Khirul Muntanazar Ismail

Summary

Khirul Muntanazar Ismail is the Naib Ketua (Deputy Chief) of Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat, a position held since 2019 and retained uncontested in 2023, placing him among the senior clerical-scholar leadership of PAS. In June 2026, PAS named him as its candidate for the N40 Tiram state seat in Johor under the Perikatan Nasional banner for the 16th Johor State Election on 11 July 2026. He enters a four-cornered contest for a seat last won by BN-UMNO in 2022 with a 5,281-vote majority.

Biography

Khirul Muntanazar Ismail is a PAS politician and Islamic scholar-politician who serves as Naib Ketua (Deputy Chief) of Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat, a position he has held since at least 2019 and retained uncontested in 2023 [1][2]. He has been associated with the Dewan Ulama wing of PAS — the party's clerical-scholar body — for well over a decade, having appeared in the list of Ahli Jawatankuasa Kerja Dewan Ulama nominations as early as 2009 [1]. In June 2026, PAS named him as its candidate for the N40 Tiram state seat in Johor under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner for the 16th Johor State Election, with polling day set for 11 July 2026 [3][4]. He is described as one of nine new faces among PAS's 11 Johor candidates, all aged between 30 and 61 years [5]. PN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar stated that candidates were selected after reviewing their track record of presence and contribution to the community in Johor [4]. Tiram (N40) is a Malay-majority constituency with a population of 203,056 as of 2020, encompassing 24 polling districts [6]. In the 2022 Johor state election, Tiram was won by BN-UMNO's Azizul Bachok with a majority of 5,281 votes [4]. Khirul Muntanazar faces a four-cornered contest in Tiram against BN's Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman, PH-DAP's Nor Zulaila Abd Ghani, and Bersama's Dr Harith Fakhrudin Abdul Malek [5].

Known for

Khirul Muntanazar Ismail is primarily known as a senior figure within the Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat, serving as its Naib Ketua since 2019 and retaining that position uncontested in 2023. He is part of PAS's clerical-scholar establishment, and Malaysiakini noted that he had written on Islamic jurisprudence matters in the party's Harakah publication. His 2026 candidacy in Tiram marks his entry into Johor state electoral politics under the PN coalition.

Political positions

As a senior figure in the Dewan Ulama wing of PAS, Khirul Muntanazar Ismail is aligned with PAS's Islamic scholarly establishment. The Dewan Ulama is responsible for providing religious guidance within PAS and upholding the party's Islamic policy framework. A Malaysiakini column (2023) noted he had written publicly on Islamic sacred months (bulan Rejab) in Harakah, reflecting engagement with Islamic jurisprudence questions in the public sphere. No specific legislative or policy stances on issues such as housing, healthcare, or economic policy have been documented in allowlist sources, as he has not previously held elected office.

Political career

1. May 2009Khirul Muntanazar Ismail appeared as a nominee for the Ahli Jawatankuasa Kerja Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat, indicating established involvement in PAS's clerical-scholar wing.⛓
2. June 2019Elected as Naib Ketua (Deputy Chief) of Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat at the 58th Muktamar Dewan Ulama, for the 2019–2021 term.⛓
3. October 2023Retained as Naib Ketua of Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat for the 2023–2025 term, winning uncontested alongside all other Dewan Ulama leadership candidates.⛓
4. June 2026Named by PAS as its candidate for N40 Tiram in the 16th Johor State Election, under the Perikatan Nasional banner. Announced by PN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar at a ceremony in Muar.⛓

Election history

• 2026N40 Tiram, JohorPending⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentPAS-PN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar stated that Khirul Muntanazar Ismail and other PAS candidates were selected after reviewing their track record of presence and contribution to the community in Johor.⛓
• VerifiedFactsThe N40 Tiram seat was won by BN-UMNO's Azizul Bachok in 2022 with 22,939 votes and a majority of 5,281. The Edge identified Tiram as one of 12 seats where the 2022 winning margin was less than 10%, flagging it as a competitive contest in 2026.⛓
• ExpertMalaysiakini's election analysis noted that Tiram (N40) in the 2026 contest features a four-way fight between BN, PH (DAP), PN (PAS), and Bersama, with DAP fielding a Malay candidate in the constituency for the first time — a Malay-majority seat — framing it as a test of multi-racial electoral strategy.⛓