Leng Chau Yen

Summary

Leng Chau Yen (born 14 November 1984) is a DAP politician who has represented the Bandar Hilir state seat in the Malacca State Legislative Assembly since winning her electoral debut in November 2021 with a majority of 7,778 votes. She serves as Deputy EXCO Member for Women, Family and Community Development in the Malacca state government and is the sole female MLA from Pakatan Harapan and DAP in the state assembly. She is also Vice Chairperson of DAP Malacca for the 2024–2027 term.

Biography

Leng Chau Yen (Chinese: 林朝雁; born 14 November 1984) is a Malaysian politician representing the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. She has served as the Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Bandar Hilir since November 2021, following her first-time electoral contest in the 2021 Melaka state election [1]. Before entering elected office, she worked as a graphic design graduate and served as Political Secretary and Special Officer to former Bandar Hilir MLA and Malacca DAP Chairman Tey Kok Kiew from 2013 to 2021 [2]. She held numerous internal DAP roles during this period, including State Publicity Secretary of DAP Malacca from 2018 to 2022 and State Youth Vice Chief from 2017 to 2019 [1]. In April 2023, she was appointed Deputy EXCO Member in charge of Women, Family and Community Development in the Malacca state government under Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh, deputising for EXCO Member Kalsom Noordin [3]. She is noted as the sole female Malacca MLA of PH and DAP [1]. In November 2024, she was appointed Vice Chairperson of DAP Malacca for the 2024–2027 term [4]. She has also served as Women Chief of DAP Kota Melaka since 2020 and State Vice Chairperson of DAP Malacca since January 2022 [1].

Known for

Leng Chau Yen is recognised as the sole female MLA from Pakatan Harapan and DAP in the Malacca State Legislative Assembly [1]. She has been active in raising heritage preservation issues in the state assembly, including questioning the proposed renaming of St Paul's Hill and the protection of archaeological sites [3][2]. She holds a cross-coalition executive role as Deputy EXCO for Women, Family and Community Development under the Barisan Nasional-led Melaka state government [3].

Political positions

In the Malacca State Legislative Assembly, Leng Chau Yen has raised questions on heritage and historical preservation, including challenging the proposed renaming of St Paul's Hill to Bukit Melaka in 2022, which she described as an attempt to rewrite history [5]. She has also queried the state government's steps to protect archaeological heritage sites at Bukit Melaka [3] and sought information on the state government's approach to ancient maritime artefacts discovered off Pulau Melaka [3]. No public record of formal stances on national-level policy issues such as cost of living, housing, or education was found in the allowlist sources reviewed.

Education

1. Pre-2013Graduated with a qualification in graphic design. Exact institution and year not found in allowlist sources.⛓

Before politics

1. 2013Began serving as Political Secretary and Special Officer to Malacca DAP Chairman and then-Bandar Hilir MLA Tey Kok Kiew, a role she held until 2021.⛓

Political career

1. 2014Appointed Division Youth Publicity Secretary of DAP Kota Melaka and Branch Secretary of DAP Kampung Hilir (the latter held until 2016).⛓
2. 2015–2016Served as Division Youth Secretary of DAP Kota Melaka.⛓
3. 2016–2018Served as State Assistant Secretary of DAP Malacca.⛓
4. 2017–2019Served concurrently as State Women Secretary and State Youth Vice Chief of DAP Malacca, and as Melaka DAPSY deputy chief.⛓
5. 2018–2022Served as State Publicity Secretary of DAP Malacca.⛓
6. 2020Appointed Women Chief of DAP Kota Melaka.⛓
7. 20 November 2021Won the Bandar Hilir state seat in her electoral debut at the 2021 Melaka state election, defeating BN's Lee Kah Sean, PN's Clarice Chan Ming Wang, and an independent candidate, by a majority of 7,778 votes.⛓
8. 25 January 2022Appointed State Vice Chairperson of DAP Malacca.⛓
9. 6 April 2023Appointed by Melaka Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh as Deputy EXCO Member in charge of Women, Family and Community Development, deputising for EXCO Member Kalsom Noordin.⛓
10. 24 November 2024Appointed Vice Chairperson of DAP Malacca for the 2024–2027 term at the 21st DAP Malacca Ordinary Convention.⛓

Election history

• 2021Bandar Hilir (N22), MelakaWon81.2%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsLeng Chau Yen won the Bandar Hilir seat in 2021 with 9,091 votes and a majority of 7,778, making her the sole female PH/DAP MLA in the Malacca state assembly. She was subsequently appointed Deputy EXCO for Women, Family and Community Development in April 2023.⛓
• GovernmentBernama reported that Melaka Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh appointed Leng as one of ten deputy EXCO members in April 2023, covering the Women, Family and Community Development portfolio within the BN-led state government.⛓
• OppositionDuring state assembly sittings, Leng has queried BN-led state government positions on heritage issues including the renaming of St Paul's Hill, according to reporting by Malay Mail and Bernama. The state Tourism, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman responded by defending the renaming as a restoration of original Malay nomenclature.⛓