PETALING Jaya lawmaker Lee Chean Chung is no stranger to the federal seat he won last year. He lived in the city for more than a decade after leaving his hometown of Kuantan in 2003.

“This is my second home. This is where I studied and worked. So I’m quite familiar with PJ,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Lee said he planned to introduce himself to his 200,000 constituents.

“We need to know the people. I’m joining the people’s programmes such as Christmas parties, gotong royong, sepak takraw, and other events.”

Lee was the Semambu assemblyman in Pahang for two terms before he won PJ, a seat previously held by Maria Chin Abdullah.

Lee joined politics in 2007 when he was called to help Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin campaign in the 2008 general election.

Sim won, which encouraged Lee to make politics his career.

“At the time I had a very comfortable corporate lifestyle. But after the election, PKR needed a research officer in parliament to support 30MPs.

“I already had consulting experience so I resigned and gave it a try. Then in 2009, there were issues in Kuantan such as Lynas.

“I was quite keen to contribute and I used to travel back and forth between PJ and Kuantan.”

Lee said PKR eventually asked him to run for a state seat.

“I won and brought my family back to Kuantan for 10 years. Then I was asked to come back to PJ to stand,” he said.

Lee is married with three children aged 8, 10 and 11.

He said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was his inspiration.

“I saw how he was sent to jail, released, sent back to jail and released again.

“I even started a petition to get one million signatures to free Anwar. We built a very professional relationship and he inspired me a lot.

He said another factor that motivated him to join PKR was because it was a multiracial party.

“We live, learn, and work together under one roof as a multiracial party and that was my preferred choice.

“I also like the way we are able to take care of all segments of people. During a campaign, Anwar went from a Chinese coffee shop to a Hindu temple and then to a Malay village.

“This is PKR. We don’t just serve one community, but all people.”

Les said former PJ MP Maria has been supportive of him.

“We are holding joint programmes and working together. I will also ensure that some of the projects that she has done will continue,” he said

On PJ folk, he said they have been welcoming, outspoken, and straightforward in their dealings with him.

Lee has been the PKR national communication director since 2022. He was the party’s treasurer-general in 2018 to 2022.

He served as a research officer in the Opposition Leader’s Office from 2008 to 2011. – February 5, 2023.