Malaysian actor Shaun Chen is now the proud owner of a two-storey landed home in Johor Baru.
The Mediacorp artiste has been renting a house since relocating his family from Singapore to JB about two years ago.
His wife Celine Chin uploaded on Instagram on May 24 a video in which they showcased their new JB house.
“We got the keys to our new home, and we finally have our very own little nest in Johor Baru,” she wrote in Chinese, tagging Chen in the post. “Next up, we’re likely to go into full-on renovation mode – busy with the renovation, busy with the decoration, busy bringing our dream home to life, bit by bit.”
As seen in the 35-second video, the new house is empty, but is spacious and bright overall. It features a front yard, while the living room boasts a high ceiling and the second floor has a large balcony.
Chen, 47, told Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News in a May 26 report that his new home is a two-storey house with an elongated layout.
Over the past two years of house-hunting, he and his wife did not visit too many places and focused on a single area, eventually settling on this property. He declined to disclose the purchase price.
The actor hails from Negeri Sembilan and is a permanent resident of Singapore.
He and Chin, 36, along with their two daughters aged eight and 10, moved to JB in August 2024. His daughters attend an international school there, while he continues to commute between Singapore and Malaysia to pursue his acting career.
Chen told Shin Min that the preparations for the renovation are under way, with the family expected to move in by end-2026. He said that his wife favours a minimalist French style, while he prefers clean, crisp designs. However, she will likely take the lead on the overall design concept for the new home.
In an interview with Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao in September 2024, Chen disclosed that his age was a key factor in him moving to Johor Bahru.
“I’m not young any more and I’ll eventually return to Malaysia when I retire,” he said then. “So, while my daughters are still young, I’ve enrolled them in an international school in Johor Baru, where the academic pressure may not be so intense.”
The actor noted that his working hours are quite flexible – even if filming in Singapore runs late, he can still drive back home via the Tuas Second Link.
“In fact, it takes about half an hour to drive from Tuas Second Link to my home in Johor Baru, which is very convenient,” he told Zaobao. “Moving there has also saved me about 30% on living costs and other expenses.” - The Straits Times/Asia News Network
