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Ab Rauf Yusoh

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Ab Rauf Yusoh
Born (1961-09-20) September 20, 1961 (age 65)
Malaysia
OccupationPolitician
Years active–present
Known for13th Chief Minister of Malacca

Ab Rauf bin Yusoh (; born 20 September 1961) is a Malaysian political figure currently holding the position of the 13th Chief Minister of Malacca since March 2023. He has represented the Malacca State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Tanjung Bidara seat since November 2021. Prior to becoming Chief Minister, he served as a Senior Member of the Malacca State Executive Council (EXCO) under former Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali from November 2021 until his elevation in March 2023. Additionally, he held the role of Speaker of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly between May 2020 and October 2021.

Within party ranks, Ab Rauf is a Supreme Council member and leads the Masjid Tanah division for the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a key component of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Since July 2018, he has also occupied the position of State Chairman for both BN and UMNO in Malacca.

Speaker of the Melaka State Legislative Assembly (2020–2021)

Ab Rauf assumed the role of Speaker for the Melaka State Legislative Assembly on 11 May 2020, succeeding Omar Jaafar from PH after BN took control of the state government on 9 March 2020. He declared the dissolution of the assembly on 4 November 2021 following Chief Minister Sulaiman’s loss of majority support, which resulted from four MLAs withdrawing their backing.

Member of the Melaka State Legislative Assembly (since 2021)

In his first electoral contest during the 2021 Melaka state election, Ab Rauf was nominated by BN to contest the Tanjung Bidara seat, succeeding retiring MLA Md Rawi Mahmud. He secured victory by a narrow margin, obtaining 3,559 votes and defeating Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, who at that time was Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and MP for Masjid Tanah, with a slim majority of just 364 votes.

Senior Member of the Melaka State Executive Council (2021–2023)

On 26 November 2021, Chief Minister Sulaiman appointed Ab Rauf as Senior EXCO member responsible for Investment, Industry, Entrepreneur Development, and Cooperatives. As the only Senior EXCO member, he effectively functioned as Deputy Chief Minister and was regarded as the second-ranking official in Melaka’s government. He worked closely with state bodies such as Unit Perancangan Ekonomi Negeri (UPEN), Malaysia Investment and Development Authority (MIDA), and Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Melaka (PKNM), playing a pivotal role in advancing major development initiatives and attracting foreign direct investment. A significant achievement during his tenure was promoting the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system utilizing Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) technology to link all districts within the state.

Formation of EXCO and state administration

Ab Rauf was officially sworn in as Melaka’s 13th Chief Minister on 31 March 2023, following Sulaiman’s resignation on 29 March 2023. Rumors circulated suggesting that Ab Rauf, who also serves as Melaka BN and UMNO Chairman, had exerted pressure leading to Sulaiman’s departure due to tensions arising after Sulaiman’s reappointment post-2021 state election over Ab Rauf—an act viewed as breaking political norms. Both parties refuted these claims. Deputy Prime Minister and BN Chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi attributed Sulaiman’s resignation to health concerns and endorsed Ab Rauf as his successor.

Ab Rauf encountered criticism from BN MLA Muhammad Jailani Khamis, who accused him of assuming office through "backdoor" means. In response, Ab Rauf adopted a cautious "wait and see" approach regarding any disciplinary measures against Jailani while emphasizing party cohesion. Addressing prospects for forming a coalition government with Pakatan Harapan (PH) akin to the federal arrangement, Ab Rauf indicated he would await directives from party leadership but expressed intent to establish an inclusive, pro-business, and reform-minded EXCO reflective of federal cooperation.

On 3 April, Ab Rauf announced that his EXCO lineup would be finalized soon after consultations with Ahmad Zahid; this lineup had been approved on 2 April. The EXCO was sworn in on 5 April, maintaining seven incumbent members from the prior administration while appointing three new individuals—comprising ten BN MLAs alongside one PH MLA. Rais Yasin was elevated to Senior EXCO Member, effectively serving as Deputy Chief Minister. Furthermore, the Deputy EXCO Member role was reinstated after its abolition in 2018; each EXCO member was assigned a deputy announced on 6 April.

Ab Rauf dismissed concerns about resource wastage linked to appointing Deputy EXCO Members, stressing the necessity of involving all MLAs in advancing state development. On 6 April, former EXCO members Low Chee Leong and Zaidi Attan were reassigned to Deputy EXCO Member positions—a politically uncommon decision. He extended an invitation to two opposition MLAs from Perikatan Nasional (PN) to participate in a proposed unity government encompassing all Melaka MLAs—the first such inclusive administration in both Melaka and Malaysia’s history. However, on 7 April, opposition leader Mohd Yadzil Yaakub declined this offer to preserve governmental checks and balances.

Election outcomes

Malacca State Legislative Assembly
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Percentage Rival(s) Votes Percentage Total ballots cast Winning margin Voter turnout
2021 N02 Tanjung Bidara rowspan=2 Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | Ab Rauf Yusoh (UMNO) 3,559 49.14% Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (BERSATU) 3,195 44.11% 7,243 364 71.48%
Template:Party shading/PH | Zainal Hassan (PKR) 489 6.75%

Awards and distinctions

References

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