V. SIVAKUMAR, who was appointed human resources minister, previously created history in Perak with the state assembly convening and held under a rain tree on March 3, 2009.

Sivakumar, then the speaker, had called for an emergency sitting to table motions on the takeover of the state government. 

The sitting was held under a rain tree after it was believed that assemblymen from Pakatan Rakyat had been prevented from entering the Perak Darul Ridzuan building, which houses the state assembly.

Sivakumar was decked in his robe and songkok, presiding over proceedings under the tree.

Starting his political career in 1997 by joining DAP, Sivakumar was political secretary to M. Kulasegaran, before contesting in the 2008 general election.

After 25 years in politics, Sivakumar, 51, who has held the Batu Gajah parliamentary seat since 2013, was named human resources minister under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership.

The DAP deputy secretary-general obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics majoring in Public Administration at the University of Malaya in 1994 and subsequently an Associate Degree in Insurance Agency Administration from the Life Office Management Association, United States in 2000.

Besides politics, the father of two was involved with Yayasan Perak, Ipoh as a member of the board of directors in 2019 and the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council, Kuala Lumpur in 2018.

In 2008 general election, he won Perak’s Tronoh seat as a new face, beating Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Lee Kim Choy by a 2,571-vote majority. In the same year, he was also sworn in as Perak assembly speaker, carving history as the first person of Indian heritage to hold the position.

In 2013, Sivakumar contested the Batu Gajah parliamentary seat and won in a straight fight with BN’s Loo Thin Tuck, winning by a 53,770-vote majority. He has successfully defended the seat to date.

In the recent polls, Sivakumar won by a landslide victory at the Batu Gajah parliamentary seat with a 53,836-vote majority, beating Perikatan Nasional’s Woo Cheong Yuen and BN’s Teoh Chin Chong. – Bernama, December 4, 2022.