Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili is the Federal Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Malaysia since March 2008. He was reappointed to the same post after the recent cabinet reshuffle under the new Prime Minister on 10 April 2009.

Prior to this, he was a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department from March 2004 to March 2008,  holding the portfolio of National Unity and Integration.

Prior to his appointment as a Federal Minister, Honourable Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili also served as Science & Technology Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sabah (2003-2004). He served for two terms as Member of the Public Accounts Committee, both in the National Parliament and Sabah Legislative Assembly.

He was a member of the National Service (NS) Advisory Board (2002-2004), the Chairman of the Select Committee on National Unity and National Service (2004-2009) and the Chairman of  Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation(MCPF) from 2004 to 2008.

He is a researcher by background, having previously worked as a lecturer with the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (now Universiti Putra Malaysia) and held senior research positions with the Institute of Strategic and International (ISIS) Malaysia (1985-1987) and the Institute of  Development Studies (IDS) Sabah, where he was Executive Director/CEO from 1991 to 1994.

He holds a BAgriSc and PhD in Agricultural Economics from La Trobe University. He was made a Distinguished Alumni of the university in April 2009. Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili also completed fellowship and summer programs at the United Nations University (Tokyo), Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID), Boston and Oxford University SAID Business School.   

Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili was born on 26 October  1953.  He is married to Datin Seri Joan Maluda and has two children.

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