Angeline Koo Haai Yen

Summary

Angeline Koo Haai Yen (born 26 June 1974) is the DAP Member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly for Keranji, elected in November 2022 on her first electoral outing with a majority of 8,749 votes, becoming the first woman to hold the seat. Before entering elected politics, she served on the Kampar District Council and as a special assistant to the previous Keranji assemblyperson. In the state assembly, she has focused on constituency-level issues including a successful 2024 motion toward enacting legislation to control roaming livestock, and advocacy for land recognition and infrastructure in rural Kampar communities.

Biography

Angeline Koo Haai Yen (Chinese: 古海燕; born 26 June 1974) is a Malaysian politician and company director serving as Member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Keranji since November 2022 [1]. She is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. She holds the distinction of being the first female MLA for the Keranji constituency [1]. Prior to her election, she served as a member of the Kampar District Council (MDKpr), as Special Assistant to former Keranji MLA Chong Zhemin, and as a director of a listed company [1]. In the November 2022 Perak state election, Koo made her electoral debut, contesting the Keranji state seat on the PH ticket. She won with 12,201 votes — a 43.2% vote share — defeating Ng Wah Leng of Barisan Nasional (BN), Foong Kar Sing of Perikatan Nasional (PN), and Puah Chee Haur of WARISAN by a majority of 8,749 votes [2]. In the Perak State Assembly, Koo has raised legislative motions on infrastructure and public safety issues affecting the Kampar district, including a successful 2024 motion on regulating roaming and stray animals [3] and a proposal for the recognition of Kampung Jalan Stesen as a new village [4]. She also questioned the Perak state government on the sale of land linked to a planned international airport [5]. In August 2024, she was noted as one of four DAP Perak state committee nominees who voluntarily withdrew their candidacies during the party's state convention to allow a full consensus slate [6].

Known for

Koo is known as the first woman elected to represent the Keranji state seat, having won it on her debut in 2022 with a majority of 8,749 votes. She has used her assembly platform to advance constituency-level issues in the Kampar district, including successfully tabling a motion that led to the Perak State Assembly passing a resolution to enact new legislation on the control of roaming and stray animals. She has also been active in land tenure and infrastructure matters, advocating for formal recognition of long-settled communities within her constituency.

Political positions

Based on her recorded assembly speeches and motions, Koo has focused on public safety and rural infrastructure in the Kampar district. She tabled a motion calling for a new Perak state enactment to regulate roaming livestock, citing road accident data and complaints from residential areas in the Kampar and Batu Gajah districts [3][7]. She has advocated for the formal recognition of Kampung Jalan Stesen as a new village, arguing that official status would unlock state infrastructure allocations for residents who have occupied the area since before independence [4][8]. She also raised the issue of the proposed Perak international airport land sale in the state assembly, suggesting the state government consider reclaiming the site to continue the airport project [5][9]. No public positions on national-level policy issues have been sourced from the allowlist at the time of this profile.

Before politics

1. Pre-2022Served as a member of the Kampar District Council (MDKpr) and as Special Assistant to Keranji MLA Chong Zhemin, and held a directorship in a listed company.⛓

Political career

1. November 2022Contested and won the Keranji state seat in the 2022 Perak state election on her electoral debut, representing DAP/PH. She secured 12,201 votes (43.2%) and a majority of 8,749, defeating candidates from BN, PN, and WARISAN. She became the first female MLA for Keranji.⛓
2. December 2022Raised the issue of the proposed Perak international airport land sale in the Perak State Assembly, suggesting the state government consider reclaiming the site to continue the airport development project.⛓
3. February 2024During the Perak State Assembly sitting, proposed that Kampung Jalan Stesen in Kampar be formally recognised as a new village, arguing that recognition would unlock state infrastructure allocations for its residents.⛓
4. July 2024Tabled a private motion in the Perak State Assembly calling for a new enactment to control stray and roaming animals; the assembly passed the motion without objection on 10 July 2024.⛓
5. August 2024Voluntarily withdrew her candidacy from the DAP Perak state committee election during the party's state convention, as one of four nominees who stood aside to allow a full consensus slate.⛓

Election history

• 2022Keranji (N42), PerakWon43.2%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsKoo won the Keranji seat in 2022 with 12,201 votes (43.2%) and a majority of 8,749, becoming the first woman to hold the seat. The Perak State Assembly passed her motion on roaming animal control without objection in July 2024.⛓
• GovernmentDAP Perak chairman Nga Kor Ming publicly thanked Koo (among three other assemblypeople) for voluntarily withdrawing from the DAP Perak state committee election in August 2024, describing the act as a spirit of sacrifice in the interest of the party.⛓

Business interests (publicly reported)

Wikipedia reports that prior to her election, Koo held a directorship in a listed company, though the specific company is not identified in available sources (Source: en.wikipedia.org). No further details on current or past business interests have been reported by allowlist news outlets.