Auditorium, Wednesday May 26. 16:00 hrs See session contents Auditorium, Wednesday May 26. 16:00 hrs See session contents Auditorium, Tuesday May 25. 16:15 hrs See session contents

About Datuk Seri Ongkili

Honourable Datuk Seri Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili is the Federal Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Malaysia since March 2008. He was reappointed to the same post after the recent cabinet reshuffle under the new Prime Minister of The Right Honourable Dato' Sri Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak on 10 April 2009. Prior to this, he was a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department from March 2004 to March 2008, holding the portfolio of national unity and integration.

He has been a Member of Parliament for the Federal seat of Kota Marudu, since 1995. He was also concurrently a three-term member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly for the Tandek Constituency from 1994 to 2008.

Prior to his appointment as a Federal Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Ongkili also served as Science & Technology Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sabah (2003-2004). He served for two terms as Member of the Public Accounts Committee both in the National Parliament and Sabah Legislative Assembly.

He was elected as the Chairman for 11th Session of United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) in 2008 and Vice-Chairman for 12th Session of CSTD in 2009. He is currently the permanent member for the National IT Council (NITC) in Malaysia which is chaired by the Hon. Prime Minister. He was a member of National Service (NS) Advisory Board (2002-2004), the Chairman of the Select Committee on National Unity and National Service (2004-2009) and the Chairman of Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) from 2004 to 2008.

Datuk Seri Dr. Ongkili served as Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Secretary-General in 1994 before elected to the present post of Deputy President which he has held since 1995. He also heads the party's Research and Training Bureau.

He is a researcher by background, having previously worked as a university lecturer with the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (now Universiti Putra Malaysia) and held senior research positions with the Institute of Strategic and International (ISIS) Malaysia (1985-1987) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) Sabah, where he was Executive Director/CEO from 1991 to 1994.

He holds a B.Agri.Sc. and Ph.D in Agricultural Economics from La Trobe University. He also completed fellowship and summer programmes at the United Nations University (Tokyo), Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID), Boston, and Oxford University SAID Business School. Currently, he is also the elected Deputy President of the Kadazan-Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) Sabah.