Azhar Salleh

Summary

Azhar Salleh (known as Ustaz Azhar) is the PAS assemblyman for N33 Pulai Chondong in the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly, serving under the Perikatan Nasional coalition. He won the seat in the 12 August 2023 Kelantan state election with a majority of 6,037 votes (41.3% vote share), defeating BN's Muhammad Fakhran Che Jusoh, and had previously held the seat as incumbent. He operates within a legislature where PAS commands a supermajority, giving the party decisive influence over state-level governance in Kelantan.

Biography

Azhar Salleh, widely referred to as Ustaz Azhar, is a Malaysian politician and member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) who serves as the State Assemblyman (ADUN) for N33 Pulai Chondong in the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly [1]. He is a component member of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, which has governed Kelantan continuously since 1990 [2]. Pulai Chondong is a state constituency in Kelantan first contested in 1974, mandated to return a single assemblyman under the first-past-the-post system, with a population of approximately 33,394 as of 2020 [2]. Azhar Salleh was the incumbent assemblyman when he defended the seat in the 15th Kelantan state election held on 12 August 2023, securing victory over Barisan Nasional's Muhammad Fakhran Che Jusoh with a majority of 6,037 votes [3]. He polled 11,636 votes, representing a 41.3% vote share, from a registered voter base of 28,169 [3]. The 2023 Kelantan state election saw PN win 43 of 45 seats, with PAS holding 37 of those seats, achieving a supermajority and continuing its dominance in the state [2]. Azhar Salleh's title of 'Ustaz' indicates a background in Islamic religious education, consistent with PAS's broader candidate profile described by Kelantan PN chairman Ahmad Yakob as including 'religious teachers, technocrats and some professionals' [4]. No further independently sourced biographical details — including date of birth, educational institution, or pre-political career — were found on the allowlist at the time of drafting.

Known for

Azhar Salleh is known as the PAS assemblyman for Pulai Chondong, a seat he has held through at least two consecutive terms in the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly [3]. He is identified publicly by the honorific 'Ustaz', indicating a religious education background consistent with PAS's Islamist political platform [3][4]. He contested and won the 2023 Kelantan state election as part of PAS's landslide supermajority result under the Perikatan Nasional banner [2].

Political positions

As a PAS member and state assemblyman operating within a state government where PAS holds a supermajority, Azhar Salleh's political positioning aligns with PAS's Islamist platform, which includes the promotion of Islamic governance at the state level and adherence to conservative religious values [2]. The Kelantan state government under PAS and PN has continued to legislate and administer within the framework of Kelantan's Islamic governance tradition since 1990 [2]. No specific policy statements or committee positions attributed to Azhar Salleh personally were identified on the allowlist at the time of drafting; this field should be updated when primary source material becomes available.

Political career

1. May 2018Azhar Salleh won the N33 Pulai Chondong seat in the 2018 Kelantan state election, held concurrently with the 14th Malaysian general election, as a PAS candidate. PAS won 37 of 45 Kelantan seats in that election.⛓
2. July 2023Azhar Salleh was named by Perikatan Nasional as its candidate for N33 Pulai Chondong in the upcoming 2023 Kelantan state election.⛓
3. August 2023Azhar Salleh won the N33 Pulai Chondong seat in the 2023 Kelantan state election with a majority of 6,037 votes (41.3% vote share, 11,636 votes) against BN's Muhammad Fakhran Che Jusoh. PN won 43 of 45 seats statewide.⛓

Election history

• 2023N33 Pulai Chondong, KelantanWon41.3%⛓
• 2018N33 Pulai Chondong, KelantanWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsAzhar Salleh won the N33 Pulai Chondong seat in the 2023 Kelantan state election with a majority of 6,037 votes and 41.3% vote share. He was confirmed as the incumbent at that election. PN/PAS won 43 of 45 Kelantan seats overall.⛓
• GovernmentAzhar Salleh was officially listed as PN's candidate for N33 Pulai Chondong by Kelantan PN chairman Ahmad Yakob ahead of the 2023 state election, as part of a slate described as including religious teachers, technocrats, and professionals.⛓