Mohd Asri Mat Daud

Summary

Mohd Asri Mat Daud is the PAS assemblyman for Demit (N19), Kelantan, elected in the August 2023 state election with a majority of 12,585 votes. He serves as Kelantan's Exco chairman for Islamic Development, Dakwah, Information and Public Relations. His portfolio has placed him at the centre of the state's syariah law agenda, including efforts to re-legislate syariah criminal offences struck down by the Federal Court, mandatory halal certification, and the restructuring of the syariah court system.

Biography

Mohd Asri Mat Daud is a Malaysian politician from Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) who represents the Demit state constituency (N19) in the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly. Prior to his election, he served as Political Secretary to then Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob and as Press Secretary to the Menteri Besar [1]. He contested the Demit seat as a first-time candidate (muka baharu) under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner in the 2023 Kelantan State Election held on 12 August 2023, winning with 18,683 votes (46.1% vote share) and a majority of 12,585 over his nearest rival, Datuk Ismail Ghani of PH-Amanah [2]. Following PN's landslide win of 43 out of 45 state seats, Mohd Asri was among five new faces sworn in as members of the Kelantan State Executive Council (Exco) on 15 August 2023 [3]. He holds the Exco portfolio of Islamic Development, Dakwah (Preaching), Information and Public Relations (also described in some sources as Regional/External Relations) for the Kelantan state government under Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud [4]. In this role, he has been the state government's principal spokesperson on Islamic governance, syariah legislation, halal certification, and religious affairs policy [5].

Known for

Mohd Asri Mat Daud is known primarily as the Kelantan state Exco chairman responsible for Islamic Development, Dakwah, Information and Public Relations, making him the state's chief voice on syariah law, halal policy, and religious administration. He has been central to the Kelantan government's efforts to re-legislate 16 syariah criminal offences that were struck down by the Federal Court in 2024 [6]. He also championed the Demit constituency's development agenda, including the proposed Bandar DiRaja Al-Muhammadi royal town project in Kubang Kerian [7].

Political positions

Mohd Asri Mat Daud's publicly stated positions are aligned with PAS's Islamic governance agenda. On syariah legislation, he has led Kelantan's response to the Federal Court's 2024 ruling that struck down 16 provisions of the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment, stating that the state would reintroduce those provisions through re-legislation, with the draft amendment expected to be tabled at the State Legislative Assembly in April 2026 [5]. On halal certification, he has announced that Kelantan would make halal certification mandatory for food and beverage businesses renewing their operating licences, beginning with the Kota Bharu Municipal Council [8]. On cinema regulation, he stated that cinemas are not banned in Kelantan but that operators must comply with strict conditions, including no screenings in dark environments and compliance with prayer times [9]. On the syariah court structure, he stated in April 2026 that the state is studying a revamp to a four-tier syariah court system to address imbalances in access to justice [10]. On public caning, he indicated in December 2024 that Kelantan was open to implementing public syariah caning once appropriate standard operating procedures were in place, following Terengganu's implementation [10].

Before politics

1. Before 2023Served as Press Secretary (Setiausaha Akhbar) to the Kelantan Menteri Besar, as evidenced by his confirmation of the death of former ADUN Demit Datuk Mohamad Daud in November 2017 in that capacity.⛓
2. Before August 2023Served as Political Secretary (Setiausaha Politik) to Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, a role cited by multiple sources as his position immediately prior to standing for election.⛓

Political career

1. July 2023Named by Perikatan Nasional as PAS candidate for DUN Demit (N19) in the 2023 Kelantan State Election, replacing incumbent Datuk Mumtaz Mat Nawi.⛓
2. 12 August 2023Won the Demit state seat in the 2023 Kelantan State Election under the PN-PAS banner, receiving 18,683 votes (46.1%) with a majority of 12,585 over PH-Amanah candidate Datuk Ismail Ghani.⛓
3. 15 August 2023Sworn in as a member of the Kelantan State Executive Council (Exco) before Sultan Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, as one of five new Exco members in the Kelantan state government led by new Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud.⛓
4. August 2023Assigned the portfolio of Exco for Islamic Development, Preaching, Information and Public Relations in the Kelantan state government.⛓
5. May 2024Announced that the Kelantan state government would reintroduce 16 of 18 provisions of the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment struck down by the Federal Court in February 2024.⛓
6. December 2024Announced Kelantan's move to make halal certification mandatory for food and beverage businesses renewing operating licences, starting with Kota Bharu Municipal Council.⛓
7. March 2026Announced that the draft amendment to the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment had reached its final stage and was expected to be tabled at the April 2026 State Legislative Assembly sitting.⛓
8. April 2026Stated in the state assembly that Kelantan was conducting a detailed study on restructuring its syariah court system to a four-tier model, aimed at addressing imbalances in access to justice.⛓

Election history

• 2023Demit (N19), KelantanWon46.1%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentAs Kelantan Exco, Mohd Asri Mat Daud has consistently represented the state government's position on strengthening Islamic governance: re-legislating syariah criminal offences struck down by the Federal Court, expanding mandatory halal certification, and reforming the syariah court structure. He holds a senior role in the PN-PAS state administration under MB Mohd Nassuruddin Daud.⛓
• VerifiedFactsMohd Asri Mat Daud won the Demit (N19) seat in the 12 August 2023 Kelantan State Election with 18,683 votes (46.1%) and a majority of 12,585. He was sworn in as Kelantan Exco on 15 August 2023. His portfolio is Islamic Development, Dakwah, Information and Public Relations. He previously served as Political Secretary to former MB Ahmad Yakob. He is identified on Wikidata as Q65220007.⛓