{{Short description|Malaysian politician}} {{family name hatnote|Kerk (郭)|lang=Chinese}} {{Use British English|date=October 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Kerk Kim Hock | native_name = {{nobold|郭金福}} | native_name_lang = zh-my | honorific_suffix = | image = | caption = | birth_name = Kerk Kim Hock | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1956|7|29}} | birth_place = Malacca, Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2017|8|9|1956|7|29}} | death_place = Malacca, Malaysia | office = 4th Secretary-General of the <br /> Democratic Action Party | term_start = 3 December 1999 | term_end = 28 March 2004 | 1blankname = National Chairman | 1namedata = Lim Kit Siang | predecessor = Lim Kit Siang | successor = Lim Guan Eng | constituency = | office2 = | term_start2 = 29 November 1999 | term_end2 = 21 March 2004 | predecessor2 = Lim Guan Eng | successor2 = Wong Nai Chee | constituency_MP2 = Kota Melaka | parliament2 = Malaysian | majority2 = 9,389 (1999) | office3 = | term_start3 = 20 October 1990 | term_end3 = 29 November 1999 | predecessor3 = Lau Dak Kee | successor3 = ''Position abolished'' | constituency_MP3 = Pasir Pinji | parliament3 = Malaysian | majority3 = 17,953 (1990) | office4 = | term_start4 = 3 August 1986 | term_end4 = 20 October 1990 | predecessor4 = Unknown | successor4 = Jew Kok Kee | constituency_AM4 = Durian Daun | assembly4 = Malacca State Legislative | majority4 = 4,808 (1986) | office5 = | term_start5 = | term_end5 = | predecessor5 = | successor5 = | constituency5 = | citizenship = Malaysian | party = Democratic Action Party (DAP) | other_party = Barisan Alternatif (BA) <br /> Gagasan Rakyat (GR) | occupation = Politician | profession = Mechanical engineer | relations = | parents = | spouse = Mook Kwai Mei | children = Kerk Chee Yee (son) <br /> Kerk Chee Wan (daughter) | alma_mater = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Kerk Kim Hock''' ({{lang-zh|s=郭金福|t=郭金福|poj=Keh Kim-hok|j=Gwok3 Gam1 Fuk1|p=Guō Jīnfú}}; 29 July 1956 – 9 August 2017)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.roketkini.com/2017/08/09/mengenang-kerk-kim-hock-semangat-dap-yang-berani/|title = Mengenang Kerk Kim Hock – semangat DAP yang berani|date = 9 August 2017}}</ref> was a Malaysian politician and mechanical engineer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Kota Melaka from December 1999 to March 2004 and Pasir Panji from October 1990 to December 1999. He served as Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Durian Daun from August 1986 to October 1990. He also served as the 4th Secretary-General of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) from December 1999 to his retirement from politics in March 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dapmalaysia.org/all-archive/English/2002/jul02/bul/bul1681.htm|title=Former UKM Student Activist Loke Siew Fook appointed as Political Secretary to DAP Secretary General, YB Kerk Kim Hock|date=16 July 2002|work=Democratic Action Party Media Announcement|access-date=16 August 2010}}</ref> Kerk's retirement coincided with the DAP leaving the Barisan Alternatif opposition coalition that the party had co-founded in 1998. He was also the father of Kerk Chee Yee, the Deputy Speaker of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly and MLA for Ayer Keroh.
==Political career== He was elected in 1986 as the state assemblyman for Durian Daun, Malacca. In 1987, he was detained for 60 days without trial under the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) as part of Operasi Lalang, a government sponsored crackdown that saw the arrest of many people, including activists, intellectuals and opposition politicians.<ref name="chronicle">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=md9UAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA192 |contribution=63 detained as threat to national security |title=Chronicle of Malaysia: Fifty Years of Headline News, 1963-2013 |editor= Philip Mathews|publisher=Didier Millet, Csi |year= 2014 |isbn=978-9671061749 |page=192 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t09BvRA3VRYC&pg=PA69 |title= Democratization in Southeast and East Asia|author= Anek Laothamatas |publisher= St. Martin's Press |year= 1997 |page=69 |isbn= 978-0312173647}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/karpal-is-a-true-hero-of-the-people-kerk-kim-hock |title=Karpal is a true hero of the people - Kerk Kim Hock |date=1 May 2014 |work=The Malaysian Insider |access-date=15 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415132531/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/karpal-is-a-true-hero-of-the-people-kerk-kim-hock |archive-date=15 April 2015 }}</ref> In 1990 he was elected as an MP for Pasir Pinji, Perak but in 1995 he lost the Ipoh Timor parliamentary seat by a slim 292 vote majority. Kerk won the Kota Melaka, Malacca parliamentary seat in 1999 later but lost it in the 2004 general election by a slim 219 vote majority again. He then officially retired from Malaysian politics on 28 March 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19103219_ITM|title=No regrets leaving politics, says Kerk|last=Sharanjit Singh|date=13 March 2005|work= New Straits Times|access-date=16 August 2010}}</ref>
==Personal life== Kerk was married to Mook Kwai Mei and the couple has two children; a son and a daughter. Kerk's son, Kerk Chee Yee has followed his footstep to join politics was elected as state assemblyman for the Ayer Keroh seat in the 2018 Malaysian general election (GE14). He served in the state executive council as Communications, Multimedia, NGO, Youth and Sports Committee chairman from 16 May 2018 until 2 March 2020 during the political crisis.
==Health and death== He was diagnosed with Stage II rectal cancer in 2002. After 5 years of battle with cancer, he was announced cancer-free on 25 May 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/6/1/nation/17899552&sec=nation |title=Kerk gets a twin surprise |last=Marsha Tan |date=1 June 2007 |work=The Star (Malaysia) |access-date=16 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622051519/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F6%2F1%2Fnation%2F17899552&sec=nation |archive-date=22 June 2011 }}</ref> But in 2015, he was diagnosed again with cancer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/391459|title=Kerk Kim Hock - a patriot who was true to his principles|publisher=Malaysiakini|date=10 August 2017}}</ref>
Kerk died at 6.10 pm on 9 August 2017 at the age of 61 at his home in Taman Kenanga Seksyen 3, Melaka Tengah District of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) from surgery complications three days after slipping into a coma.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/08/09/kerk-kim-hock-passes-away/|title=Former DAP sec-gen Kerk Kim Hock dies|work=The Star Online|date=9 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/391412#GThstFGXZUok47l7.99 |title=Bekas Setiausaha Agung DAP Kerk Kim Hock meninggal dunia |date=9 August 2017 |work=Malaysiakini |language=ms |access-date=10 August 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/former-dap-sec-gen-kerk-kim-hock-passes-away|title=Former DAP sec-gen Kerk Kim Hock passes away|publisher=Malay Mail Online|date=9 August 2017|author=Kumar, Kamles}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/former-dap-sec-gen-kerk-132929186.html|title=Former DAP sec-gen Kerk Kim Hock dies|publisher=Yahoo News|date=9 August 2017|author=Koh, Kelly|access-date=10 August 2017|archive-date=10 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810173138/https://sg.news.yahoo.com/former-dap-sec-gen-kerk-132929186.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Election results== {| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%" |+ Malacca State Legislative Assembly<ref name="election results">{{cite web|url=http://semak.spr.gov.my/spr/laporan/5_KedudukanAkhir.php|title=Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri|publisher=Election Commission of Malaysia|access-date=11 July 2010}} Percentage figures based on total turnout.</ref><ref name="undiinfo">{{Cite web | title = Malaysia General Election | work = undiinfo Malaysian Election Data | publisher = Malaysiakini | url = http://undi.info/# | access-date = 4 February 2017}} Results only available from the 2004 election.</ref> !|Year !|Constituency !colspan=2|Candidate !|Votes !|Pct !colspan=2|Opponent(s) !|Votes !|Pct !|Ballots cast !|Majority !|Turnout |- |rowspan=3| 1986 |rowspan=3| '''N15 Durian Daun''' |rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} | |rowspan=3| {{nowrap|'''Kerk Kim Hock'''}} ('''DAP''') |rowspan=3 align="right" |'''7,842''' |rowspan=3|'''68.56%''' |{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} | |Lai See Liong (MCA) | align="right" |3,034 |26.51% |rowspan=3|11,438 |rowspan=3|4,808 |rowspan=3|73.84% |- |{{Party shading/green}} | |Low Kim Seng (PPPM) |align="right" |111 |align="right" |0.97% |- |{{Party shading/Independent}} | |Yong Wee Yook @ Yong Wee Ngok (IND) |align="right" |215 |align="right" |1.88% |}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%" |+ Parliament of Malaysia<ref name="election results"/><ref name="undiinfo"/> !|Year !|Constituency !colspan=2|Candidate !|Votes !|Pct !colspan=2|Opponent(s) !|Votes !|Pct !|Ballots cast !|Majority !|Turnout |- |1990 |'''P058 Pasir Pinji''' |{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} | |{{nowrap|'''Kerk Kim Hock'''}} ('''DAP''') |align="right" |'''31,643''' |'''69.80%''' |{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} | |Chew Wai Khoon (MCA) |align="right" |13,690 |30.20% |46,115 |17,953 |67.27% |- |1995 |'''P061 Ipoh Timor''' |{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} | |{{nowrap|Kerk Kim Hock}} (DAP) |align="right" |23,837 |49.70% |{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} | |'''Chang Kon You @ Chen Kwan Wu''' ('''MCA''') |align="right" |'''24,129''' |'''50.30%''' |49,233 |292 |66.68% |- |1999 | '''P123 Kota Melaka''' |{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} | |{{nowrap|'''Kerk Kim Hock'''}} ('''DAP''') |align="right" |'''33,472''' |'''58.16%''' |{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} | |Lim Swee Kiang (MCA) |align="right" |24,083 |41.84% |58,921 |9,389 |77.15% |- |2004 |'''P138 Kota Melaka''' |{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} | |{{nowrap|Kerk Kim Hock}} (DAP) |align="right" |30,998 |49.82% |{{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} | |'''Wong Nai Chee''' ('''MCA''') |align="right" |'''31,217''' |'''50.18%''' |64,391 |219 |77.78% |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before= Lim Kit Siang}} {{s-ttl|title=4th Secretary-General of the DAP|years=1999-2004}} {{s-aft|after=Lim Guan Eng}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerk, Kim Hock}} Category:1956 births Category:2017 deaths Category:Malaysian engineers Category:Democratic Action Party (Malaysia) politicians Category:Members of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly Category:Malaysian politicians of Chinese descent Category:Deaths from thrombosis Category:Malaysian MPs 1990–1995 Category:Malaysian MPs 1999–2004