Boo Cheng Hau

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Dr.

| name = Boo Cheng Hau

| native_name = {{nobold|巫程豪}}

| native_name_lang =

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|10|01|df=y}}

| birth_place = Johor Bahru, Malaysia

| residence =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| constituency_AM = Skudai

| assembly = Johor State Legislative

| term_start = 8 March 2008

| term_end = 9 May 2018

| majority = 12,854 (2008)
18,050 (2013)

| predecessor = Teo Eng Tee
(BN–Gerakan)

| successor = Tan Hong Pin
(PH–DAP)

| citizenship = Malaysian

| party = Democratic Action Party (1994–)

| otherparty = Pakatan Harapan (PH) (2015–)
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) (2008-2015)
Barisan Alternatif (BA) (1999-2004)
Gagasan Rakyat (GR) (1994-1996)

| occupation = Politician

| profession = Doctor

| relations =

| spouse =

| children =

| website = {{url|drboochenghau.blogspot.com}}

| footnotes = {{facebook|BooChengHau}}

}}

Dr. Boo Cheng Hau ({{zh|c=巫程豪|poj=Bû Thêng-hô|p=Wū Chéngháo}}; born 1 October 1964) is a Malaysian politician of Democratic Action Party (DAP). He has served as Member of the Johor State Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Skudai for two terms from March 2008 to May 2018.

Background and personal life

Dr. Boo is a family physician who holds three bachelor degrees in Chemistry from Iowa State University of Ames; the Medicine and Surgery from University of the West Indies of Jamaica and Law from University of London respectively.{{cite news|url=https://www.blogger.com/profile/14473107036584769692|title=Dr. Boo Cheng Hau's Trilingual Blog: SAY WHAT YOU LIKE|work=Dr. Boo Cheng Hau|date=1 November 2006|access-date=4 April 2016|via=Blogger}}

He is a practicing medical doctor by profession. On 25 October 2011, his clinic in Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor Bahru, was broken into resulting with a loss of RM800.{{Cite news|url=http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/179643|title=Klinik ADUN Skudai dipecah masuk|language=ms|publisher=Malaysiakini|date=25 October 2011 |access-date=25 October 2011}} The Royal Malaysia Police (RMP)'s Deputy Johor CID chief, ACP Che Yusoff Che Ngah said the incident involved a clinic worker noticed about 8 am before the police received a report about an hour later. Dr Boo when interviewed, said the incident involved the first time since the clinic opened 13 years ago.{{Cite news|url= https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2011/10/25/thieves-break-into-assemblymans-clinic|title=Thieves break into assemblyman's clinic|work=The Star|date=25 October 2011 |access-date=25 October 2011}}

In December 2020, Dr. Boo was tested positive for the COVID-19 and had recovered from the decease infection since.{{Cite news|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/556483|title=DAP's Dr Boo making good recovery after catching Covid-19 |publisher=Malaysiakini|date= 24 December 2020|access-date=24 December 2020}}

Politics

He previously and first contested the Skudai state seat in Johor on the DAP party ticket in the 1999 general election and the 2004 general election but had lost both the contests to the Barisan Nasional (BN). In the 2008 general election, he contested the Skudai state seat again and won to be an assemblyman for Skudai constituency. He retained the seat in the following 2013 general election (GE13). He has been the opposition leader for representing Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in Johor State Legislative Assembly from 2008 till 2015.{{cite news|url=https://pru.sinarharian.com.my/calon/3741/boo-cheng-hau|title=Dr Boo Cheng Hau|language=ms|work=PRU Di Sinar|publisher=Sinar Harian|access-date=10 November 2021}}

Dr. Boo was not nominated by DAP as a candidate to contest in the 2018 general election (GE14).{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/04/15/despite-being-dropped-boo-says-he-remains-a-diehard-dap-man|title=Despite being dropped, Boo says he remains a die-hard DAP man|work=The Star|author=Nelson Benjamin|date=15 April 2018|access-date=14 May 2018}}

Controversies and issues

In February 2013, an open verbal conflict erupted between Dr. Boo as Johor DAP chairman and Johor People's Justice Party (PKR) chairman Chua Jui Meng, prompting calls from both DAP and PKR party heavyweights to weigh in for their party stalwarts. This as a result of accusations from either side of splitting Pakatan Rakyat in the state of Johor.{{cite news|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/2/20/nation/12733683&sec=nation |title=Pakatan top brass weigh in on feud between Dr. Boo and Chua|last1=Lee & Gasper |first1=Regina & Desiree Tresa |date=20 February 2013 |work=The Star}}{{cite news|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/2/22/nation/12743069&sec=nation|last=Gasper & Wong|first=Desiree Tresa & Pek Mei|title=Johor DAP-PKR spat gets serious|accessdate=22 February 2013|newspaper=The Star}} The conflict was resolved after talks and mediation by the central leadership of both parties for reconciliation was DAP to unconditionally support for PKR's Chua to contest in the Segamat constituency in GE13.{{cite news|url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/04/11/dap-pkr-join-forces-for-battle-segamat|last=Pragalath|first=K|title=DAP, PKR join forces for Battle Segamat|accessdate=12 April 2013|newspaper=Free Malaysia Today|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413211206/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/04/11/dap-pkr-join-forces-for-battle-segamat/|archive-date=13 April 2013|url-status=dead}}{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2013/04/09/ge13-johor-pkr-chief-chua-jui-meng-to-contest-in-segamat/|title=GE13: Johor PKR chief Chua Jui Meng to contest in Segamat|date=9 April 2013|work=The Star|access-date=12 April 2013}}{{cite news |url=http://www.astroawani.com/berita-pilihanrayaparlimen/chua-jui-meng-calon-pkr-di-segamat-11785|title=Chua Jui Meng calon PKR di Segamat|date=9 April 2013|language=ms|publisher=Astro Awani|access-date=12 April 2013}} The traditionally DAP seat was switched for Gelang Patah seat which was where the Skudai state seat located; in order to be contested and later won by its adviser and veteran Lim Kit Siang to be its new Member of Parliament (MP) instead.{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/04/01/ge13-gelang-patah-has-equal-mix-of-races-says-dr-boo|title=GE13: Gelang Patah has equal mix of races, says Dr Boo|author=Desiree Tresa Gasper|date=1 April 2013|work=The Star|access-date=12 April 2013}}

In 2018, Dr. Boo on the contrary turned down the party's plan to field him in the Labis parliamentary seat which is in Segamat district, Johor and subsequently he was also dropped as candidate to contest his existing Skudai state seat or any other seat in the GE14.{{Cite news|url= https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/04/14/dr-boo-dropped-from-skudai-seat-replaced-by-protege|title=Dr Boo dropped from Skudai seat, replaced by protege|work=The Star|author=Nelson Benjamin & Steven Daniel|date=14 April 2018|access-date=14 March 2019}} Meanwhile DAP replacement candidate for the Labis seat, another former Johor DAP chairman Pang Hok Liong had instead successfully win the traditional Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)-BN stronghold for the first time to be a newly elected MP.{{Cite news|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/420391|title=Snubbed by Dr Boo, DAP brings in another ex-Johor chief for Labis |publisher=Malaysiakini|date=18 April 2018 |access-date=20 April 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/leaders-of-bns-ethnic-minority-parties-lose-parliamentary-seats|title=Leaders of BN's ethnic minority parties lose parliamentary seats|work=The Straits Times|date=10 May 2018|author=Tan Hui Yee|url-status=live|access-date=17 February 2019|archive-date=17 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217063015/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/leaders-of-bns-ethnic-minority-parties-lose-parliamentary-seats}} Amidst being disappointed, Dr. Boo apparently remains loyal to DAP despite his continuous criticism of the party's leadership and Kit Siang, the new MP for Iskandar Puteri (formerly Gelang Patah).{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/04/16/dr-boo-i-will-remain-in-dap-displaced-politician-says-hes-been-backstabbed-but-will-recover|title=Dr Boo: I will remain in DAP|work=The Star|author=Nelson Benjamin|date=16 April 2018|access-date=14 May 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2018/05/367655/daps-dr-boo-gets-death-threat-criticising-kit-siang|title=DAP's Dr Boo gets death threat for criticising Kit Siang|author=Rizalman Hammim|date=9 May 2018|work=New Straits Times|access-date=14 May 2018}}

In 2021, Dr. Boo had made critical and controversially remarks in a Johor DAP private WhatsApp group towards his party MP, Hannah Yeoh for Segambut actions for donning the headscarf or 'selendang' and her Malay attire when she was visiting a mosque in her constituency.{{Cite news|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/601709|title=Hannah's hijab ignites latest salvo in DAP's battle to embrace diversity|publisher=Malaysiakini|date= 24 December 2020|access-date=24 December 2020}} In response, DAP secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng said Yeoh's attire was not wrong to respect other religions and their worship places in reprimanding and slamming Dr. Boo remarks which are not only gender-insensitive but also runs the risk of portraying DAP leaders as being just as intolerant and regressive as the "extremist" and "primitive" Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) leaders.{{Cite news|url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/12/04/guan-eng-slams-johor-dap-leader-over-remarks-on-hannah-yeohs-mosque-visit/3 |title=Guan Eng slams Johor DAP leader over remarks on Hannah Yeoh's mosque visit|publisher=Free Malaysia Today|date=4 December 2021|access-date=6 December 2021}} Dr. Boo remains to be adamant and polemical accused it as an "superficial political gimmicks" attempt to "appease a certain race", while he opined that DAP should be sincere and equal towards every race.{{Cite news|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/601805|title='Superficial' clothing not needed for support, Boo tells 'Dr M yes man' Guan Eng|publisher=Malaysiakini|date= 4 December 2021|access-date=6 December 2021}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/601750|title=Wearing a headscarf in a mosque won't change my race or faith - Yeoh|publisher=Malaysiakini|date= 24 December 2020|access-date=24 December 2020}}

Election results

class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"

|+ Johor State Legislative Assembly{{cite web|url=http://semak.spr.gov.my/spr/laporan/5_KedudukanAkhir.php |title=Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri |publisher=Election Commission of Malaysia |language=Malay |accessdate=4 February 2017 }} Percentage figures based on total turnout.{{Cite web

| title = Malaysia General Election

| work = undiinfo Malaysian Election Data

| publisher = Malaysiakini

| url = http://undi.info/#

| accessdate = 4 February 2017}} Results only available from the 2004 election.{{cite web|url=http://resultpru13.spr.gov.my/module/keputusan/paparan/paparan_laporan.php|title=KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM 13|work=Sistem Pengurusan Maklumat Pilihan Raya Umum|publisher=Election Commission of Malaysia|language=Malay|accessdate=24 March 2017|archive-date=14 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314141057/http://resultpru13.spr.gov.my/module/keputusan/paparan/paparan_laporan.php|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://www.myundi.com.my/pru13/region.aspx |title=my undi : Kawasan & Calon-Calon PRU13 : Keputusan PRU13 (Archived copy) |website=www.myundi.com.my|accessdate=2014-04-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331000718/http://www.myundi.com.my/pru13/region.aspx |archivedate=31 March 2014 |df=dmy-all }}{{cite web|url=http://ww2.utusan.com.my/utusan/special.asp?pr=PilihanRaya2013&pg=keputusan.htm|title=Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13|work=Utusan Malaysia|accessdate=26 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321134049/http://ww2.utusan.com.my/utusan/special.asp?pr=PilihanRaya2013&pg=keputusan.htm|archive-date=21 March 2018|url-status=dead}}

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1999