Baru Bian was born on 9 September 1958 and is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who has served as Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for Ba'kelalan since April 2011.
58 Facts About Baru Bian
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Baru Bian served as the Minister of Works in the Pakatan Harapan administration under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad from July 2018 to the collapse of the PH administration in February 2020 and the Member of Parliament for Selangau from May 2018 to November 2022.
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Baru Bian is a member of the Progressive Democratic Party, a component party of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak coalition and was a member of the Parti Sarawak Bersatu, People's Justice Party, a component party of the PH and formerly Pakatan Rakyat coalitions.
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Baru Bian has served as the Vice President of PDP since April 2024.
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Baru Bian served as the State Chairman of PKR of Sarawak from December 2009 to his resignation from the party in February 2020.
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Baru Bian became the first ever federal minister of the Lun Bawang ethnicity in the Malaysian history.
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Baru Bian was born in an impoverished Lun Bawang family on 9 September 1958, to Bian Labo and Takong Taie in Long Lopeng, Sarawak.
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The ancestry of Baru Bian can be traced back to Berunut area, near the Adang river, where the latter is the tributary of the Limbang River.
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Baru Bian is the third child and the eldest son in the family.
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Baru's father, Bian Labo was trained at Lawas bible school which was under the Sidang Injil Borneo church.
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Baru Bian attended Primary 1 to 2 at Long Lellang, Primary 3 to 4 at Long Semado, and passed common entrance examination at Long Napir.
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Baru Bian drew the boundaries of their NCR land and signed by the village headman.
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Baru Bian attended Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang for Form 6 at Tanjong Lobang, Miri, Sarawak.
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Baru Bian got a satisfactory result in GCE Ordinary Level examination.
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Baru Bian taught geography, History, Physical Education and General Science there.
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Baru Bian's uncle, Libat Langub, who was a former student at ITM, encouraged him to study law there.
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Baru Bian went to Melbourne to further his studies on Law in 1985.
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Baru Bian applied for scholarship from ITM but was denied.
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Baru Bian was admitted to the Malayan Bar as a lawyer and solicitor.
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Baru Bian taught himself about native customary rights law through Sahabat Alam Malaysia, an NGO led by Harrison Ngau Laing, an environmentalist.
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Bruno would later help Baru Bian to raise RM 30,000 from overseas supporters to fund Baru Bian's 1991 election endeavour.
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Baru Bian filed his first NCR case in 1991 on behalf of his extended family whose ancestral lands in Berunut was encroached by logging companies.
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Baru Bian set up Messrs Baru Bian Advocates and Solicitors in Kuching in 1992.
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Baru Bian took up cases related to wrongful arrests or jailed without remand.
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In 2001, Baru Bian won the Rumah Nor Nyawai case in Sarawak High Court.
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Baru Bian has been fighting regarding the rights by Christians of Sabah and Sarawak to carry on using the word Allah in the general practise of their Christian faith for generations.
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Baru Bian has been a popularly known activist and lawyer who had handled many ancestral lands as well as native customary rights cases and has strong support from churches notably SIB and Dayak community.
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Later as politician and even minister, Baru Bian continue to champion better opportunities and provision of education and healthcare facilities in Sarawak and attempts to use the Sarawak Wealth Fund to ensure better development and wealth distribution among all Sarawakians.
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In 1987, Baru Bian had joined Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak at the beginning because the party was advocating NCR rights in Sarawak.
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In 1989, Baru Bian was elected as PBDS Youth Executive Council member.
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Baru Bian first contested against Sarawak Barisan Nasional governing coalition at Lawas in 1991 but lost.
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However, Baru Bian decided to continue his pursue towards NCR rights cases in court.
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In September 2004, Baru Bian decided to quit PBDS and went to contest against BN in Ba'kelalan by-election as an Independent but lost again.
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Baru Bian believed in continuing to uphold the NCR lands among the natives and the need to change the Sarawak state government in order to solve the NCR problems permanently.
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Baru Bian later tried to join newly formed Malaysian Dayak Congress to succeed PBDS but its registration never get to be approved for 2006 Sarawak state election, Baru Bian chose to join Sarawak National Party instead to contest again the Ba'kelalan under SNAP ticket but had lost for the third time.
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Baru Bian then decided to retire from politics temporary because he already lost three times in elections.
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Baru Bian decided to rejoin politics again to strengthen the two-party system and joined People's Justice Party in April 2008, the same time of formation of new Pakatan Rakyat, as a reforms-hopeful informal coalition.
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In 2009, Baru Bian was appointed as the chairman of PKR Sarawak.
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Baru Bian then proceed to win the Ba'kelalan state constituency under PKR banner for the first time during 2011 Sarawak state election, having defeated the candidate for the BN coalition, Willie Liau, who is his nephew, by a narrow 473-vote majority.
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In 2013 Malaysian general election, Baru Bian decided to contest in Limbang parliamentary seat as PKR candidate.
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In 2015, Sarawak chief minister Adenan Satem invited Baru Bian to join BN he declined the offer.
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Baru Bian retained the seat in the 2016 Sarawak state election as PKR candidate with an increased majority of 538 votes, against Willie.
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Baru Bian subsequently won the parliamentary seat against BN's Rita Sarimah with a majority of 486 votes.
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On 2 July 2018, Baru Bian was sworn in as the Minister of Works of Malaysia at National Palace.
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Amidst PH changed their support to Anwar Ibrahim from Mahathir for Prime Minister, Baru Bian had turned Independent rather than follow Azmin's group, joining BERSATU to form the Perikatan Nasional government with Muhyiddin as Prime Minister, and be accused a hypocrite as well as opportunistic politician.
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Baru Bian has managed to retain the Ba'kelalan seat for the third term but as a PSB candidate in a 5 corner contest in the 2021 Sarawak state election.
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Baru Bian met his current wife Yu Ching Sieu during his studies at Melbourne, Australia when he joined Overseas Christian Fellowship.
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Baru Bian returned to Malaysia after graduation in 1986, Ching Sieu was still studying for another year for her double degree.
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Baru Bian has six siblings and is the third child and the eldest son.
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Baru Bian's father died of stomach cancer in 1993 at the age of 62 and was buried at Miri.
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Baru Bian was baptised at Limbang River in 1973 by a New Zealand missionary named Murray Munroe.
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Baru Bian started to play guitar for Christian songs while he was a member of ISCF at SMK Limbang.
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Baru Bian later become the president of ICSF during Form 4 and Form 5.
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Baru Bian participated in Young Christian Students Movement year-end mission trips during his secondary school years.
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When Baru Bian studied at Melbourne, Australia, he attended Overseas Christian Fellowship.
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Baru Bian learned Ngajat dance during his primary school years at Long Lellang.
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Baru Bian is able to sing songs in alto since he was in Form 4.
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Baru Bian started to play football while he was in Form 6.