Vivian Wong Shir Yee

Summary

Vivian Wong Shir Yee (born 27 March 1989) is the DAP Member of Parliament for Sandakan (P186), Sabah, serving since May 2019 after winning a by-election triggered by the death of her father, the late Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt. She has since been re-elected in GE15 (2022) with a majority of 11,031 votes, and holds the position of DAP Assistant National Political Education Director as of March 2025. Her parliamentary focus centres on Sandakan's economic development, youth employment, healthcare access, and East Malaysia's air connectivity.

Biography

Vivian Wong Shir Yee (born 27 March 1989) is a Malaysian politician, financial advisor, teacher, activist and volunteer who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sandakan (P186) since May 2019, representing the Democratic Action Party (DAP) under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. She was born and raised in Sandakan, Sabah, and is the youngest child of the late Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt, who served as Sandakan MP from 2013 and as Sabah State Minister of People's Health and Wellbeing from 2018 until his death in March 2019 [1]. Wong holds a Diploma of Communication and Media from INTI College, Subang Jaya (2010), a Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations from Murdoch University, Western Australia (2013), and a Diploma in Early Childhood Education from Universiti Malaya (2018) [1]. She became an active DAP member alongside her father in 2012 and served as his special assistant when he was a Sabah state minister [1]. Following her father's death from a heart attack on 28 March 2019, she was nominated by PH as the DAP candidate for the Sandakan parliamentary by-election, which she won on 11 May 2019 with a majority of 11,521 votes [2]. She was sworn in as a Member of the House of Representatives on 1 July 2019 [2]. In the 2022 General Election (GE15), she successfully defended the Sandakan seat with a majority of 11,031 votes in a six-cornered contest [3]. She has served as DAP's Assistant National Political Education Director since March 2025 [1].

Known for

Vivian Wong Shir Yee is defined politically by her continuation of the Wong family's hold on the Sandakan parliamentary seat, succeeding her late father Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt following his death in office in 2019 [4]. She has consistently championed the economic revival of Sandakan town, advocating for tourism development, youth employment, and improved public infrastructure including healthcare facilities [5]. In 2025, she contested the Elopura state seat in the Sabah state election as a PH-DAP candidate while retaining her federal MP role, reflecting her dual focus on both federal and state-level Sandakan concerns [6].

Political positions

Wong has publicly prioritised local economic development in Sandakan, focusing on tourism expansion, job creation for youth, and town centre revitalisation. She has cited the Sandakan Airport runway expansion as a key infrastructure priority to increase tourist arrivals and reduce youth unemployment, noting her own experience of having to leave Sandakan for work after completing her degree [4]. In Parliament, she has raised questions on healthcare infrastructure, including advocating for the expansion of COVID-19 molecular testing capacity at Sandakan Hospital [7]. She has also tabled oral questions to the Minister of Transport regarding airfare pricing to Sabah during festive seasons and the disclosure of airline subsidy amounts — reflecting concerns over the affordability of air connectivity to East Malaysia [8]. In the 2025 Sabah state election campaign, she emphasised the revitalisation of Sandakan's town area and the importance of a cooperative relationship between the state and federal governments on revenue-sharing entitlements [9].

Education

1. 2010Graduated from INTI College, Subang Jaya with a Diploma of Communication and Media.⛓
2. 2013Graduated from Murdoch University, Western Australia with a Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations.⛓
3. 2018Graduated from Universiti Malaya with a Diploma in Early Childhood Education.⛓

Before politics

1. 2012Became an active member of DAP alongside her father, Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt.⛓
2. 2018–2019Served as special assistant to her father, Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt, during his tenure as Sabah State Minister of People's Health and Wellbeing.⛓

Political career

1. 25 April 2019Named as the DAP candidate for the Sandakan parliamentary by-election, announced by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.⛓
2. 11 May 2019Won the Sandakan parliamentary by-election with a majority of 11,521 votes, defeating PBS candidate Datuk Linda Tsen Thau Lin and three independent candidates.⛓
3. 1 July 2019Sworn in as a Member of the House of Representatives before the Speaker of the House of Representatives.⛓
4. 19 November 2022Re-elected as Sandakan MP in GE15 with a majority of 11,031 votes in a six-cornered contest, defeating candidates from WARISAN, GRS, and independent candidates.⛓
5. March 2025Appointed as DAP's Assistant National Political Education Director.⛓
6. 29 November 2025Contested the Elopura state seat (N55) in the 17th Sabah State Election as a PH-DAP candidate, in a seven-cornered fight.⛓

Election history

• 2022Sandakan (P186)Won30%⛓
• 2019Sandakan (P186) — By-ElectionWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsVivian Wong Shir Yee is officially listed as YB Puan Vivian Wong Shir Yee, MP for P186 Sandakan under the Pakatan Harapan coalition in the current Parliament of Malaysia.⛓
• GovernmentIn August 2020, the Minister of Health confirmed in a written parliamentary reply to Wong's question that Sandakan Hospital had been identified for expansion of COVID-19 molecular testing capacity via procurement of a new GeneXpert machine.⛓
• IndustryThe Edge Malaysia reported that DAP's bet on Vivian Wong in the 2025 Sabah state election for Elopura was grounded in her service record and the enduring local respect associated with the Wong family's decade-long connection to the Sandakan seat.⛓
• PublicA local Sandakan trader quoted by Bernama acknowledged that Sandakan experienced a sharp economic decline after COVID-19, with sales dropping by about 70 per cent, providing context for the town revival agenda championed by Wong ahead of the 2025 Sabah polls.⛓