Ling Tian Soon

Summary

Ling Tian Soon (born 13 January 1984) is the MCA assemblyman for Yong Peng (N.19) in Johor, first elected in March 2022 after losing the same seat in 2018, and served as a state EXCO member holding the health and environment portfolio under Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi. He was elected MCA Youth Chief in September 2023 and is one of only two ethnic-Chinese members on the Johor state executive council. As of June 2026, he is contesting the seat again in the Johor state election on 11 July 2026, facing DAP's Yong Hui Yi in a straight fight.

Biography

Ling Tian Soon (Chinese: 林添顺; born 13 January 1984), commonly known as Ah Soon, is a Malaysian politician and member of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) [1]. He has served as Member of the Johor State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Yong Peng (N.19) since March 2022 and was appointed to the Johor State Executive Council (EXCO) under Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, making him one of only two ethnic-Chinese EXCO members in the current Johor BN administration [1]. Within the EXCO, he held the health and environment portfolio, covering issues related to clinics, hospitals, cleanliness and waste management [2]. In September 2023, he was elected MCA Youth Chief, defeating two rivals with 130 votes, and took on additional party roles including MCA Organising Secretary, Youth Chief of MCA Johor, and Division Chief of Ayer Hitam [3]. He first contested Yong Peng in the 2018 Johor state election, losing to DAP's Chew Peck Choo by a 5,089-vote majority [2]. He returned in 2022 and won the seat for BN, defeating DAP's Alan Tee Boon Tsong with a 2,741-vote majority and receiving 9,870 votes total [4]. During his first term, he reported securing more than RM52 million for development projects in the constituency, with infrastructure improvement as a stated priority [2]. As caretaker EXCO ahead of the 2026 Johor state election, he was confirmed as MCA's candidate to defend Yong Peng against DAP's Yong Hui Yi in a straight fight, with polling day set for 11 July 2026 [5].

Known for

Ling Tian Soon is identified within MCA and the Johor BN administration as a state executive councillor holding the health and environment portfolio, and as the national MCA Youth Chief since September 2023 [6]. He is closely associated with constituency-level infrastructure development in Yong Peng, having reported securing over RM52 million in project funding during his first term [2]. He has also been a public voice on education policy, calling for greater transparency and clarity in the National Education Plan 2026–2035 and raising concerns about fair access to public university admissions [7].

Political positions

On education, Ling publicly criticised the National Education Plan 2026–2035 as lacking a coherent roadmap and concrete implementation details, and called for education policies to be anchored in long-term, transparent goals [2]. He also raised concerns about the fairness of public university admissions, with MCA Youth calling for greater scrutiny of the process [8]. On healthcare and the environment, his EXCO portfolio centred on public health infrastructure, sanitation and waste management at the state level [2]. On Chinese community affairs, he invoked MCA's historical role in securing Chinese-medium schooling and cultural rights as a basis for the party's continued relevance [2]. On electoral and governance positioning, he argued that in the current political landscape — where BN governs Johor while PH governs federally — voters should assess candidates on individual delivery records rather than coalition affiliation [2]. He also advocated for investment in sports facilities as a measure against Malaysia's high rate of non-communicable diseases and to address the ageing population [2].

Political career

1. 2018Ling Tian Soon contested the Yong Peng (N.19) seat in the 2018 Johor state election under MCA/BN but lost to DAP's Chew Peck Choo by a 5,089-vote majority.⛓
2. March 2022Ling won the Yong Peng state seat for BN/MCA in the 2022 Johor state election, defeating DAP's Alan Tee Boon Tsong with a 2,741-vote majority (9,870 votes), and was subsequently appointed to the Johor State Executive Council under Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi with responsibility for health and environment.⛓
3. September 2023Ling was elected MCA Youth Chief at the party wing elections, securing 130 votes to defeat two rivals. He also holds the positions of MCA Organising Secretary, Youth Chief of MCA Johor, and Division Chief of Ayer Hitam.⛓
4. June 2026Ling filed his nomination for the Yong Peng seat in the 2026 Johor state election, confirmed as MCA's candidate to defend the seat against DAP's Yong Hui Yi in a straight fight, with polling day set for 11 July 2026.⛓

Election history

• 2026Yong Peng (N.19)Pending⛓
• 2022Yong Peng (N.19)Won⛓
• 2018Yong Peng (N.19)Lost⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentJohor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi described Ling as one of the state's most capable and hardworking EXCO members, noting he dealt daily with health, cleanliness and environmental issues.⛓
• GovernmentMCA president Dr Wee Ka Siong described Ling as the party's choice to defend Yong Peng, citing his grassroots service across ethnic communities and early-morning to late-night presence in the constituency.⛓
• IndustryMCA Youth information chief Neow Choo Seong stated that Ling and Lee Ting Han, both in their first term, proved their ability to work with the state government and were described as part of MCA's 'new image' of young, sincere professionals.⛓
• VerifiedFactsWith non-Malay voters accounting for about 65% of the Yong Peng electorate, The Edge Malaysia noted the seat is closely watched as a barometer of non-Malay voter sentiment in the 2026 Johor state election.⛓