Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh

Summary

Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly bin Jusoh is the PAS Member of Parliament for Besut, Terengganu, serving under the Perikatan Nasional coalition since the 15th General Election in November 2022. A former Sessions Court judge, he previously represented Setiu under UMNO/BN from 2013 to 2018 before switching parties and winning Besut with an 18,666-vote majority. He is recognised in parliamentary proceedings for his advocacy on Bahasa Melayu language policy in legislation and for his active, and at times contested, participation in Dewan Rakyat debates.

Biography

Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly bin Jusoh (born 16 September 1959) is a Malaysian politician currently serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Besut, Terengganu, under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner representing PAS [1]. He has held federal legislative office across three general elections spanning two different parties and two different constituencies. Before entering politics, he served as a Sessions Court Judge (Hakim Mahkamah Sesyen) at Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur [2]. He was originally a member of UMNO, a component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, before later joining PAS [1]. He first won a parliamentary seat in the 13th General Election (GE13) in 2013, representing the Setiu constituency under BN/UMNO, defeating the Pakatan Rakyat candidate Omar Sidek [3]. He served as MP for Setiu from May 2013 to May 2018, after which he did not retain the seat in GE14 [1]. He subsequently joined PAS and stood for the Besut seat in GE15 (November 2022), winning with a majority of 18,666 votes — defeating UMNO's candidate in what Bernama described as 'a supposed UMNO stronghold' [4]. He has been an active participant in parliamentary debates, particularly on issues relating to the use of Bahasa Melayu as the authoritative language of Malaysian legislation [5]. In March 2023, he was suspended from the Dewan Rakyat for three days by Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Md Nor after repeatedly refusing to sit down despite being warned [4].

Known for

Che Mohamad Zulkifly is known for his background as a former Sessions Court judge who transitioned into federal politics under UMNO before switching to PAS. He is associated with advocacy for Bahasa Melayu as the sole authoritative language of Malaysian statutes, having called on the government to set a 2030 deadline for completing the transition [5]. He also drew public attention in 2017 for remarks made during the Domestic Violence Act amendment debate concerning Sharia-related marital offences [1].

Political positions

Che Mohamad Zulkifly has consistently advocated for elevating the status of Bahasa Melayu in Malaysian law. In October 2025, he urged the government to set a clear target to make Bahasa Melayu the authoritative language for all national laws by 2030, noting that many statutes still used the English version as the authoritative text despite the National Language Act 1963/67 having been enacted nearly six decades prior [5]. In 2017, during debate on the Domestic Violence Act (Amendments) 2017, Wikipedia reports he remarked that certain marital conduct should be considered a Sharia-related marital offence, drawing criticism from civil society groups including the Women's Aid Organisation and support from the Muslim Welfare Organisation Malaysia [1]. In October 2025, NST reported that a shouting match erupted in the Dewan Rakyat after he raised the issue of serving alcohol on flights [6]. As a PN opposition MP, he has also questioned the government on matters of governance and legislative process [5].

Before politics

1. Before 2013Served as a Sessions Court Judge (Hakim Mahkamah Sesyen) at Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, prior to entering electoral politics.⛓

Political career

1. May 2013Elected as Member of Parliament for Setiu, Terengganu, representing BN/UMNO in GE13, defeating Pakatan Rakyat's Omar Sidek.⛓
2. July 2017During debate on the Domestic Violence Act (Amendments) 2017 in the Dewan Rakyat, made remarks on Sharia-related marital offences that drew criticism from the Women's Aid Organisation and other politicians, as reported by Wikipedia.⛓
3. May 2018Did not retain the Setiu parliamentary seat in GE14; his tenure as Setiu MP ended in May 2018.⛓
4. November 2022Won the Besut parliamentary seat (P033) under PN/PAS in GE15, defeating UMNO's Nawi Mohamad with a majority of 18,666 votes in what Bernama described as 'a supposed UMNO stronghold'.⛓
5. March 2023Suspended from the Dewan Rakyat for three days by Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Md Nor after repeatedly refusing to sit down despite three warnings, during a dispute over the use of English in parliamentary bills.⛓
6. October 2025Called on the government in the Dewan Rakyat to set a 2030 deadline to make Bahasa Melayu the authoritative language for all Malaysian statutes, citing the National Language Act 1963/67.⛓
7. October 2025A shouting match erupted in the Dewan Rakyat after he raised the issue of serving alcohol on flights, as reported by the New Straits Times.⛓

Election history

• 2022BesutWon44.4%⛓
• 2018SetiuLost⛓
• 2013SetiuWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsChe Mohamad Zulkifly won Besut in GE15 with a majority of 18,666 votes and a 44.4% vote share, defeating UMNO's candidate in a constituency Bernama described as a traditional UMNO stronghold.⛓
• OppositionAs a PN opposition MP, Che Mohamad Zulkifly has been critical of the government's use of English in parliamentary bills and has questioned what he characterised as inconsistency in applying the National Language Act 1963/67.⛓
• ExpertLawyers cited by FMT in October 2025 cautioned that transitioning all Malaysian statutes to Bahasa Melayu by 2030 would be a 'tall order', noting risks of inaccurate translation and the need for close collaboration between linguists and legal specialists.⛓
• PublicThe Women's Aid Organisation criticised remarks he made during the 2017 Domestic Violence Act amendment debate, while the Muslim Welfare Organisation Malaysia expressed agreement with his position, according to Wikipedia.⛓