Alice Lau Kiong Yieng (Deputy Speaker)

Summary

Alice Lau Kiong Yieng (born 1981) is a DAP pharmacist-politician who has represented the Lanang constituency in Sarawak since 2013, becoming the first female opposition MP elected from that state. She has held the seat through three successive general elections and has served as one of two Deputy Speakers of the Dewan Rakyat since December 2022. Her parliamentary record includes advocacy on healthcare access, occupational safety, and Sarawak's constitutional standing within Malaysia.

Biography

Alice Lau Kiong Yieng (born 30 July 1981) is a Malaysian politician and pharmacist representing the Democratic Action Party (DAP) [1]. She has served as Member of Parliament for Lanang, Sarawak, since May 2013 and as Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat II under Speaker Johari Abdul since December 2022 [1]. She holds a Master of Pharmacy from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow [2]. A native of Sibu, Lau first entered electoral politics when she contested the Bawang Assan seat in the 2011 Sarawak State Assembly election but was defeated by incumbent Wong Soon Koh [1]. In the 2013 general election she won the Lanang parliamentary seat, defeating five-term incumbent Tiong Thai King with a majority of 8,630 votes, becoming the first female opposition MP elected from Sarawak [1]. She retained Lanang in GE14 (2018) with an increased majority of 14,546 votes and in GE15 (2022) with a majority of 11,544 votes polling 30,120 votes [3]. She was appointed Chairperson of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in October 2019, a tenure cut short in March 2020 following the Sheraton Move political crisis [1]. On 19 December 2022, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim nominated her as one of two Deputy Speakers of the Dewan Rakyat; she received 146 votes in the House [2]. Her father, Lau Cheng Kiong, was the chairman of the Pelawan branch of the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), a Barisan Nasional component party [1].

Known for

Alice Lau is recognised as the first female opposition MP elected from Sarawak, having won Lanang in 2013 [1]. She has held the Lanang seat through three consecutive general elections and became Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat in December 2022 [2]. Her professional background as a pharmacist has shaped her parliamentary advocacy on healthcare and occupational safety issues.

Political positions

Lau has raised questions in parliament on federal-Sarawak constitutional relations, including the permissibility of Sarawak's secession under the Federal Constitution and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement [1]. On public health, she has urged the government to release data on false-negative COVID-19 rapid test results and called for the absorption of contract healthcare workers — including doctors, pharmacists, dentists, and nurses — into permanent government service [4]. She has also highlighted the shortage of medical specialists in Sibu, particularly in oncology and cardiology [4]. As Deputy Speaker, she has underscored women's participation in leadership and national policymaking [5].

Education

1. Pre-2011Obtained a Master of Pharmacy from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.⛓

Before politics

1. Pre-2011Worked as a pharmacist by profession prior to entering full-time politics.⛓

Political career

1. April 2011Contested the Bawang Assan seat in the 2011 Sarawak State Assembly election under DAP; defeated by six-term incumbent Wong Soon Koh by a majority of 1,808 votes.⛓
2. May 2013Won the Lanang parliamentary seat in GE13, defeating five-term incumbent Tiong Thai King with a majority of 8,630 votes (19.2%), becoming the first female opposition MP elected from Sarawak.⛓
3. August 2018Appointed Deputy Chairman of the Pakatan Harapan Parliamentary Backbenchers Council (BBC), with Johari Abdul as Chairman.⛓
4. May 2018Retained the Lanang seat in GE14 with an increased majority of 14,546 votes, polling 29,905 votes against candidates from SUPP and the PEACE party.⛓
5. October 2019Appointed Chairperson of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, succeeding Lee Lam Thye.⛓
6. March 2020NIOSH chairpersonship terminated following the 2020 Malaysian political crisis, which resulted in the Pakatan Harapan coalition losing power.⛓
7. November 2022Retained the Lanang seat in GE15, polling 30,120 votes (34.5% vote share) with a majority of 11,544 votes.⛓
8. 19 December 2022Elected as Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat II for the 15th Malaysian Parliament, nominated by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; received 146 votes in the House.⛓

Election history

• 2022LanangWon34.5%⛓
• 2018LanangWon48.3%⛓
• 2013LanangWon⛓
• 2011Bawang Assan (Sarawak State Assembly)Lost⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsAlice Lau won the Lanang seat in GE13 (2013), GE14 (2018), and GE15 (2022), and has served as Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat since 19 December 2022. She is listed as the sitting MP for Lanang (P211) under the Pakatan Harapan coalition on the Parliament of Malaysia's official members list.⛓
• OppositionAccording to Wikipedia, the Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP) accused Alice Lau of betraying the interests of Sarawakians following her July 2019 parliamentary question on the legality of Sarawak's secession from Malaysia.⛓
• GovernmentBerita Harian reported that Alice Lau's appointment as Deputy Speaker was seen as recognition by the Unity Government (Kerajaan Perpaduan) of women's capabilities in administration.⛓