Sivakumar Varatharaju Naidu

Summary

V. Sivakumar (born 5 December 1970) is the DAP Member of Parliament for Batu Gajah, Perak, serving continuously since 2013, and previously the MLA for Tronoh (2008–2013). He is historically notable as the first ethnic Indian Speaker of a Malaysian state legislature, a role he held during the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis. He served as Minister of Human Resources from December 2022 to December 2023 before being dropped in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's first cabinet reshuffle.

Biography

Sivakumar s/o Varatharaju Naidu (born 5 December 1970 in Perak) is a Malaysian politician and member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. He has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Batu Gajah, Perak, since May 2013 [1]. He previously served as the Member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Tronoh from March 2008 to May 2013, and as Speaker of the Perak State Legislative Assembly from April 2008 to May 2009 — the first ethnic Indian to hold that position in a Malaysian legislature [1]. He was appointed Minister of Human Resources under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Unity Government in December 2022, serving until December 2023 when he was dropped in the first cabinet reshuffle of the Anwar administration [2]. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics with a specialisation in Public Administration from the University of Malaya (1994) and an Associate Degree in Insurance Agency Administration from the Life Office Management Association, United States (2000) [3]. Wikipedia also notes he holds a Bachelor's in Legal Philosophy and a Master's in Business Administration, though these are not corroborated by a second source. He joined DAP in 1997 and previously served as political secretary to Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran [4]. He has served as DAP Deputy Secretary-General since November 2017 [1]. Sivakumar is married to S. Easwari, a teacher based in Ipoh, and they have three children [1]. He is listed as a current MP for Batu Gajah in the Parliament of Malaysia's official member register [5].

Known for

Sivakumar is widely identified as the first ethnic Indian to serve as Speaker of a Malaysian state legislature, a role he held during the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis when the Perak State Assembly was convened under a rain tree after members were denied access to the assembly building [6]. He served as Minister of Human Resources from December 2022 to December 2023, during which he was the sole ethnic Indian full Cabinet minister in the Anwar Ibrahim administration prior to the 2023 reshuffle [1]. He has held the Batu Gajah parliamentary seat continuously since 2013, winning successive general elections with large majorities [7].

Political positions

Sivakumar has been publicly associated with advocating for the welfare of the Indian community in Malaysia. In October 2019, as Batu Gajah MP, he criticised the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) in Parliament, alleging that the agency under the Prime Minister's Department was channelling funds to NGOs that did not uplift the Indian community's socio-economic status, and questioned the disbursement of grants to unregistered educational institutions [3]. As Minister of Human Resources, he directed the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) to investigate the December 2022 Batang Kali campsite landslide for any work-related violations [7]. His parliamentary record also includes raising questions on prisoner rehabilitation and reintegration into society [3][8]. During the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis as State Assembly Speaker, Sivakumar called for an emergency sitting to table motions affirming the Pakatan Rakyat government's legitimacy and approving dissolution for fresh polls, citing Standing Orders 89 as giving him final interpretive authority [1].

Education

1. 1994Obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Economics with a specialisation in Public Administration from the University of Malaya.⛓
2. 2000Obtained an Associate Degree in Insurance Agency Administration (AIAA) from the Life Office Management Association, United States.⛓

Before politics

1. 1997Joined the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and began serving as political secretary to Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran.⛓

Political career

1. March 2008Won the Tronoh state seat in the 12th General Election (GE12), defeating BN's Lee Kim Choy with a majority of 2,571 votes.⛓
2. April 2008Elected Speaker of the Perak State Legislative Assembly by secret ballot with 31 votes against incumbent Junus Wahid's 28 votes, becoming the first ethnic Indian to hold the position in a Malaysian legislature.⛓
3. 3 March 2009As Speaker, convened an emergency sitting of the Perak State Assembly under a rain tree after members were denied access to the assembly building during the Perak constitutional crisis. The session tabled motions on the legitimacy of the Pakatan Rakyat government and on dissolving the assembly for fresh polls.⛓
4. May 2009Tenure as Speaker of the Perak State Legislative Assembly ended.⛓
5. May 2013Won the parliamentary constituency of Batu Gajah in GE13, succeeding incumbent Fong Po Kuan who did not contest.⛓
6. 12 November 2017Appointed DAP Deputy Secretary-General after the 16th National Congress and CEC election.⛓
7. May 2018Defended the Batu Gajah parliamentary seat in GE14, winning with 52,850 votes (64.9% vote share) and a majority of 43,868.⛓
8. 20 March 2022Reappointed as DAP Deputy Secretary-General after the 17th National Congress, co-opted into the CEC.⛓
9. November 2022Won the Batu Gajah parliamentary seat in GE15 with 60,999 votes (54.5% vote share) and a majority of 53,836, defeating PN's Woo Cheong Yuen and BN's Teoh Chin Chong.⛓
10. 3 December 2022Appointed Minister of Human Resources in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Unity Government cabinet.⛓
11. 12 December 2023Dropped from Cabinet in PM Anwar Ibrahim's first Cabinet reshuffle, the only minister removed. Replaced by Steven Sim Chee Keong as Human Resources Minister.⛓

Election history

• 2022Batu Gajah (P066)Won54.5%⛓
• 2018Batu Gajah (P066)Won64.9%⛓
• 2013Batu Gajah (P066)Won⛓
• 2008Tronoh (State)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• OppositionAccording to FMT, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) welcomed Sivakumar's removal as Human Resources Minister in the December 2023 cabinet reshuffle, with PSM deputy chairman S. Arutchelvan stating they had been unable to work with him unlike previous HR ministers.⛓
• VerifiedFactsFMT reported that Sivakumar's tenure as Minister of Human Resources was marked by a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) probe into the recruitment of foreign workers, which led to the arrest of three of his aides, who were subsequently released. Sivakumar was neither a witness nor a suspect. He sacked five aides after the probe. PM Anwar said at the time there was no need for Sivakumar to go on garden leave.⛓
• GovernmentSinar Harian reported that Sivakumar denied any involvement in allegations raised in Parliament by MP Awang Hashim (PAS-Pendang) concerning the discovery of RM94 million linked to a former DAP Human Resources Minister, stating the allegations were baseless and politically motivated. MACC subsequently clarified that its Chief Commissioner had never made any statement about finding RM94 million at a former minister's residence.⛓

Business interests (publicly reported)

According to Malay Mail and Bernama, Sivakumar served as a Board of Directors member of Yayasan Perak, Ipoh in 2019, and as a Board of Trustee member of the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council, Kuala Lumpur in 2018. These are public-interest or statutory body roles, not private commercial interests. No news-reported private business interests have been identified.