Maximus Johnity Ongkili (born 26 October 1953) is a Malaysian

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who has served as Chairman of the Energy Commission of

Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...

(ECOS) since February 2023. He served as

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Malay language, Malay: ''Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri''; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a member of Cabinet of Malaysia who administers a portfolio through the Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia) ...

for

and

Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...

Affairs for the second term in the

Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional (BN; ) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1974 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties to succeed the Alliance Party. It is the third largest political coalition with 30 seats in ...

(BN) administration under former Prime Minister

Ismail Sabri Yaakob Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob (; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the ninth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2021 to 2022. He is both the shortest-serving prime minister (served for 15 months) and the shortes ...

from August 2021 to the collapse of the BN administration in November 2022, the first term in the

Perikatan Nasional Perikatan Nasional (PN; ) is a Malaysian Parliamentary group, political coalition consisting of Right-wing politics, right-wing and Far-right politics, far-right political parties. It is the second largest political coalition in Dewan Rakyat w ...

(PN) administration under former Prime Minister

Muhyiddin Yassin Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Mohd Yassin (; ), is a Malaysian politician who served as the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2020 to 2021. Appointed as prime minister amid a 2020–2022 Malay ...

from March 2020 to August 2021 as well as for National Unity and Integration in the

(BN) administration under former Prime Minister

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi (, ; 26 November 1939 – 14 April 2025), also known as Pak Lah, was a Malaysian politician and civil servant who served as the fifth prime minister of Malaysia from 2003 to 2009. A member of UMNO, he was the party's ...

from March 2004 to March 2008 and the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water in the BN administration under former Prime Minister

Najib Razak Mohammad Najib bin Abdul Razak (, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018. In 2020, he was convicted of corruption in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, on ...

from May 2013 to May 2018, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kota Marudu from March 2004 to November 2022 and for Bandau from April 1995 to March 2004. He is the 2nd President and a member of the

United Sabah Party The United Sabah Party or formerly known as United Sabah Movement (; Abbreviation, abbrev: PBS) is a political party of Sabah. PBS had been recognized by the people of Sabah as ''historical local party'' since 1985. The PBS was founded by Josep ...

(PBS), a component party of the Sabah People's Alliance (GRS).

Personal life

Ongkili was born on 26 October 1953 in

Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu (; formerly known as Jesselton), colloquially referred to as KK, is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is also the capital of the Kota Kinabalu District as well as the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the ...

to parents from the district of

Tambunan Tambunan () is the capital of the Tambunan District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Its population was estimated to be around 35,667 in 2010. It is located 80 kilometres east of the state capital, Kota Kinabalu (to which is connect ...

, namely a police officer, Alexius @ Alexander Ongkili Indoh, Snr. (1910–1991) from Kampung Lintuhun who was then reassigned to the Sabah police contingent headquarters of the

Royal Malaysia Police The Royal Malaysia Police (often abbreviated RMP) (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), is a (primarily) uniformed national and federal police force in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organisation, and its headquarters are located at Bukit Aman, Kuala ...

(then known as the North Borneo Constabulary), but later acquired land and settled in Keningau (in the village of Kampung Ria Tuarid Taud) after his retirement from the police force and a housewife, Battindoi Kondilab Komboon (1915–1986), a native of Kampung Karanaan. He is married with two children (currently widowed since 2018 and has since remarried as of 2023) and holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Economics, conferred by Australia's

La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora, Victoria, Bundoora. The university was established in 1 ...

. He is a Christian belonging to the Borneo Evangelical Church (but formerly a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

from birth until his adulthood, when he was deemed to be

born again To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...

by converting to Protestantism via the said denomination). Ongkili is also the nephew of former

Deputy Chief Minister

Joseph Pairin Kitingan Joseph Pairin Kitingan (born 17 August 1940) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 7th Chief Minister of Sabah from April 1985 to March 1994 and Member of Parliament (MP) for Keningau from August 1986 to May 2018. He is founding Presi ...

and Sabah Deputy Chief Minister II

Jeffrey Kitingan Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan (born 22 October 1947, also known as DDJK or DSPDJK since 2021) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the Cabinet of Sabah, Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah I since January 2023 and Cabinet of Sabah, State Minister ...

, who is the President of the

Homeland Solidarity Party Homeland Solidarity Party ( abbrev: STAR; ) is a Sabah-based political party in Malaysia. The party was founded on 1 July 2016 by Joseph Pairin Kitingan's brother Jeffrey. STAR Party was one of four founding parties of the United Sabah Allia ...

(STAR).

Political career

In the Opposition

Ongkili was originally an opposition politician but joined the government when the PBS joined the

(BN) coalition in 2002. In 1991, he was imprisoned under the Internal Security Act for 59 days. This was part of political arrests carried out between 1990 and 1991 to crack down on

opposition leaders Opposition may refer to: Arts and media * ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars * The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band * '' The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Comed ...

in Sabah, Malaysia, and their alleged plans to

secede Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal is the c ...

the state from Malaysia, allegedly known as Operation Talkak. Seven men were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). (See also 1991 Sabah political arrests). At the time of his arrest on 3 January 1991, Ongkili was a senior researcher and deputy chief director of IDS and electoral press consultant to then Chief Minister of

during the 1990 Sabah state and national elections. He was released unconditionally on 2 March.

In the Government

Ongkili entered Parliament in the 1995 general election (at the time, the Kota Marudu seat was named Bandau). He was appointed a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department after the

2004 election The following elections occurred in the year 2004. Africa * 2004 Algerian presidential election * 2004 Botswana general election * 2004 Cameroonian presidential election * 2004 Comorian legislative election * 2004 Equatorial Guinean legislativ ...

by Prime Minister

Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad (; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author and doctor who was respectively the fourth and seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia, prime minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020. He was the ...

's successor

. Ongkili was placed in charge of National Unity, and headed the initiation of the Khidmat Negara conscription program. Ongkili was also a member of the

Sabah State Legislative Assembly The Sabah State Legislative Assembly ( Kadazandusun: ''Langga' Tinukuan Pogun Sabah'', ) is a part of the legislature of Sabah, Malaysia, the other being the governor of Sabah. The assembly meets at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly Buildin ...

until the 2008 election, when he stood aside from his Tandek seat. In 2008, Ongkili became the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation. Then, after his victory in the 2013 general elections, Ongkili has been appointed Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister.

Election results

Honours

* : **

Commander of the

Order of Kinabalu The Illustrious Order of Kinabalu (Malay: ''Darjah Yang Amat Mulia Kinabalu'') is the only order conferred by the Governor of Sabah, Malaysia. Background The Illustrious Order of Kinabalu is established by virtue of Section 3(a) of State Honou ...

(PGDK) – Datuk (2002) ** MY-SAB Order of Kinabalu - SPDK

Grand Commander of the

(SPDK) – Datuk Seri Panglima (2011) * : ** MY-MAL Exalted Order of Malacca

Grand Commander of the

Exalted Order of Malacca The Exalted Order of Malacca () is the third-highest state order of Malacca which is conferred by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca. The order was constituted in 1978 by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Syed Zahiruddin along with the Premier and Exalted ...

(DGSM) – Datuk Seri (2009) * : ** MY-PAH Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang - Grand Knight - SSAP

Grand Knight of the

Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang The Most Illustrious Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang ( Malay: ''Darjah Kebesaran Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang Yang Amat Di Mulia'') is a knighthood order of the Sultanate of Pahang. History The order was founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah on 24 O ...

(SSAP) – Dato' Sri (2015)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maximus, Ongkili 1953 births Maximus Ongkili Malaysian Christians Government ministers of Malaysia Malaysian Protestants People from Kota Kinabalu Living people Kadazan-Dusun people United Sabah Party politicians La Trobe University alumni Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu Grand Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu Malaysian MPs 1995–1999 Malaysian MPs 1999–2004 Malaysian MPs 2004–2008 Malaysian MPs 2008–2013 Malaysian MPs 2013–2018 Malaysian MPs 2018–2022