KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong led a delegation of the party’s central committee to pay their final respects to the late Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, remembering the former president as a visionary statesman who left an indelible mark on the nation.
Describing Dr Ling as a towering figure in Malaysia's infrastructure, political, and education landscape, Dr Wee said the party will accord him its highest honour by draping the MCA flag over his casket on Tuesday (April 7).
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All party flags will also be flown at half-mast until his funeral on Wednesday (April 8), added Dr Wee.
Dr Ling, who passed away on April 4, led MCA for 17 years and was Malaysia's longest-serving transport minister.
"He was a highly visionary leader who drove massive infrastructure developments across the maritime, aviation, and rail sectors," Dr Wee told a press conference on Monday (April 6).
He noted Dr Ling was the driving force behind Westport, helping turn Port Klang into one of the world's busiest ports. In aviation, he oversaw the transition to the KL International Airport (KLIA) and laid the groundwork for low-cost carriers, allowing "everyone to fly”.
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At the same time, Dr Wee said Dr Ling was a brilliant strategist who successfully steered MCA through the 1980s cooperative crisis, ensuring every depositor was refunded on a "dollar-to-a-dollar" basis.
Under his leadership, MCA also achieved an outstanding electoral record, winning 30 parliamentary and 71 state seats.
Beyond politics, Dr Wee described Dr Ling as the "father of TAR College's development" who firmly believed that "education is our future”.
He said Dr Ling's Langkawi Project in the 1990s awakened rural parents to the importance of education and language mastery.
"He went down to the grassroots, even frying 'kuey teow' at hawker centres to raise funds for TAR College. Today, it has been upgraded to Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) with over 36,000 students," he said.
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Dr Wee added that Dr Ling founded Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) in 2002, which grew from a pioneer batch of 411 students to over 20,000, and later raised over RM300mil in public funds for the UTAR Hospital in Kampar.
Dr Wee also said Dr Ling had adopted and fully sponsored the education of a non-Chinese student, who is now a TAR UMT staff member.
Remembering Dr Ling's leadership, Dr Wee said politicians today could learn from his calm demeanour.
"He was an intelligent man of few words. He controlled his emotions, never shouted, and never offended the media," he said, adding that Dr Ling consistently gathered grassroots input to translate into practical policies.
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Extending his deepest condolences to Dr Ling's wife, Toh Puan Ong Ee Nah, and her family, Dr Wee said his passing is a massive loss to the nation.
"He was a respected figure who constantly offered his advice to MCA. We will carry on his legacy, especially his fight for education," he added.
Dr Ling, who served as transport minister from September 1986 to May 2003, passed away peacefully at the age 82 on Saturday (April 4).
