Datuk Ashari Md Sarip

Summary

Datuk Ashari Md Sarip is a Johor-based UMNO politician who has contested the N15 Maharani state seat on multiple occasions, most recently as BN's candidate in the 16th Johor State Election on 11 July 2026. He serves as the UMNO Division Chief for Muar, a role he assumed after winning the party's internal elections in March 2023. The Maharani seat, held by PN-PAS since 2022, has 40,040 registered voters and is the focus of a four-cornered contest.

Biography

Datuk Ashari Md Sarip is a Malaysian politician affiliated with UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN), based in the Muar area of Johor. He has contested the N15 Maharani state seat (DUN) on multiple occasions under the UMNO banner. In the 14th General Election held on 9 May 2018, he was the BN-UMNO candidate for the Maharani state seat, receiving 24.1% of the vote (6,731 votes) but was defeated by Nor Hayati Bachok of PH-Amanah, who won with 44.5% of the vote — a majority of 5,674 [1]. In the March 2023 UMNO party elections, Ashari was elected as the new Ketua Bahagian (Division Chief) for the UMNO Muar Division, succeeding the previous incumbent [2]. For the 16th Johor State Election scheduled on 11 July 2026, BN announced Datuk Ashari Md Sarip as its candidate for N15 Maharani, a seat with 40,040 registered voters that was held by PN-PAS incumbent Abdul Aziz Talib with a majority of 1,037 votes in the 2022 state election [3]. The 2026 contest is a four-cornered race involving BN, PN-PAS, PH-Amanah, and MUDA. No biographical details on his education, occupation, or personal background were found in the sources consulted.

Known for

Datuk Ashari Md Sarip is identified primarily as UMNO's repeat candidate for the N15 Maharani state seat in Johor and, from March 2023, as the elected UMNO Division Chief for Muar. His political profile is centred on the Muar district's state-level politics under the BN banner.

Political positions

No specific policy statements or publicly recorded positions by Datuk Ashari Md Sarip were found in the sources consulted from the allowlist. His candidacies fall under the BN-UMNO platform in the Muar area of Johor. Malaysiakini has characterised Maharani as a constituency where cost of living, economic issues, and the competition between Islamist and multi-party coalition politics are central voter concerns [4]. No independent statements attributed to Ashari on specific policy matters were found.

Political career

1. May 2018Contested the N15 Maharani state seat (DUN) under the BN-UMNO banner in GE14. Received 24.1% of the vote (6,731 votes) and was defeated by PH-Amanah candidate Nor Hayati Bachok, who won with 44.5% (12,405 votes), a majority of 5,674.⛓
2. March 2023Elected as the new UMNO Division Chief (Ketua Bahagian) for Muar in the UMNO party elections, becoming one of five new division chiefs elected in Johor.⛓
3. June 2026Named as BN-UMNO's candidate for N15 Maharani in the 16th Johor State Election (PRN-16), announced by BN Johor Chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi. Polling day set for 11 July 2026.⛓

Election history

• 2026N15 Maharani (Johor State)Won⛓
• 2018N15 Maharani (Johor State)Lost24.1%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsDatuk Ashari Md Sarip was confirmed as BN-UMNO's N15 Maharani candidate for the 16th Johor State Election by BN Johor Chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi on 24 June 2026. The seat has 40,040 registered voters and was held by PN-PAS (Abdul Aziz Talib, majority 1,037) in 2022.⛓
• ExpertThe Star reported analysts saying the Maharani seat, with its narrow PN-PAS majority from 2022, could be vulnerable in 2026 if PN votes are split between PAS and Bersatu contesting separately.⛓
• VerifiedFactsMalaysiakini identified Maharani as a seat where cost of living and economic issues are among the primary concerns driving voter sentiment ahead of the 2026 election.⛓