Violet Yong

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Yang Berhormat Puan

| name = Violet Yong Wui Wui

| honorific-suffix = MLA

| native_name = {{nobold|杨薇讳}}

| native_name_lang = zh-my

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption = Violet Yong, DAP politician from Malaysia

| assembly = Sarawak State Legislative

| office1 = Faction represented in Sarawak State Legislative Assembly

| subterm1 = 2006–2018

| suboffice1 = Democratic Action Party

| subterm2 = 2018–

| suboffice2 = Pakatan Harapan

| citizenship = Malaysian

| party = Democratic Action Party (DAP)

| otherparty = Pakatan Rakyat (PR)
Pakatan Harapan (PH)

| occupation = Politician, Lawyer

| alma_mater = University of Melbourne, Australia

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|4|04|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| residence =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| relations =

| spouse =

| children =

| website = {{URL|http://violetyong.blogspot.com/}}
{{URL|https://www.facebook.com/violet.yong.1}}

| footnotes =

}}

Violet Yong Wui Wui ({{zh|s=杨薇讳|t=楊薇諱|p=Yáng Wēihuì}}) is a Malaysian lawyer and politician from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) opposition coalition. She has served as Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Pending since May 2006. She is also one of the only two Sarawak PH and DAP MLAs along with Chong Chieng Jen.{{cite web|url=http://www.ictu.tmp.sarawak.gov.my/seg.php?recordID=M0055&contentID=SM0112 |title=Sarawak Government Official Portal |website=Ictu.tmp.sarawak.gov.my |access-date=2016-06-04}}{{cite web|url=http://dunsarawak.blogspot.my/2009/03/kawasan-pilihanraya-n_4294.html |title=Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak |website=Dunsarawak.blogspot.my |date=2004-02-26 |access-date=2016-06-04}}

Education

Yong is a holder of Bachelor of Laws from University of Melbourne, Australia.{{cite web|url=http://library.perdana.org.my/Digital_Content/Serials/EDGE/2006-JAN/Eastern%20promise%20%5B41%5D.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=May 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531231450/http://library.perdana.org.my/Digital_Content/Serials/EDGE/2006-JAN/Eastern%20promise%20%5B41%5D.pdf |archive-date=May 31, 2016 }}

Legal career

Yong is a practicing lawyer at Messrs Chong Brothers Advocates, Kuching.{{cite web|url=http://sarawak-advocates.org.my/index.php/rolls-a-directories/legal-firms/86-chong-brothers-advocates |title=Chong Brothers Advocates. (Kuching) |website=Sarawak-advocates.org.my |date=2016-04-06 |access-date=2016-06-04}}

Political career

Yong's initiation to politics began as a child. As a first-hand witness to politics, she tagged along with her parents, active DAP members, to party activities and while they helped with canvassing during state elections.

Yong joined the Democratic Action Party at the age of 29 after graduating from Melbourne. In early 2005, some party leaders in the state lobbied for her to be a candidate.{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2011/01/31/woman-of-substance/ |title=Woman of substance - Community | The Star Online |website=Thestar.com.my |date=2011-01-31 |access-date=2016-06-04}}

Her big win came in the 2006 Sarawak state election when she won the seat of Pending (state constituency), which was considered to be an SUPP-BN stronghold since 1991. From then on, she has continued to gain substantial majority in the ensuing state elections for her constituency.

Within her political party, she also heads the Women's Affairs department.

Yong is sometimes associated with the moniker "Cili Padi" or Bird's eye chilli in English due to her pluckiness at voicing out problems and issues affecting the people.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fVxc6NCumA |title=DAP Ceramah by YB Violet Yong a.k.a. Cili Padi part 1 |publisher=YouTube |date=2013-05-02 |access-date=2016-06-04}}

=Sarawak State Election, 2006=

Yong pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the 2006 Sarawak state election when she defeated SUPP secretary general Datuk Sim Kheng Hui with a majority of 4,372 votes.{{cite web|url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/09/21/dr-sim-weve-three-names-for-pending/ |title=Dr Sim: We've three names for Pending – BorneoPost Online | Borneo, Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News | Largest English Daily In Borneo |website=Theborneopost.com |date=2015-09-21 |access-date=2016-06-04}}{{cite web|url=http://www.themalaymailonline.com/print/malaysia/former-classmates-to-lock-horns-in-pending |title=Former classmates to lock horns in Pending | Malaysia |publisher=Malay Mail Online |date=2016-05-04 |access-date=2016-06-04}} Before he was defeated in 2006, Datuk Sim had been assemblyman of Pending (state constituency) since 1991.

=Sarawak State Election, 2011=

In the 2011 Sarawak state election, Yong received 14,375 votes and won with a majority of 7,595 votes. She defeated Dr. Sim Kui Hian from SUPP under Barisan Nasional who received 6,780 votes.{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2011/03/07/dr-sim-to-resign-from-health-dept-soon/ |title=Dr Sim to resign from Health Dept soon - Community | The Star Online |website=Thestar.com.my |date=2011-03-07 |access-date=2016-06-04}}

=Sarawak State Election, 2016=

In the 2016 Sarawak state election, Violet Yong won the seat of N10 Pending (state constituency) for a third term against incoming SUPP candidate Milton Foo Tiang Wee.{{cite news|url=http://www.newsarawaktribune.com/news/56084/3-corner-fight-in-Padungan-and-Batu-Lintang-straight-fight-in-Pending/ |title=3-corner fight in Padungan and Batu Lintang, straight fight in Pending |newspaper=New Sarawak Tribune |access-date=2016-06-04}}

=Sarawak State Election, 2021=

In the 2021 Sarawak state election, Violet Yong again won the seat of Pending for the fourth consecutive term against Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate. However, her party and coalition, DAP and PH suffered its worst defeat and performed most poorly in the electoral history, winning only two state seats, another being Padungan by Chong Chieng Jen of DAP. The two other PH component parties, People's Justice Party (PKR) and National Trust Party (AMANAH) were defeated in all seats they had contested.

Election results

class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%" \|+ Sarawak State Legislative Assembly !\|Year !\|Constituency !colspan=2\|Candidate !\|Votes !\|Pct !colspan=2\|Opponent(s) !\|Votes !\|Pct !\|Ballots casts !\|Majority !\|Turnout
2006 \|rowspan="4"\|Pending \|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} \| \|{{nowrap\|Violet Yong Wui Wui}} (DAP) \| style="text-align:right;"\|11,632 \|61.57% \|rowspan=1 {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} \| \|Sim Kheng Hui (SUPP) \| style="text-align:right;"\|7,260	38.43%	18,892	4,372	19,203
2011 \|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} \| \|{{nowrap\|Violet Yong Wui Wui}} (DAP) \| style="text-align:right;"\|14,375 \|67.95% \|rowspan=1 {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} \| \|Sim Kui Hian (SUPP) \| style="text-align:right;"\|6,780	32.05%	21,155	7,595	21,310
2016 \|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} \| \|{{nowrap\|Violet Yong Wui Wui}} (DAP) \| style="text-align:right;"\|12,454 \|62.60% \|rowspan=1 {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} \|	Milton Foo Tiang Wee (SUPP) \| style="text-align:right;"\|7,442	37.40%	19,896	5,012	20,038
2021 \|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} \| \|{{nowrap\|Violet Yong Wui Wui}} (DAP) \| style="text-align:right;"\|5,188 \|40.29% \|{{party shading/Gabungan Parti Sarawak}};" \|	Milton Foo Tiang Wee (SUPP) \| style="text-align:right;"\|4,648	36.10	12,876	540	29,747