MCA conveys condolences to Neo’s family

PETALING JAYA: The MCA central committee has conveyed its condolences to the family of its former acting president Datuk Dr Neo Yee Pan (pic), who passed away on March 5 at 82 years old.

According to MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, Neo was an academic figure who previously served as the housing and local government minister, deputy culture, youth and sports minister, as well as the deputy finance minister.

“Dr Neo’s passing is a great loss to society and the country. Condolences to Dr Neo’s family,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.

Born in Muar, Johor, in 1938, Neo had served as a physics lecturer in Universiti Malaya between 1968 and 1974. After the 1974 general election, he was elected Muar MP, and was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Human Resources, Technology and Research ministry.

Between 1975 and 1979, he was MCA secretary-general.

In 1975, he was appointed as the deputy culture, youth and sports minister, before becoming deputy finance minister in 1978.

In the 1978 general election, he was re-elected Muar MP, and in the August 1979 MCA annual general assembly, he was elected as vice-president.

In the 1982 general election, he was again re-elected as the Muar MP, and subsequently, reappointed as housing and local government minister.

In 1983, he was appointed Johor MCA liaison committee chairman.

Following Tan Sri Lee San Choon’s resignation as MCA president in the same year, Neo became the acting MCA president.

Neo’s tenure as MCA acting president saw MCA entering into a crisis mode which lasted for 20 months until Tan Koon Swan (now Tan Sri) was elected as the new party president in November 1985.