Ignatius Darell Leiking
Moyog (N26)
Age 53
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- Date of Birth: 23 August 1971, born in Penampang, Sabah.
- LLB (Hons) in Law from the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn, London.
- Legal Career: Founder and Principal Partner of Leiking & Associates since 1998; has practiced law since 1994.
- Minister of International Trade and Industry, appointed in July 2018, serving until February 2020 under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s Pakatan Harapan administration.
- Pushed initiatives to boost East Malaysia’s economy, particularly Sabah and Sarawak, through subregional cooperation (BIMP-EAGA), improved trade connectivity, and advocacy for local investment
- Promoted Sabah’s emerging role in the aerospace sector (MRO and manufacturing), highlighting potential for the state to become a regional hub and calling for decentralization of industrial approvals
- Helped secure 538 approved manufacturing projects (RM34.7B investment) in Sabah from 2000–2018, creating ~41,494 jobs; helped facilitate four new projects worth RM675.1M in the first half of 2019 alone
- Served as Member of Parliament for Penampang from May 2013 to November 2022. Won elections in 2013 (PKR ticket) and 2018 (WARISAN ticket) with strong majorities
- Elected as ADUN for Moyog in the 2020 Sabah state election with a 5,935 majority, representing WARISAN in the state assembly Known as a vocal advocate for Sabah state rights and equitable development, tackling issues like illegal immigration, Project IC, and pushing for autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement.
- Stressed the need for state-level autonomy over industry approvals, arguing that Sabah should have authority over local industry regulation, especially during crises like MCO.
- Raised concerns on investor hesitation in Sabah due to high cost of entry and lack of tailored incentives, urging state and federal cooperation to make investment more attractive.
- Emphasized transforming Sabah into a regional aerospace hub, highlighting partnerships with national agencies (NAICO) and calling for the upgrade of Sandakan and Tawau airports to international status.
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Appointed in July 2018 under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s Pakatan Harapan government, serving until February 2020. In this role, he championed trade opportunities for Sabah and greater regional autonomy in economic affairs.
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Member of Parliament for Penampang. First elected in May 2013 on a PKR ticket, against Bernard Giluk Dompok, then re-elected in 2018 under Parti Warisan Sabah with a commanding majority of 23,473 votes.
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Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Moyog, elected in 2020 with a majority of 5,935 votes.
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Founding Deputy President of Parti Warisan Sabah (WARISAN), co-founding the party in 2016, and served in key leadership roles both in PKR and WARISAN.
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Known for strong stances on issues such as illegal immigration, Project IC, and the North Borneo territorial claims.
Alleged Minor Conversion Case — 2015
Darell Leiking, then MP for Penampang, criticized a school over the alleged conversion of a minor to Islam without parental consent.
Malay Mail (Feb 8, 2015): “School abused power by luring minor into Islam, Sabah MP claims”
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2015/02/08/school-abused-power-by-luring-minor-into-islam-sabah-mp-claims/836859
Language Policy Pushback — 2022
He condemned proposals to penalize Sabah civil servants for not using Malay in official communication.
Daily Express via FMT (May 29, 2022): “Leave Sabah out of strange policy, says Warisan”
https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/193270/leave-sabah-out-of-strange-policy-says-warisan/
Revenue Entitlement Challenge — 2022
Criticized by PBS for calling out federal authorities over Sabah’s 40% oil revenue entitlement, seen as political misstep.
The Vibes (May 7, 2022): “PBS man chides Leiking for challenging Ongkili on state revenue claim”
https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/60351/pbs-man-chides-leiking-for-challenging-ongkili-on-state-revenue-claim
Call for Anti-Graft Safeguards — 2025
While not a controversy in himself, he urged Sabah to set up an independent ombudsman in response to rising corruption concerns.
Daily Express (Apr 15, 2025): “Set up independent ombudsman to deal with graft: Warisan”
https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/256273/set-up-independent-ombudsman-to-deal-with-graft-warisan/
MM2H Opposition – “Sabah at a Disadvantage” (2021)
He claimed new MM2H rules (requiring RM40,000 monthly income) would hurt Sabah’s chances to attract foreign investors and expatriates vital to local development.
Nabalu News
Criticized Digital Foreigner Registration (2022)
He asserted that Sabah’s digital registration system for immigrants was a federal plan, not a Sabah-originated initiative—countering state-level critique of the government.
Astro Awani
Backing Shafie’s Early Voting Proposal (2020)
Supported allowing quarantined COVID-19 patients to vote early, a move widely criticized by other politicians and health officials for being risky.
Malay Mail
“Forgave” Defector from Warisan (2021)
Stated that defectors from Warisan were forgiven but not forgotten—highlighting rising party-hopping and its political cost.
Malay Mail
Denied Warisan-BN Electoral Cooperation (2025)
Rejected reports of secret seat-sharing negotiations with BN Sabah, labeling such claims speculative and false.
Astro Awani
Champion of State Rights & MA63
Frequently advocated for Sabah’s constitutional rights, including oversight over immigration (e.g., Project IC), and called for addressing historical grievances and revenue gaps.
Wikipedia