Mardhiyyah Johari

Summary

Mardhiyyah binti Johari is a PAS politician and former practising lawyer who has represented the N17 Pengkalan Kundor constituency in the Kedah State Legislative Assembly since winning the seat in the August 2023 state election under the Perikatan Nasional banner. Within PAS, she serves as Director-General of Ameerah Malaysia, the party's young women's wing, and has been a vocal commentator on youth political trends, freedom of expression, and education policy. She is one of a small number of women elected to the Kedah state assembly in 2023.

Biography

Mardhiyyah binti Johari is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who has served as the Member of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Pengkalan Kundor (N17) since August 2023 [1]. She is a member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), which contests under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. Prior to her election to the state assembly, Mardhiyyah practised as a lawyer; in January 2022 she appeared as counsel for the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) in the Sessions Court trial of the founder of the Rumah Bonda welfare home [2]. She was fielded by PN as one of five women candidates in the 2023 Kedah state election, contesting the N17 Pengkalan Kundor seat [3]. On 12 August 2023, Mardhiyyah won the seat, with unofficial counts recording 21,516 votes against Amanah chairman Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh, who trailed by approximately 10,993 votes [4]. Within PAS, she has served as Director-General (Ketua Pengarah) of Ameerah Malaysia, the party's young women's wing under Dewan Muslimat PAS Pusat [5]. In this capacity she has been a regular commentator on youth political trends, freedom of expression, and education policy. Her name also appears in the SPR Federal Gazette for the 15th Kedah State Legislative Assembly [6]. As of the time of writing, she continues to hold the Pengkalan Kundor seat in the PN-governed Kedah state assembly.

Known for

Mardhiyyah Johari is known as PAS's Director-General of Ameerah Malaysia, the party's young women's wing, through which she has been a prominent voice on youth political engagement and freedom of expression issues [5]. She is one of a small number of women elected to the Kedah state assembly in 2023, having won the N17 Pengkalan Kundor seat against a senior Amanah leader [3]. Her background as a practising lawyer has been reflected in her advocacy work, including representing SUHAKAM in court and raising civil-liberties concerns at the state assembly level [7].

Political positions

Mardhiyyah Johari has consistently articulated positions aligned with PAS and PN on matters of youth politics, civil liberties, and education. Speaking as Ameerah Director-General after the Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election in May 2024, she argued that Pakatan Harapan's policy offerings had failed to win over young voters, citing economic pressures, unemployment, cost of living, and what she described as government encroachment on freedom of speech as key concerns for youth [5]. At the Kedah state assembly, she raised objections to Ministry of Education guidelines restricting elected representatives from entering school premises, framing the rules as a restriction on legislators' ability to engage with their constituencies on education matters [4]. In March 2026, Free Malaysia Today reported that she lodged a formal complaint with the Child Commissioner's office alleging that a 17-year-old constituent had been detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) [8]. On national politics, she has spoken on the question of Muslim political unity, stating that PAS prioritises the broader Islamic agenda over party-political coalitions [4]. She has also weighed in on education ministry directives, defending the ministry's institutional independence from political pressure [4].

Before politics

1. By 2022Mardhiyyah Johari was practising as a lawyer. In January 2022, she appeared as counsel for SUHAKAM (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia) in the Sessions Court trial of the founder of the Rumah Bonda welfare home, Siti Bainun Ahd Razali.⛓

Political career

1. Before 2022Mardhiyyah Johari held the position of Deputy Director-General (Timbalan Ketua Pengarah) of Ameerah Malaysia, the young women's wing of PAS Dewan Muslimat.⛓
2. By May 2024Mardhiyyah Johari was serving as Director-General (Ketua Pengarah) of Ameerah Malaysia, the young women's wing of PAS Dewan Muslimat Pusat, a role in which she regularly issued public statements on youth political affairs.⛓
3. July 2023Perikatan Nasional named Mardhiyyah Johari as its candidate for the N17 Pengkalan Kundor state seat in Kedah, one of five women among PN's 36 candidates for the Kedah state election.⛓
4. 12 August 2023Mardhiyyah Johari won the N17 Pengkalan Kundor seat in the 2023 Kedah state election under the PN ticket (PAS), defeating incumbent seat-holder Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh of Amanah. Unofficial counts recorded her receiving 21,516 votes with a majority of approximately 10,993.⛓
5. August 2023Mardhiyyah Johari was sworn in as MLA for Pengkalan Kundor and joined the Kedah State Legislative Assembly as part of the PN supermajority government.⛓
6. November 2024Mardhiyyah Johari (PAS–Pengkalan Kundor) participated in the debate on the Kedah 2025 state budget at the Kedah DUN, raising the issue of restrictions on elected representatives visiting school premises.⛓
7. March 2026According to Free Malaysia Today, Mardhiyyah Johari lodged a complaint with the Child Commissioner's office alleging that a 17-year-old constituent from Pengkalan Kundor was detained under Sosma, drawing a denial from Bukit Aman police.⛓
8. September 2025At the PAS Muktamar, Mardhiyyah Johari, representing the Ameerah unit for young women, called on the party to provide legal support to pro-PAS social media influencers who had encountered legal trouble due to their political activity.⛓

Election history

• 2023Pengkalan Kundor (N17), KedahWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentBukit Aman criminal investigation department director M Kumar denied Mardhiyyah Johari's allegation that a 17-year-old had been detained under Sosma on 15 February 2026, stating that a check revealed no records of any such detention on that date.⛓
• OppositionAs a PN opposition voice at the Kedah state assembly, Mardhiyyah Johari argued that restrictions on elected representatives entering school premises were unjustified and irresponsible, according to Sinar Harian's reporting on the Kedah DUN budget debate.⛓
• AffectedAccording to Free Malaysia Today, rights group Suaram cited Mardhiyyah Johari's complaint about a Sosma detention as part of broader concerns about the detention of teenagers under security legislation, highlighting the constituency-level role she plays in surfacing civil liberties issues.⛓
• VerifiedFactsMardhiyyah binti Johari won the N17 Pengkalan Kundor seat in the 12 August 2023 Kedah state election as a PAS/PN candidate, defeating Amanah's Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh. Her candidacy and win are confirmed by Bernama, Free Malaysia Today, Sinar Harian, and the SPR Federal Gazette.⛓