Chong Chieng Jen


Chong Chieng Jen, is a Malaysian lawyer and politician from the Democratic Action Party currently serving as the Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs of Malaysia. He owns a legal firm named Chong Brothers Advocates. He is currently the Member of Parliament of Malaysia for Stampin and three-term assemblyman of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for Kota Sentosa. He was previously three-term MP for Bandar Kuching between 2004 and 2018. He is also a vice-chairperson of DAP Malaysia, the Chairman of DAP Sarawak, DAP Socialist Advisor of Youth Sarawak & Kuching, DAP Kuching Branch chairman and Life member of DAP since 1998.

Personal life and education

Chong started his primary education in SJK Methodist, Sibu. He continued his Primary 3 to 5 education at Kuching's SJK Chung Hua No. 3, and Primary 6 at SRK St. Theresa Padungan, Kuching. Chong later undertook his secondary education in SMK St. Joseph, Kuching and Saint Patrick's School, Singapore. He was admitted into Victoria Junior College, one of the top junior colleges in Singapore.
Chong pursued his tertiary studies at the Australian National University, Canberra and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in accounting & economics, and Bachelor of Laws.

Political career

Chong first took part in the 10th Malaysian general election, contesting for the Bandar Kuching parliamentary seat as a DAP candidate but lost to Sarawak United People's Party candidate, Song Swee Guan. In the following 10th Sarawak state election, he contested for the Padungan state seat, eventually losing out to Lily Yong Lee Lee, also a SUPP candidate.
In the 11th Malaysian general election, Chong was elected as MP for Bandar Kuching with a 2,041 majority vote, and later, Sarawak state assemblyman for the newly created seat of Kota Sentosa in following the results of the 11th Sarawak state election.
Chong defended his parliamentary seat in the 12th Malaysian general election with an increased majority. In 2011, he once again, he defended his state seat, this time against Yap Chin Loi, with a majority vote of 4,824.
On 17 December 2012, during the DAP 16th National Congress, Chong was among seven DAP leaders appointed to the party's Central Executive Committee. On 5 May 2013, he contested for the Bandar Kuching parliamentary seat for the final time in the 13th Malaysian general election and retained the seat with an even larger majority of 19,642 against SUPP's Tan Kai.
On 7 May 2016, during the 11th Sarawak state election, Chong retained his Kota Sentosa state seat with a majority vote of 2,819 against Yap Yau Sin. On 12 November 2017, during the DAP Central Executive Committee re-election, Chong was re-elected as one of the party's five national vice-chairperson.
Following incumbent Stamping MP Julian Tan Kok Ping's decision to retire from politics, Chong moved to contest the Stampin parliamentary seat against SUPP president Sim Kui Hian in the 14th Malaysian general election on 9 May 2018, which was seen as a 'grey' or unsafe seat following redelineation by the Election Commission of Malaysia. His special assistant, Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, contested for the Bandar Kuching seat. Chong went on to win with a majority vote of 14,221. Following the historic events of the 14th Malaysian general election which saw the first-ever change in the Government of Malaysia and end of six decades of National Front rule, on 2 July 2018, Chong was sworn-in as Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs of Malaysia by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Election results