Andrew Chen Kah Eng

Summary

Andrew Chen Kah Eng (DAP) has represented the Stulang state seat in Johor Bahru since 2013, winning three consecutive terms, and currently serves as the Leader of the Balancing Force of the Johor State Assembly and State Secretary of DAP Johor. His legislative work is primarily focused on Malaysia-Singapore cross-border issues, democratic governance safeguards, and constituency-level social services. He is contesting a fourth consecutive term in the 16th Johor State Election, with polling scheduled for 11 July 2026.

Biography

Andrew Chen Kah Eng (Chinese: 曾笳恩) is a Malaysian politician representing the Democratic Action Party (DAP) under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. Born on 13 October 1975 in Kuching, Sarawak, he relocated to Johor to pursue tertiary education at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), where he obtained an Honours Degree in Land Surveying and later a Master of Science in Satellite Surveying [1]. He has served as Member of the Johor State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Stulang since May 2013, having won three consecutive terms in office [1]. Within his party, Chen has held the position of State Secretary of DAP Johor since May 2021 [1]. At the state assembly level, he served as State Leader of the Opposition of Johor from December 2022 to March 2023, before assuming his current role as Leader of the Balancing Force of Johor from March 2023 onwards — a designation adopted following a suggestion by the Johor Royal Household [2]. Beyond legislative duties, Chen was appointed in July 2018 to chair a special state government task force examining traffic congestion at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex — a critical crossing point for the hundreds of thousands of Malaysians who commute daily between Johor Bahru and Singapore [3]. During the COVID-19 Movement Control Order in 2020, he coordinated cross-border breast milk deliveries for Malaysian mothers working in Singapore, an effort recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records in April 2021 [1]. As of June 2026, Chen is contesting his fourth term in the Stulang seat in the 16th Johor State Election, scheduled for 11 July 2026 [4].

Known for

Andrew Chen Kah Eng is most closely associated with Malaysia-Singapore cross-border issues — from chairing a state task force on Johor-Singapore causeway congestion to advocating for better cross-border transport and pedestrian infrastructure. He has also taken public positions on political governance matters, including calling for anti-party-hopping legislation and opposing the rushed tabling of appointed state assemblyman legislation in Johor. As Johor's Leader of the Balancing Force, he is the principal legislative voice of the PH opposition bloc in the Johor State Assembly.

Political positions

Chen has consistently supported strengthening democratic safeguards at the state level. In January 2022, he joined fellow PH assemblymen in calling on the Johor state government to enact an anti-party-hopping law ahead of the state election [3]. On cross-border and infrastructure matters, Chen has advocated for improvements to the Johor Bahru-Singapore causeway, including streamlined CIQ clearance, expanded public transport, and the gazetting of a pedestrian shortcut near BSI as a third entry point [1]. On economic development, he expressed support for the Forest City Special Financial Zone (SFZ), noting its potential to create employment for the approximately 300,000 Malaysians who commute to Singapore daily and to attract foreign direct investment [5]. On political cooperation, he publicly urged PH and Barisan Nasional to continue working together heading into the next general election, citing the unity government model as beneficial for Johor [6]. In May 2026, he opposed the Johor state government's motion to introduce appointed state assemblymen, characterising the process as rushed and lacking adequate consultation with the balancing force bloc [7]. For the 2026 state election campaign, his stated priorities centre on elderly welfare — including community centre programmes, elderly care management training, medical escort services, and legal assistance for will-writing [7].

Education

1. Late 1990sObtained Honours Degree in Land Surveying from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor, having relocated from Kuching, Sarawak for his studies.⛓
2. Early 2000sObtained Master of Science (Satellite Surveying) degree.⛓

Political career

1. May 2013First elected as ADUN for Stulang under DAP/Pakatan Rakyat banner, defeating MCA's Chong Chee Siong with a majority of 3,296 votes.⛓
2. July 2018Appointed by the Johor PH state government to chair the Special Task Force on traffic congestion at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) CIQ complex.⛓
3. May 2018Re-elected as ADUN for Stulang under DAP/Pakatan Harapan, defeating BN's Ang Boon Heng with a significantly increased majority of 12,470 votes.⛓
4. May 2021Assumed role of State Secretary of DAP Johor.⛓
5. March 2022Re-elected as ADUN for Stulang for a third term in the Johor state election, winning with 12,499 votes and a reduced majority of 2,866 votes in a five-cornered contest.⛓
6. December 2022Appointed State Leader of the Opposition of Johor.⛓
7. March 2023Assumed role of Leader of the Balancing Force of Johor, replacing the title of State Leader of the Opposition following the Johor Royal Household's preference for the revised designation.⛓
8. 27 June 2026Nominated as PH/DAP candidate for Stulang in the 16th Johor State Election, contesting a fourth term in a four-cornered fight. Polling set for 11 July 2026.⛓

Election history

• 2022StulangWon⛓
• 2018StulangWon67.5%⛓
• 2013StulangWon54.5%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsAndrew Chen has held the Stulang seat for three consecutive terms since 2013, served as chair of a state-level CIQ traffic task force in 2018–2019, and has been Leader of the Balancing Force of Johor since March 2023. He is contesting a fourth term in 2026.⛓
• GovernmentChen (as Balancing Force chief) voted against the Johor state government's motion to introduce appointed state assemblymen in May 2026, characterising the process as rushed and calling for prior consultation with the opposition bloc before tabling.⛓
• OppositionChen joined fellow PH assemblymen in January 2022 in calling for an anti-party-hopping law at the state level, arguing such legislation was necessary to restore public confidence in the democratic system and ensure political stability.⛓
• PublicThe Stulang constituency has 60,029 registered voters as of the 2026 election cycle. Chen's reduced majority in 2022 (from 12,470 in 2018 to 2,866 in 2022) reflected a tighter contest amid a multi-cornered fight and shifting electoral dynamics in Johor.⛓