Steven Sim Chee Keong (simplified Chinese: 沈志强; traditional Chinese: 沈志強; pinyin: Shěn Zhìqiáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sím Chì-kiông; born 13 May 1982) is a Malaysian politician who is serving as the Minister of Human Resources in the Unity Government administration under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim since December 2023 as well as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Mertajam since May 2013. He served as the Deputy Minister of Finance II in the PH administration under Prime Minister and Minister Anwar from December 2022 to December 2023 and the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports in the PH administration under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and former Minister Syed Saddiq from July 2018 to the collapse of the PH administration in February 2020. He is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the PH coalition. He has also served as the National Organising Secretary of DAP since March 2022 and State Chairman of DAP of Penang since September 2024.[1][2] He is presently one of the youngest Cabinet minister in the Anwar Ibrahim cabinet, at the age of 42, alongside Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, the incumbent Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia.
Steven Sim Chee Keong | |
|---|---|
沈志强 | |
 | |
| Minister of Human Resources | |
| Assumed office 12 December 2023 | |
| Monarchs | Abdullah (2022–2024) Ibrahim Iskandar (since 2024) |
| Prime Minister | Anwar Ibrahim |
| Deputy | Abdul Rahman Mohamad |
| Preceded by | Sivakumar Varatharaju |
| Constituency | Bukit Mertajam |
| Deputy Minister of Finance II | |
| In office 10 December 2022 – 12 December 2023 Serving with Ahmad Maslan (Deputy Minister of Finance I) | |
| Monarch | Abdullah |
| Prime Minister | Anwar Ibrahim |
| Minister | Anwar Ibrahim |
| Preceded by | Yamani Hafez Musa |
| Succeeded by | Lim Hui Ying (Deputy Minister of Finance) |
| Constituency | Bukit Mertajam |
| Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports | |
| In office 2 July 2018 – 24 February 2020 | |
| Monarchs | Muhammad V (2018–2019) Abdullah (2019–2020) |
| Prime Minister | Mahathir Mohamad |
| Minister | Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman |
| Preceded by | Saravanan Murugan |
| Succeeded by | Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal |
| Constituency | Bukit Mertajam |
| National Organising Secretary of the Democratic Action Party | |
| Assumed office 20 March 2022 | |
| Assistant | Ng Suee Lim Khoo Poay Tiong |
| Secretary-General | Anthony Loke Siew Fook |
| National Chairman | Lim Guan Eng |
| Preceded by | Anthony Loke Siew Fook |
| State Chairman of the Democratic Action Party of Penang | |
| Assumed office 22 September 2024 | |
| Deputy | Ramkarpal Singh |
| Secretary-General | Anthony Loke Siew Fook |
| National Chairman | Lim Guan Eng |
| Preceded by | Chow Kon Yeow |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Bukit Mertajam | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Chong Eng (PR–DAP) |
| Majority | 43,063 (2013) 52,877 (2018) 57,685 (2022) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Steven Sim Chee Keong 13 May 1982 Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia |
| Citizenship | Malaysian |
| Political party | Democratic Action Party (DAP) |
| Other political affiliations | Pakatan Rakyat (PR) (2008–2015) Pakatan Harapan (PH) (since 2015) |
| Spouse | Chan Jo Rin |
| Alma mater | University of Malaya (BS) Sunway University (MSD) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Website | stevensim |
Early life and education
editSteven Sim Chee Keong was born in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia on 13 May 1982. His early education started at SK Stowell and Bukit Mertajam High School (HSBM). He graduated from University of Malaya in Computer Science in 2004. He later pursued a Masters in Sustainable Development at the Jeffrey Sachs Centre on Sustainable Development in Sunway University and graduated in 2020.
Early career
editSteven served in a multinational corporation for three years before joining the Penang state government in 2008.[3] He also sits on the governing board of the Penang Institute, a leading public policy think tank based in Penang, Malaysia.
Steven was formerly the executive secretary of the Network of Social Democracy in Asia, a regional dialogue of political parties, scholars and NGOs of the social democratic persuasion.
Political career
editEarly political career
editIn January 2011, Steven was appointed as a member of the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP), one of the largest local governments of Malaysia.
In 2012, he was named as a Young Global Leader of the Geneva-based World Economic Forum.[4] He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Penang Institute, a public policy think-tank based in Penang.
Steven writes regularly for Penang Monthly (formerly Penang Economic Monthly) as well as contributing opinion pieces to prominent Malaysian online news portals such as Malaysiakini and the Malaysian Insider. He has authored 4 books, including "A contemporary socio-political critique of the Malay classic Hikayat Hang Tuah, Hang Tuah: Adiwira Bangsa" in 2021.
Steven was elected into the DAP central executive committee (CEC) in 2022.
Minister of Human Resources (since 2023)
editIn a cabinet reshuffle on 12 December 2023, Steven was promoted to a Cabinet minister and assigned a new portfolio. He was appointed as the Minister of Human Resources to replace V. Sivakumar, who was the only Cabinet minister to be dropped in the reshuffle and whose aides were facing corruption charges.
State Chairman of DAP Penang (since 2024)
editIn the 2024 DAP Penang state party elections, Steven was appointed as the Penang DAP chairman for the 2024 - 2027 term.[5]
Personal life
editSteven is married to Chan Jo Rin.
He speaks English, Malay, Hokkien, and Mandarin.[6]
Bibliography
editBooks
edit- The Audacity to Think: An Invitation to Rethink Politics (2012)
- Being Malaysia (2018)
- An anthology of Malay poems, Dalam Salju Ada Bunga (2018)
- A contemporary socio-political critique of the Malay classic Hikayat Hang Tuah, Hang Tuah: Adiwira Bangsa (2021).
Award
edit- Young Global Leader (2012)[7]
Election results
edit| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | P045 Bukit Mertajam | Steven Sim Chee Keong (DAP) | 55,877 | 80.29% | Gui Guat Lye (MCA) | 12,814 | 18.41% | 69,588 | 43,063 | 88.09% | ||
| 2018 | Steven Sim Chee Keong (DAP) | 63,784 | 85.40% | Gui Guat Lye (MCA) | 10,907 | 14.60% | 75,977 | 52,877 | 85.37% | |||
| 2022 | Steven Sim Chee Keong (DAP) | 71,722 | 77.33% | Steven Koh Tien Yew (PAS) | 14,037 | 15.14% | 93,695 | 57,685 | 77.34% | |||
| Tan Yang Pang (MCA) | 6,986 | 7.53% | ||||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Age no longer a factor, says deputy to youngest minister". Free Malaysian Today. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- ^ "Steven Sim is new Penang DAP chairman". The Star. 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
- ^ Arnold Loh (26 June 2018). "Three Penang MPs lying low until official Cabinet announcement". The Star. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
- ^ "Penang Institute's Steven Sim awarded Young Global Leader by WEF". The Sun Daily. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/09/22/steven-sim-new-penang-dap-chief-ramkarpal-as-deputy/
- ^ http://www.guangming.com.my/node/450761/terms [dead link]
- ^ "Penang Institute's Steven Sim awarded Young Global Leader by WEF". The Sun Daily. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen 2013" (in Malay).[permanent dead link] Results only available from the 2004 election.
- ^ "Malaysia General Election". undiinfo Malaysian Election Data. Malaysiakini. Retrieved 5 May 2014. Results only available from the 2004 election.
- ^ "KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM 13". Sistem Pengurusan Maklumat Pilihan Raya Umum (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 24 March 2017.Results only available for the 2013 election.
- ^ "my undi : Kawasan & Calon-Calon PRU13 : Keputusan PRU13 (Archived copy)". www.myundi.com.my. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13". Utusan Malaysia. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
- ^ "SEMAKAN KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM KE - 14" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 17 May 2018. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
- ^ "The Star Online GE14". The Star. Retrieved 24 May 2018. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
External links
edit- Official website
Media related to Steven Sim Chee Keong at Wikimedia Commons- The Audacity to Think
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