Dr. Kua Kia Soong

Dr Kua Kia Soong was a director/adviser of SUARAM. He was arrested under the Internal Security Act during “Operation Lalang” in 1987 and detained for 445 days without trial. Upon his release in 1989, he helped to found SUARAM (Suara Rakyat Malaysia), the leading human rights organisation in Malaysia.

Together with other civil rights activists, he joined the Opposition Front in 1990 and was elected Opposition Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya from 1990 to 1995. He was prisoner of conscience for a second time in 1996 when he spent seven days in prison with other activists for organizing the Second Asia Pacific Conference on East Timor which was disrupted by a mob from the ruling coalition.

He was the Principal of the New Era College, a non-profit tertiary-level institution run by the Chinese education movement (2000-2008); Director of Huazi Research Centre set up by the Malaysian Chinese community (1985-90) and Academic Adviser to the Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (1983-85).

Kua received his BA Econ (1975), MA Econ (1976) and PhD in Sociology with a Needham Scholarship (1981) from Manchester University, UK. He was a lecturer in Sociology at the National University of Singapore in 1978-79.

Being able to influence others through example, especially critical and creative solutions, courage and serving the community. Focus on building relationships and finding ways to solve societal problems and improving the lives of others.