TopicsPolitician AnalysisHeng Lee Lee

Heng Lee Lee

Party
DAP · Democratic Action Party
Coalition
PH
Constituency
Berapit
State
Pulau Pinang
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Why this matters to you

As the elected assemblywoman for Berapit (N13), Heng Lee Lee is the primary representative for residents of that constituency in Seberang Perai at the Penang State Legislative Assembly, making her the key point of contact for local service and budget matters. Her public campaign for a new Bukit Mertajam Hospital — which serves the wider Seberang Perai population — directly concerns residents who depend on public healthcare in that district, as the existing hospital's ICU and emergency department have been reported as operating beyond capacity (Source: freemalaysiatoday.com). As the newly elected head of the Penang DAP Women's Wing (2025–2028), she also has a broader party platform that may influence how women's policy issues are raised within the state DAP structure (Source: freemalaysiatoday.com).

Party History

Loyalist

Has never switched parties.

Career span
20182023
Career win rate
100%
  1. DAP

Data from Lompat (by Zach Yek), built on the Malaysian Election Corpus (by Thevesh Thevananthan). CC0.

Summary

Heng Lee Lee (born 1979) is a DAP politician and two-term Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly for Berapit, first elected in May 2018 and re-elected in August 2023. A former journalist and ex-Special Officer to the Penang Chief Minister's Office, she has focused her legislative work on public healthcare capacity in Seberang Perai and was elected head of the Penang DAP Women's Wing in October 2025.

Biography

Heng Lee Lee (Chinese: 王麗麗; born 27 September 1979) is a Malaysian politician who has served as Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Berapit constituency (N13) since May 2018, representing the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. She received her secondary education at Jalan Damai National Secondary School and holds a Bachelor of Communications from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) [1]. Before entering elected politics, Heng worked as a journalist from 2003 to 2010, and subsequently served as a Special Officer in the Office of the Penang Chief Minister from 2011 to 2018 [1]. She first won the Berapit seat in the 2018 general election and successfully defended it in the August 2023 Penang state election, defeating Perikatan Nasional's Lee Kok Keong with 15,599 votes against 948 votes, with 29,076 registered voters in the constituency [2]. As a state backbencher, she has raised issues including public healthcare capacity in her Seberang Perai region, calling on the federal health ministry to expedite the construction of a new Bukit Mertajam Hospital in November 2024 [3]. In October 2025, she was elected head of the Penang DAP Women's Wing for the 2025–2028 term, succeeding Lim Siew Khim [3]. She is married to a Taiwanese national, having wed in 2019 [2].

Known for

Heng Lee Lee is known as a two-term state assemblywoman for Berapit, a constituency in Seberang Perai, Penang, having held the seat continuously since May 2018 [1]. She is recognised within the DAP for her grassroots political work in the Bukit Mertajam area and for her legislative advocacy on public healthcare infrastructure in Seberang Perai [3]. Since October 2025, she has also led the Penang DAP Women's Wing as its elected chairperson for the 2025–2028 term [3].

Political positions

Heng Lee Lee has publicly advocated for improved public healthcare infrastructure in the Bukit Mertajam and Seberang Perai area. In November 2024, during debate on the 2025 Penang state budget, she called on the health ministry to expedite construction of a new Bukit Mertajam Hospital, citing the existing 134-year-old facility as overstretched — with a seven-bed ICU constantly full and emergency department visits averaging 210 to 240 patients daily [3]. She also noted that only one public doctor serves every 684 people in Penang, against a recommended ratio of 1:400 under the 12th Malaysia Plan [3]. As a state backbencher under Pakatan Harapan, she signed a joint statement in May 2023 denying reports of internal DAP moves to oust the Penang Chief Minister, affirming her alignment with the party's state leadership [3]. No public stances on other major national policy issues have been sourced from the allowlist at the time of drafting.

References

  1. [1]en.wikipedia.org
  2. [2]thestar.com.my
  3. [3]freemalaysiatoday.com

Education

  1. Secondary schoolAttended Jalan Damai National Secondary School for her secondary education.
  2. Tertiary education (before 2003)Obtained a Bachelor of Communications (B.Comm.) from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

Before politics

  1. 2003–2010Worked as a reporter from 2003 to 2010.
  2. 2011–2018Served as a Special Officer in the Office of the Penang Chief Minister.

Political career

  1. May 2018First elected as Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly for Berapit (N13) under DAP/Pakatan Harapan at the 14th General Election.
  2. August 2023Successfully defended the Berapit state seat in the 2023 Penang state election, polling 15,599 votes against Perikatan Nasional's Lee Kok Keong (948 votes), with 29,076 registered voters in the constituency.
  3. November 2024Called on the federal health ministry during the 2025 Penang state budget debate to expedite construction of a new Bukit Mertajam Hospital, citing critically overstretched ICU and emergency facilities.
  4. October 2025Elected as head of the Penang DAP Women's Wing for the 2025–2028 term, succeeding Lim Siew Khim.

Election history

  • 2023Berapit (N13), PenangWon
  • 2018Berapit (N13), PenangWon

Stance evolution

Public statements grouped chronologically. The party tag shows which party the politician was contesting under at that point.

  1. 2024DAP
    • The current facilities are no longer sufficient to meet the healthcare needs of the growing population in Bukit Mertajam and Seberang Perai.

      Said by Heng Lee Lee during the debate on the 2025 Penang state budget at the Penang State Legislative Assembly. · Source

    • Many patients in critical condition often have to wait for an ICU bed, putting their lives at risk.

      Said by Heng Lee Lee during the 2025 Penang state budget debate, referencing Bukit Mertajam Hospital's ICU shortage. · Source

Perspectives on key issues

  • VerifiedFactsHeng Lee Lee has served as the Berapit state assemblywoman since May 2018, is a DAP member under the Pakatan Harapan coalition, and sits as a state backbencher without an executive council (EXCO) portfolio as of the time of drafting.
  • VerifiedFactsIn the August 2023 Penang state election, Heng Lee Lee polled 15,599 votes against Perikatan Nasional's Lee Kok Keong who garnered 948 votes, out of 29,076 registered voters in the Berapit constituency.
  • GovernmentAs a Pakatan Harapan backbencher, Heng Lee Lee signed a May 2023 joint statement with nine other Penang DAP assemblymen denying any internal party move to oust Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, affirming support for the party's state leadership.

Sources

Every URL the AI used to draft this profile, for editor and reader verification.

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