Nga Kor Ming

Nga Kor Ming (Chinese: 倪可敏; pinyin: Ní Kě Mǐn; 11 November 1972), also known as David Nga, is a Malaysian politician and is the current Member of Parliament for the seat of Taiping, Perak. He is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition,^[1] and serves as the party's Assistant National Treasurer.^[2]

Education and professional career

Nga Kor Ming received a Bachelor of Laws from Universiti Malaya. Before his appointment to the Perak executive council, he practised as a lawyer in Ayer Tawar and also in Ipoh, Perak.

Political career

He became Member of Parliament for Taiping, Perak after defeating President of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) Datuk M. Kayveas with a majority of 11,298 votes in the General Election on 8 March 2008. He has also been State Assemblyman for Pantai Remis, Perak since the 1999 General Election. In 2008, with the formation of the Perak government by the coalition of DAP, PKR and PAS (known as Pakatan Rakyat), Nga Kor Ming was appointed to the state executive committee, with the portfolios of Education, Local Government, Housing and Public Transport. Perak had previously been ruled continuously by the Barisan Nasional (or its predecessor the Alliance) since the independence of Malaya (later Malaysia) in 1957.

In 2007, he was recognised as one of Ten Outstanding Young Malaysians by the International Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the category of 'Politics and Government'. This award was notable as it rarely goes to opposition politicians.^[3]

Racism Remarks

In 2011, Nga Kor Ming allegedly used the term "metallic black" to possibly describe Zambry, during political rallies in Kamunting. Nga Kor Ming apologised for his racist remarks for calling Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir a "metallic black person". It was believed that he was referring to Dr Zambry's skin colour or Indians when he uttered the phrase in various ceramah as seen in YouTube, which he subsequently denied.^[4]

The apology was accepted by DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, however, it is believed that no disciplinary action was taken although DAP was known as a multi-racial party and its leaders were not known to pass racist remarks against any community or race until the racial slur by Nga Kor Ming.^[5]

Tailorgate

In 2012, Nga Kor Ming sued blogger sekupangdua, whose true identity is Ahmad Sofian Yahya at Ipoh High Court for exemplary damages, aggravated damages and an order of injunction against further publication of defamatory words.^[6]

It has been revealed that his wife's company was previously awarded the contract to make lounge suits for Ipoh City councillors when Pakatan Rakyat was ruling Perak.

DAP Perak stresses that MBI's award of tailoring contract was done by the council's tender board by way of open tender, it is believed that Nga did not interfere in the committee overlooking the open tender process. The subject matter is a contract for 24 lounge suit for MBI councillors at the price of RM650 each and a total price of RM14,400.00.

Nga's wife's company, which submitted a bid for RM650 per suit, ended up being awarded the job sometime in 2008. The open tender involved 4 other tailor companies and Nga's wife's company Ethan and Elton was awarded the contract despite being the most expensive at RM650, the lowest bidder Goodman Tailor having tendered for RM450.^[7]

The DAP disciplinary committee cleared Nga Kor Ming of any power abuse in the awarding of a lounge suit contract to his wife's company.^[8]

Election results

Personal life

Nga Kor Ming comes from an old Ayer Tawar Methodist family and was christened David by the late Rev. Koh Gie Bing. His wife is also from Ayer Tawar; they have three children.

References