Larry Sng Wei Shien

Summary

Datuk Larry Sng Wei Shien is the Member of Parliament for Julau, Sarawak, and president of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), having held the Julau seat continuously since winning it as an independent candidate in GE14 (2018) and retaining it under the PBM banner in GE15 (2022). A London School of Economics graduate from a multi-generational political family in Kapit, he has traversed multiple parties across his career — PBDS, PRS, SWP, independent, PKR, and PBM — before co-founding PBM in November 2021. Since May 2023 he has also served as chairman of the Malaysian Timber Industry Board, connecting his parliamentary role to the commodities sector that shapes the economy of rural Sarawak.

Biography

Datuk Larry Sng Wei Shien (born 14 September 1979 in Taipei) is a Taiwanese-born Malaysian politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Julau, Sarawak, since May 2018 [1]. He is the president of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), a position he has held since January 2022 [2]. Sng comes from a politically prominent family: his father, Sng Chee Hua, was a one-term Julau MP (1995–1999) and his grandfather, Sng Chin Joo, was an MP and Council Negri member in 1963 [1]. He grew up in Kuala Lumpur and England and studied at the London School of Economics [1]. Sng began his political career in 2001 when he joined the Sarawak Native People's Party (PBDS) and was elected Pelagus state assemblyman, a seat he held for two terms until 2011 under the Barisan Nasional coalition [1]. He later joined PKR after winning Julau in GE14 as an independent, rising to Sarawak PKR state chairman before leaving the party in February 2021 to support the Perikatan Nasional government [3]. Together with Steven Choong, he announced the formation of PBM in November 2021, with the party rebranded from the Sarawak Workers Party [2]. He retained the Julau seat at GE15 in November 2022 with a majority of 1,340 votes, making him PBM's sole MP in Parliament [4]. PBM subsequently joined the Unity Government under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, though the party was not allocated a cabinet position [1]. In May 2023, Sng was appointed chairman of the Malaysian Timber Industry Board [5].

Known for

Sng is known as the founding president of PBM and as the party's sole Member of Parliament following GE15 [6]. He has navigated multiple party affiliations across his career — from PBDS and PRS as a state assemblyman, to independent, SWP founder, PKR state chairman, and ultimately PBM president — making him one of Sarawak's more itinerant political figures [1]. He is also recognised for his community education fund and his fluency in the Iban language despite being of Chinese descent, which has underpinned his electoral appeal in the Julau constituency [1].

Political positions

Sng has consistently positioned himself as aligned with whichever coalition holds federal executive power, justifying this on the grounds of securing development funds for his rural Julau constituency. He co-founded PBM as a multiracial, government-supportive party, stating it supports the prime minister and the ruling coalition [2]. Following GE15, PBM aligned with the Anwar Ibrahim-led Unity Government, though without a cabinet post [1]. On law enforcement, Sng publicly urged Bukit Aman to address rising gang activity in Julau, which he described as a 'Wild Wild West' situation, and subsequently called on the Home Ministry to improve standard operating procedures for criminal laboratory reports [7]. On the timber industry, he has expressed hope that the Malaysian Timber Industry Board will steer the sector toward greater productivity and sustainability [5]. He has also called for consolidation among Sarawak-based political parties, publicly urging a merger between PDP and PRS to strengthen the state's ruling coalition [5].

Education

1. Late 1990sStudied at the London School of Economics (LSE) in England.⛓

Political career

1. 2001Joined the Sarawak Native People's Party (PBDS) and was elected Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for Pelagus, replacing his father as the constituency's representative.⛓
2. 2004Joined the newly formed Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) following the deregistration of PBDS. Under the Taib Mahmud administration, he was appointed the youngest assistant minister in Sarawak, holding the Assistant Minister portfolio in the Chief Minister's Office and for Industrial Development and Economic Planning.⛓
3. 2006Retained the Pelagus state assembly seat in the 2006 Sarawak state election as a PRS candidate.⛓
4. 2007Had his PRS party membership revoked following a leadership dispute with party president James Masing; subsequently held pro-BN independent status in the state assembly.⛓
5. 2009Given additional portfolio of Assistant Minister of Youth (Training) while holding partyless independent pro-BN status.⛓
6. 2011Did not contest the Pelagus state assembly seat in the 2011 Sarawak state election after being dropped from BN's banner; his two-term tenure as Pelagus assemblyman ended.⛓
7. 2013Resigned from government appointments and became founding president of the newly formed Sarawak Workers Party (SWP). Contested the Lubok Antu parliamentary seat in GE13 under SWP but lost.⛓
8. April 2016Resigned from SWP, forgoing plans to contest the newly created Bukit Goram state constituency in the 2016 Sarawak state election.⛓
9. May 2018Contested the Julau parliamentary seat as an independent in GE14, defeating four-term incumbent Joseph Salang Gandum with 10,105 votes out of 18,279 cast, a majority of 1,931 votes.⛓
10. May 2018Joined PKR three days after winning the Julau seat.⛓
11. 2020Appointed Sarawak PKR state chairman following the departure of the previous chairman during the February 2020 political crisis.⛓
12. 28 February 2021Left PKR and was sacked by the party after handing a statutory declaration of support for the Perikatan Nasional government to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, together with Tebrau MP Steven Choong.⛓
13. November 2021Together with Steven Choong, announced the formation of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), rebranded from the Sarawak Workers Party (SWP), with the ROS name-change approval dated 14 October 2021.⛓
14. 8 January 2022Elected president of PBM at the party's special general assembly in Sibu.⛓
15. 19 November 2022Retained the Julau parliamentary seat in GE15 under the PBM banner, winning with a majority of 1,340 votes — the only PBM seat won in GE15.⛓
16. 5 May 2023Appointed chairman of the Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) by the federal government.⛓

Election history

• 2022JulauWon⛓
• 2018JulauWon55.3%⛓
• 2013Lubok AntuLost⛓
• 2006Pelagus (Sarawak State)Won⛓
• 2001Pelagus (Sarawak State)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsSng is confirmed as the sitting MP for Julau (P209) under PBM on the official Parliament of Malaysia members list, as of 30 June 2026.⛓
• GovernmentPBM joined the Unity Government coalition under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim following GE15, though the party was not allocated a cabinet position.⛓
• ExpertPolitical analysts from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and the Council of Professors assessed ahead of GE15 that Sng's repeated party switches had shifted ground sentiment in Julau toward GPS candidate Joseph Salang, describing Sng's track record of changing parties as a liability.⛓
• PublicMalaysiakini reader commentary following Sng's February 2021 exit from PKR was critical, with subscribers questioning whether his repeated party changes served constituency interests or personal political advancement.⛓
• IndustryFollowing his appointment as MTIB chairman, Sng expressed hope that the Malaysian Timber Industry Board would steer the timber industry toward greater productivity and sustainability.⛓

Asset declarations

Wikipedia reported that Sng declared his and his wife's combined assets at approximately RM11.78 million to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in November 2018, following his election as Julau MP. Wikipedia noted he was described at the time as Sarawak's richest MP (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Sng).