Biography
Chih-wen is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Practice Group of Wong & Partners. He has appeared at all levels of courts in Malaysia and is well versed in arbitration, adjudication, and mediation under various regional institutions and rules, including the AIAC, UNCITRAL, ICC, SIAC, and PAM. He is also an adjudicator empanelled with the AIAC.
He is recognised as a “Leading Associate” for Real Estate and Construction by Legal 500 Asia Pacific and is known for giving recommendations that make “complex issues seem relatively simple.” Chih-wen has received commendations in legal directories such as Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific, with a client giving special recognition to him for “his exemplary display of tactical and strategic measures employed in navigating litigious matters.”
Chih-wen sits as the Honorary Secretary of the Society of Construction Law (Malaysia) for the 2025–2026 term.
He is a regular contributor to legal publications and has written for several notable works, including Law and Practice of Construction Law in Malaysia, Sweet & Maxwell (2021), and Malaysia’s First Supplement to the Delay and Disruption Protocol, published by the Society of Construction Law (Malaysia) (2017).
Representative Legal Matters
- Represented and advised the construction and engineering arm of a Korean conglomerate in a dispute against the employer and various subcontractors involving issues of unlawful termination, issues of delay, non-conforming and defective works, payment terms and certification issues requiring expert opinion including Covid-related delays, loss and expense claims and final account. The development value of the project exceeds MYR 3 billion.
- Represented specialist renewable solar energy contractors in arbitrations involving unlawful and pre-meditated termination of management agreements wherein the prospective loss exceeded MYR 200 million. The matter involved seeking urgent interim reliefs in aid of arbitration at Malaysian High Court.
- Represented a South Korean steel manufacturing conglomerate, a Japanese multinational trading and investment company, and a Malaysian engineering and construction firm regarding the construction of a power plant valued at approximately MYR 3.35 billion under a modified FIDIC standard form contract.
- Represented a prominent developer in a dispute relating to a large neighbourhood shopping mall in Selangor, Malaysia. The dispute concerned common construction issues of delay and non-completion claims which amounted to approximately MYR 180 million.
- Represented an oil and gas company based in Thailand in a dispute involving the construction, transportation and installation of Jackets and Platforms in the Gulf of Thailand. The disputed sum was approximately USD 23 million and centered largely on issues of delay and changes to the scope of work.
- Represented a national oil and gas company in a dispute involving a large semi-submersible rig and drilling works off the coast of Sarawak. The dispute involved determination of hazard and safety in undertaking the works, rig move processes and procedures as well as interpretation of oil and gas contracts. The total claim is approximately USD 60 million.
- Represented a local utilities company in a dispute involving the interpretation and enforcement of a chilled water supply agreement, upgrading of cooling towers and a district cooling system at an urban city centre built around Malaysia's largest transit hub.
- Represented the construction and engineering arm of a Korean conglomerate in an adjudication against the employer and various subcontractors involving issues of unlawful termination, issues of delay, non-conforming and defective works, payment terms and certification issues requiring expert opinion including Covid-related delays and non-payment of certified claims. The sums claimed was approximately MYR 90 million.
- Represented a Korean main contractor in defending a claim from a specialist façade subcontractor where the amount in dispute was over MYR 100 million. The project concerned a major mixed-development in central Kuala Lumpur where the gross development value is approximately MYR 3.5 billion. The dispute was multi-faceted and involved litigation on several fronts including a performance bond injunction, adjudication and court litigation.
- Represented a contractor in the construction of a perimeter bund involving at the largest land reclamation project in Penang, Malaysia. The sums in a dispute is approximately MYR 44 million.
Professional Honors
- Leading Associate for Real Estate and Construction, Legal 500 Asia Pacific
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Society of Construction Law Malaysia – Honourary Secretary 2025-2026
- Asian International Arbitration Centre – Adjudicator
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators – Member
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Young Members Group) – Committee Member 2017-2019 and 2022-2024
- Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators – Member
- Malaysian Society of Adjudicators – Member
- Bar of England and Wales – Member
- Honourable Society of Inner Temple – Member
- Malaysian Bar – Member
Admissions
Malaysia (2016)
England & Wales~United Kingdom (2015)
Education
Cardiff University (LL.B.) (2013)
Languages
English
Malay
Publications
- Co-contributor, Law and Practice of Construction Law in Malaysia, Sweet and Maxwell, 2021
- Co-contributor, International Comparative Legal Guide to Construction & Engineering Law for Construction Law in Malaysia 2017, 2018
- Drafting Committee Member, Malaysia’s First Supplement to the Delay & Disruption Protocol published, Society of Construction Law (Malaysia), 2017