Ep 121: I'm OK, Man! | Dr Ong Kian Ming (Former Deputy Minister of Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry)

What is it like becoming a Deputy Minister in a government that’s
never been in power before?


What was the relationship really like between Malaysia’s then
Prime Minister & Deputy Prime Minister, Mahathir & Anuar?


How does one pick a constituency and why even politics in the
first place when you can make good money as a BCG consultant?


If you haven’t already guessed it, today’s STIMY guest is Dr Ong
Kian Ming aka imokman.


He went from being a BCG consultant to a lecturer and policy
analyst at UCSI University and director of the Malaysian
Electoral Roll Analysis Project (MERAP). He then entered politics
and eventually became the Deputy Minister, Ministry of
International Trade and Industry of Malaysia in July 2018!


If you don’t know anything about Malaysian politics, here’s a
heads up: Kian Ming (legitimately) thought he would always be in
the opposition. The then incumbent government had been in power
since Independence Day for the past 60+ years!


So as you can imagine, today’s conversation focuses on politics.
A lot. 


Touching on things like why Kian Ming chose to enter politics,
what it was like becoming a Deputy Minister, what went so wrong
(e.g. the Sheraton Move!), why he’s setting up a PPE course and
so much more.





Highlights:


2:07 imokman

3:32 Wanting to be rich

4:22 Being an ASEAN scholar

6:44 Seeking a “higher purpose” in BCG?!

9:14 Make your boss look good (not your client!)

10:29 Public policy

15:06 How his PhD in political science helped his career

19:24 Meeting Tony Pua & blogging

20:50 Sacrifices we don’t know?

22:32 “The Talk” with the wife

24:18 Only 2 terms?!

26:21 Preparing for his first election

29:51 Deciding who to help

32:40 Managing expectations from his constituents

33:32 Giving safe financial support

34:49 I’ll be in opposition forever?!

37:06 The manifesto

38:29 Managing the euphoria

40:34 Building trust

41:47 The legacy he inherited at MITI from Tan Sri Rafidah
Aziz

44:56 Industry 4.0

47:23 That $70 billion investment from China

49:24 The realities of running trade investment missions

50:50 How does China see Malaysia?

53:36 The Sheraton Move - what really happened?

55:49 What could’ve been done differently?

57:05 The relationship between Mahathir & Anuar

58:56 No reelection

1:00:17 How do we know if constituents are actually doing the
work?

1:01:11 Wishing he’d worked better with his minister

1:03:31 Who’s a lifelong politician?

1:04:43 When is it time to leave?

1:05:26 Building Malaysia’s first PPE Course (and future
Malaysian Prime Ministers?!)






Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/121


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