Yap Zhi Peng

Summary

Yap Zhi Peng is a 32-year-old MCA politician and Kluang native contesting the N28 Mengkibol seat in the 16th Johor State Election on 11 July 2026 under the Barisan Nasional banner. A former Singapore-based worker who has recently returned to his hometown, he is a first-time candidate whose stated priority is expanding job opportunities in the Mengkibol area. The seat has been held by DAP since 2018, with the incumbent winning in 2022 by a majority of over 10,000 votes.

Biography

Yap Zhi Peng (also referred to as Warren Yap Zhi Peng in some pre-nomination reports) is a 32-year-old Malaysian politician from the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN). He is contesting the N28 Mengkibol state seat in the 16th Johor State Election, scheduled for 11 July 2026, having been named as BN's candidate for the seat on 24 June 2026 [1][2]. Yap is described as a fresh face in the 2026 election cycle; BN fielded at least 19 new faces across all 56 Johor seats [3]. A native of Kluang, Johor — the town in which the Mengkibol constituency is situated — Yap previously worked in Singapore before recently returning to his hometown [3]. He has stated his primary electoral ambition as creating more job opportunities in the Mengkibol area. The Mengkibol constituency, which was first contested in 1995, had 68,457 registered voters at the time of the 2026 nomination day [4] and a population of 104,148 as of 2020 [5]. The seat was won by DAP's Chew Chong Sin in the 2022 Johor state election with a majority of 10,107 votes; BN's then-candidate Kelly Chye Pei Yee received 9,706 votes (14.6% vote share) [6][7]. Yap is one of 15 MCA candidates fielded by BN across Johor in 2026 [2].

Known for

Yap Zhi Peng is known as a new face in Johor MCA politics, nominated by BN to contest the N28 Mengkibol seat in the 16th Johor State Election on 11 July 2026. He is a returning Kluang native who had previously been working in Singapore. His publicly stated priority is expanding job opportunities for residents of Mengkibol and the wider Kluang area.

Political positions

Based on available public statements, Yap Zhi Peng has expressed a focus on local economic development, specifically job creation in Mengkibol. In a statement reported by The Star on 25 June 2026, he said he hoped to "give Mengkibol a better future" and noted a desire to create more job opportunities in the area — a platform consistent with his personal experience having worked in Singapore before returning home. No broader policy positions on issues such as education, housing, or healthcare have been reported in available allowlist sources at the time of this profile.

Before politics

1. Before 2026Yap Zhi Peng worked in Singapore prior to returning to his hometown of Kluang, Johor, where Mengkibol is situated.⛓

Political career

1. 24 June 2026Barisan Nasional announced Yap Zhi Peng as the MCA candidate for N28 Mengkibol in the 16th Johor State Election, as part of BN's full list of 56 candidates.⛓
2. 27 June 2026Yap Zhi Peng was confirmed as the BN-MCA candidate for N28 Mengkibol following nomination day for the 16th Johor State Election, opposing PH-DAP's Chu Poh Yee.⛓
3. 11 July 2026Polling day for the 16th Johor State Election, in which Yap Zhi Peng contests N28 Mengkibol for BN-MCA against PH-DAP's Chu Poh Yee.⛓

Election history

• 2026N28 MengkibolPending⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsThe N28 Mengkibol seat has 68,457 registered voters (2026). The seat was held by DAP's Chew Chong Sin since 2018; in the 2022 Johor state election, DAP won Mengkibol with a majority of 10,107 votes. The previous BN-MCA candidate, Kelly Chye Pei Yee, obtained 9,706 votes (14.6% vote share).⛓
• GovernmentBN Johor chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi fielded Yap Zhi Peng as one of 15 MCA candidates in the 2026 Johor state election, describing the BN lineup as a strategic mix of incumbents and new faces. Onn Hafiz reminded all candidates that nomination is a responsibility and not a privilege.⛓
• PublicYap Zhi Peng stated he hoped to create more job opportunities in Mengkibol, positioning himself as a returning local who understands the needs of residents who, like himself, have had to seek employment outside the constituency, including in Singapore.⛓