Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik (Sept 18, 1943 – April 4, 2026)
The life story of Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik as told to journalist Foong Pek Yee shortly after his retirement from active politics in 2003.
Dr Ling was the fourth generation of the Ling family, with a history dated back to Sitiawan, Perak in then Malaya in 1903A.
A medical doctor by training, he went on to become the longest serving Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) president and the longest serving Transport Minister (1986-2003) in Malaysian history.
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
1903 – Great grandfather Ling Kwong Mi and grandfather Ling TI Kong arrived in Sitiawan, Perak, Malaya . They were among the pioneer batch of 363 Foochows from China recruited to do rice cultivation in Sitiawan. Dr Ling’s great grand uncle Ling Ching Mi and Dr HLE Luering, both missionaries, were tasked by the colonial government to undertake the recruitment drive dubbed “population transplant” to produce rice to feed labourers from China who arrived in droves to work in the tin mines in Kinta Valley, Perak.
1943 -Ling Liong Sik born to parents Ling Tung Jung and Tan Jin Choo on Sept 18, 1943. His father died three months after his birth.
1948 – Started kindergarten classes at Lady Teacher’s School in Taiping.
1949- Enrolled for primary one at King Edward VII School in Taiping.
1958-Enterd Royal Military College in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan.
1961 – Entered University of Malaya in Singapore to do medicine.
1966_ Graduated as a doctor in University of Singapore (University of Malaya in Singapore renamed University of Singapore in Singapore).
1967- Started housemanship in Penang General Hospital.
1967- Met the love of his life -Ong Ee Nah – a nurse in Penang General Hospital.
1968- Married Ong Ee Nah on Jan 22. She later became Toh Puan Ena Ling.
1969- Became proud parents for the first time. Their son, Ling Hee Leong was born on May 12 on the eve of the May 13 racial riots. He had to get a special permit to bring his wife and baby home.
1969 – Set up private clinic in Butterworth.
1971 – Joined Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).
1971- Appointed as a member of the MCA central committee – the party’s highest decision making body.
1972 – Became proud parents for the second time with the birth of their son Ling Hee Keat.
1974 – Contested and won the Mata Kuching parliamentary seat.
1976 Appointed Parliamentary secretary to the Local Government and Federal Territory Ministry.
1976- Became full time politician. Together with family, moved to Kuala Lumpur. Sold his private clinic to his close friend and University mate Dr Sak Cheng Lum.
1978 – Lost his beloved mother to cancer.
1978 – Retained his Mata Kuching parliamentary seat in the general election. His mother’s funeral was held three days before polling day.
1982- Retained his Mata Kuching parliamentary seat.
1983- Appointed deputy information Minister and then deputy finance minister.
1984 – At the height of an MCA crisis and among the 14 MCA central committee members who got sacked in September. Stepped down as deputy finance minister.
1985 – Contested and won the MCA deputy president post.
1986- Appointed transport minister.
1986- Contested and won the Labis parliamentary seat.
1986 – Elevated to become MCA president on Sept 3 following the resignation of party president Tan Koon Swan. The MCA constitution states that the deputy president will be automatically made president in the event of a vacancy.
1987- Secured a ringgit-to-ringgit refund for 500,000 depositors under KSM (Koperasi Serbaguna Malaysia that was started by MCA leaders.
1987- Tan Koon Swan resigned his Gopeng Member of Parliament post and paved the way for a by election. MCA fielded Dr Ting Chew Peh in the by election. Dr Ting, an associate professor with Universiti Malaysia won the seat.
1987- Mass protests by the Chinese community over the government’s directive to have non Chinese educated teachers to hold senior positions in Chinese schools. Several MCA leaders were among some 100 people detained under ISA (Internal Security Act) on Oct 27, code Operations Lallang 1987.
1988- Quit smoking on Dec 31, a habit picked up when he was 12 years old.
1989- Economic recession. Managed to save Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur from being taken over by a bank.
1990 – Retained the Labis parliamentary seat.
1992- Received approval from the Government to expand MCA’s Tunku Abdul Rahman College.
1993- Launched MCA’s Langkawi Project – a project to encourage parents in rural areas to help their children in their studies.
1995- Led MCA to achieve the biggest ever win in the general election, winning 30 parliamentary seats and 70 state seats.
1997- Rallied the Chinese community nationwide to support MCA’s Love Malaysia, Buy Malaysia campaign to help the country weather the Asia financial crisis.
1999- An MCA crisis erupted. A unity plan between the two feuding factions was adopted.
1999- Retained the Labis parliamentary seat.
2001 – Government invited MCA to set up a private university which was named Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)
2001 – Became UTAR council chairman .
2002 – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the ground breaking ceremony for UTAR’s main campus in Kampar, Perak.
2003 – Stepped down as MCA president and Transport Minister in May.
2003 – MCA membership stood at one million against 400,000 when he took over the party helm in 1986.
2004 – Did not defend the Labis parliamentary seat after four terms (1986 – 2004)
2017 – Became UTAR chancellor.
2026- Passed away peacefully in Kuala Lumpur on April 4.
