Chua Tian Chang

Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua (born 21 December 1963), is a Malaysian politician who served as Special Advisor to the Minister of Works from March 2019 to February 2020 and Member of Parliament (MP) for Batu from March 2008 to May 2018.

He is an independent and was a member of the People's Justice Party (PKR), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and formerly Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as well as Barisan Alternatif (BA) coalitions.

He was also a member of the Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM).

Born in Malacca on 21 December 1963, he was the eldest of four siblings.

His father, Chua Neo Lai, is of Hakka descent and was a rice wholesaler.

His late mother, Chan Yuet Chien, was a Chinese schoolteacher.

Chua was educated in Siang Lin Primary School and Catholic High School, Melaka.

He then studied Lower Six in Gajah Berang High School.

Australia in the 1980s was a hotbed for student activists.

"My father had hoped I'd study law for good future prospects. But I became exposed to peace movements, environmental issues, and human rights situations around the world".

He became an active student leader and was involved in student movement under the Network of Overseas Student Collectives (NOSCA) and Left Alliance.

His mates included Steven Gan and Premesh Chandran, co-founders of news website Malaysiakini.

In 1982, Tian went to continue his studies in Australia.

He first studied Matriculation in South Sydney High School.

After completing HSC, he got admitted into Agricultural Science in Sydney University.

He said:

I wanted to be a scientist and invent things, like Thomas Edison.

I got interested in the agro-sciences as I wanted to study things that could be useful.

But in his third year, he switched to Philosophy at the University of New South Wales.

Together, they protested against the imposition of university fees on foreign students started by Bob Hawke's administration in 1985.

Chua had his first taste of arrest when he was locked up after a demonstration in Sydney.

He was also recruited by East Timor then leader-in-exile, now president Ramos Horta to help prepare newsletters.

Upon returning to Malaysia in 1990, he joined Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) in the campaign against Internal Security Act (ISA).

He also began to get involved in the labour movement in Malaysia.

The centre was found in 1990 by a group of trade unionists and labour activists.

He was also in the Board of SUARAM.

In 1992, he joined Hong Kong-based Asia Monitor Resource Center (AMRC), a regional labour research NGO.

After his contract in Hong Kong ended, he went for further studies in the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague, The Netherlands.

He graduated with Masters in Employment & Labour Studies.

Tian again returned to Malaysia in 1996 and continued to pursue a trail of life as social activist.

In 1997, Tian was appointed the director of Labour Resource Centre (LRC).

In 1998, SUARAM initiated a forum comprised NGOs and opposition parties known as Gagasan Demokrasi Rakyat Malaysia.

The forum was officially launched during the saga of Anwar Ibrahim and Reformasi.

Tian was elected the chairperson of the movement.

He served as Vice-President of PKR from the founding of PKR in April 1999 to July 2022 and Information Chief of PKR from April 2004 to March 2008 and Division Chief of Batu of PKR before July 2022.

Chua was involved with the Reformasi movement in Malaysia in 1999 due to the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim as Deputy Prime Minister.

He became famous when images of him sitting defiantly in front of a police water cannon truck were splashed across the global media during the height of the movement.

Between 27 and 30 September 1999, Tian Chua and six other activists, including KeADILan leaders; Youth leader Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, Mohamed Azmin Ali and Dr Badrul Amin Baharun; were arrested and as a result prevented from contesting in the 1999 general elections.

Further arrests were made on 10 April 2001 and those arrested were subsequently charged and in carcerated under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

They became known as the Reformasi 10.