Ali Biju

Summary

Datuk Ali anak Biju is the two-term MP for Saratok, Sarawak, first elected in 2018 under PKR and re-elected in 2022 under Bersatu/Perikatan Nasional, making him the only non-GPS MP to hold a Sarawak federal seat across both elections. A civil engineer by training, he served as Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources from 2020 to 2022 under two successive federal administrations before returning to the opposition benches after GE15. As of April 2026, he is reported to be suspended from Bersatu amid the party's internal leadership crisis.

Biography

Datuk Ali anak Biju (born 27 January 1968) is a Malaysian politician and civil engineer who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Saratok, Sarawak, since May 2018 [1]. He completed his secondary education at Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Valparaiso University, United States, in 1992 [1]. Ali is Iban by ethnicity and represents one of Sarawak's predominantly Iban constituencies. He first entered state-level politics when he won the Krian state seat under PKR in the 2011 Sarawak State Election, successfully defending the seat in 2016 [2]. He won the Saratok parliamentary seat for the first time in GE14 (2018), defeating BN's Subeng Mula by 989 votes under PKR [3]. Following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government in 2020, he left PKR to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) [2]. He served as Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources under both the Perikatan Nasional administration of Muhyiddin Yassin (March 2020–August 2021) and the Barisan Nasional administration of Ismail Sabri Yaakob (August 2021–November 2022) [1]. In GE15 (November 2022), he retained the Saratok seat under the Perikatan Nasional banner, obtaining 19,223 votes with an 8,826-vote majority [4]. As of April 2026, he is reported to be among Bersatu MPs suspended amid internal party turbulence [3].

Known for

Ali Biju is known for holding the Saratok parliamentary seat across two general elections (GE14 and GE15) against GPS-fielded opponents, making him the sole consistent non-GPS MP in Sarawak at the federal level. He is also noted for crossing party lines — moving from PKR to Bersatu in 2020 following the Sheraton Move — and for serving as Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources across two consecutive federal administrations. He drew attention in December 2021 when he initially nominated himself as an independent candidate for the Krian state seat against his own party's directive, before subsequently withdrawing upon advice from Bersatu's leadership.

Political positions

Ali Biju has positioned himself as a bridge between Sarawak and the federal government, emphasising Sarawak's representation within whichever federal administration he served. During his tenure as Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, he was involved in federal policy on energy, forestry resources, and indigenous land use. In August 2022, Free Malaysia Today reported that an Orang Asli activist criticised a statement attributed to Ali — in his capacity as deputy minister — indicating that Orang Asli living in forest reserves were not permitted to harvest forest produce for commercial purposes; the activist characterised this as inconsistent with indigenous communities' rights [5]. On constitutional and political matters, he publicly defended the Attorney General's role during a 2021 controversy involving Pakatan Harapan's demand for the AG's removal [6]. No formal published policy platform or party manifesto positions specific to Ali Biju have been located in allowlist sources beyond his ministerial role.

Education

1. Pre-1992Completed secondary education at Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah College in Sarawak.⛓
2. 1992Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Valparaiso University, United States.⛓

Before politics

1. Post-1992Became active in the oil and gas industry as a civil engineer and was appointed director of Kumus Sdn. Bhd.⛓

Political career

1. April 2011Won the Krian state seat in the 10th Sarawak State Election under PKR, beginning his first term as a member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly.⛓
2. 2013Contested the Saratok parliamentary seat in GE13 under PKR, losing to BN's William Mawan Ikom by 2,081 votes.⛓
3. 2016Successfully defended the Krian state seat in the 11th Sarawak State Election under PKR, defeating BN's Kilat Beriak by a majority of 1,640 votes.⛓
4. May 2018Won the Saratok parliamentary seat for the first time in GE14 under PKR, defeating BN's Subeng Mula by 989 votes.⛓
5. February–March 2020Left PKR and joined Bersatu following the Sheraton Move political crisis, which resulted in the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan federal government.⛓
6. March 2020Appointed Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources in the Perikatan Nasional administration under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.⛓
7. August 2021Re-appointed as Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources under the Barisan Nasional administration of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.⛓
8. December 2021Nominated as an independent candidate for the Krian state seat in the 12th Sarawak State Election against his party's directive, before announcing his withdrawal on 9 December 2021 upon advice from Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.⛓
9. November 2022Re-elected as MP for Saratok in GE15 under the Perikatan Nasional/Bersatu banner, obtaining 19,223 votes with a majority of 8,826 in a three-cornered contest.⛓
10. April 2026Reported by The Star as among Bersatu MPs suspended amid the party's internal leadership crisis, with his political future the subject of analysis regarding potential alignment with the Berjasa vehicle being prepared for Hamzah Zainuddin's faction.⛓

Election history

• 2022Saratok (P.205)Won⛓
• 2018Saratok (P.205)Won⛓
• 2013Saratok (P.205)Lost⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• OppositionThe Star reported in April 2026 that Ali Biju is among Bersatu MPs described as suspended, and is identified as one of the non-Muslim Bornean politicians for whom the Berjasa vehicle — being prepared for Hamzah Zainuddin's faction within Perikatan Nasional — would provide a 'legal home'.⛓
• GovernmentGPS chairman Abang Johari acknowledged the loss of Saratok to Ali Biju in GE15, stating: 'The decision had been made by the voters. We have to accept the decision of the people.'⛓
• AffectedFree Malaysia Today reported in August 2022 that an Orang Asli activist criticised a statement attributed to Ali Biju in his capacity as deputy energy and natural resources minister, describing as 'hypocritical' his position that Orang Asli in forest reserves could not harvest forest produce commercially while logging was permitted in the same areas.⛓
• VerifiedFactsAli Biju won the Saratok seat in GE15 (November 2022) with 19,223 votes and an 8,826-vote majority in a three-cornered fight, as confirmed by The Edge Malaysia and The Star. He first won Saratok in GE14 (2018) with a 989-vote majority under PKR, as confirmed by The Star.⛓

Business interests (publicly reported)

According to Wikipedia, Ali Biju is active in the oil and gas industry as part of his civil engineering profession and is listed as a director of Kumus Sdn. Bhd. (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Biju). No further details on the nature or scale of this directorship have been located in allowlist news sources.