Simon Poh Hoon Seng

Simon Peter Poh Hoon Seng (born 15 April 1963) is a Malaysian Catholic prelate who has been serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kuching since 2017. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese from 2015 to 2017.

Early life and education Simon Peter Poh Hoon Seng was born on 15 April 1963, in Sri Aman, Sarawak, to Joseph Poh and Geraldine Poh. The oldest child in the family, he has two sisters, Irene and Doreen, and two brothers, Raymond and Norman. From 1970 to 1975, Poh attended St. Joseph's primary school. He then continued his studies at St. Joseph's Secondary School from 1976 to 1982. He and his family converted to Catholicism between the years 1979 and 1980. After becoming a Catholic, Poh joined the school's club, Young Christian Students, the Legion of Mary, and St. Joseph's Cathedral's altar servers.

Ordination and ministry The parish priest of the church Poh attended at the time, Fr. Josef Wassermann, greatly inspired him due to his commitment and dedication. In 1982, Poh decided to enter the seminary at St. Peter's College Major Seminary, Kuching. During his years as a seminarian, he learnt to master and speak few languages of natives such as Bidayuh, and Iban. At the age of 25, Poh was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Peter Chung Hoan Ting on 31 July 1988.

In 1996, Poh obtained a Licentiate in Missiology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy. He returned back to Kuching and served as parish rector for four years at St. Ann's Church, Kota Padawan. Poh then became the director of the Commission for Vocations and also served as Spiritual Director of the Commission for Youth. He received his episcopal consecration on 24 September 2015 from Archbishop John Ha Tiong Hock with Archbishop Peter Chung Hoan Ting and Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom, serving as co-consecrators.

Archbishop of Kuching On 5 March 2017, Poh was appointed Archbishop of Kuching by Pope Francis to succeed Archbishop John Ha Tiong Hock who resigned for early retirement. He took canonical possession of the diocese and was installed on 20 March 2017.

Federal court's ruling On 27 February 2018, after the Federal Court's ruling on apostasy cases in Sarawak, tensions arose outside the courthouse as a group of youths shouted at Poh while he exited the building. As he walked through the crowd, a widely shared video captured the moment when tensions escalated. Despite the charged atmosphere, several individuals, including Muslim youths, quickly stepped forward to protect him. They formed a protective barrier around Poh and escorted him safely to his vehicle. Police later described the incident as minor, explaining that the youths reacted emotionally but that the situation remained under control. They confirmed that no arrests were made and estimated that around 400 people had gathered at the court complex. Following the incident, Poh urged for unity and calm, saying "in Sarawak, we work as friends. Let us not allow emotions to overcome everything." He clarified that the court's decision was based on legal jurisdiction rather than religious conflict and encouraged thoughtful discussions and prayers. He also praised the judges for their neutrality and fairness, stressing the importance of ongoing dialogue and mutual respect, while expressing hope that lawmakers would address the issue fairly.

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