Ng Yak Howe

Summary

Ng Yak Howe is a DAP politician who has represented the Bentayan state constituency in Johor since winning the seat in the 2018 general election, and successfully retained it in the 2022 Johor state election with a majority of 7,476 votes. He built his party career through DAPSY Johor and DAP Johor's administrative structure over more than a decade before entering elected office. He is contesting Bentayan again as the Pakatan Harapan candidate in the 16th Johor state election, with polling set for 11 July 2026.

Biography

Ng Yak Howe is a Malaysian politician from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) who has served as the Member of the Johor State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Bentayan since 2018 [1]. He rose through party ranks via the DAP youth wing, serving as Deputy Chief of DAPSY Johor from 2011 to 2014, before taking on administrative roles at the state party level as Assistant Organising Secretary for DAP Johor from 2013 to 2016 and Organising Secretary from 2016 to 2021 [1]. He is currently a member of the DAP Johor Committee [1]. Ng first won the Bentayan seat in the 2018 general election and successfully defended it in the March 2022 Johor state election, receiving 10,973 votes with a 7,476-vote majority in a three-cornered contest against MCA's Gan Qi Ru and Perikatan Nasional's Eddy Tan Kok Hong [2]. In 2019, he was among a group of DAP state assemblypersons who signed a joint statement objecting to the introduction of khat calligraphy lessons in vernacular schools, reflecting a position aligned with Chinese education advocacy [3]. In 2022, Malaysiakini reported that Ng was among a group of Johor DAP incumbents associated with the 'Team B' grouping, alongside Tan Hong Pin and others, who publicly expressed their intent to defend their seats amid internal party tensions [3]. For the 16th Johor state election in 2026, Ng was named by Pakatan Harapan as its candidate for Bentayan, where polling day falls on 11 July 2026 [4].

Known for

Ng Yak Howe is known as a DAP party organisation builder in Johor, having held successive secretarial positions in DAP Johor for nearly a decade before winning elected office. He is also associated with a grouping of Johor DAP incumbents that publicly asserted their candidacies ahead of the 2022 state election, reflecting internal party dynamics [3]. He has taken public positions on Chinese vernacular education issues, including objecting to the introduction of khat lessons in Chinese and Tamil schools in 2019 [3].

Political positions

Based on available sources, Ng Yak Howe has demonstrated alignment with Chinese vernacular education advocacy. In 2019, he was one of a group of DAP state assemblypersons who signed a joint statement objecting to the introduction of khat calligraphy lessons in the Year 4 Bahasa Malaysia textbook for vernacular schools, arguing that students in such schools already learn three languages and three writing systems [3]. No other specific policy positions on issues such as housing, cost of living, or healthcare have been reported in sufficient detail by the allowlist sources reviewed for this profile.

Political career

1. 2011–2014Served as Deputy Chief of DAPSY Johor (DAP's youth wing in Johor).⛓
2. 2013–2016Served as Assistant Organising Secretary for DAP Johor.⛓
3. 2016–2021Served as Organising Secretary for DAP Johor.⛓
4. May 2018First elected as Member of the Johor State Legislative Assembly for Bentayan in the 14th Malaysian general election.⛓
5. August 2019Signed a joint DAP grassroots statement objecting to the introduction of khat calligraphy lessons in Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools.⛓
6. January 2022Publicly expressed intent to defend the Bentayan seat in the upcoming Johor state election, meeting DAP Johor chief Liew Chin Tong alongside fellow incumbent Tan Hong Pin.⛓
7. March 2022Successfully retained the Bentayan state seat in the 15th Johor state election with 10,973 votes and a majority of 7,476, defeating BN's Gan Qi Ru and PN's Eddy Tan Kok Hong.⛓
8. 2021–presentServing as a member of the DAP Johor Committee.⛓
9. June 2026Named by Pakatan Harapan as the DAP candidate for Bentayan in the 16th Johor state election; will face BN's Chua Lee Huat in a head-to-head contest, with polling day on 11 July 2026.⛓

Election history

• 2026BentayanPending⛓
• 2022BentayanWon⛓
• 2018BentayanWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsNg Yak Howe has been the DAP ADUN for Bentayan since 2018, retaining the seat in 2022 with a 7,476-vote majority. He is a DAP Johor Committee member and is contesting Bentayan in the 2026 Johor state election as a PH candidate.⛓
• OppositionMalay Mail reported in February 2022 that Ng Yak Howe was identified as part of a grouping of Johor DAP incumbents associated with fellow assemblyman Tan Hong Pin, described as a 'Team B' faction within Johor DAP amid internal party tensions ahead of the 2022 state election.⛓
• GovernmentPakatan Harapan named Ng Yak Howe as its candidate for Bentayan in the 16th Johor state election, with PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim describing the slate as a combination of experienced leaders and new faces selected from over 1,000 nominations.⛓