Kapt (B) Muhd Najib Lep

Summary

Kapt (B) Muhd Najib Lep is a retired Malaysian army captain and politician born on 14 March 1963, best known for winning the Bukit Pasir state seat in Johor under PAS in the 2018 general election as the party's only state assemblyman in Johor [1]. He was expelled from PAS in 2022 after contesting independently, subsequently joined UMNO, and then switched to Amanah in September 2023 [1]. In 2026, he is the PH-Amanah candidate for Bukit Pasir in the 16th Johor state election, with polling day on 11 July 2026 [2].

Biography

Kapt (B) Muhd Najib Lep (born 14 March 1963) is a Malaysian politician and retired military officer [1]. He served as the Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) for Bukit Pasir, Johor, from May 2018 to March 2022, having won the seat under the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) ticket in the 14th General Election with a majority of 1,883 votes [3]. He was the sole PAS representative in the Johor State Legislative Assembly before the assembly was dissolved in January 2022 to pave the way for the state election [4]. In the 2022 Johor state election, he chose to contest the Bukit Pasir seat as an independent candidate against his own party's directive, resulting in PAS revoking his membership with immediate effect [1]. He garnered 1,860 votes (5.8%) in a six-cornered contest, while BN's Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh won the seat with a margin of only 198 votes [5]. On 18 October 2022, Najib joined UMNO, before crossing over again on 2 September 2023 to join Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) [1]. In June 2026, PH named him as its candidate for Bukit Pasir under the Amanah banner for the 16th Johor state election, with polling day set for 11 July 2026 [2]. The constituency has 34,142 registered voters, with an electorate that is approximately 63% Malay, 33% Chinese, and 4% Indian [3].

Known for

Najib Lep is identified with Bukit Pasir, having won the seat for PAS in 2018 as the party's sole representative in the Johor state assembly [6]. He drew attention in 2022 when he defied PAS party orders and stood as an independent candidate, leading to his expulsion, before eventually joining Amanah in 2023 [1]. His successive party affiliations — PAS, independent, UMNO, and Amanah — and persistent candidacy in the same seat define his electoral profile.

Political positions

No detailed policy positions or legislative stances have been reported by allowlist sources. His career trajectory — from PAS to UMNO to Amanah — reflects a migration across Malay-Muslim political parties. As an Amanah candidate under the Pakatan Harapan coalition for the 2026 Johor state election, he is aligned with the federal government's political platform. No specific positions on policy issues have been sourced from allowlist outlets.

Before politics

1. Before 2018Served as a commissioned officer in the Malaysian Armed Forces, retiring at the rank of Captain (Kapt (B)).⛓

Political career

1. May 2018Won the Bukit Pasir state seat in the 14th General Election under the PAS ticket with a majority of 1,883 votes, becoming PAS's sole representative in the Johor State Legislative Assembly.⛓
2. February 2022Announced candidacy as an Independent for Bukit Pasir in the 2022 Johor state election, defying PAS party directives. His PAS membership was revoked with immediate effect as a consequence.⛓
3. March 2022Contested the 2022 Johor state election as an Independent candidate and received 1,860 votes (5.8% vote share) in a six-cornered contest. BN won the seat with a 198-vote majority.⛓
4. October 2022Joined UMNO following his exit from PAS.⛓
5. 2 September 2023Joined Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah). His membership form was submitted to Amanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu at a gathering in Sungai Abong.⛓
6. 22 June 2026Named by PH as the Amanah candidate for the N08 Bukit Pasir seat in the 16th Johor state election, with polling day set for 11 July 2026.⛓

Election history

• 2026Bukit Pasir (N08), JohorPending⛓
• 2022Bukit Pasir (N08), JohorLost5.8%⛓
• 2018Bukit Pasir (N08), JohorWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsMalaysiakini reported that Bukit Pasir is a Malay-majority constituency with approximately 63% Malay, 33% Chinese, and 4% Indian voters and 34,142 registered voters for the 2026 election, making ethnic vote consolidation a key factor in the three-cornered contest.⛓
• OppositionPAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man stated in 2022 that Najib Lep's decision to contest independently automatically terminated his party membership, and directed all PAS members and supporters to vote for the official PAS-PN candidate instead.⛓
• GovernmentAmanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu welcomed Najib Lep's membership in September 2023, expressing hope that he would contribute to strengthening the party.⛓