Sim Kui Hian


Sim Kui Hian is a Malaysian politician and cardiologist who served as Deputy Premier of Sarawak since 2022. A president of Sarawak United Peoples' Party, he represented Batu Kawah in Sarawak State Legislative Assembly since 2016. He also served as Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Sarawak since 2022.
Born in Sarawak, Sim graduated from Monash University. Sim is Sarawak's first deputy premier of Chinese descent in more than a decade after George Chan Hong Nam stepped down in 2011. Previously, he served as the Minister of Local Government Sarawak from May 2016 to January 2017 under Adenan Satem's cabinet, and Minister of Local Government and Housing Sarawak from January 2017 to December 2021 under Abang Johari's first cabinet. He also had served as Senator in the Parliament of Malaysia from April 2014 to April 2017.
Additionally, he holds a watching brief role which gives him oversight over the Sarawak Health Department and the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department, both agencies of the Malaysian federal government. He is also one of the founding Vice Chairmen of the GPS coalition, in which SUPP is a co-founding component party.
While acknowledging that the region of Sarawak is part of Malaysia, Sim is one of the most vocal and consistent proponents for more Sarawakian autonomous power and rights, based on the unique contexts of the Malaysia's formation as originally outlined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963, Inter-Governmental Committee Report and recommendations, and the Report of the Cobbold Commission.
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Early life and education

Sim is the son of father Sim Kheng Hong who was the Tan Sri Datuk Amar Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak from 1974 to 1991; and mother Lim Su Kheng . He received his primary education at Chung Hua Primary School No.4 and his secondary education in St. Joseph's Secondary School, Kuching. After that, he completed his Higher School Certificate at St. Bede's College in Mentone, in Victoria, Australia. He graduated with an MBBS from Monash University's Alfred Medical School and completed his cardiology fellowship at Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne.

Career

When Sim found out that the Sarawak General Hospital was attempting to set up a cardiology unit, he left his practice and returned to Malaysia in 1998, after spending 17 years in Australia. In 2001, the Cardiology Department of SGH was set up. The department had progressively evolved into a cardiology centre with its own standalone facilities in Kota Samarahan and a recognised training centre for cardiothoracic surgeons.
Sim's maiden contest for public office was in the 2011 Sarawak Elections which he lost. Five years later, he contested and won in the 2016 Sarawak Elections.

Research

Sim is a member in the Expert Writing Panel for Clinical Practise Guidelines on management in cardiovascular disease in Malaysia; a task force member of the International Commission on Radiological Protection on radiation protection in cardiology; and a member of International Atomic Energy Agency ’s Expert Panel on Radiological Protection of Patients.
Between 1996 and 2015, he participated as either a faculty member or speaker for more than 200 professional meetings in the US, Europe and Asian-Pacific; made over 200 scientific abstract presentations; over 50 scientific publications ; and over 125 clinical trials as a principal investigator. He received Clinical Research Malaysia Leadership Award in 2024.
His research interests include cardiac CT, cardiac MRI, metabolic syndrome and ACS biomarkers in the multi-ethnic Asian community. He is a principal investigator/steering committee member in more than 100 multicentre clinical studies in Malaysia.

Professional credentials

Personal life

Sim has been married since 1991 to associate professor Enn Ong Siok Ean, who was conferred the Panglima Setia Bintang Sarawak award in 2024, and they have two sons.

Honours