Chew Mei Fun

Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun (Chinese: 周美芬; pinyin: Zhōu Měifēn; born 17 October 1964)[1] is a Malaysian politician who was the Secretary-General of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).[2] She is a former two-term Member of Parliament (MP) of Malaysia for Petaling Jaya Utara from 1999 to 2008. She is also a former Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Chew (周).
Yang Berbahagia Datin Paduka

Chew Mei Fun

DSIS
周美芬
Secretary-General of Malaysian Chinese Association
In office
16 November 2018 – 20 July 2019
PresidentWee Ka Siong
DeputyChai Kim Sen
Preceded byOng Ka Chuan
Succeeded byChong Sin Woon
Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development
In office
27 June 2014 – 10 May 2018
Serving with Azizah Mohd Dun
MonarchAbdul Halim
Muhammad V
Prime MinisterNajib Razak
MinisterRohani Abdul Karim
Preceded byHerself
Succeeded byHannah Yeoh
ConstituencySenator
In office
10 April 2009 – 4 June 2010
MonarchMizan Zainal Abidin
Prime MinisterNajib Razak
MinisterSharizat Abdul Jalil
Preceded byNoriah Kasnon
Succeeded byHeng Seai Kie
ConstituencySenator
Vice-President of the Malaysian Chinese Association
In office
21 December 2013 – 3 November 2018
PresidentLiow Tiong Lai
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Petaling Jaya Utara
In office
November 1999 – February 2008
Preceded byLim Kuo Phau (MCA-BN)
Succeeded byTony Pua (DAP-PR)
Majority2,481 (1999)
13,043 (2004)
Personal details
Born
Chew Mei Fun

(1964-10-17) 17 October 1964
Penang, Malaysia
Political partyMalaysian Chinese Association (MCA)
Other political
affiliations		Barisan Nasional (BN)
Perikatan Nasional (PN)
Alma materNational Chengchi University
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Education

Chew received her secondary education at Kuen Cheng High School before going on to receive a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Literature from the National Chengchi University in Taipei and a Master of Arts (MA) in Chinese Studies from the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.[3] She is currently pursuing a doctorate (PhD) at Peking University.[4][5]

Political career

Chew began her political career after joining the Raub MCA Woman's Youth (Beliawanis) Section and served as private secretary to former Raub MP Teng Gaik Kwan in 1995. She contested and was elected twice for the parliamentary seat of Petaling Jaya Utara in Selangor in the 1999 and 2004 general election. She was appointed as Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development by the 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak on 9 April 2009 in Putrajaya. She was sworn-in before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Mizan Zainal Abidin, at the Istana Negara on 10 April 2009. She was appointed a Senator after failing to defend her parliamentary seat in the 2008 general election.[6]

On 8 April 2010, Chew resigned as MCA Women Chief and deputy minister. Prior to this, on 28 March 2010, during the 2010 MCA election, she had pledged to resign from all her posts if MCA delegates still voted for Dr. Chua Soi Lek who was involved with DVD sex scandals as president. However, Chua eventually defeated Ong Tee Keat and Ong Ka Ting with a slim majority, leading to many to call for Chew to honour her pledge. Many of her followers at Wisma MCA carried banners reading "Holding the principle for the honor of women", "We support you", "We need you" and "Do not resign!".[7] She was then dropped by MCA as a candidate in the 2013 general election.

Chew was selected as Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate in the 2014 Kajang by-election of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly seat following the events of the Kajang Move.[8] However, she lost to Wan Azizah Wan Ismail of the People's Justice Party (PKR) by 5,379 votes. Prior to returning to her former office as deputy minister in 2014, Chew was again sworn-in as a Senator.[9] But she resigned as a Senator on 27 June 2017 to focus on MCA duties.[10]

In the 2018 general election, Chew contested the Raub parliamentary constituency in Pahang, but lost to Pakatan Harapan (PH)'s Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji of Democratic Action Party (DAP) in a three-corner fight with Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).[11] After Wee Ka Siong was elected as the 11th President of MCA in 2018 MCA election, he selected Chew to become the new and first female MCA Secretary-General.[2] On 13 July 2019, Chew tendered her resignation from the office, effective 20 July 2019, in order to pursue a PhD in Peking University.[5]

Controversies

In September 2017, DAP lawmakers questioned the MCA of Selangor about a one-acre plot of land in Kampung Cempaka, Petaling Jaya which was allegedly purchased under market price. MCA had applied for the land in 2006 and got approval from the state government in 2007 which was then under Barisan Nasional and Chew was still the MP of Petaling Jaya Utara. MCA then bought the land at RM 52,000 in 2008 at RM 1 per square foot (psf), when the land, in fact, was worth more than RM400 psf. It was later discovered by Yeo Bee Yin, the Selangor state assemblywoman (MLA) for Damansara Utama of DAP then that the MCA's plans to convert the land to commercial status earlier in the year and how MCA managed to purchase the land under market price were in questions.[12] Chew denied being involved in the land application and declined to elaborate further. She later threatened to sue Yeo and the new DAP MP for Petaling Jaya Utara then, Tony Pua of defamatory for revealing the matter, which never took place.[13]

Election results
Selangor State Legislative Assembly
Year Constituency Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2014 N25 Kajang Chew Mei Fun (MCA) 11,362 40.43% Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR) 16,741 59.57% 28,314 5,379 72.09%
Parliament of Malaysia[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]
Year Constituency Votes Pct Opponents Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
1999 P94 Petaling Jaya Utara, Selangor Chew Mei Fun (MCA) 25,603 51.80% Ronnie Liu Thian Khiew (DAP) 23,122 46.78% 49,981 2,481 70.76%
Wee Chek Aik (MDP) 706 1.43%
2004 P106 Petaling Jaya Utara, Selangor Chew Mei Fun (MCA) 32,422 62.16% Ronnie Liu Thian Khiew (DAP) 19,739 37.84% 52,460 13,043 69.09%
2008 Chew Mei Fun (MCA) 17,879 32.08% Tony Pua Kiam Wee (DAP) 37,851 67.92% 56,257 19,972 73.47%
2018 P80 Raub, Pahang Chew Mei Fun (MCA) 17,500 38.02% Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji (DAP) 20,659 44.89% 46,971 3,159 81.37%
Mohd Nilam Abd Manap (PAS) 7,866 17.09%

Awards
  • 'The Outstanding Young Malaysian' by JCI Malaysia (2004)[3]
  • 'Outstanding Alumni of Malaysia' by National Chengchi University (2006)[3]

Honours

Honour of Malaysia

See also

References
  1. "OATH-TAKING CEREMONY OF MEMBER OF THE SENATE (26 JUNE 2014)". Parliament of Malaysia. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  2. "Chew Mei Fun is MCA's new sec-gen". Malaysiakini. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  3. "Chew Mei Fun - Demi Integriti Dan Kredibiliti: Biodata Lengkap Calon #PRKKajang". 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  4. "MCA secretary-general Chew Mei Fun resigns". Malaysiakini. 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  5. <Foong Pek Yee (20 July 2019). "Chew resigns as MCA sec-gen to pursue doctorate programme in China". The Star (Malaysia). Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  6. Kala, N Shashi. "Najib's new cabinet (Updated 6.55pm)". thenutgraph.com. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  7. Nigel Aw (8 April 2010). "Ketua Wanita MCA letak jawatan parti, k'jaan". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  8. "MCA's Chew Mei Fun to contest Kajang by-election". The Malaysian Insider. 21 February 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
  9. "Chew Mei Fun sworn in as senator (Updated)". The Sun Daily. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  10. June Moh. "Chew Mei Fun steps down as senator, minister; to focus on MCA duties". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  11. "MCA fielding more young candidates with potential in Pahang". New Straits Times. Bernama. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  12. "DAP wants MCA to explain Petaling Jaya land buy | The Malaysian Insight". www.themalaysianinsight.com. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  13. "Feel free to sue us, DAP reps tell MCA veep". Malaysiakini. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  14. "Malaysia Decides 2008". The Star (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  15. "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri". Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 27 May 2010. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
  16. "Malaysia General Election". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 19 April 2013. Results only available from the 2004 election (GE11).
  17. "KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM 13". Sistem Pengurusan Maklumat Pilihan Raya Umum (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 24 March 2017.Results only available for the 2013 election.
  18. "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.
  19. "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13". Utusan Malaysia. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  20. "SEMAKAN KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM KE - 14" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 17 May 2018. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
  21. "The Star Online GE14". The Star. Retrieved 24 May 2018. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
  22. "SEMAKAN PENERIMA DARJAH KEBESARAN, BINTANG DAN PINGAT". Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia). Retrieved 25 October 2018.
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