Wong Ho Leng facts for kids

Wong Ho Leng (simplified Chinese: 黄和联; traditional Chinese: 黃和聯; pinyin: Huáng Hélián) was a Malaysian politician. He was born on December 21, 1959, and passed away on June 21, 2014. He served as the leader of the opposition in the Sarawak State Assembly from May 2006 to June 2013. He was also the state chairman for the Democratic Action Party (DAP) from 2001 until June 2013. Wong Ho Leng was a Member of the State Legislative Assembly of Sarawak for the area called Bukit Assek until his death.

His Journey in Politics

Wong Ho Leng joined the Democratic Action Party (DAP) on April 19, 1986. He became well-known in Sarawak politics during the 1996 Sarawak state election. In that election, he won against a very important politician, Tan Sri Dr. Wong Soon Kai, in the Bukit Assek area. He won by a small number of votes, only 226 more than his opponent.

Later, in the 2001 Sarawak state election, he lost his seat to Daniel Ngieng. But he worked hard and won the same area back in the 2006 Sarawak state election.

Wong Ho Leng also tried to become a Member of Parliament for the Lanang area in 1999 but did not win. On May 16, 2010, he was elected to the Malaysian Parliament in a special election called the 2010 Sibu by-election. This was a big win for the DAP because they took the seat from another political group, Barisan Nasional. Before this, he had tried to win the Sibu parliamentary seat in 1995, 2004, and 2008, but he was defeated each time by Robert Lau Hoi Chew.

In the 2011 Sarawak state election, he successfully kept his seat in Bukit Assek. He won with a very large number of votes, 8,827 more than his closest opponent. This victory was important because it went against a common idea that political seats would switch back and forth.

A Tough Moment: Suspension

In May 2009, Wong Ho Leng was temporarily stopped from attending the state assembly for one year. This happened because of a comment he made about another politician. The speaker of the assembly said that Wong's remark was against the rules. Most of the other politicians voted to suspend him.

His Health Battle

On January 12, 2013, Wong Ho Leng shared that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. This tumor was affecting his speech and making it hard for him to swallow. He received treatment, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in Singapore.

Because of his health, he announced on February 23 that he would not try to win the Sibu parliamentary seat again in the 2013 general elections. He went into a coma on May 2, 2014, and sadly, he never woke up. The Sarawak government even approved money to help pay for his medical costs.

His Passing

Wong Ho Leng passed away on June 21, 2014, at the Rejang Medical Centre in Sibu. He had been battling brain cancer for about a year and a half. His funeral service was held at the Hwai Ang Methodist church, and he was buried at the Methodist Cemetery in Sibu.