Chong Chieng Jen
Quick Facts
Biography
Chong Chieng Jen, (simplified Chinese: 张健仁; traditional Chinese: 張健仁; pinyin: Zhāng Jiàn Rén; born 12 February 1971), is a Malaysian lawyer and politician from the Democratic Action Party (DAP). He owns a legal firm named Chong Brothers Advocates. He is currently the member of Malaysian Parliament for Bandar Kuching seat and the member of the Sarawak State Assembly for Kota Sentosa. He is also the Vice-Chairman 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
He started his primary education in SJK Methodist, Sibu. He continued his education from Primary 3 to 5 at Kuching's Chung Hua Primary School No.3, and Primary 6 at SRK St. Theresa Padungan, Kuching. He continued 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. He pursued his tertiary studies at the Australian National University, Canberra and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Economics) and Bachelor of Laws.
Political career
He first took part in 1999 parliamentary election for Bandar Kuching as a DAP candidate but lost to SUPP candidate, Datuk Song Swee Guan. In the following 2001 Pandungan state election, again, he lost to Lily Yong, a SUPP candidate. However, he was elected as Democratic Action Party (DAP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bandar Kuching in 2004 with a 2000 majority vote, Sarawak state assemblyman for newly created seat of Kota Sentosa in 2006 and defended his parliamentary seat in 2008 with a bigger majority. Once again, he defended his state assembly seat from Datuk Yap Chin Loi with a majority vote of 4,824 in 2011.
On 17 December 2012, during the DAP 16th National Congress, Chong is among the seven DAP leaders appointed to the Central Executive Committee (CEC).