SINGAPORE – Malaysian actor Shaun Chen has moved his family across the Causeway.
The 45-year-old Mediacorp star, who was previously based in Singapore, told Lianhe Zaobao in an interview published on Sept 3 that he and his wife, as well as their two daughters, moved to Eco Botanic township in Johor Bahru (JB) on Aug 1.
Eco Botanic is a popular residential and commercial project that is about a 10-minute drive from Legoland Malaysia.
Chen, a Singapore permanent resident, married his Malaysian wife in 2015. Their daughters – Nellie, eight, and Neia, seven – are Malaysian and have Singapore PR status. They have been enrolled in an international school in JB.
He said the fees for the international school in Malaysia work out to be about the same as school fees and after-school student-care fees for PRs in Singapore.
The actor added that he made the move as it is cheaper to live in Malaysia and, in part, due to his age. “I’m middle-aged now and I will eventually retire in Malaysia, so I want to enrol the kids in international school here while they are still young. It is quite convenient for me to go to my home in Johor (from Singapore) via Tuas Second Link. It takes only about 30 minutes. Moving there has also saved me about 30 per cent in living expenses.”
He and his family are currently renting in Eco Botanic, but Chen is searching for suitable properties in the city to buy.
He told Zaobao that there are no major changes to his career plans, and he will shuttle between Singapore and Malaysia.
“Mediacorp is trying to cultivate fresh talent at the moment, so naturally, there are fewer opportunities for older artistes like me. As someone who was once a rookie, I understand this is just how it is, so all I can do is work hard for my future. This is a transitional period for me, but I still hope that there will be better and more roles in the future at Mediacorp,” he said.
Chen is also establishing himself in the world of film. He is the director of production house Filmforce Studio, which worked on the action thriller The Locksmith (2023) with Hong Kong movie star Louis Koo’s company One Cool Film Production.
Filmforce Studio has also invested in an upcoming movie directed by Malaysian film-maker Matt Lai, titled Money Games. It is slated for the Chinese New Year period in 2025, and stars Hong Kong actors Eric Tsang and Bobby Au-yeung.
Chen said: “Moving my whole family to Johor is a change in environment. I hope to live more comfortably and in a more relaxed manner. I will still continue to pursue both film and television. Hopefully, the movie industry in Malaysia will take off.”
