Education
University of Malaya.
郭素沁
University of Malaya.
Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Teresa is a second-generation Malaysian of Chinese descent. She speaks Malay, English and Chinese fluently. Kok is a Catholic. She earned her first degree from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), graduating in the School of Communication, and
A second degree from University Malaya in political science, and a master of philosophy.
Her thesis was on UMNO, titled "Factionalism in Umno During Doctor Mahathir"s Era (1981–2001)". Kok was political secretary to Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang from 1990 to 1995.
In 1995, she contested the Ipoh Barat Parliamentary seat on a Directory of American Philosophers ticket but was defeated by the Master of Computer Applications candidate. Kok resigned as political secretary after that to further her studies.
In 2004, she published a book compiling articles she wrote for the then Chinese daily Sin Chew Jit Poh.
She continues to write a weekly column for the Chinese daily Sin Chew. In the 2008 general election, Kok retained her Parliamentary seat of Seputeh in Kuala Lumpur with a majority of 36,492, the largest majority in any constituency. In the new Selangor executive council, she was named senior executive councillor and put in charge of investment, trade and industry to ensure all funds are directed to Malaysians.
Later in 2008, she was arrested under the Internal Security Acting ( Industry Standard Architecture).
Under the act, the police have no obligation to disclose the alleged offence if any at all. The Malay newspaper Utusan had reported she had "advised" a mosque in Puchong not to use loudspeakers while making the azan.
She denied the allegation. lieutenant was found out later that a faulty loudspeaker system was the reason why the mosque did not broadcast the azan.
Furthermore, while there was a petition sent to the mosque, the petition requested for the mosque to lower the volume during "ceramah" or sermons and not during the azan.
The administrator of the mosque, as well as the petitioners, confirmed that Kok was not involved in the petition. She was released on 19 September 2008. On 27 September, two Molotov cocktails were thrown into the compound of her family residence, accompanied by a warning letter.
Number-one was hurt.
In May 2014, Kok was charged with sedition for making a Chinese New Year video posted on YouTube which allegedly contained seditious elements. Kok was among the first of several other opposition politicians to be caught in a nationwide sedition dragnet. Kok, Teresa (2002).
"Government Should Not Send The Rohingya Refugees Who Broke Into The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office Back To Burma".
Retrieved 5 November 2005. Kok, Teresa (2005). "Teresa Kok Suh Sim".
Retrieved 29 October 2005.
Kok is a member of the Hakka dialect group and her ancestors were from Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China.