian Province, China.

Family History

His father, Ong Kwan Hin (1896–1982), was Kapitan China for the Hokkien community whilst his grandfather, Ong Tiang Swee (1864–1950) was also Kapitan China, President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and one of the first two Chinese people nominated to the Sarawak Council Negri (Legislative Council) in 1937. His grandfather Ong Ewe Hai (1830 - 1899) was a prominent Kapitan China to the Hokkien community of Sarawak, successful businessman in multiple fields. Ong Kee Hui is also related to Ong Poh Lim (see separate Wiki entry). His great grandfather Ong Koon Tian ( d:1837) was born in Bai Jiao, Fujian, China and left for south-east Asia to make his fortune, at which he was not successful - on his death he left three sons and three daughters impoverished.

Honours

He was bestowed the titles "Datuk" later upgraded to "Dato' Sri" (PNBS) and "Datuk Amar" (DA) by the Sarawak State Government, "Datuk" (PGBK) by the Sabah State Government and "Tan Sri" (PMN) by the Government of Malaysia.

The Malaysian Institute of Chemistry also awards the Tan Sri Datuk Ong Kee Hui Postgraduate Chemistry Award to candidates who produce an outstanding thesis.

In Kuching, there is a road named after him, called Jalan Ong Kee Hui.

Early life

Born in 1914 in Kuching, he was educated at St. Thomas's School in Kuching and later St. Andrew's School in Singapore before receiving his diploma in Agricultural Science from Serdang College.

Career

In 1935, he entered the Sarawak Government civil service when he returned home to serve the Department of Agriculture. He believed in Sarawak's cession to Great Britain in 1946, which ended Brooke Sarawak and brought citizenship to Sarawak based on jus soli to the Chinese, who were regarded as immigrants.

Leaving government service in 1948, Ong entered business under the tutelage of Wee Kheng Chiang, his father-in-law, who appointed him manager of the family’s Bian Chiang Bank, today known as CIMB Group, devoting himself to business and banking.

Rise to politics

In the mid-1950s, Ong Kee Hui started his political career as a nominated member of the Council Negri (State Legislative Council), and he was elected to the Kuching Municipal Council as the Mayor of Kuching and an unofficial member of the Supreme Council (State Cabinet) as Minister of Technology, Research and Local Government. Later in 1959, he established the Sarawak United People's Party together with Datuk Amar Stephen Yong Kuet Tze as Sarawak's first political party.

When Malaysia was proposed, Ong argued for Sarawak's independence before joining the greater federation. The Sarawak United People's Party supported his stance for independence. In 1965, he seized the expulsion of Singapore to call for a referendum but was rejected.

After much encouragement and pragmatism from then Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, he was convinced to forge political partnerships and consequently, Sarawak United People's Party joined the State Government in 1971. He served as the Minister of Local Government and Housing and Minister of Science Technology & Environment under Tun Abdul Razak's Cabinet. However, being a federal minister in Kuala Lumpur divorced him from Sarawakian grassroots politics. As a result, in 1980, he stood down as party chairman of SUPP and retired to pen his memoirs, Footprints in Sarawak.

Spouse and Children

On 14 September 1937, he married his cousin Wee Bee Siok, the daughter of a successful banker and businessman, Wee Kheng Chiang, in a traditional Chinese ceremony. They have eight children - two sons and six daughters.

References

Albert Lau. Southeast Asia and the Cold War. Routledge, 26 July 2012 pg. 129