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Ahmad Marzuk Shaary

Ahmad Marzuk Shaary

Party
PAS · Malaysian Islamic Party
Coalition
PN
Constituency
Pengkalan Chepa
State
Kelantan
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Why this matters to you

As opposition MP for Pengkalan Chepa, Ahmad Marzuk sits on the opposition benches in the Dewan Rakyat, meaning he votes against government bills and uses parliamentary questions and debates to scrutinise government policies — particularly those touching on Islamic institutions such as Tabung Haji, which directly affects the haj savings of millions of Muslim Malaysians. His consistent focus on the religious affairs portfolio means that Malaysians who depend on bodies like JAKIM and Tabung Haji for religious services, haj management, and Islamic social programmes are likely to have those institutions subject to ongoing opposition scrutiny. Voters in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, are represented by an MP who prioritises religious governance and conservative social policy in his parliamentary engagements.

Summary

Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (born 1975) is a PAS politician who has represented Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan in the Dewan Rakyat since 2018, having previously served as Bachok MP from 2013 to 2018. He held the post of Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) from 2020 to 2022 across two administrations, and is a member of the PAS Central Working Committee. In the current parliament he sits in the opposition and is frequently noted for his interventions on Islamic governance, religious institutions, and conservative social policy.

Biography

Datuk Ahmad Marzuk bin Shaary (born 7 December 1975 in Kelantan) is a Malaysian politician from the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) who has served as the Member of Parliament for Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, since May 2018 [1]. He was educated at Universiti Sains Malaysia [2]. Ahmad Marzuk first entered federal parliament as the MP for Bachok in May 2013, defeating former deputy minister Awang Adek Hussin [1]. He moved to the Pengkalan Chepa seat at the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018. Ahmad Marzuk held the position of Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Religious Affairs across two consecutive administrations: under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin from March 2020 to August 2021, and subsequently under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 until the collapse of that administration in November 2022 [1]. He successfully defended his Pengkalan Chepa seat at GE15 in November 2022 under the Perikatan Nasional banner, winning with a majority of 38,270 votes and a vote share of 50.4% [3]. At the party level, Ahmad Marzuk is a member of the PAS Central Working Committee [1]. As of the 16th Parliament, he sits in the opposition. He holds the title Datuk.

Known for

Ahmad Marzuk Shaary is known for his consistent advocacy on Islamic affairs and conservative religious policy, drawing on his prior experience as Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs. He has been a vocal presence in the Dewan Rakyat on matters relating to Tabung Haji, LGBT policy, and interfaith relations. He has been involved in a number of parliamentary incidents, including being ejected or suspended from the Dewan Rakyat on more than one occasion for refusing to comply with the presiding speaker's rulings [4].

Political positions

Ahmad Marzuk consistently advocates for the primacy of Islamic governance in public institutions and policy. As Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs, he publicly supported amending Act 355 to impose heavier punishments for those engaging in conduct contrary to Islamic law, and directed state religious agencies to enforce dress code provisions against the LGBT community [5]. In parliament, he has called for government-run anti-LGBT campaigns in schools and across the media, describing such campaigns as necessary to raise public awareness that the LGBT lifestyle contravenes religious teachings [6]. He has raised questions about non-Muslim involvement in contracts awarded by Tabung Haji, a Muslim pilgrimage fund, arguing that rebranding work should be handled by Muslim firms [6]. On economic matters, he has scrutinised the SARA aid programme's vendor selection process, highlighting gaps in coverage for small rural traders [7]. He has also publicly questioned the valuation basis for the proposed sale of Tabung Haji plantation subsidiaries, indicating the prices were below independent valuations [8].

References

  1. [1]en.wikipedia.org
  2. [2]wikidata.org
  3. [3]election.thestar.com.my
  4. [4]malaymail.com
  5. [5]bernama.com
  6. [6]freemalaysiatoday.com
  7. [7]malaysiakini.com
  8. [8]theedgemalaysia.com

Education

  1. Pre-2000Ahmad Marzuk Shaary was educated at Universiti Sains Malaysia.⛓

Political career

  1. May 2013Elected as Member of Parliament for Bachok at GE13, defeating former deputy minister Awang Adek Hussin with a slim majority.⛓
  2. May 2018Elected as Member of Parliament for Pengkalan Chepa at GE14, switching from the Bachok constituency.⛓
  3. March 2020Appointed Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in the Perikatan Nasional administration, serving under Minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.⛓
  4. August 2021Continued as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Minister Idris Ahmad in the Barisan Nasional administration.⛓
  5. November 2022Re-elected as Member of Parliament for Pengkalan Chepa at GE15 under Perikatan Nasional, winning with 53,933 votes (50.4%) and a majority of 38,270.⛓
  6. November 2022Departed executive office following the collapse of the Ismail Sabri administration after GE15, returning to the opposition backbenches.⛓
  7. November 2023Ejected from the Dewan Rakyat by Deputy Speaker Alice Lau after refusing to retract remarks directed at Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming during the Budget 2024 debate.⛓
  8. August 2025Suspended from the Dewan Rakyat for two days by Deputy Speaker Alice Lau after repeatedly ignoring warnings during a heated debate on Tabung Haji's rebranding exercise.⛓

Election history

  • 2022Pengkalan ChepaWon50.4%⛓
  • 2018Pengkalan ChepaWon⛓
  • 2013BachokWon⛓

Stance evolution

Public statements grouped chronologically. The party tag shows which party the politician was contesting under at that point.

  1. 2026PAS
    • The government must be stern when addressing the LGBT issue.

      Ahmad Marzuk called for anti-LGBT campaigns in schools and the media while debating the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat. · Source

  2. 2025PAS
    • We understand the need for rebranding, but why is the company appointed for the rebranding owned by non-Muslims?

      Ahmad Marzuk raised questions in the Dewan Rakyat during a debate on Tabung Haji's rebranding exercise, which led to his suspension from the House. · Source

  3. 2021PAS
    • I apologise a thousand times for the issues that arose.

      Ahmad Marzuk issued a public statement apologising after a video of his ministerial vehicle breaking traffic laws in Kelantan went viral. · Source

Perspectives on key issues

  • OppositionAhmad Marzuk and PAS frame his parliamentary interventions on Islamic institutions and social policy as necessary to defend Muslim interests and uphold Islamic governance in public bodies.⛓
  • GovernmentReligious Affairs Minister Na'im Mokhtar rebuffed Ahmad Marzuk's Tabung Haji rebranding criticism, stating that Tabung Haji's procurement process was stringent and followed corporate norms, and noting that 23 non-Muslim companies were selected when Ahmad Marzuk himself was deputy religious minister.⛓
  • OppositionDAP national vice-chairperson Syahredzan Johan described Ahmad Marzuk's Facebook post likening Malaysia's situation to Palestine as falsely portraying Malaysia's non-Muslim and non-bumiputera citizens as threats to Malay-Muslim interests, calling the remarks extreme and unacceptable.⛓
  • PublicGovernment backbencher Lim Lip Eng (PH-Kepong) called for police to investigate Ahmad Marzuk over a Facebook post claiming non-Malays and non-Muslims were increasingly controlling major sectors in Malaysia, contending the statement was false and seditious in nature.⛓
  • VerifiedFactsAhmad Marzuk Shaary won the GE15 Pengkalan Chepa seat with 53,933 votes (50.4% vote share) and a majority of 38,270, making it among the largest majorities recorded in Kelantan at GE15.⛓

Sources

Every URL the AI used to draft this profile, for editor and reader verification.

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