Ngeh Koo Ham
Encyclopedia
Yang Berhormat Dato'
Ngeh Koo Ham (also "James") , born in 1961, is a native of Ayer Tawar
, Perak
, Malaysia. He is a member of the Democratic Action Party
(DAP) in Malaysia, which is a member of Socialist International
. Ngeh Koo Ham is on the DAP's Central Executive Committee and is presently head of the DAP in the state of Perak.
.
In one of his more famous cases during his legal career, Ngeh Koo Ham represented Sitiawan businessman Yong Kon Fatt, who was sued by Indah Water Konsortium
Sdn Bhd (IWK) in January 2005 for refusing to pay RM1,074 for sewerage services purportedly provided to his house at Taman Samudera in Lumut. The High Court sitting in Ipoh ruled that 'those who have made payments to IWK but had not received any sewerage services could demand refunds'.
, Perak
since the 2004 General Election
. From 2004 to 2008 he was head of the Opposition in the Perak State Assembly. In 2008, with the formation of the Perak government by the coalition of DAP, PKR
and PAS (later known as Pakatan Rakyat
), they faced a problem of the candidate of new Chief Minister. Among the 3 parties, DAP has the most seats, but the Perak state constitution says that the Chief Minister must be a Malay
Muslim
. Ngeh, being the Chairman of the Perak DAP, is ethnic Chinese
and a Christian
. They initially agreed that Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin
from PAS should be the Chief Minister but in the end try persuading the Sultan, Sultan Azlan Shah, to appoint Ngeh as the non-Malay, non-Muslim Chief Minister. They listed three candidates, the other two being Mohammad Nizar and Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi from PKR. Finally the Sultan rejected Ngeh and wanted to appoint a Malay who is a professional. Thus Mohammad Nizar, being an engineer and carrying the highest position in PAS among the Perak PAS State Assemblymen, became the new Chief Minister. It is very interesting to note that all the Malay State Assemblymen in PKR have only Form 5 (Secondary school year 5) qualification. Ngeh was appointed to the state executive committee as senior state executive councillor, with the portfolios of Infrastructure and Public Amenities; Energy and Water; and Non-Muslim Affairs.
, Perak
, after defeating Datuk Chang Ko Youn of BN
-Gerakan
with a majority of 1,828 votes in the General Election on 8 March 2008.
Ngeh Koo Ham first stood in the 1990 General Election against Lim Keng Yaik
for the parliamentary seat of Beruas. Seen as a popular local candidate with strong grassroots support, he nevertheless lost to Lim, a powerful cabinet minister, by a narrow margin. This surprising result was suspected by many locals to be due to foul play, e.g. some said that numerous unrecognised people (suspected to be non-locals) were seen coming in to vote in the constituency. Later, in 2007, Ngeh Koo Ham stated more strongly this allegation of foul play, claiming the possession of evidence to this effect. Lim Keng Yaik
has yet to respond to his challenge to deny this allegation.
Ngeh Koo Ham has stood in every election since 1990.
In April 2008, in conjunction with the 80th birthday of HRH Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak, Ngeh Koo Ham was conferred the Darjah Dato Paduka Mahkota Perak (DPMP) which carries with it the title Datuk. He was the first actively serving DAP politician to be conferred (and accept) a Malaysian chivalrous title.
|+ Parliament of Malaysia
: P68 Beruas
, Perak
!|Year
!
!|Opposition
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Barisan Nasional
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
|-
|2008
|
| | (DAP
)
| align="right" |15,831
| |52%
|
| |Chang Ko Youn (GER
)
| align="right" |14,003
| |46%
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ State Assembly of Perak
: N50 Sitiawan
!|Year
!
!|Opposition
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Barisan Nasional
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
|-
|2004
|
| | (DAP
)
| align="right" |4,737
| |65%
|
| |Ling Mee Lin (MCA
)
| align="right" |4,737
| |31%
|-
|2008
|
| | (DAP
)
| align="right" |12,381
| |74%
|
| |Ding Siew Chee (MCA
)
| align="right" |3,852
| |23%
) at Universiti Malaya where he obtained a Bachelor of Laws
. He has also served on the Local Church Executive Council (LCEC) of the Ayer Tawar Chinese Methodist Church (ATCMC) and provided legal counsel to the Methodist Church in Malaysia. He is a regular communicant member of ATCMC where he often also provides translation during Sunday worship.
He married Cheok Foong Ling from Setiawan in 1992. They have three children.
Malay titles
The Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which are still used extensively in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders....
Ngeh Koo Ham (also "James") , born in 1961, is a native of Ayer Tawar
Ayer Tawar
Ayer Tawar is a small town of 30,000 people in the district of Manjung, state of Perak, Malaysia. Ayer Tawar literally means "fresh water" in the Malay language, although the word "Tawar" on its own means tasteless...
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
, Malaysia. He is a member of the Democratic Action Party
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
(DAP) in Malaysia, which is a member of Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
. Ngeh Koo Ham is on the DAP's Central Executive Committee and is presently head of the DAP in the state of Perak.
Early life and education
Ngeh's parents were both rubber tappers in Ayer Tawar. He attended the Methodist English School, Ayer Tawar; Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan (SMJK) Shyr Tien, Ayer Tawar; and the (Methodist) Anglo-Chinese School, Setiawan. He went on to graduate from Universiti Malaya as a Bachelor of LawsBachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
.
Professional career
Before his appointment as Perak senior executive councillor, Ngeh practised as a lawyer with Nga Hock Cheh and Co. (no relation) in Sitiawan before starting his own law firm, Ngeh and Co, which is headquartered in Ayer Tawar, with branches in Ipoh, Perak and Kuala Lumpur.In one of his more famous cases during his legal career, Ngeh Koo Ham represented Sitiawan businessman Yong Kon Fatt, who was sued by Indah Water Konsortium
Indah Water Konsortium
Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd is a national sewerage company in Malaysia. IWK is wholly government-owned company which has been entrusted with the task of developing and maintaining a modern and efficient sewerage system for all Malaysians....
Sdn Bhd (IWK) in January 2005 for refusing to pay RM1,074 for sewerage services purportedly provided to his house at Taman Samudera in Lumut. The High Court sitting in Ipoh ruled that 'those who have made payments to IWK but had not received any sewerage services could demand refunds'.
Perak state politics
Ngeh has been the state assemblyman for SitiawanSitiawan
Sitiawan, Malaysia is a region in the Manjung district of Perak, Malaysia....
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
since the 2004 General Election
Malaysian general election, 2004
General elections were held in Malaysia on March 21, 2004. The incumbent National Front government of Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was re-elected with an increased majority.-Election results:...
. From 2004 to 2008 he was head of the Opposition in the Perak State Assembly. In 2008, with the formation of the Perak government by the coalition of DAP, PKR
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
and PAS (later known as Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan Rakyat or PR is an informal Malaysian political coalition. It currently controls four state governments while in opposition to the ruling Barisan Nasional at the federal level....
), they faced a problem of the candidate of new Chief Minister. Among the 3 parties, DAP has the most seats, but the Perak state constitution says that the Chief Minister must be a Malay
Malay people
Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
. Ngeh, being the Chairman of the Perak DAP, is ethnic Chinese
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
and a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. They initially agreed that Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin
Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin
Datuk Seri Ir. Haji Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin is the former Menteri Besar of the Malaysian state of Perak, a post equivalent to a Chief Minister and Member of Malaysian Parliament for Bukit Gantang. Nizar is the secretary of the Perak's Branch Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party . Nizar was appointed as...
from PAS should be the Chief Minister but in the end try persuading the Sultan, Sultan Azlan Shah, to appoint Ngeh as the non-Malay, non-Muslim Chief Minister. They listed three candidates, the other two being Mohammad Nizar and Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi from PKR. Finally the Sultan rejected Ngeh and wanted to appoint a Malay who is a professional. Thus Mohammad Nizar, being an engineer and carrying the highest position in PAS among the Perak PAS State Assemblymen, became the new Chief Minister. It is very interesting to note that all the Malay State Assemblymen in PKR have only Form 5 (Secondary school year 5) qualification. Ngeh was appointed to the state executive committee as senior state executive councillor, with the portfolios of Infrastructure and Public Amenities; Energy and Water; and Non-Muslim Affairs.
Federal politics
Ngeh became the Member of Parliament for BeruasBeruas
Beruas is a small town in Perak, Malaysia.- Name :Beruas' name is derived from mangosteen-like tree that bear fruits, known as Pokok Bruas in local Malay, Seashore mangosteen or by its scientific name, Garcinia hombroniana.-History:In ancient times, before the area was known as Perak, it was a...
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
, after defeating Datuk Chang Ko Youn of BN
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...
-Gerakan
Gerakan
Gerakan, meaning movement in Malay, can refer to:*the Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, a Malaysian political party*the Gerakan Pramuka Indonesian Scout movement...
with a majority of 1,828 votes in the General Election on 8 March 2008.
Ngeh Koo Ham first stood in the 1990 General Election against Lim Keng Yaik
Lim Keng Yaik
Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik is a former Malaysian politician and former Minister of Energy, Water and Communications in the Malaysian cabinet. He was the national president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia from 1980 until stepping down on April 8, 2007 to pave the way for Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon...
for the parliamentary seat of Beruas. Seen as a popular local candidate with strong grassroots support, he nevertheless lost to Lim, a powerful cabinet minister, by a narrow margin. This surprising result was suspected by many locals to be due to foul play, e.g. some said that numerous unrecognised people (suspected to be non-locals) were seen coming in to vote in the constituency. Later, in 2007, Ngeh Koo Ham stated more strongly this allegation of foul play, claiming the possession of evidence to this effect. Lim Keng Yaik
Lim Keng Yaik
Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik is a former Malaysian politician and former Minister of Energy, Water and Communications in the Malaysian cabinet. He was the national president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia from 1980 until stepping down on April 8, 2007 to pave the way for Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon...
has yet to respond to his challenge to deny this allegation.
Ngeh Koo Ham has stood in every election since 1990.
In April 2008, in conjunction with the 80th birthday of HRH Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak, Ngeh Koo Ham was conferred the Darjah Dato Paduka Mahkota Perak (DPMP) which carries with it the title Datuk. He was the first actively serving DAP politician to be conferred (and accept) a Malaysian chivalrous title.
Election results
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"|+ Parliament of Malaysia
Dewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...
: P68 Beruas
Beruas
Beruas is a small town in Perak, Malaysia.- Name :Beruas' name is derived from mangosteen-like tree that bear fruits, known as Pokok Bruas in local Malay, Seashore mangosteen or by its scientific name, Garcinia hombroniana.-History:In ancient times, before the area was known as Perak, it was a...
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
!|Year
!
!|Opposition
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Barisan Nasional
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
|-
|2008
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
|
| | (DAP
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
)
| align="right" |15,831
| |52%
|
| |Chang Ko Youn (GER
Gerakan
Gerakan, meaning movement in Malay, can refer to:*the Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, a Malaysian political party*the Gerakan Pramuka Indonesian Scout movement...
)
| align="right" |14,003
| |46%
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ State Assembly of Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
: N50 Sitiawan
Sitiawan
Sitiawan, Malaysia is a region in the Manjung district of Perak, Malaysia....
!|Year
!
!|Opposition
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Barisan Nasional
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
|-
|2004
Malaysian general election, 2004
General elections were held in Malaysia on March 21, 2004. The incumbent National Front government of Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was re-elected with an increased majority.-Election results:...
|
| | (DAP
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
)
| align="right" |4,737
| |65%
|
| |Ling Mee Lin (MCA
Malaysian 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...
)
| align="right" |4,737
| |31%
|-
|2008
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
|
| | (DAP
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
)
| align="right" |12,381
| |74%
|
| |Ding Siew Chee (MCA
Malaysian 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...
)
| align="right" |3,852
| |23%
Personal life
Ngeh comes from an old Ayer Tawar Methodist family and was christened James by the late Rev. Koh Gie Bing. As a student, he was active in the Methodist Youth Fellowship and later with the Persatuan Kristian Varsiti (PKV, part of the International Fellowship of Evangelical StudentsInternational Fellowship of Evangelical Students
The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students is an association of about 136 evangelical Christian student movements worldwide, encouraging evangelism, discipleship and mission among students. The goal of the organisation is to establish local autonomous student movements in every country...
) at Universiti Malaya where he obtained a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
. He has also served on the Local Church Executive Council (LCEC) of the Ayer Tawar Chinese Methodist Church (ATCMC) and provided legal counsel to the Methodist Church in Malaysia. He is a regular communicant member of ATCMC where he often also provides translation during Sunday worship.
He married Cheok Foong Ling from Setiawan in 1992. They have three children.
External links
- http://ngehkooham.blogspot.com - official website
- Democratic Action Party
- Perak state government