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Tributes pour in for honourable Chua Jui Meng
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3, 2023: Although he was “politically backstabbed” by his PKR boss Anwar Ibrahim and fellow (then) Pakatan Rakyat comrade, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang in the 2013 General Election (GE13), Chua Jui Meng never reacted negatively nor did he utter a word to show his dismay. (For details, read this: https://victorlim2016.blogspot.com/2023/12/jui-meng-former-political-heavyweight.html
He gentlemanly retired from politics and devoted his time to preaching the Christian faith until he breathed his last today.
Chua was the founder and chairman of the Revival Fire Movement Church.
No News Is Bad News is paying tribute to him and will update as many condolences reported by the media. May he Rest In Peace (R.I.P):
Health officials and politicians pay tribute to Chua Jui Meng
Dr Christopher Lee thanks the ex-health minister for raising the HIV treatment budget during his tenure, while MPs describe the ex-Bakri MP as an honourable gentleman.
FMT Reporters - 03 Dec 2023, 8:29pm
Dr Christopher Lee praised Chua Jui Meng for raising the budget for HIV treatment, while Wong Chen described Chua as an honourable man.
PETALING JAYA: Tributes have poured in for the late Chua Jui Meng, Malaysia’s longest-serving health minister, who died earlier today at the age of 80.
Former health deputy director-general Dr Christopher Lee recounted that his first meeting with Chua was to brief the then health minister about the latest HIV drugs at the time, the protease inhibitors.
Lee said Chua was attentive throughout the briefing and went on to help ramp up the government’s budget to treat HIV patients.
“He listened and actually took notes. He raised the HIV treatment budget then to get more patients onto therapy. For that, I am grateful. Rest in peace, sir,” he said in a tweet on X.
Subang MP Wong Chen said he often discussed policies and reforms with Chua in the past, and frequently bumped into the former five-term Bakri MP even after he had quit politics.
“He was a good and honourable man and will be missed. May his soul rest in peace,” the PKR man said in a Facebook post.
MCA president Wee Ka Siong said Chua was a hands-on minister who was actively involved in all cases referred to him.
“In 2002, before I became an MP, my daughter Joan was admitted to Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru for an emergency surgery due to duodenal ulcer.
“Chua understood very well the feelings my wife and I had as parents and updated us regularly on my daughter’s condition. My family and I are forever grateful for his kind gesture,” said Wee.
Health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa offered her condolences to Chua’s family over his passing, paying tribute to him for the nine years that he helmed the health ministry. She also pointed out that he had led PKR’s Johor chapter from 2010 to 2013.
Youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh also took to Facebook to honour the former MCA vice-president, describing him as “a fine gentleman, devoted to God and his family”.
Meanwhile, MCA deputy president Dr Mah Hang Soon said Chua was a close comrade and had contributed a lot to the Barisan Nasional component party and the nation.
“My condolences to his family in this difficult time,” he said on Facebook.
Segamat MP R Yuneswaran said Chua, who left MCA in 2009 to join PKR, played a pivotal role in getting him into politics. He recalled how he served as Chua’s working secretary in 2012 when he was leading Johor PKR.
“He has contributed so much to the health ministry and national politics. I managed to have lunch just a few weeks ago on Oct 28. Rest in peace, Datuk!” he said in a Facebook post.
Chua was the health minister for nine years, from 1995 to 2004 and was known to have vast influence in Johor. He had been in MCA for 35 years before he joined PKR.
He last contested in the 2013 general election, failing by 1,217 votes to unseat Dr S Subramaniam, the then MIC president, in the Segamat parliamentary seat.
UPDATE 1
MALAYSIA
[UPDATED] Chua Jui Meng, longest-serving health minister, dies
Former 5-term Bakri MP passes due to cardiac problems at 4.15pm.
Updated 1 hour ago · Published on 03 Dec 2023 7:09PM
Malaysia’s longest-serving health minister, Datuk Chua Jui Meng, has died aged 80. – Facebook pic, December 3, 2023.
DATUK Chua Jui Meng, Malaysia’s longest-serving health minister and a former five-term MP, died today aged 80 at Serdang Hospital, media reports said.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa posted her condolences on social media about his death, which reportedly occurred due to cardiac problems at 4.15pm today.
“Got sad news a while ago. Datuk @chuajuimeng, the former minister of health Malaysia, has left us,” she said on X.
“My condolences to all the family members of the deceased. May you persevere in this test.”
Chua held the position of health minister from 1995 to 2004.
He is also well-known for his tenure as MCA vice-president. He joined the party in 1976 and served it for over three decades.
He quit MCA to join PKR, where he became its Johor chief, in 2009.
He lost in the general election in 2013 when he ran against MIC’s Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam for the Segamat parliamentary seat.
His legacy remains in Malaysia and among the Johor people, especially as he had served as Bakri MP from 1986 to 2008.
Among those paying Chua tribute was veteran medical practitioner Datuk Dr Christopher Lee Kwok Choong, who has retired from the Health Ministry and is a member of the Selangor Public Health Advisory Council.
On his X account @chriskc_Lee, Lee recalled his first encounter with Chua.
He said he had to brief Chua about protease inhibitors, which were the new HIV drugs then.
“He listened and actually took notes. He (increased) the HIV treatment budget then to get more (patients) on therapy.
“For that, I am grateful. RIP Sir,” Lee said.
A hands-on minister
PKR extended its condolences to Chua’s family via Facebook.
“He was Johor PKR chairman for five years from 2009 to 2014. Under Chua’s leadership, for the first time, PKR won the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat and the Bukit Batu state seat in the 2013 general election,” the post said.
MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong hailed Chua, whom he has known for 30 years, as one of his early mentors in the party.
He described Chua as a charismatic leader and an eloquent speaker who always backed up his speeches with facts and figures.
“Before being appointed health minister, he was the deputy international trade and industry minister who greatly helped SME (small and medium enterprise) players, including by setting up the SME Association of Malaysia,” Wee said on Facebook.
“Even though he left MCA in 2008 after the 12th general election to join PKR, our friendship persisted.
“When he was health minister, Datuk Chua showed great concern for all health issues related to the people. He was a hands-on minister who was actively involved in all cases referred to him.”
Wee recalled a time in April 2002 when his daughter Joan was admitted to the emergency ward of Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru for emergency surgery due to duodenal ulcer.
“Datuk Chua understood very well the feelings my wife and I had as parents and updated us regularly on my daughter’s condition. My family and I are forever grateful for his kind gesture,” Wee said. – The Vibes, December 3, 2023.
UPDATE 2
Chua once helped save my daughter's life, says Dr Wee
Sunday, 03 Dec 2023
9:43 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong says he will always remember how the late Datuk Dr Chua Jui Meng came to his family's aid when his daughter fell ill.
The MCA president said he personally experienced Chua's "meticulous care for the people" back in 2002 when his daughter, then aged just 16 months, suffered a duodenal ulcer.
"My eldest daughter suffered from a duodenal ulcer... and was rushed to the Johor Baru Hospital.
"At that time, I was not an MP yet and just a civilian. After hearing about it, Chua called to comfort me and my wife who were on the edge of breaking down.
"He also contacted a specialist team and kept us updated on the progress. We will never forget this life saver!" he wrote on Facebook.
Dr Wee said after he joined MCA, Chua became one of his political mentors and provided much advice and support.
"Chua was always bold, outspoken and eager to learn. His speeches in Mandarin and English were eloquent and easy to understand," he said.
Dr Wee said he and Chua remained good friends, even when he left MCA to join PKR.
"Thank you for dedicating most of your life to the country, and thank you sincerely for your contribution to MCA," he wrote.
Chua, who was the country's longest-serving health minister, passed away on Sunday at the age of 80.
He was also a former MCA vice-president and five-term Bakri MP. - The Star
魏家祥
前卫生部长兼马华前副总会长拿督蔡锐明今日与世长辞，我谨此致以深切哀悼，同时向其家属致以诚挚的慰问。
拿督蔡锐明在马华活跃期间，除了曾经担任副总会长，他也曾担任马华峇吉里区会主席以及峇吉里国阵区部主席，在多次全国大选为党赢下峇吉里国会议席。
官职方面，他曾担任卫生部政务次长，贸工部副部长以及卫生部长。拿督蔡锐明向来敢怒敢言，好学上进，他用国语和英语演讲时滔滔不绝，清晰易懂。
拿督蔡锐明是一位很贴心又称职的卫生部长，我亲身体验了他对人民无微不至的关怀。
记得2002年4月的某一天，当时我还不是国会议员，只是一位平民百姓。长女云轩仅16个月大的时候，突然患上十二指肠溃疡，当场吐血，紧急进入新山中央医院，当时收到通知的蔡锐明即刻打电话安慰几乎崩溃的我和太太，他还积极联系专科团队，不时给我们最新进展报告，我们毕生难忘这位救命恩人！
在我入党之后，拿督蔡锐明也是我其中一位政治导师，时常给予我建议与扶持。尤其是在2001-2003年期间，我和蔡锐明的交往更加频密。当时马华因收购南洋报业导致马华领导层出现严重的分歧，较后也引发双林之争，我和林亚礼、蔡锐明、陈广才及翁诗杰等站在坚决反对收购南洋报业的立场。
我记得蔡锐明不谙中文，但他经常以”梅花越冷越开花”明志，表达自己永不言败的精神。梅花生于冰雪、长于严寒，性格独立而又意志坚强，这也是拿督蔡锐明一生的写照。
2008年之后，他选择退出马华，加入公正党之后，然而我们之间还是维持良好友谊。
拿督蔡锐明的一生可说是多姿多彩，为人民鞠躬尽瘁。感谢您将人生大部分的岁月都奉献给国家，也衷心感谢您对国家、华社与马华公会做出的重要贡献 
一路走好
I would like to express my deep condolences to the former Minister of Health and former MCA deputy general, Datuk Choi Rui-ming, who passed away today. I would like to extend my sincere condolences to his family.
During his active period in MCA, Datuk Tsai Ruiming, in addition to serving as deputy general director, he also served as the chairman of the MCAGiri District Council and the chairman of the BN District Department, winning the KKiri National Assembly seats for the party in several national
On the official level, he served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of Health, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and Minister of Health. Datuk Tsai Rui Ming has always been angry and dare to speak, and he is able to speak in Mandarin and English. He is clear and easy to understand.
Datuk Tsai Rui Ming is a very intimate and competent health minister. I have experienced firsthand his meticulous care for the people.
I remember one day in April 2002 when I was not a member of Congress, just a civilian. When the eldest daughter Yunxuan was only 16 months old, she suddenly suffered from duodenal ulcers, spitting blood on the spot, and urgently entered Johor Bahru Central Hospital. Cai Ruiming, who received the notice, immediately called to comfort me and my wife, who almost collapsed. He also actively contacted the specialist team, and gave us the latest progress report from time
After I joined the party, Datuk Tsai Rui Ming was also one of my political mentors, often giving me advice and support. Especially during the period of 2001 to 2003, Cai Ruiming and I have more frequent contacts. At that time, MCA's acquisition of Nanyang Newspapers caused serious differences in MCA leadership, and later caused a dispute between Shuanglin. Lin Yali, Cai Ruiming, Chen Guangcai and Weng Shijie stood firmly against the acquisition of Nanyang Newspapers
I remember that Cai Rui Ming does not speak Chinese, but he often expresses his spirit of never saying anything with the words "the colder the plum blossoms, the more bloom Plum blossoms are born in snow and snow, grow in cold, independent and strong-willed, which is also the life of Datuk Cai Ruiming.
After 2008 he chose to quit MCA and joined the Justice Party, but we still have a good friendship.
Datuk Cai Ruiming's life can be said to be colorful and he has served the people. Thank you for devoting most of your life to the country, and sincerely thank you for your important contribution to the country, the Chinese Society and the MCA. 
Go well
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UPDATE 3
Chua contributed immensely to country, says PM Anwar
Monday, 04 Dec 2023
8:52 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has conveyed his condolences to the family of former health minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng, who died on Sunday (Dec 3) afternoon.
Anwar said Chua had contributed immensely to the country, as he was the country's longest-serving health minister, for nine years from 1995 to 2004.
He said Chua had also played an important role in PKR, especially when leading the party in Johor.
"All his deeds and contributions will be remembered by the people and his friends who were together with him in fighting for our beloved country. I pray for his family's well-being,” Anwar, who is also PKR president, said in a Facebook post.
Chua, 80, died at the Serdang Hospital near here at 4.04pm.
He was an MCA vice-president before quitting the party to join PKR in 2009. Within a year of joining PKR, he was elected as its vice-president. - Bernama/FMT
UPDATE 4
Tributes pour in for former health minister Chua Jui Meng
By New Straits Times - December 3, 2023 10:40pm
Former health minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng. -- Filepic
KUALA LUMPUR: Tributes poured in for former health minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng who died at the age of 80 today.
The current and former members of parliament (MPs), cabinet ministers and political leaders expressed their condolences on their respective X and Facebook accounts.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said wrote: "Condolences to the family of Datuk Chua Jui Meng, former health minister and Bakri MP.""
Subang MP Wong Chen wrote: "My very deepest condolences to his family and friends."
Segamat MP R. Yuneswaran wrote: "He (Chua) was one of the factors that led me to be active in Keadilan (PKR) as early as 2008.
"I served as the working secretary during his time as the state leadership council chairman in 2012.
"He has contributed a lot to the health ministry sector as well as the country's politics," he said, adding that he met the late Chua for lunch in Segamat on Oct 28.
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago said: "Deepest condolences to the family. His contributions will be remembered. May his soul RIP."
Former transpor minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said: "I had known him for 30 years and he was one of my early mentors in MCA."
"He was a charismatic leader and an eloquent speaker who always backed up his speech with facts and figures.
"His contributions to the country will be remembered by the people.
"Even though he left MCA in 2008 after the 12th General Election to join PKR, our friendship remained.
In April 2002, before I became an MP, my daughter Joan was admitted to the emergency ward of Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Baru for an emergency surgery due to duodenal ulcer.
"He understood very well the feelings my wife and I had as parents and updated us regularly on my daughter's condition. My family and I are forever grateful for his kind gesture.
"May you rest in peace, Datuk Chua."
Former health deputy-general Dr Christopher Lee wrote: "I recall my first encounter with him when I had to brief him about the protease inhibitors which were the new HIV drugs then.
"He listened and actually took notes. He increased the HIV treatment budget then to get more patients onto therapy.
"For that I am grateful. RIP, sir."
Chua served as the health minister from 1995 to 2004, and is thus far the longest serving health minister.
A MCA spokesman said Chua suffered a heart attack about a week ago and had been hospitalised since then.
A lawyer by profession, he served Barisan Nasional's second biggest component party for 35 years, before jumping ship to PKR in 2009. - NST
UPDATE 5
Condolences Pour In For The Late Chua Jui Meng, Longest-Serving Health Minister
The 80-year-old was said to have suffered a heart attack the previous week and had been hospitalised.
BY TRP
DECEMBER 4, 2023
Condolences poured in for the late Datuk Chua Jui Meng who passed away yesterday at the Serdang Hospital.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in a Facebook post acknowledged Jui Meng’s contribution to the nation, especially during the latter’s stint as Health Minister from 1995 to 2004.
“He then also played an important role when he was in KEADILAN (PKR) as he steered the party leadership in Johor,” Anwar said.
Anwar Ibrahim
Takziah buat keluarga mendiang mantan Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Chua Jui Meng yang baru meninggal dunia siang tadi.
Mendiang Datuk Chua adalah sosok yang telah banyak menabur bakti kepada negara, khususnya selaku Menteri Kesihatan paling lama selama sembilan tahun dari 1995 hingga 2004.
Beliau kemudiannya turut memainkan peranan penting sepanjang bersama KEADILAN tatkala mengemudi pimpinan parti di Johor.
Segala jasa dan pengorbanannya pasti dikenang rakyat serta rakan-rakan yang sama turut sama berjuang untuk negara tercinta. Saya doakan urusan keluarganya dipermudah.
While Jui Meng was originally an MCA man, he left the party in 2009 to join PKR.
Former health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah also took to Facebook to express his condolences, highlighting the fact that Jui Meng was the longest serving health minister.
Jui Meng held the post for nine years and was known for various initiatives, one of it was turning the Sungai Buloh Hospital into an infectious diseases centre.
The 80-year-old was said to have suffered a heart attack the previous week and had been hospitalised.
His death was confirmed by his son Vernon Chua.
“It is with great sorrow that I announce that my father Chua Jui Meng has left his mortal coil. It is with great joy that I know he is now with his Father in heaven. As the tributes pour in my family and I cannot feel anything but pride for all the things that my father accomplished on this earth,” Vernon said on Facebook.
Prior to that, his death was announced by Segamat member of Parliament R Yuneswaran.
“My condolences to the family of the late Datuk Chua Jui Meng. He has returned to his Creator this afternoon,” Yuneswaran wrote on Facebook, sharing a photo of him and the former MCA vice president.
The administrator of Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Facebook page also shared a message hoping that Jui Meng’s family will stay strong through this. Najib is currently behind bars.
Lawyer Roger Tan recalled how Jui Meng was helpful when Tan’s father went missing in the year 2000.
“Personally, I am always grateful for what he did to help me locate my missing father in 2000 by instructing local hospitals to look out for him. Rest in peace, good and faithful servant of God,” Tan wrote.
Jui Meng’s Journey
Born in Johor in 1943, Jui Meng just turned 80 this year on 22 October.
A lawyer by profession, he joined MCA in 1976 and stayed with the party until 2009 when he left to join PKR.
With MCA, he rose to the post of vice-president. As a parliamentarian, he held the Bakri seat for five terms, having contested it and won for the first time in 1986.
He was appointed as Health Minister by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad after the 1995 General Election.
During his nine-year stint, Jui Meng led the fight in several outbreaks which included the nipah virus and coxsackie.
Later with PKR, he was appointed as the party’s Johor chief.
Malaysia Mourns the Loss of Datuk Dr Chua Jui Meng, Longest-Serving Health Minister
Published: December 3, 2023 at 7:19 am EST
Datuk Dr Chua Jui Meng, Malaysia’s longest-serving health minister and a stalwart in the nation’s political landscape, passed away today at the age of 80, a loss confirmed by his son Damien Chua and Segamat MP R. Yuneswaran. Dr Chua, a veteran who held the health portfolio from 1995 to 2004, left a profound legacy in the country’s healthcare sector.
A Life Dedicated to Public Service
Dr Chua’s political journey began in the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), where he served as vice president. However, he was more prominently known for his role as the representative of the Bakri constituency in Parliament, a position he held for five terms from 1986 to 2008. His tireless dedication to public service was evident in his numerous contributions over this prolonged tenure.
Transition to the People’s Justice Party
In 2009, Dr Chua made a significant career shift by joining the People’s Justice Party (PKR). His move was triggered by multiple factors, including a loss of confidence in the MCA leadership and the controversial death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock under suspicious circumstances. As the PKR Johor Chairman, Dr Chua continued his mission of serving the public with the same zeal as before.
Legacy of a Nation Builder
Dr Chua’s death has sent shockwaves across the nation, with tributes pouring in from various corners. R Yuneswaran, the Segamat MP from PKR, shared his condolences on Facebook, acknowledging Dr Chua’s indomitable spirit and significant contributions to the nation’s healthcare and political landscape. Yuneswaran shared that Dr Chua had played a major role in his active involvement in PKR since 2008, shedding light on the late minister’s influence and mentorship.
The sudden demise of Datuk Dr Chua Jui Meng leaves a vacuum in the Malaysian political and healthcare landscape. His life, marked by steadfast service and boundless dedication, will continue to inspire future leaders in their quest to serve the nation. - BNN Breaking
UPDATE 7
Chua Jui Meng was concerned for people’s well-being: Ka Siong
Bernama
4 December 2023
5 hours ago
KUALA LUMPUR: Former health minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng always cared about the well-being of the people, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr. Wee Ka Siong.
Wee, who has known Chua for 30 years, described him as a charismatic leader who was adept at speaking based on accurate facts and data, and a mentor in politics in the 1990s.
“When he was the health minister, Chua was always concerned about the well-being of the people, and everything that was referred to him would receive his undivided attention.
“I still remember an incident that occurred in April 2002, at that time I was not yet a Member of Parliament. My daughter, Joan Wee, was admitted to the emergency ward of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru for urgent surgery due to a ‘duodenal ulcer.’
“Datuk Chua understood the concern of my wife and I as parents; he regularly obtained reports from surgeons and provided updates on my daughter’s condition. My family is truly indebted to him,” he said in a post on his official Facebook page last night.
Wee also extended condolences to Chua’s family on his passing yesterday afternoon due to heart complications.
“Chua’s contributions and sacrifices to the country were significant and will always be remembered by the people. Before holding the position of health minister, he served as deputy minister of international trade and industry and also assisted small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including establishing the SME Association of Malaysia,” he said.
He said although Chua left MCA after the 12th general election in 2008 and joined PKR, their friendship had remained strong.
Chua, 80, passed away at the Serdang Hospital yesterday at 4.04 pm.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr. Zaliha Mustafa also extended her condolences to Chua’s family members and prayed for their strength and perseverance during this testing time.
“He (Chua) served as the minister of health for the longest period, from 1995 to 2004. He was also the former State Leadership Council (MPN) chairman of Keadilan Johor from 2010 to 2013,” she said.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said also extended condolences to Chua’s family.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Hannah Yeoh, described Chua as a fine gentleman, devoted to God and his family.
“Condolences to the family of Datuk Chua Jui Meng, former health minister of Malaysia,” she said. – BERNAMA/New SARAWAK TRIBUNE
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