Yap Chean Hong

Chean Hong graduated from the University of Reading, United Kingdom, with an LLB (Hons) in 2016 and subsequently completed the Bar Professional Training Course at BPP University, Manchester in 2017.

Chean Hong commenced his pupillage at Azmi & Associates. Upon being called to the Malaysian Bar in 2018, he was retained as a Legal Associate in the firm’s Dispute Resolution practice, where he was exposed to a wide range of civil and commercial dispute matters.

In 2022, he joined Messrs Belden to specialise in construction practice, where he developed his expertise in handling construction and engineering disputes, and representing clients in court, arbitration, and adjudication proceedings under the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012 (CIPAA).

He returned to Azmi & Associates in 2025 as a Partner. His primary area of practice is commercial dispute resolution, with a particular focus on construction, engineering, oil & gas, and infrastructure-related disputes. Over the course of his career, he has acted for employers, main contractors and subcontractors in all levels of court, domestic and international arbitration and statutory adjudication under CIPAA.

He also regularly advises clients on contract administration, project risk management, claims strategy, and dispute avoidance in construction and infrastructure projects.

Some of the notable matters he has been involved in include:

• Acted for a main contractor in a PAM-administered arbitration and successfully obtaining an award exceeding RM10 million arising from the construction and completion of a mixed development, involving disputes over uncertified sums, variation orders, delays, LADs, loss and expense, defects, and GST.
• Acted for a main contractor in an AIAC administered Arbitration involving disputes arising out of a contract for the construction of an elevated expressway.
• Acted for a main contractor in a CIPAA adjudication involving claims exceeding RM200 million in respect of the construction of an elevated expressway.
• Acted for a main contractor in a successful CIPAA adjudication to recover unpaid sums for work done in the construction of a high-end car showroom. Successfully defeated the opposing party’s LAD claim and backcharges for alleged defects.
• Acted for the employer in a contract for the repairing of a wharf and successfully defended an adjudication claim brought by the contractor for the alleged unpaid variation orders, idling costs and claims for loss and expense.
• Successfully defended a RM74 million loss of profit claim in the High Court arising from the alleged wrongful termination of a Build-Operate-Transfer contract for a university hostel in Terengganu.
• Providing contract and claims advisory to local and foreign contractors in connection with infrastructure projects including expressways, power plants, and mixed developments