Guan Dee Koh Hoi

Guan Dee first stood in the 2004 general election for Kuala Penyu state seat in Sabah as a candidate for United Democratic Sabah Peoples Power Party (SETIA). In the 2008 general election he tried for, and contested the Kuala Penyu state seat again under People's Justice Party (PKR). He subsequently contested the Beaufort parliamentary seat in 2013 general election on the Sarawak's State Reform Party (STAR)'s Sabah chapter ticket. He was defeated and also had his deposit forfeited in all the three elections as the opposition candidate.^[3]

Guan Dee then joined and became secretary-general of the newly formed Homeland Solidarity Party (STAR), an offshoot of the original the Sarawak's STAR in 2016 but he did not contest any seat in the 2018 general election (GE14) and the 2020 state election. He was however made a recipient of Sabah state 'Datukship' award on 3 October 2020 after his party joined Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.^[4] He was also chosen by PN, the new federal ruling coalition led by Muhyiddin Yassin, the STAR party he belong was part of to be a senator on 16 December 2020.^[5] Subsequently on 16 April 2021 he was picked to fill the vacant position of Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, given up by STAR's president Jeffrey Kitingan to be the Sabah deputy chief minister following the 2020 state election victory of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS); which was set-up by PN coalition in Saban that also consists of STAR.^[2][3]

His appointment, despite the lack of credentials, had even attracted many attentions including former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who has sarcastically commended it in jest.^[6][7]

After more than four months of his appointment, Guan Dee was finally dropped on 27 August 2021 from the federal administration under the ruling coalition new functional Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob following Muhyiddin's resignation due to his loss of the government's majority.^[8][9]

On the evening of 26 October 2021, at 4.45 pm, Guan Dee died at the age of 67, after being admitted to Hospital Kuala Lumpur due to COVID-19 complications earlier that morning.^[10]