Aaron Ago Dagang

Summary

Datuk Aaron Ago anak Dagang (born 12 December 1958) is the Member of Parliament for Kanowit, Sarawak, serving continuously since 2004, and is currently Malaysia's Minister of National Unity under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Unity Government. A forestry-trained professional who served 16 years in the Sarawak Forestry Department before entering politics, he succeeded his former political principal Leo Moggie in the Kanowit seat and has since risen through deputy ministerial roles in health to full cabinet rank. He is a member of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) within the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition.

Biography

Datuk Aaron Ago anak Dagang (born 12 December 1958, Kanowit, Sarawak) is a Malaysian politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kanowit since March 2004 and as Minister of National Unity in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Unity Government since December 2022 [1]. He holds a degree in forestry from Universiti Putra Malaysia and a master's degree from the University of Göttingen, Germany, and served with the Sarawak Forestry Department for 16 years before entering politics [2]. He entered active politics in 2001 when he was appointed political secretary to then Minister for Energy, Communications and Multimedia, Datuk Amar Leo Moggie, who was also the Kanowit MP at that time [2]. He succeeded Moggie in the Kanowit seat at the 2004 general election (GE11), when the latter retired from politics after serving for seven terms [2]. He is a member of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), a component party of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) [1]. Prior to PRS, he was a member of Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), which was deregistered after GE11, after which he briefly joined Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) before moving to PRS [1]. Before his current cabinet role, he served as Deputy Minister of Health II under the Perikatan Nasional administration (March 2020–August 2021) and the Barisan Nasional administration (August 2021–November 2022) [1]. He was appointed one of five Sarawak MPs in PM Anwar's cabinet following the 15th General Election (GE15) in November 2022, where he won the Kanowit seat with a majority of 236 votes [2][3]. As of October 2025, he serves as a vice-president of PRS [2].

Known for

Aaron Ago Dagang is known as the long-serving MP for Kanowit, holding the seat continuously since 2004 across five general elections [4][3]. He is the current Minister of National Unity under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Unity Government, overseeing national integration, the Rukun Tetangga programme, and the National Library of Malaysia. He previously drew national attention as Deputy Health Minister II during the COVID-19 pandemic period from 2020 to 2022 [5].

Political positions

As Minister of National Unity, Aaron Ago Dagang has emphasised multiracial harmony, describing the Ministry's mandate as strengthening unity across ethnic, religious and cultural divides [2]. He has advocated for grassroots-level unity through the Rukun Tetangga programme, proposing in August 2025 to extend the appointment term of Neighbourhood Watch committees from two to three years per term to allow more effective implementation of community plans [2]. He has spoken out against racial incidents, stating that the Ministry of National Unity will not compromise on any form of racial insult [2]. On reading and literacy, he has promoted the National Reading Decade initiative targeting Malaysia as a 'Reading Nation' by 2030 [2]. On interfaith issues, he has called for constructive engagement with diversity, warning that nations divided by exploited differences are weakened [4][6]. During his tenure as Deputy Health Minister II, he acknowledged a nationwide shortage of specialist doctors as a structural issue affecting Sarawak's rural healthcare [5].

Education

1. Late 1970s–1980sObtained a degree in forestry from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).⛓
2. Late 1980s–1990sObtained a master's degree from the University of Göttingen, Germany.⛓

Before politics

1. Approx. 1985–2001Served with the Sarawak Forestry Department for 16 years.⛓

Political career

1. 2001Appointed political secretary to Datuk Amar Leo Moggie, then Minister for Energy, Communications and Multimedia and MP for Kanowit.⛓
2. March 2004Elected MP for Kanowit in GE11, succeeding Leo Moggie who retired after seven terms.⛓
3. 2004–2005Following the deregistration of his party PBDS after GE11, joined Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and subsequently Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) in 2005.⛓
4. 2008Retained the Kanowit parliamentary seat uncontested in GE12.⛓
5. March 2020Appointed Deputy Minister of Health II under the Perikatan Nasional administration led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.⛓
6. August 2021Continued as Deputy Minister of Health II under the Barisan Nasional administration led by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, with Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.⛓
7. November 2022Won the Kanowit seat in GE15 for his fifth consecutive term, with a majority of 236 votes, polling 7,411 votes.⛓
8. December 2022Appointed Minister of National Unity in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Unity Government, one of five Sarawak MPs in the cabinet.⛓
9. October 2025Elected as one of five vice-presidents of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) at the party election.⛓

Election history

• 2022KanowitWon⛓
• 2018KanowitWon⛓
• 2013KanowitWon⛓
• 2008KanowitWon⛓
• 2004KanowitWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentAaron Ago Dagang was appointed as one of five Sarawak MPs in PM Anwar Ibrahim's Unity Government cabinet in December 2022, reflecting GPS's continued inclusion in the federal government and the importance of Sarawak bloc support to the ruling coalition.⛓
• OppositionMalaysiakini reported that three civil society groups called for Aaron's resignation in March 2024 over his handling of the transfer of the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) to his ministry, submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Department.⛓
• VerifiedFactsAaron Ago Dagang won the Kanowit seat in GE15 (November 2022) with 7,411 votes and a majority of 236 votes in a five-cornered contest. His nearest rival Mohd Fauzi Abdullah (PKR) polled 7,175 votes.⛓