Mediacorp actor Shaun Chen, 45, has moved his family from Singapore to the Eco Botanic township in Johor Bahru since Aug. 1.

Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao, Chen, a Malaysia-born Singapore permanent resident (PR), shared that the move did not cause disruptions to his family.

"It only takes around 30 minutes to travel from Singapore to my place in Johor Bahru via the Second Link, so it's very convenient. Additionally, we save around 30 per cent on our living expenses after moving there."

Why move?

According to Chen, the main factor that prompted his family's move was age, reported Zaobao.

"I am not young anymore, and I have always planned on returning to Malaysia after I retire. Hence, I decided to enrol my daughters, who are still young, at an international school in Johor Bahru," he shared.

Chen's two daughters, nine-year-old Nellie and seven-year-old Neia, have already started attending their new school around a month ago and "are very happy there".

"The school offers a conducive environment. The workload is not too heavy, and my daughters can get to know other students who hail from all over the world. The school also helps to cultivate their ability to think independently," said Chen.

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When asked about the costs, Chen shared that the tuition fees for international schools in Malaysia "were not that different from the costs of attending schools in Singapore".

"Attending schools in Singapore for PRs [like my daughters] is not cheap either. If you add the costs of student care centres after school, the total costs are quite similar," added Chen.

Family living in a popular residential area

For now, Chen, his wife Celine, and their daughters are living in a rented property in the Eco Botanic township, reported Zaobao.

At the same time, the family is also searching for a suitable home to buy and move in permanently.

Chen revealed that he had actually bought a property in the area a few years ago, but decided to sell it after his family were unable to move in due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Zaobao, the Eco Botanic township is a highly sought-after residential area amongst Malaysians and Singaporeans as it offers residents a diverse range of amenities and lifestyle destinations.

Due to this popularity, a simple terrace house in the area has a starting price of RM1 million (S$300,000), reported Zaobao.

No 'significant changes' to Chen's career

As for the future of his career, Chen told Zaobao that he does not expect significant changes and will be travelling between Malaysia and Singapore for work.

"As Mediacorp is now training new talents, older actors like us will naturally have fewer opportunities. We have all been newcomers ourselves previously, so we know and understand this process.

With that said, I will still work extra hard for my future. I am in a transition period right now, but I still look forward to more and better roles at Mediacorp".

In addition to TV series, Chen shared that he will also be working on two movies under his newly founded company, Filmforce Studio.

According to him, the company has recently invested in "Money Games", a Chinese New Year 2025 movie directed by Malaysian filmmaker Matt Lai and starring Hong Kong actors Eric Tsang and Bobby Au-yeung.

"Our family moved to Johor Bahru for a change in living environment so that we can live more comfortably and in a more relaxed manner. I will continue working on TV series and movies as usual, and I hope the Malaysian film industry can take off as well," shared Chen.

Top images via Shaun Chen's Instagram