Chong Chieng Jen, the son of Sarawak DAP founder, was today appointed as deputy minister of domestic trade and consumer affairs.

Chong, who is also Stampin MP, is the son of Chong Siew Chang, the founding member of Sarawak DAP in the late 1970s.

The state DAP chairperson started his primary and secondary education in Sibu, Kuching and Singapore before pursuing his tertiary studies at the Australian National University, Canberra and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (accounts & economics) and Law.

Chong began his political career in 1999 when he contested in the 10th general election for the Bandar Kuching parliamentary seat but lost to Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) candidate. He then contested in the state election in 2001 but again lost to a SUPP candidate.

However, the 47-year-old lawyer was elected as MP after he won the Bandar Kuching parliamentary seat in the 11th general election in 2004 and held the seat for three terms before shifting to Stampin in the last general election.

At the state administrative level, Chong was the incumbent for the Kota Sentosa state seat for three terms from 2006.

He was appointed as Sarawak DAP chairperson to take over the post from Wong Hoi Leng who died in 2014 and was elected as DAP vice-president during the party special congress which was held November last year.

Chong has also been dubbed as one of the most vocal assemblypersons in the state legislative assembly.

In the 14th general election on May 9, state DAP under the leadership of Chong recorded a remarkable success when the party managed to secure six parliamentary seats compared to five in the previous term while its ally in Pakatan Harapan, PKR succeeded in securing four seats from one.

- Bernama