Ariffin Deraman

Summary

Ariffin bin Deraman (PAS) has represented the Alur Limbat state seat in Terengganu since 2013, winning three successive elections with growing majorities. A member of the Terengganu EXCO continuously since 2018, he held the Tourism, Culture and Information Technology portfolio in his first EXCO term — during which Tasik Kenyir was gazetted as Malaysia's national geopark — before being reassigned to Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs after PN's landslide in the 2023 state election. He also serves as PAS Terengganu's Election Director.

Biography

Ariffin bin Deraman is a Malaysian politician serving as Member of the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Alur Limbat since May 2013, currently in his third consecutive term [1]. He is a member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. Ariffin made his electoral debut in the 2013 Terengganu state election, defeating the then-incumbent BN assemblyman Alias Abdullah and an independent candidate by a majority of 645 votes [1]. He retained his seat in 2018 with a majority of 4,194 votes, and again in 2023 with a substantially increased majority of 12,656 votes, receiving 55.8% of the vote [1]. Since May 2018, Ariffin has served without interruption as a member of the Terengganu State Executive Council (EXCO) under Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar [1]. In his first EXCO term he chaired the Tourism, Culture and Information Technology Committee; a notable achievement during this period was overseeing the official recognition of Tasik Kenyir as Malaysia's national geopark, renamed the Kenyir Geopark, in May 2023 [2]. Following PN's sweep of all 32 Terengganu state seats in the 2023 election, Ariffin was reappointed to the EXCO and assigned the Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs portfolio [2]. In addition to his legislative and executive roles, he has served as PAS Terengganu's Election Director, and was the coalition's public spokesperson during both the GE15 (2022) and the 2023 state election campaigns [3].

Known for

Ariffin Deraman is defined politically by his unbroken tenure as Alur Limbat assemblyman since 2013 and his concurrent role as a Terengganu EXCO member across two full terms under Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar [1]. He is closely associated with the state's tourism development agenda, most prominently the successful campaign to have Tasik Kenyir gazetted as Malaysia's national geopark [2]. He also serves as PAS Terengganu's Election Director, making him a key figure in the party's electoral strategy in the state [4].

Political positions

Ariffin has consistently argued that Terengganu's tourism sector should be developed within the values framework of the PAS-led state government. In 2018, following PAS's return to power, he assured the public that the state government would not shut down Kuala Terengganu's only cinema, while indicating his preference that operators review late-night screening schedules, particularly during prayer times [2]. On electoral strategy, he has publicly advocated for early state elections to capitalise on political momentum, stating in December 2022 that the time was right to leverage public support for PN following GE15 [5]. Regarding coalition identity, Ariffin argued at a 2022 Perikatan convention that PAS should be allowed to contest GE15 under its own logo, noting that political dynamics on the east coast differ from the national level, though ultimately PN proceeded with a unified logo [2]. In his current portfolio, he oversees entrepreneurship, human resources, cooperatives and consumer affairs for the state, areas with direct impact on livelihoods and small business activity in Terengganu [5].

Political career

1. May 2013Made electoral debut contesting the Alur Limbat seat in the Terengganu state election; defeated incumbent BN assemblyman Alias Abdullah and independent candidate Ja'afar Jambol by a majority of 645 votes.⛓
2. May 2018Retained the Alur Limbat seat for a second term, defeating BN and PH opponents by a majority of 4,194 votes.⛓
3. 16 May 2018Sworn in as Terengganu EXCO member in charge of Tourism, Culture and Information Technology under Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, following PAS's victory in the 2018 state election.⛓
4. 31 May 2023As Tourism EXCO chairman, announced the official recognition of Tasik Kenyir as Malaysia's national geopark — renamed the Kenyir Geopark — by the National Geopark Committee.⛓
5. August 2023Retained the Alur Limbat seat for a third term in the 2023 Terengganu state election under the PN banner, defeating BN's Mohd Yuseri Isa by a majority of 12,656 votes and receiving 55.8% of valid votes.⛓
6. 16 August 2023Reappointed to the Terengganu EXCO and assigned the Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs portfolio following PN's sweep of all 32 Terengganu state seats.⛓

Election history

• 2023Alur LimbatWon55.8%⛓
• 2018Alur LimbatWon⛓
• 2013Alur LimbatWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsAriffin Deraman has held the Alur Limbat state seat for three consecutive terms since 2013 and has served on the Terengganu EXCO without interruption since May 2018. His electoral majority grew from 645 votes (2013) to 12,656 votes (2023), the latter representing 55.8% of valid votes cast.⛓
• GovernmentAs a senior EXCO member, Ariffin has publicly defended PAS governance in Terengganu, stating in December 2024 that the administration maintains transparency as a core principle and has not been complacent in addressing grassroots concerns.⛓
• OppositionNo opposition statements specifically critiquing Ariffin Deraman were identified in the searched allowlist sources during this research.⛓