Larry Sng

Sng was born on 14 September 1979 in Taipei to a Sarawakian businessman-politician father Sng Chee Hua and Taiwanese-born mother Susan Sng.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2006/05/09/winning-the-hearts-of-the-ibans|title=Winning the hearts of the Ibans|date=9 May 2006|author= Philip Golingai|publisher=The Star Online|website=www.thestar.com.my|access-date=9 May 2006}} His father is the former one-term Julau MP from 1995 to 1999, two-term Pelagus assemblyman from 1991 to 2001 and a renowned corporate player. Meanwhile, his grandfather, Sng Chin Joo was also a Member of Parliament and Council Negri (now Sarawak State Legislative Assembly) member in 1963 and the Kapitan Cina in Kapit in the mid-80s.{{cite news|url=https://www.newsarawaktribune.com.my/cutting-the-nose-to-spite-the-face/|title=Cutting the nose to spite the face |author=James Alexander Ritchie|date= 22 March 2019|publisher=New Sarawak Tribune|access-date=22 March 2019}} Their family has a good long track record with the Iban community in Sarawak, having resided in Jalan Airport, Kapit for a long time and are non-native fluent speakers of the local native Iban language despite being of ethnic unmixed full-blooded Chinese descent (since he is of paternal Teochew and maternal Hokkien ancestry, for Datin Susan Sng was a Hoklo Taiwanese married to Dato' Sng, who was a local-born Chinese of Teochew ancestry).{{cite news|url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2016/02/10/larry-sng-holds-open-house-on-first-day-of-chinese-new-year/|title=Larry Sng holds open house on first day of Chinese New Year|publisher=Borneo Post|date=10 February 2016|access-date=10 February 2016}}

Sng grew up in Kuala Lumpur and in England and studied at the London School of Economics.

Sng joined the Sarawak Native People's Party (PBDS) in 2001 when he was 22. He first stood on the PBDS ticket in 2001 state election, replacing his father as the Pelagus representative. He had served two terms as Barisan Nasional (BN) state assemblyman of Sarawak for Pelagus from 2001 to 2011.{{cite news |url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/450937 |title=Larry Sng – the 'young man', his father and their Julau bastion |author=Francis Paul Siah|date= 8 November 2018|publisher=Malaysiakini|access-date=8 November 2018}} Under the Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud BN's administration in 2004, he was the Sarawak's youngest assistant minister when appointed the Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Office (Economic Planning) as well as Assistant Minister of Industrial Development (Planning).{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2004/07/04/seven-sarawak-assistant-ministers-sworn-in/|title=Seven Sarawak assistant ministers sworn|work=The Star|access-date=16 July 2019|language=en|archive-date=2021-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195628/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2004/07/04/seven-sarawak-assistant-ministers-sworn-in|url-status=live}}

Sng joined the new Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) in 2004 which was founded by James Jemut Masing and his father the senior Sng in the wake of the de-registration of PBDS and succeeded it as a component of BN. In 2006 state election, he retained his Pelagus seat as a PRS candidate. He had been the PRS deputy secretary general under the presidency of Masing until a leadership tussle between them resulted in the revocation of Sng's party membership for insubordination in 2007.{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2011/02/16/prs-adamant-about-not-wanting-sacked-sng-back |title=PRS adamant about not wanting sacked Sng back|author=Rintos Mail|work=The Star|date=16 February 2011|access-date=16 February 2011}}

In 2009, he was given additional portfolio of Assistant Minister of Youth (Training) albeit being a 'partyless independent' pro-BN status. He was subsequently dropped from contesting and defending the Pelagus state assembly seat under BN's banner in 2011 state election.{{cite news |url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2011/01/21/masing-prs%E2%80%99-rejection-of-sng-nothing-personal/|title=Masing: PRS' rejection of Sng nothing personal|author=Johnson K Saai|publisher=Borneo Post|date=21 January 2016 |access-date=21 January 2016 }} Sng retained his position as the deputy chairman of Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) as well as Sarawak Convention Centre (now Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, BCCK) and was appointed Youth Affairs advisor to the Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's state government in 2012 amid his BN-friendly status.

Sng resigned from all his government appointments in 2013 to assume the position of founding president of the just formed Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) which proclaimed to be BN-friendly too.{{Cite web|title=Larry Sng: Personal vendetta tag is wrong|url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2012/09/02/larry-sng-personal-vendetta-tag-is-wrong/|access-date=2021-03-03|date=2012-09-01|work=Borneo Post Online|language=en-US}} In the 2013 general election (GE13), he contested as SWP candidate in Lubok Antu parliamentary seat but lost. In March 2016, while serving as the SWP party president Sng had initially planned to contest the newly created state constituency of Bukit Goram in upcoming 2016 state election,{{Cite web|title=Larry Sng launches SWP service centre|url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2016/03/01/larry-sng-launches-swp-service-centre/|access-date=2021-03-03|date=2016-02-29|work=Borneo Post Online|language=en-US|archive-date=2016-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305173039/http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/03/01/larry-sng-launches-swp-service-centre/|url-status=live}} but later in April he unexpectedly resigned from the party instead thus renouncing his candidacy.{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/04/20/sarawak-polls-swp-founder-quits-party/|title=Sarawak polls: SWP founder quits party|author= Yu Ji|work=The Star|date=20 April 2016|access-date=12 June 2018}} He explained he has quits although he could have won because he felt he could not truly serve the constituents without being in BN in an emotional post on his Facebook.{{cite news|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/338591 |title=I could have won, says Larry Sng, thanking Taib in painful goodbye|date=20 April 2016|publisher=Malaysiakini |access-date=20 April 2016}}

In the 2018 general election (GE14), Sng had contested as an Independent candidate and elected the MP for the Julau federal constituency by 10,105 of the 18,279 votes cast.{{cite web|url=http://www.federalgazette.agc.gov.my/outputp/pub_20180530_P.U.%20%28B%29%20321.pdf |title=Federal Government Gazette: Results of Contested Election and Statements of the Poll after the Official Addition of Votes – Parliamentary Constituencies for the State of Sarawak|date=28 May 2018|publisher=Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia|access-date=17 February 2019|page=21}} He defeated Joseph Salang Gandum the four-term incumbent and PRS deputy president.{{cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2018/05/367738/sng-creates-upset-beats-joseph-salang-julau|title=Sng creates an upset, beats Joseph Salang in Julau|work=New Straits Times|date=9 May 2018|access-date=17 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509182345/https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2018/05/367738/sng-creates-upset-beats-joseph-salang-julau|archive-date=9 May 2018|url-status=live}} He joined the PKR which is part of new Pakatan Harapan (PH) ruling coalition shortly after his victory in the election.{{cite news |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/12/22/report-larry-sng-claims-was-wooed-by-dr-m-azmin-and-rafizi-to-join-pakatan/1705461|title=Report: Larry Sng claims was wooed by Dr M, Azmin, and Rafizi to join Pakatan|work=Malay Mail|date=22 December 2018|first=Ida|last=Lim|access-date=17 February 2019|archive-date=17 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217070716/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/12/22/report-larry-sng-claims-was-wooed-by-dr-m-azmin-and-rafizi-to-join-pakatan/1705461|url-status=live}} He was picked during the PH's rules as chairman of the Malaysian Pepper Board (MPB) under the federal Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities from May 2018 to April 2020.{{Cite web|title=Larry Sng new chairman of Malaysian Pepper Board|url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2018/08/04/larry-sng-new-chairman-of-malaysian-pepper-board/|access-date=2021-09-17|work=Borneo Post Online|date=4 August 2018 |language=en-US}}{{cite news |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/04/01/julau-mp-says-removed-as-malaysian-pepper-board-chairman/1852495|title=Julau MP says removed as Malaysian Pepper Board chairman|author=Sulok Tawie|date=1 April 2020|publisher=Malay Mail|access-date=1 April 2020}}

Following the collapse of PH in the February 2020 Malaysian political crisis also dubbed as 'Sheraton Move', Sng was then appointed as the Sarawak chief of PKR left vacant by incumbent Baru Bian who had turned to be independent and joined Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).{{cite web|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/how-pkr-won-then-lost-sarawak-the-star-columnist|title=How PKR won, then lost Sarawak: The Star columnist|author=Philip Golingai|work=The Asian Voice|publisher=The Straits Times|date=16 March 2021|access-date=1 October 2021}} He announced on 21 December he was stepping down from the post only to retract it after persuasion including by Anwar Ibrahim later.{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/02/28/larry-sng-quits-as-sarawak-pkr-chief|title=Larry Sng quits as Sarawak PKR chief|author=Zakiah Koya|work=The Star|date=28 February 2021|access-date=28 February 2021}} Somehow in February 2021 he eventually quit PKR to revert to be an independent MP but supports the new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his led Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration.{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/02/28/two-pkr-mps-declare-support-for-pm-in-surprise-move-larry-sng-confirms |title=Two PKR MPs declare support for PM, Larry Sng confirms|author=Zakiyah Koya|date=28 February 2021|work=The Star|access-date=28 February 2021}} Sng explained that he just wanted a stable government and continued backing UMNO's Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the new PN's Prime Minister following the resignation of Muhyiddin as the PN chairman on 16 August.{{cite news |url=https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/38500/i-want-to-be-part-of-a-stable-govt-sng-says-after-pm-resigns|title=I want to be part of a stable govt, Sng says after PM resigns|author=Arjun Mohanakrishnan|date=16 August 2021|work=The Vibes|access-date=28 February 2021}} Sng has been appointed as the new chairman of Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), a GLC to promote the market expansion of Malaysian palm oil and its products with effect from 1 October.{{cite news|url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2021/10/25/ex-pkr-mp-larry-sng-appointed-as-new-mpoc-chairman|title=Ex-PKR MP Larry Sng appointed as new MPOC chairman|author=|date=25 October 2021|work=Borneo Post|access-date=28 October 2021}}

Together with Steven Choong, he announced the formation of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) on 19 November 2021.{{Cite web|last=Friday|first=19 Nov 2021 10:36 AM MYT|title=Ex-PKR duo Steven Choong, Larry Sng in midst of forming new party Parti Bangsa Malaysia {{!}} Malay Mail|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/11/19/ex-pkr-duo-steven-choong-larry-sng-in-midst-of-forming-new-party-parti-bang/2022049|access-date=2021-11-19|website=www.malaymail.com|date=19 November 2021 |language=en}}

Sng was appointed as the chairman of the Malaysian Timber Industry Board on 5 May 2023.{{Cite web |last=Edward |first=Churchill |date=2023-05-05 |title=Larry Sng appointed Malaysian Timber Industry Board chairman |url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2023/05/05/larry-sng-appointed-malaysian-timber-industry-board-chairman/ |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=Borneo Post Online |language=en-US}}

During PKR party elections in 2018, Anwar Ibrahim who has secured the presidency uncontested, hesitated to work with his elected deputy president and preferred on having his own line-up at the national level which led to a bitter contest of two divisive camps: Team Azmin Ali against Team Rafizi Ramli whereby Anwar supported the latter in the party polls. Sarawak PKR was affected too and the division reached its peak when the pro-Team Rafizi Julau PKR division headed by Sng suddenly gained a suspiciously high number of new members from 603 to 13,000 on 26 June. PKR president's support for Julau was obvious when PKR headquarters never took action against the Julau PKR division then.

On 26 May 2022, Zuraida Kamarudin resigned from BERSATU and applied to join PBM. Her membership was approved on 9 June and she was also appointed as the party's president-designate. The decision of the appointment was approved by the party's supreme council.{{Cite web |title=Zuraida appointed PBM's president-designate |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/06/09/zuraida-appointed-pbms-president-designate |access-date= |website=The Star |language=en}} Sng issued a statement on 2 October that he is still the party president and he has not resigned from the position due to the incoming 15th general election.{{Cite web |title=Zuraida appointed PBM's president-designate |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/06/09/zuraida-appointed-pbms-president-designate |access-date= |website=The Star |language=en}}

On 8 October, 2022, Zuraida's faction announced that she was the new party president after a meeting was held by the party's supreme council. However, on 26 October, Sng announced that he is the legitimate party president according to the records of the Registrar of Society.{{Cite web |last=Tawie |first=Sulok |date=2022-10-26 |title=Larry Sng insists he's still PBM president, not Zuraida Kamaruddin |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/10/26/larry-sng-insists-hes-still-pbm-president-not-zuraida-kamaruddin/35742 |access-date= |website=Malay Mail |language=en}}

On 2 November, after a meeting between Sng and Zuraida, PBM released a statement that Sng is recognised as the rightful party president.{{Cite web |last=Tan |first=Ben |date=2022-11-02 |title=PBM info dept says Larry Sng to sign letters for election candidates, other party matters after GE15 |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/11/02/pbm-info-dept-says-larry-sng-to-sign-letters-for-election-candidates-other-party-matters-after-ge15/36995 |access-date= |website=Malay Mail |language=en}}

Sng was 27 years old when he married May Ting (born 1977), who was two years his senior, then aged 29, on 14 October 2006. Ting is a political science and economics graduate from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and holds a master's in commerce from an Australian university.{{cite news|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/rentakini/58220|title=When Larry met May... |author=Tony Thien|date=14 October 2006 |publisher=Malaysiakini|access-date=14 October 2006}} She is the eldest daughter of Sarawak business magnate cum construction tycoon, the late Tan Sri Dato' Paduka Ting Pek Khiing (known for his timber business and the Bakun Dam project) and his second wife, Tan Sri Datin Paduka Chai Yu Lan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2006/10/15/asst-minister-weds-tycoons-daughter/|title=Asst minister weds tycoon's daughter |publisher=The Star Online|website=www.thestar.com.my|access-date=16 July 2019}}

Outside politics, Sng is known for his corporate social responsibility (CSR) and community services. He runs the Larry Sng Education Fund which has given over RM1 million to less fortunate students from Pelagus and Bukit Goram areas in his hometown of Kapit to pursue higher education right after leaving school.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2014/01/25/67-apply-for-larry-sng-education-fund/|title=67 apply for Larry Sng Education Fund|access-date=2021-03-03|date=2014-01-24|work=Borneo Post Online|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-02-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214123129/https://www.theborneopost.com/2014/01/25/67-apply-for-larry-sng-education-fund/|url-status=live}} Sng was once touted as Sarawak's richest MP after he declared his and his wife's assets to be around RM11.78 million to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in November 2018.{{cite news|url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2018/11/24/sarawaks-richest-mp-larry-sng/|title=Sarawak's richest MP: Larry Sng|publisher=Borneo Post|date=24 November 2018|access-date=25 November 2018}}

• {{flag|Malaysia}} :
• 50px Recipient of the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (2024)
• {{Flag|Malacca}} :
• 50px Companion Class II of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DPSM) – Datuk (2022)

• Julau (federal constituency)
• Pelagus (state constituency)
• Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM)

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Category:1979 births

Category:Living people

Category:Malaysian people of Teochew descent

Category:Malaysian people of Hokkien descent

Category:Malaysian people of Taiwanese descent

Category:Politicians from Taipei

Category:Taiwanese emigrants to Malaysia

Category:Malaysian businesspeople

Category:Malaysian philanthropists

Category:Malaysian politicians of Chinese descent

Category:Malaysian political party founders

Category:Leaders of political parties in Malaysia

Category:Independent politicians in Malaysia

Category:Former People's Justice Party (Malaysia) politicians

Category:Parti Rakyat Sarawak politicians

Category:Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak politicians

Category:Members of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly

Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics

Category:21st-century philanthropists

Category:Malaysian MPs 2018–2022