- Born
- March 2, 1963 — Johor Bahru, Federation of Malaya (modern-day Malaysia)
- Family
- Married to a Canadian, settled in Newfoundland
- Education
- Anglo-Chinese School, Wheaton College, Lester B. Pearson College in Canada, University of Cambridge, University of London
- Career
- Consultant on international marine affairs, economist for the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, president and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
- Political Experience
- Appointed to Senate in 2016, inaugural facilitator of the Independent Senators Group (ISG) from September 2017 until January 2022, elected joint chair of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations in the 45th Canadian Parliament in 2025
- Notable
- First Malaysian-born senator, recipient of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards in 2017, senior fellow in public policy at the Asian Institute of Research at the University of British Columbia at the time of his appointment to the Senate, co-founded Canadians United Against Modern Exclusion
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before his appointment to the Senate in 2016, Yuen Pau Woo had a career focused on Asia-Pacific relations and policy. He was the President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, a think-tank focused on Canada's relationship with Asia. He has also reportedly served as a senior fellow at Simon Fraser University's Graduate School of Public Policy and at the University of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. His public disclosures with the Senate Ethics Officer have listed interests in various public companies through managed accounts and a holding company. These interests are in sectors such as finance, technology, and resources. He also declared his role as a director for the Public Policy Forum, a non-profit organization.
Key Relationships & Connections
Yuen Pau Woo was appointed to the Senate on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, following a recommendation from the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments. He served as the Facilitator (leader) of the Independent Senators Group (ISG) from 2017 to 2022, making him a key figure in the leadership of the largest bloc in the Senate during that time. In this role, he worked closely with other parliamentary leaders to manage legislation and Senate business.
Public Controversies
Senator Woo has faced public criticism, primarily concerning his views on Canada-China relations. In 2021, he introduced an amendment to a Conservative motion that sought to declare China's treatment of its Uyghur minority a genocide. His amendment proposed removing the word "genocide" and instead calling for an international investigation, which drew significant condemnation from critics who argued it downplayed the severity of the situation. The amendment was ultimately defeated. He has also been criticized for comments regarding the detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in China. According to reports, he suggested that Canada's focus should be on securing their release rather than on the legal case of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, whose arrest preceded theirs. Critics interpreted these and other statements as being overly sympathetic to the positions of the Chinese government, a characterization the Senator has disputed.