Guan Dee Koh Hoi

Yang Berbahagia Datuk
Guan Dee Koh Hoi
PGDK
Senator
In office
16 December 2020 – 26 October 2021
MonarchAbdullah
Prime MinisterMuhyiddin Yassin
(2020–2021)
Ismail Sabri Yaakob
(2021)
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture
In office
16 April 2021 – 16 August 2021
MonarchAbdullah
Prime MinisterMuhyiddin Yassin
MinisterNancy Shukri
Preceded byJeffrey Kitingan
Succeeded byEdmund Santhara Kumar Ramanaidu
Secretary-General of the
Homeland Solidarity Party
In office
14 July 2016 – 26 October 2021
PresidentJeffrey Kitingan
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byEdward Linggu Bukut
Personal details
Born
Guan Dee bin Koh Hoi

(1954-10-04)4 October 1954
Kuala Penyu, Crown Colony of North Borneo
Died26 October 2021(2021-10-26) (aged 67)
Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
CitizenshipMalaysian
Political partyUnited Democratic Sabah People's Power Party (SETIA) (until 2008)
People's Justice Party (PKR)
STAR Sabah branch (2011–2016)
Homeland Solidarity Party (STAR) (2016–2021)
Other political
affiliations		Perikatan Nasional (PN) (2020–2021)
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) (2020–2021)
OccupationPolitician
Guan Dee Koh Hoi on Parliament of Malaysia

Datuk Guan Dee bin Koh Hoi (4 October 1954 – 26 October 2021) was a Malaysian politician[1] who served as the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin from April 2021 to August 2021 and Senator from December 2020 to his death in October 2021. He was a member of and also served as Secretary-General of the Homeland Solidarity Party (STAR), a component party of the ruling PN coalition, from its establishment in July 2016 to his death in October 2021.[2]

Politics

Guan Dee first stood in the 2004 general election for Kuala Penyu state seat in Sabah as a candidate for United Democratic Sabah Peoples Power Party (SETIA). In the 2008 general election he tried for, and contested the Kuala Penyu state seat again under People's Justice Party (PKR). He subsequently contested the Beaufort parliamentary seat in 2013 general election on the Sarawak's State Reform Party (STAR)'s Sabah chapter ticket. He was defeated and also had his deposit forfeited in all the three elections as the opposition candidate.[3]

Guan Dee then joined and became secretary-general of the newly formed Homeland Solidarity Party (STAR), an offshoot of the original the Sarawak's STAR in 2016 but he did not contest any seat in the 2018 general election (GE14) and the 2020 state election. He was however made a recipient of Sabah state 'Datukship' award on 3 October 2020 after his party joined Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.[4] He was also chosen by PN, the new federal ruling coalition led by Muhyiddin Yassin, the STAR party he belong was part of to be a senator on 16 December 2020.[5] Subsequently on 16 April 2021 he was picked to fill the vacant position of Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, given up by STAR's president Jeffrey Kitingan to be the Sabah deputy chief minister following the 2020 state election victory of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS); which was set-up by PN coalition in Saban that also consists of STAR.[2][3]

His appointment, despite the lack of credentials, had even attracted many attentions including former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who has sarcastically commended it in jest.[6][7]

After more than four months of his appointment, Guan Dee was finally dropped on 27 August 2021 from the federal administration under the ruling coalition new functional Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob following Muhyiddin's resignation due to his loss of the government's majority.[8][9]

Death

On the evening of 26 October 2021, at 4.45 pm, Guan Dee died at the age of 67, after being admitted to Hospital Kuala Lumpur due to COVID-19 complications earlier that morning.[10]

Election results

Sabah State Legislative Assembly[11]
Year Constituency Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2004 N26 Kuala Penyu,
P177 Beaufort 		Guan Dee Koh Hoi (SETIA) 308 Johan @ Christopher OT Ghani (IND) 5,157 9,338 2,018 74.38%
Wences Angang @ James (UPKO) 3,139
Saman Ahmad (IND) 633
2008 Guan Dee Koh Hoi (PKR) 889 Teo Kwan Ching @ Teo Mau Sing (UPKO) 4,416 9,784 257 75.83%
Johan @ Christopher OT Ghani (IND) 4,159
Parliament of Malaysia[11][12]
Year Constituency Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2013 P177 Beaufort, Sabah Guan Dee Koh Hoi (STAR) 409 1.61% Azizah Mohd Dun (UMNO) 12,827 50.52% 26,950 673 86.39%
Lajim Ukin (PKR) 12,154 47.87%

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

References

  1. ^ "Guan Dee Koh Hoi". Sinar Project. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Guan Dee takes oath as federal deputy minister". Bernama. The Edge Markets. 16 April 2021. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b Minderjeet Kaur (25 April 2021). "Yes, I lost deposit in 3 elections, says deputy minister". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Hamzah Zainuddin, Ismail Sabri Heads List Of 679 Sabah Award Recipients". Borneo Today. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Senator Mohamad Ali Mohamad appointed as Dewan Negara deputy president". Malay Mail. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  6. ^ K. Parkaran (20 April 2021). "3-time election loser as deputy minister? An insult to voters". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  7. ^ "In jest, Dr Mahathir 'hails' appointment of deputy minister who lost deposits". Free Malaysia Today. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  8. ^ "STAR politician says has no hard feelings after exclusion from Ismail Sabri's govt". Malay Mail. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Ismail Sabri unveils new Cabinet line-up, no DPM". The Star. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Sabah STAR sec-gen Guandee Kohoi passes away". The Star. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia.
  12. ^ "Sistem Pengurusan Maklumat Pilihan Raya Umum" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat". Bahagian Istiadat dan Urusetia Persidangan Antarabangsa. Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia).
  14. ^ "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Sabah Tahun 2020" (PDF), www.sabah.gov.my