Joseph Salang Gandum

Joseph Salang Gandum
Deputy Minister of Information, Communications and Culture
In office
27 March 2008 – 15 May 2013
Serving with Heng Seai Kie (2008–2010) &
Maglin Dennis d'Cruz (2010–2013)
Monarchs Mizan Zainal Abidin
(2008–2011)
Abdul Halim
(2011–2013)
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Najib Razak
Minister Rais Yatim
Preceded by Himself (Communication)
Tan Lian Hoe (Information)
Teng Boon Soon (Culture)
Succeeded by Jailani Johari (Communication)
Mas Ermieyati Samsudin
(Culture)
Constituency Julau
Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communications
In office
19 March – 27 March 2008
Monarch Mizan Zainal Abidin
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor
Preceded by Shaziman Abu Mansor
Succeeded by Himself
(Communications)
Noriah Kasnon
(Energy, Water)
Constituency Julau
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
27 March 2004 – 18 March 2008
Monarchs Sirajuddin
(2004–2006)
Mizan Zainal Abidin
(2006–2008)
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Minister Syed Hamid Albar
Preceded by Leo Michael Toyad
Succeeded by Abdul Rahim Bakri
Constituency Julau
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Julau
In office
29 November 1999 – 9 May 2018
Preceded by Sng Chee Hua
(BNPBDS)
Succeeded by Larry Sng Wei Shien (Independent)
Majority 6,286 (1999)
2,688 (2004)
7,584 (2008)
5,955 (2013)
2nd President of the Parti Rakyat Sarawak
Assumed office
31 October 2021
Acting:31 October 2021–25 April 2022
Deputy Majang Renggi
Preceded by James Jemut Masing
Deputy President of the Parti Rakyat Sarawak
In office
20 October 2018 – 25 April 2022
President James Jemut Masing
(2018–2021)
Himself
(Acting, 2021–2022)
Preceded by Joseph Entulu Belaun
Succeeded by Majang Renggi
Secretary-General of the Parti Rakyat Sarawak
In office
25 October 2016 – 20 October 2018
President James Jemut Masing
Succeeded by Janang Bungsu
Personal details
Born 1 January 1951
Crown Colony of Sarawak (now Sarawak, Malaysia)
Political party Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS)
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS)
Other political
affiliations
Barisan Nasional (BN)
(–2018, aligned:since 2020)
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)
(since 2018)
Perikatan Nasional (PN)
(aligned:since 2020)
Spouse Lucy Hon
Occupation Politician

Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum (born 1 January 1951) is a Malaysian politician and former bank officer who served as the Deputy Minister of Information, Communications and Culture, Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communications and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Najib Razak and former Ministers Rais Yatim, Shaziman Abu Mansor and Syed Hamid Albar from March 2004 to May 2013 as well as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Julau from November 1999 to May 2018. He is a member of the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), a component party of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and formerly BN coalitions and was a member of the Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), also a component party of the BN coalition. He has served as the 2nd President of PRS since October 2021, when he has served in official capacity since April 2022 and in acting capacity from October 2021 to April 2022. He also served as the Deputy President of PRS from October 2018 to his official promotion to the party presidency in April 2022 and Secretary-General of PRS from October 2016 to his promotion to party deputy presidency in October 2018. He was also Vice President of PRS.

Salang was a bank officer before entering politics. He was elected to Parliament in the 1999 election. He was originally a member (and deputy president) of the Sarawak Native People's Party (PBDS), but sat in Parliament without a party after the PBDS was deregistered in 2004. He eventually joined the PRS ahead of the 2008 election.

Salang has served in a number of government posts, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communications, and Deputy Minister of Information, Communications and Culture. He turned down reappointment to the deputy ministry after the 2013 election.

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
1999 Julau Joseph Salang Gandum (PBDS) 9,183 66.99% Kong Ah Huat (IND) 2,897 21.14% 13,707 6,286 75.55%
Samuel Edward Chun (IND) 844 6.16%
Patrick Mit @ Dumit Tutong (IND) 483 3.52%
2004 Joseph Salang Gandum (PBDS) 8,388 58.78% Randan Mawat (IND) 5,700 39.94% 14,271 2,688 72.20%
2008 Joseph Salang Gandum (PRS) 10,351 77.75% Labang Jamba (PKR) 2,767 20.78% 13,313 7,584 65.56%
2013 Joseph Salang Gandum (PRS) 9,891 58.27% Wong Judat (SWP) 3,936 23.19% 16,973 5,955 75.36%
Wong Hong Yu (PKR) 2,852 16.80%
2018 Joseph Salang Gandum (PRS) 8,174 44.02% Larry Sng Wei Shien (IND) 10,105 54.42% 18,569 1,931 73.16%
2022 Joseph Salang Gandum (PRS) 7,819 34.69% Larry Sng Wei Shien (PBM) 9,159 40.64% 22,537 1,340 64.67%
Elly Lawai Ngalai (IND) 5,224 23.18%
Susan George (PBDS) 335 1.49%

Honours