Liew was born on 27 November 1977 at Subang Jaya, Selangor. He had his early education at Kwang Hua Private High School up to 1995 before he pursued his tertiary education at Australian National University (ANU) and graduated with Bachelor of Asian Studies (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2004. He later obtained International Masters in Regional Integration at Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya (UM) in 2006.[1]
Liew previously was the Executive Director of Penang Institute (previously Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute, SERI), 2009-2012 and Executive Director of Research for Social Advancement (REFSA), 2007–2011. He was also Former Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore.[1]
In 2017, Liew pointed out that the overall prices of goods had increased since 2013 general election due to the combined effects of GST implementation, a 30 percent depreciation of the ringgit since October 2014, and successive subsidy cuts. He said Prime Minister Najib Razak and the government should cease blaming the victims of their failed economic policies.[4]
Deputy Defence Minister
Liew was appointed Deputy Defence Minister on 17 July 2018 until 24 February 2020, being the first Malaysian not of Malay descent to hold this office. During his tenure, together with then-Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu, the Ministry of Defence unveiled the inaugural Defence White Paper (DWP), a blueprint on building a national policy on defence and security. The DWP is an open document containing the direction and priorities of defence for a period of 10 years, from 2021 to 2030, spanning the 12th and 13th Malaysia Plans.
Deputy Secretary-General of DAP
On 20 March 2022, on the 17th DAP National Congress, Liew was re-elected into the Central Executive Committee with 1008 votes, the 22nd highest vote.[5] He was then appointed Deputy Secretary-General in the 17th DAP CEC under current Secretary-General, Anthony Loke.[6]
Liew Chin Tong (2020), The Great Reset: 100 Days of Malaysia's Triple Crisis
Liew Chin Tong (2013), Putrajaya Milik Siapa?: Genta Media
Liew Chin Tong (2013), Middle Malaysia: Centre Ground Is Battle Ground: Genta Media
Liew Chin Tong (2009), Speaking for the reformasi generation Kuala Lumpur: Research for Social Advancement (REFSA)
Journals
Liew Chin Tong and Francis Hutchison (2010), “Implementing Pro-Employment Policies at the Sub-national Level” in Ooi Kee Beng and Goh Ban Lee (eds) Pilot Studies for a New Penang, Penang: Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI), pp. 111–128.
Liew Chin Tong (2007), “PAS’ Leadership: New Faces and Old Constraints" in Lorraine C. Salazar and Daljit Singh (eds) Southeast Asian Affairs 2007, Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, pp. 201–213
Liew Chin Tong (2007), “PAS politics: defining an Islamic State” in Edmund Terence Gomez Politics in Malaysia: the Malay dimension Oxon: Routledge, pp. 107–137.
William F. Case and Liew Chin Tong (2006) How Committed Is PAS to Democracy and How Do We Know It? Contemporary Southeast Asia, Volume 28, Number 3, December 2006, pp. 385–406
