Syahredzan Johan

Summary

Syahredzan Johan is the DAP Member of Parliament for Bangi, Selangor, first elected in GE15 (November 2022) with a majority of 69,701 votes. A trained lawyer with a background in constitutional law and civil liberties advocacy, he served as political secretary to DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang from 2018 before entering elected office. In March 2025, he was appointed one of DAP's four national vice chairmen, where he has taken on an outreach role toward Malay voters as one of only two Malay representatives on the party's Central Executive Committee.

Biography

Syahredzan bin Johan (born 10 June 1983, Petaling Jaya, Selangor) is a Malaysian lawyer and politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bangi, Selangor, since November 2022 [1]. He is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. He is the son of Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, former Chairman of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka [1]. Syahredzan graduated with an LL.B. from Cardiff University in 2005, was called to the Bar of England and Wales, and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in October 2007 [1]. Prior to entering elected politics, he built a career in public interest litigation focused on human rights and constitutional law, serving as an elected member of the Bar Council from 2012 to 2017 and chairing the Bar Council's Constitutional Law Committee, which led the MyConstitution (PerlembagaanKu) public education campaign [2]. He entered formal politics in June 2018 when he was appointed political secretary to DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang [2]. In GE15 (November 2022), he was nominated as DAP's candidate for the Bangi parliamentary seat after incumbent Ong Kian Ming chose not to seek re-election, winning with 141,568 votes and a majority of 69,701 [2]. In March 2025, he was elected to DAP's Central Executive Committee (CEC) and appointed as one of the party's four national vice chairmen, becoming one of only two Malay representatives on the CEC [3]. He also serves as DAP Selangor's State Political Education Director since November 2024 [1].

Known for

Syahredzan Johan is known as a Malay MP representing the predominantly Chinese-supported DAP, and has positioned himself as a bridge between the party and Malay voters [4]. Prior to elected office, he was a prominent civil liberties lawyer and public advocate against restrictive legislation including the Sedition Act and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act [5][2]. He is also associated with his constituency work in Bangi, Malaysia's most populous parliamentary seat, directing MP allocations toward infrastructure and public health improvements [6].

Political positions

Syahredzan has been a consistent advocate for civil liberties and legal reform. He has called for the repeal of the Sedition Act and has criticised Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 as ambiguous and restrictive of freedom of expression [2][5]. In Parliament, he has argued that a proposed Freedom of Information Act should be accompanied by the full repeal of the Official Secrets Act, stating that these measures are necessary to empower the public with access to information [3]. On religious law, he has expressed confidence that a government committee reviewing conflicts between Shariah law and the Federal Constitution will not encroach on non-Muslim rights, citing the constitutional expertise of its members [3]. He has defended the rights of non-Malays as guaranteed under the Federal Constitution, and has pushed back against what he characterises as racially divisive political rhetoric [3]. In his role as DAP vice chairman, he has framed his mandate as outreach to the Malay community while maintaining the party's existing support base [4]. He has also commented on parliamentary procedures, criticising opposition calls for a secret ballot in any no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister as lacking procedural basis [3].

Education

1. 2005Graduated with an LL.B. from Cardiff University and was called to the Bar of England and Wales.⛓
2. October 2007Admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya after reading in the chambers of RamRais & Partners.⛓

Before politics

1. 2009Appointed co-deputy chairperson of the Bar Council's Constitutional Law Committee, which led the MyConstitution (PerlembagaanKu) public education campaign.⛓
2. 2012–2017Served as an elected member of the Bar Council for five years.⛓

Political career

1. June 2018Appointed as political secretary to DAP Parliamentary Leader and Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang, marking his formal entry into politics.⛓
2. November 2022Elected as Member of Parliament for Bangi in GE15 with 141,568 votes and a majority of 69,701, succeeding Ong Kian Ming.⛓
3. November 2024Appointed as State Political Education Director of DAP Selangor.⛓
4. March 2025Elected to DAP's Central Executive Committee (CEC) at the 18th DAP Congress with 2,065 votes, and subsequently appointed as one of the party's four National Vice Chairmen.⛓

Election history

• 2022BangiWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentAs a Pakatan Harapan government backbencher, Syahredzan has supported the Madani administration while also urging legislative reforms including amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act. He has defended the government's management of the oil supply situation, urging Malaysians to reduce oil reliance while dismissing the need for panic. (Source: theedgemalaysia.com)⛓
• OppositionAccording to FMT, Sungai Ramal PAS assemblyman Shafie Ngah admitted in a public apology — pursuant to a Kuala Lumpur High Court consent judgment — that he had falsely accused Syahredzan of being a dishonest, irreligious Muslim who supports communism during PN campaign events. Shafie retracted all such statements unconditionally. (Source: freemalaysiatoday.com)⛓
• ExpertThe Edge Malaysia recognised Syahredzan as a recipient of its inaugural Inspiring Young Leaders Awards in 2017, describing him as a civil liberties lawyer known for public interest litigation and his role in the Bar Council's MyConstitution campaign. (Source: theedgemalaysia.com)⛓
• VerifiedFactsSyahredzan Johan won the Bangi parliamentary seat in GE15 (19 November 2022) with 141,568 votes and a majority of 69,701. He is one of only two Malay members elected to DAP's CEC for the 2025–2028 term. He has served as DAP National Vice Chairman since March 2025. (Sources: thestar.com.my, freemalaysiatoday.com, en.wikipedia.org)⛓

Notable legal history

In September 2025, Sungai Ramal state assemblyman Shafie Ngah (PAS) issued an unreserved public apology to Syahredzan Johan following a consent judgment by the Kuala Lumpur High Court. Shafie admitted to having made false and baseless statements accusing Syahredzan of being dishonest, irreligious, and supportive of communist ideology at two Perikatan Nasional campaign events during the 2022 general election and the 2023 Selangor state election. The apology was published in two newspapers and on the social media platforms of PAS and PN's Bangi chapters. Syahredzan had filed the defamation suit in August 2023. (Sources: freemalaysiatoday.com, nst.com.my — both confirming the finalised outcome.)