Tan Kok Wai

Summary

Tan Kok Wai (born 7 October 1957) is a DAP MP for Cheras, W.P. Kuala Lumpur, and the longest-serving active member of the 15th Malaysian Parliament, having held a parliamentary seat continuously since 1986. He served as DAP's National Chairman from 2014 to 2022 and as the government's Special Envoy to China from 2018 to 2020. He stepped back from DAP's central leadership in early 2025, citing the need to allow a new generation of leaders to take the helm.

Biography

Tan Kok Wai (born 7 October 1957) is a Malaysian politician and member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cheras, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, since April 1995 [1]. He first entered Parliament in August 1986 as MP for Sungai Besi, a seat he held until April 1995, making him one of the most continuously serving members in Malaysian parliamentary history [1]. Currently in his 9th consecutive term as an MP, he is the longest-serving active MP in the 15th Malaysian Parliament following the defeat of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in the 2022 general election [1]. Within DAP, Tan has held a wide range of party positions over five decades, including National Publicity Secretary, National Organising Secretary, National Vice Chairman, National Deputy Chairman, Acting National Chairman, 4th National Chairman from March 2014 to March 2022, and 1st Advisor from March 2020 to March 2025 [1]. He is also the 1st Chairman of Federal Territories Pakatan Harapan [1]. From August 2018 to March 2020, he served as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to China, as well as Chairman of the Malaysia-China Business Council [2]. In October 2024, he was reappointed as Federal Territory DAP chairman for the 2024–2026 term [3]. In February 2025, Tan and fellow DAP veteran Fong Kui Lun announced their withdrawal from the party's Central Executive Committee election ahead of the 18th National Congress, stating it was time to make way for younger leaders [2]. Tan joined DAP in 1979 [1].

Known for

Tan Kok Wai is Malaysia's longest-serving active MP as of the 15th Parliament, having held a parliamentary seat continuously since 1986 across two constituencies [1]. He is known within DAP for his decades of senior party leadership and for his role as Special Envoy to China from 2018 to 2020, during which he was involved in the renegotiation of major infrastructure projects including the East Coast Rail Link [4]. He has been a consistent advocate for the restoration of local council elections in Kuala Lumpur and for greater accountability in the governance of the Federal Territory [5].

Political positions

On urban governance, Tan has repeatedly called for the restoration of local council elections in Kuala Lumpur, arguing that reintroducing such elections would allow residents to select their city council representatives and uphold the principle of no taxation without representation [5]. He has also called for a moratorium on high-density development projects in areas where infrastructure is already stretched, stating that Kuala Lumpur cannot be managed with a 20th-century mindset [5]. On bilateral foreign policy, during his tenure as Special Envoy to China, Tan expressed the view that the resumption of the East Coast Rail Link would strengthen Malaysia–China bilateral trade and deepen existing economic ties [4]. He also underscored the importance of ASEAN–China cooperation in the face of the US–China trade war [2]. On Federal Territory administration, Tan has publicly challenged DBKL's land sale practices, claiming that parcels of land were sold without open tender under a previous Federal Territories Minister [3].

Political career

1. 1979Tan Kok Wai became a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP).⛓
2. August 1986First elected to Parliament, winning the Sungai Besi parliamentary constituency in Kuala Lumpur.⛓
3. 1990Re-elected as MP for Sungai Besi in the 1990 general election.⛓
4. April 1995Elected as MP for the newly created Cheras federal constituency, a seat he has held continuously since.⛓
5. March 2014Appointed Acting DAP National Chairman following Karpal Singh's resignation after conviction under the Sedition Act.⛓
6. November 2017Elected DAP National Chairman at the party's Central Executive Committee re-election held in Shah Alam, with Gobind Singh Deo elected as his deputy.⛓
7. August 2018Appointed Special Envoy of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to the People's Republic of China, and concurrently Chairman of the Malaysia-China Business Council.⛓
8. May 2018Retained the Cheras parliamentary seat for his eighth term with a majority of 49,665 votes in the 14th General Election.⛓
9. March 2020Tenure as Special Envoy to China ended following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government. Subsequently served as DAP's 1st Advisor.⛓
10. November 2022Won the Cheras seat for a ninth consecutive term in the 15th General Election (GE15), under the Pakatan Harapan banner.⛓
11. October 2024Reappointed as DAP Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur chairman for the 2024–2026 term after obtaining the most votes in the FT DAP committee elections.⛓
12. February 2025Announced withdrawal from the DAP Central Executive Committee election ahead of the 18th National Congress, citing the need to give way to a new generation of leaders, alongside fellow veteran Fong Kui Lun.⛓
13. March 2025Concluded his role as DAP's 1st Advisor, a position he had held since March 2020.⛓

Election history

• 2022CherasWon⛓
• 2018CherasWon⛓
• 2013CherasWon⛓
• 2008CherasWon⛓
• 2004CherasWon⛓
• 1999CherasWon⛓
• 1995CherasWon⛓
• 1990Sungai BesiWon⛓
• 1986Sungai BesiWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsTan Kok Wai has served as MP continuously since 1986 — first for Sungai Besi (1986–1995) and then for Cheras (1995–present) — making him the longest-serving active MP in the 15th Malaysian Parliament. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)⛓
• GovernmentWhen confirming Tan's appointment as Special Envoy to China in 2018, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah stated that the role would 'complement' that of the ambassador in specialised areas, and that there was a need to improve ties with China given its size and vastness. (Source: malaymail.com)⛓
• OppositionThe Edge Malaysia reported that during the 2018 candidate selection process, Tan had been reported to be at odds with DAP leaders after stating in 2016 that Prime Minister Najib Razak should not be held accountable for problems at 1MDB, where Najib had headed the advisory board. (Source: theedgemalaysia.com)⛓
• PublicTan Kok Wai led an action committee formed by Pudu traders and multiracial residents associations in December 2021 to protest the planned Jalan Yew bridge expansion in Kuala Lumpur, which he described as destructive to the livelihoods of small and petty traders who have worked in the area for generations. (Source: malaymail.com)⛓