Jamil Salleh

Summary

Datuk Seri Jamil bin Salleh (born 1959) is the BERSATU assemblyman for Dengkil (N55) in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, elected in August 2023 under the Perikatan Nasional banner after a career of over three decades in the federal civil service that included serving as Secretary-General of two ministries. He won the seat with a narrow majority over BN-UMNO's candidate, making Dengkil one of PN's most marginal wins in the 2023 Selangor state election. As an opposition ADUN in a PH-BN governed Selangor, he has publicly reaffirmed his alignment with PN while pledging to serve all Dengkil constituents regardless of party affiliation.

Biography

Datuk Seri Jamil bin Salleh (born 1959) is a Malaysian politician and former senior civil servant serving as the Member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Dengkil (N55) since August 2023 [1]. He is a member of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU), a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. Prior to entering electoral politics, Jamil had a career spanning over three decades in the Malaysian federal civil service. He served as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) from 2016 to 2019, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) from 2013 to 2016, Deputy Secretary of the National Key Results Area (NKRA) Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs from 2009 to 2010, and Director of Planning, Development and Logistics of the Prisons Department from 2000 to 2009, having held various management positions across the KBS, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Defence from 1983 to 1999 [1]. He is also listed as an alumnus of the University of Malaya [1]. Jamil made his electoral debut in the August 2023 Selangor state election, winning the Dengkil seat under the PN banner. He won with 33,561 votes against his nearest rival Noorazli Said of BN-UMNO who garnered 33,154 votes [2]. Note: The majority figure is reported as 407 by Utusan Malaysia and The Star's election portal, while Wikipedia records 381 — readers should note this minor discrepancy between sources.

Known for

Jamil Salleh is defined politically by his background as a career senior federal civil servant who transitioned directly into elected politics upon retirement, having served as Secretary-General of two federal ministries [3]. He won the Dengkil state seat in 2023 on a Perikatan Nasional ticket, one of only four PN seats won with a majority under 500 votes in that election [1]. He is also known for publicly denying reports in March 2024 that he had declared support for Selangor Menteri Besar Amiruddin Shari, reaffirming his alignment with the PN opposition bloc in the state assembly [4].

Political positions

During the 2023 state election campaign, Jamil prioritised flood mitigation as the foremost issue for Dengkil residents, pledging to leverage his government networks — particularly with the federal Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) — to address recurring flooding [4]. He also identified the shortage of schools relative to Dengkil's rapid population growth as a key constituency concern, committing to engage the Ministry of Education to address the deficit [4]. On nomination day he stated he would use his 40 years of government experience to benefit not only Dengkil but also the state and the country [3]. As an opposition assemblyman in a PH-BN governed Selangor, he has stated his role is to act as a check-and-balance on the state government to ensure greater transparency and integrity in governance [4].

Education

1. Pre-1983Attended the University of Malaya, where he is listed among notable alumni.⛓

Before politics

1. 1983–1999Held various management positions across the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Defence.⛓
2. 2000–2009Served as Director of Planning, Development and Logistics of the Prisons Department.⛓
3. 2009–2010Served as Deputy Secretary of the National Key Results Area (NKRA) Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs.⛓
4. 2013–2016Served as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS).⛓
5. 2016–2019Served as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP), the ministry's 12th holder of the post. Retired from the federal civil service in 2019 after approximately 35 years of service.⛓

Political career

1. July 2023PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin announced Jamil as Perikatan Nasional's candidate for the Dengkil state seat ahead of the August 2023 Selangor state election.⛓
2. August 2023Contested and won the Dengkil (N55) state seat in the 15th Selangor State Legislative Assembly election, defeating BN-UMNO's Noorazli Said, PSM's Darren Ong Chung Lee, and PUR's Mohd Daud Leong Abdullah.⛓
3. March 2024Publicly denied reports that he had declared support for Selangor Menteri Besar Amiruddin Shari, stating his commitment to PN remained unchanged and his role as opposition ADUN was to serve as a check-and-balance on the state government.⛓

Election history

• 2023Dengkil (N55), SelangorWon35.7%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentPN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin nominated Jamil as the coalition's Dengkil candidate, citing his long record of national service as justification for fielding him.⛓
• OppositionFMT reported that Jamil's opponent, BN-UMNO's Noorazli Said, banked on his 'local boy' credentials to counter Jamil's candidacy, given that Jamil was not originally from Dengkil.⛓
• PublicKampung Baru Seri Dengkil community management council chairman Lee Kwai Onn stated that residents hoped the elected assemblyman would attend to the need for better health facilities, noting the existing Klinik Kesihatan was too small for the growing population.⛓
• VerifiedFactsDengkil (N55) was one of four seats won by PN in the 2023 Selangor state election with a majority under 500 votes, according to Wikipedia's account of the 2023 Selangor state election results.⛓