Sim Tze Tzin
Quick Facts
Biography
Sim Tze Tzin (Chinese: 沈志勤; pinyin: Shěn Zhìqín; born 6 February 1976) is the Strategy Director from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), and the current Member of Parliament for Bayan Baru, Penang. He served as the Penang state legislative assemblyman for Pantai Jerejak from March 2008 to May 2013. He is the former political secretary of former Deputy Prime Minister and de facto PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.
Early life
Sim was born in George Town, Penang and attended Hu Yew Seah School for his primary education, later moving on to Chung Ling High School. In 1996, he joined the Reserve Army, and became a Junior Lieutenant in 1999. His interest in politics began after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the Oslo Accord, which he says contributed to his "political awakening". In 1998, he joined the Reformasi movement initiated by Anwar, and founded the Malaysia Youth and Students Democratic Movement (DEMA) "to promote democratic awareness among Malaysian citizens and to protest against the University and University College Act".
He graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 1999. While he was there, he became the first non-Malay elected to the UTM Students' Representative Council, winning over 9,000 votes. He later obtained a Masters of Science (Civil) in Highway Engineering from San José State University, also working part-time in California as an engineer. While in the United States, Sim founded the Malaysia Forum Organization in Stanford University, a group promoting civil society and discussion of Malaysian issues.
Political career
After five years working in the US, Sim returned to Malaysia and joined PKR. Working under Anwar, he played a significant role in the release of a video clip purporting to show the fixing of judicial appointments and court decisions. He was later named as a witness for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video Clip, but as of March 2008 has not been called to testify.
In 2008, Sim contested the general election under a PKR ticket in the Penang state constituency of Pantai Jerejak. He won by a majority of 1,258 votes. He was one of four major players in the Lingam video clip scandal who won election – the others were Loh Gwo Burne (elected as MP for Kelana Jaya), Wee Choo Keong (elected as MP for Wangsa Maju), and Sivarasa Rasiah (elected as MP for Subang).
Personal life
Sim is married.
Election results
Year | Constituency | Opposition | Votes | Pct | Government | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | P.052 Bayan Baru | Sim Tze Tzin (PKR) | 43,558 | 64.06% | Tang Heap Seng (MCA) | 24,251 | 35.66% | 68,849 | 19,307 | 86.98% |
Year | Constituency | Opposition | Votes | Pct | Government | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | N36 Pantai Jerejak | Sim Tze Tzin (PKR) | 6,982 | 54.95% | Wong Mun Hoe (GERAKAN) | 5,724 | 45.05% | 12,898 | 1,258 | 73.94% |