Fong Po Kuan (Chinese : 冯宝君) (born 15 September 1973 in Perak) is a Malaysian politician from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) political party. She is able to communicate in Chinese, English, Malay and Arabic. Jump to: navigation, search September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... State motto: no State motto Capital Ipoh Royal Capital Kuala Kangsar Sultan Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Chief Minister Dato Seri Diraja Tajol Rosli bin Mohd Ghazali Area 21,006 km2 Population  - Est. ... Democratic Action Party (DAP) logo The Democratic Action Party (DAP, Parti Tindakan Demokratik in Malay) is Malaysias largest secular opposition party. ...

She attended the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) from 1993 to 1997, and graduated with a law degree. Initially she avoided the university because the Arabic language was a mandatory subject and she feared she would have to wear the tudung (Malay headscarf). However, she was eventually attracted by the prospect of interacting with foreign students without having to study overseas, which she could not afford. Jump to: navigation, search // Background The International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) was first conceived in 1982 by then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during a special meeting between OIC leaders to establish an international institution for tertiary education based on Islamic principles (the Islamization of Knowledge). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1997(MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search Arabic (Arabic: العربية; transliterated: al-carabiyyah, less formally, عربي transliterated: carabī) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Jump to: navigation, search Iraqi girl wearing the hijab Hijab (Arabic: حجاب) is the word used in the Islamic context for the practice of dressing modestly, which all practicing Muslims past the age of puberty are instructed to do in their holy book, the Quran. ... Iraqi girl Hijab is the word used in the Islamic context for the practice of dressing modestly, which all practicing Muslims past the age of puberty are instructed to do in their holy book, the Quran. ...

In the 1999 Malaysian general election, Fong won the Batu Gajah parliamentary seat in the Dewan Rakyat, and became the youngest Member of Parliament (MP) in Malaysia. She won 19867 out of 38774 votes, winning by a majority of 2071 with 67.5% turnout. During her first term, she was suspended for six months from Parliament without wages or allowances for criticising the Speaker of the House. Her suspension was unique in that the Speaker had waived the seven day notice period required to raise the issue, and that the matter was never brought to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges. The 83 MPs, all from the Speaker's party, who voted for suspension only constituted 43% of parliament; while this was a majority of those present in the hall, it did not have a simple majority of the total number of MPs. The suspension was widely seen to be vindictive. The Parliament of Malaysia consists of the lower house (Dewan Rakyat or literally Peoples Hall, in Malay) and upper house (Dewan Negara or Nations Hall in Malay). ... The Parliament of Malaysia consists of the lower house (Dewan Rakyat or literally Peoples Hall, in Malay) and upper house (Dewan Negara or Nations Hall in Malay). ...

In 2003, Fong inquired in parliament why she had been compelled to wear the tudung for her graduation ceremony at IIUM. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Mahadzhir Mohammad Khir, stated wearing the tudung was encouraged but not mandatory. A year later, the IIUM Senate made it compulsory for female students to wear the tudung to their convocation ceremony.

In 2005, having noticed a few non-Muslim women wearing the tudung in the gallery, she raised a point of order about whether wearing the tudung was compulsory in Parliament. It was not.

References

• Fong, Po Kuan (2005). "Foo Yueh Jiin vs Fong Po Kuan in IIU (Part One)". Retrieved Nov. 3, 2005.
• Lim, Kit Siang (2005). "Religion sensitisation for universities, Parliament and policy makers". Retrieved Oct. 30, 2005.

External link

• Official blog.