Lawrence Mok seeks re-election as BC Conservative candidate in Maple Ridge East

Maple Ridge East incumbent MLA Lawrence Mok is defending his seat in the provincial election, just two years after first being elected in 2024. New to politics in Maple Ridge and Mission at the time, Mok defeated former NDP MLA Bob D’Eith by fewer than 100 votes. D’Eith had represented the riding for the NDP since 2017.

Mok said he is proud to run with the BC Conservative Party team led by Lorne Doerkson. He said the party plans to grow the economy, freeze taxes, cut provincial income tax by $1,000 for working British Columbians and reduce red tape so struggling businesses can recover. He also said the NDP has run up a record deficit of almost $14 billion and families are paying for it.

Mok has criticized NDP Leader David Eby for calling the provincial election two years early and for having it overlap with local government elections underway across B.C. Mok said Eby caused confusion by calling a snap election during municipal elections. He added that several of Eby’s cabinet ministers are not running again, the NDP is in disarray and the economy is struggling. Mok claimed B.C. had “lost 40,000 in just the last two months,” without specifying in the article what population or group the figure refers to.

Mok also derided Eby’s effort to frame the election as necessary to confront what Eby calls an existential threat from U.S. President Donald Trump and his trade war with Canada. Mok said Eby knows the B.C. economy is not doing well under his government and is trying to blame Trump.

Mok moved to Canada from Singapore in 1988 with his wife and two children. They have lived in Maple Ridge for more than 35 years. He attended universities in Canada and the United States, earning nine degrees: a Bachelor of Applied Science and Technology, Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Religion, Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, Doctor of Religious Studies, Doctor of Business Administration and Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration.

He has more than 30 years of experience in the manufacturing, installation, sales and servicing of overhead cranes, crane components and hoists in B.C. He also runs overhead-crane operator safety training seminars, has taught business management courses as a guest lecturer at universities in Canada, China and North Africa, and preaches part-time at several local churches. Mok has also volunteered actively at the Maple Ridge Salvation Army Church, serving in various roles over the years.

Mok said Maple Ridge and Mission have grown rapidly over the past two decades, bringing challenges including homelessness, poverty, drugs, long waits in hospital emergency departments, rising crime rates, and a lack of recreation facilities and employment opportunities. He supports building pipelines, lowering taxes, balancing the budget, cracking down on violent crime and reducing wait times for medical treatment.