Michael Chen Wing Sum

{{Short description|Malaysian politician (1932–2024)|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun

| name = Michael Chen Wing Sum

| native_name = {{nobold|曾永森}}

| native_name_lang = zh-my

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|size=100|country=MYS|SSM|PSM|DPMS|PPM}}

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Michael Chen Wing Sum

| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|6|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Chenderiang, Perak, Federated Malay States, British Malaya

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|7|26|1932|6|26|df=y}}

| death_place =

| residence =

| office1 = Ministerial roles

| subterm1 = 1964–1969

| suboffice1 = Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister

| subterm2 = 1972–1974

| suboffice2 = Minister with Special Functions

| subterm3 = 1974–1976

| suboffice3 = Minister of Housing and New Villages

| subterm4 = 1976–1978

| suboffice4 = Minister of Housing and Villages Development

| subterm5 = 1978–1979

| suboffice5 = Minister of Housing and Local Government

| office8 = Faction represented in Dewan Rakyat

| subterm8 = 1964–1969

| suboffice8 = Alliance Party

| subterm9 = 1972–1974

| suboffice9 = Alliance Party

| subterm10 = 1974–1982

| suboffice10 = Barisan Nasional

| citizenship = Malaysian

| party = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Malaysian Chinese Association.svg}} Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) (1960–1979, 1988–2024)
{{flagicon image|Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia_Flag.svg}} Gerakan (1981–1988)

| otherparty = Barisan Nasional

| occupation = Politician

| relations =

| spouse = Helen Chen

| children = 4

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Michael Chen Wing Sum ({{lang-zh|c=曾永森|p=Zēng Yǒngsēn|s=|t=}}; 26 June 1932 – 26 July 2024) was a Malaysian politician.{{cite web|url=http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/web/guest/tan-sri-dato-michael-cheng-wing-sum|title=Tan Sri Dato' Michael Chen Wing Sum|publisher=National Archives of Malaysia|accessdate=2 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524165703/http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/web/guest/tan-sri-dato-michael-cheng-wing-sum |archive-date=24 May 2019}}

Across his political career, he had served as Housing, Local Government and New Village Minister as well as the Senate President.

Life and career

Michael Chen joined the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) in 1960. He was elected MP for the Damansara constituency in Selangor in the 1964 general elections. He was subsequently appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein in Tunku Abdul Rahman's third cabinet. However, Chen failed to retain his seat in the 1969 general elections. In 1972, Chen was elected MP of Ulu Selangor after the death of the incumbent MP Khaw Kai Boh. Chen was appointed Minister with Special Functions in Abdul Razak's first cabinet.

In 1977, Chen objected to an attempt to replace the Deputy President of MCA Lee Siok Yew with Chong Hon Nyan, and managed to defeat Chong for the position. He moved to challenge Lee San Choon for the MCA presidency itself in 1979, but was defeated. He did not challenge for the MCA presidency in 1981 as some who might have supported him had been expelled from the party; later he led a group of his supporters out of MCA to join the Gerakan.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EV88Tf0yWqoC&pg=PA9 |title=Malaysia's 1982 General Election |author=Harold A. Crouch |pages=9–12|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |year= 1982|isbn=978-9971902452 }}

He contested the 1982 election under the Gerakan's banner and won Beruas seat. He was a member of the parliament until 1986. From 1997 until 2003, he served in the Dewan Negara.{{cite web |url=https://westlakeschool.edu.my/about-us/tun-michael-chen-wing-sum/ |title=Tun Michael Chen Wing Sum, Chairman }} He was deputy president from 1997 to 2000, and president from 2000 to 2003.

Michael Chen was married to Toh Puan Helen Chen. He died on 26 July 2024, at the age of 92.{{cite web|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/07/26/mca-stalwart-michael-chen-dies-at-92/145080|title=MCA stalwart Michael Chen dies at 92|website=www.malaymail.com}}[https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/26/prominent-mca-veteran-tun-michael-chen-passes-away-at-92 Prominent MCA veteran Tun Michael Chen passes away at 92]

Election results

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

|+ Parliament of Malaysia

!|Year

!|Constituency

!colspan=2|Candidate

!|Votes

!|Pct

!colspan=2|Opponent(s)

!|Votes

!|Pct

!|Ballots cast

!|Majority

!|Turnout

rowspan=2|1964

| rowspan=3|P073 Damansara

| rowspan=2 {{party shading/Alliance Party (Malaysia)}} |

| rowspan=2|{{nowrap|Michael Chen Wing Sum}} (MCA)

| rowspan=2 align=right|9,148

| rowspan=2|43.68%

|bgcolor={{party color|Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front}} |

|Tan Kai Hee (SF)

| align=right|8,602

|41.08%

| rowspan=2|21,797

| rowspan=2|546

| rowspan=2|72.52%

bgcolor={{party color|People's Action Party}} |

|Lam Khuan Kit (PAP)

| align=right|3,191

|15.24%

1969

| {{party shading/Alliance Party (Malaysia)}} |

| Michael Chen Wing Sum (MCA)

| align=right|12,089

|43.71%

|{{party shading/DAP}} |

|{{nowrap|Hor Cheok Foon}} (DAP)

| align=right|15,567

|56.29%

|28,658

|3,478

|69.34%

1972

|P078 Ulu Selangor

| {{party shading/Alliance Party (Malaysia)}} |

| Michael Chen Wing Sum (MCA)

| align=right|11,052

|67.02%

|{{party shading/DAP}} |

|Lau Dak Kee (DAP)

| align=right|5,439

|32.98%

|16,779

|5,613

|74.00%

1974

|rowspan=3|P075 Ulu Selangor

|{{party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |

| Michael Chen Wing Sum (MCA)

| align=right|15,323

|75.14%

|{{party shading/DAP}} |

|G. Davidson (DAP)

| align=right|5,070

|24.86%

|10,253

rowspan=2|1978

| rowspan=2 {{party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |

| rowspan=2|Michael Chen Wing Sum (MCA)

| rowspan=2 align=right|17,670

| rowspan=2|70.27%

|{{party shading/DAP}} |

|Leong Ching Hoe (DAP)

| align=right|4,868

|19.36%

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|12,802

| rowspan=2|

{{party shading/PAS}} |

|Yusof Ahmad (PAS)

| align=right|2,607

|10.37%

rowspan=2|1982

|rowspan=2|P056 Bruas

|rowspan=2 {{party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |

|rowspan=2|{{nowrap|Michael Chen Wing Sum}} (Gerakan)

|rowspan=2 align=right|14,922

|rowspan=2|63.08%

|{{party shading/DAP}} |

|Quek Kow Sia (DAP)

| align=right|7,490

|31.66%

|rowspan=2|24,196

|rowspan=2|7,432

|rowspan=2|77.08%

{{party shading/PAS}} |

|Yusoff Kassim (PAS)

| align=right|1,244

| align=right|5.26%

Honours

=Honours of Malaysia=

{{flag|Malaysia}} :
50px Recipient of the Malaysian Commemorative Medal (Silver) (PPM) (1965)
50px Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (2002){{cite web

|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/semakanlantikanskp/|title=Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat}}

50px Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM) – Tun (2017){{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/09/09/chief-justice-heads-honours-list-a-total-of-1518-conferred-awards-in-conjunction-with-kings-official/|title=Chief Justice heads honours list|work=The Star Online|date=9 September 2017|accessdate=2 October 2018}}
{{Flag|Selangor}} :
50px Knight Commander of the Order of the Crown of Selangor (DPMS) – Dato' (1977){{cite web|title=DPMS 1977|url= https://awards.selangor.gov.my/sublinkyear.php?cat=35&subcat=D.P.M.S.|website=awards.selangor.gov.my|accessdate=15 February 2022}}