Jonathan Yasin

Summary

Datuk Jonathan bin Yasin (born 19 October 1967) is the MP for Ranau, Sabah, having first won the seat in 2018 under PKR and successfully retaining it in 2022 under GRS. He served as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs II from 2020 to 2022, and currently chairs the Dewan Rakyat Special Select Committee on Security. He is a direct member of GRS after resigning from BERSATU in late 2022, a move upheld as constitutionally valid when the High Court dismissed BERSATU's challenge in November 2023.

Biography

Datuk Jonathan bin Yasin (born 19 October 1967 in Sabah) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ranau (P179), Sabah, since May 2018 [1]. He is currently a direct member of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, having previously been a member of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and later Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) before resigning from the latter [1]. Jonathan first contested the Ranau parliamentary seat under PKR in GE2008, losing to UPKO's Siringan Gubat. He contested again in GE2013, losing to UPKO's Ewon Ebin. He succeeded at the third attempt in GE2018, defeating the incumbent Ewon Ebin on a Pakatan Harapan (PKR) ticket [1]. Following the Sheraton Move political realignment in February 2020, he resigned from PKR on 24 February 2020 and later joined BERSATU on 22 August 2020 [1][2]. He served as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs II from March 2020 to November 2022, spanning the Perikatan Nasional administration under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the subsequent Barisan Nasional administration under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob [1]. In GE2022 (GE15), he successfully defended the Ranau seat under the GRS banner, polling 22,606 votes with an 11,092-vote majority in a five-cornered contest [3]. After GE15, he resigned from BERSATU together with other Sabah BERSATU leaders, but remained a direct member of GRS [1]. He currently chairs the Dewan Rakyat Special Select Committee on Security [4].

Known for

Jonathan Yasin is known for his background in home affairs oversight, having served as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs II across two successive federal administrations from 2020 to 2022. He is also known for his extended political journey in Ranau, contesting the seat three times before winning in 2018. Following GE15, he was among four Sabah MPs who exited BERSATU while remaining within the GRS coalition, a move that prompted a legal challenge by BERSATU that was ultimately dismissed by the High Court in November 2023.

Political positions

Jonathan Yasin's documented public positions centre on national security and immigration. As Deputy Minister of Home Affairs II, he raised awareness of prison overcrowding in Parliament, informing the Dewan Rakyat in November 2020 that the national prison population of 66,791 was 43.88 per cent above the system's capacity of 46,420, and that the government was implementing measures including strengthened parole systems and recovery centres to address the issue [5]. As chair of the Dewan Rakyat Special Select Committee on Security, he convened hearings in March 2024 to probe the rising number of overstaying foreign tourists, stating that their untraceable presence posed potential threats to national peace and harmony, and reviewing immigration entry procedures and the role of unregistered travel agents [6]. On the question of ethnic identity politics, he drew attention in 2013 when he shared imagery related to the conferral of the 'Huguan Siou' title on a non-indigenous figure, prompting demands for an apology from the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) [1].

Political career

1. 2008Contested Ranau parliamentary seat under PKR against UPKO's Siringan Gubat; lost by a large majority.⛓
2. 2013Contested Ranau again under PKR against UPKO's Ewon Ebin; lost the seat.⛓
3. May 2018Won the Ranau parliamentary seat for the first time under PKR/Pakatan Harapan, defeating incumbent Ewon Ebin of UPKO.⛓
4. 24 February 2020Resigned from PKR following the Sheraton Move political realignment and became an independent MP.⛓
5. March 2020Appointed Deputy Minister of Home Affairs II in the Perikatan Nasional administration under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.⛓
6. 22 August 2020Joined Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) as a component party of the Perikatan Nasional coalition.⛓
7. August 2021Reappointed as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs II in the Barisan Nasional administration under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, continuing under Minister Hamzah Zainuddin.⛓
8. November 2022Retained the Ranau parliamentary seat under the GRS banner in GE15, winning 22,606 votes with an 11,092-vote majority in a five-cornered fight.⛓
9. 10 December 2022Resigned from BERSATU along with other Sabah BERSATU leaders, remaining as a direct member of GRS. BERSATU subsequently challenged the validity of the four MPs' continued tenure; the High Court dismissed that challenge in November 2023.⛓
10. 16 November 2023High Court ruled as non-justiciable the Dewan Rakyat Speaker's decision not to declare the Ranau seat vacant following Jonathan Yasin's exit from BERSATU, dismissing BERSATU's judicial review application.⛓
11. March 2024As chair of the Dewan Rakyat Special Select Committee on Security, led a hearing summoning immigration and tourism ministry officials over the issue of overstaying foreign tourists.⛓

Election history

• 2022RanauWon⛓
• 2018RanauWon⛓
• 2013RanauLost⛓
• 2008RanauLost⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsJonathan Yasin has served as MP for Ranau since May 2018 and is listed as a current member of the Dewan Rakyat under the GRS grouping, constituency code P179, as of the Parliament of Malaysia's member list last updated June 2026.⛓
• VerifiedFactsJonathan Yasin chairs the Dewan Rakyat Special Select Committee on Security, as confirmed by the Parliament of Malaysia's official committee listing.⛓
• GovernmentConstitutional lawyer Datuk Tengku Fuad Tengku Ahmad opined that Jonathan Yasin and the three other GRS MPs would not lose their seats upon leaving BERSATU, as they had contested GE15 under GRS and not as BERSATU or Perikatan Nasional candidates, thus not breaching Article 49A of the Federal Constitution.⛓
• OppositionBERSATU vice-president Ronald Kiandee argued that Jonathan Yasin and three other GRS MPs had vacated their seats by leaving BERSATU, claiming they had contested GE15 as BERSATU members and had 'crossed the floor' when they sat with the government bloc at the December 2022 Dewan Rakyat sitting.⛓
• ExpertThe High Court ruled in November 2023 that the Dewan Rakyat Speaker's decision not to declare the four Sabah MPs' seats vacant was non-justiciable, and dismissed BERSATU's judicial review application against the Speaker and the four MPs, including Jonathan Yasin.⛓