Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani

Summary

Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani (born 1986), known as 'Awie', is the UMNO/BN Kelantan State Assemblyman for Nenggiri, having won the seat in the August 2024 by-election with a majority of 3,352 votes — marking the first seat to flip between coalitions in any by-election since Malaysia's 2022 general election. He also serves as Kelantan UMNO Youth Chief and is one of only two BN representatives holding seats in the four Perikatan Nasional-controlled Peninsular states. His stated legislative focus centres on land title resolution for FELDA and KESEDAR settler families, infrastructure access, and Orang Asli welfare in a geographically large and underserved constituency.

Biography

Mohd Azmawi Fikri bin Abdul Ghani (born 11 September 1986 in Gua Musang, Kelantan) is a Malaysian politician who serves as the Member of the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Nenggiri — a state seat, not a federal parliamentary seat [1]. He is commonly known by his nickname 'Awie'. He received his early education at Gua Musang Primary School and Tengku Indra Putra 1 Secondary School, before completing Form 6 and subsequently graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Universiti Utara Malaysia in 2019 [1]. In UMNO, he serves as Youth Chief for the Gua Musang division since 2018 and was elected Kelantan UMNO Youth Chief in 2023 [1]. Prior to elected office, he held roles as manager of Kaz Tech Enterprise from 2006, and as managing director of AF Eighty Six Squad Sdn Bhd from 2020. He also served as a board member of FELCRA from 2022 to 2023, and has held board positions at KESEDAR and FELCRA Processing & Engineering since 2023 [1]. In August 2024, he was nominated as the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Nenggiri by-election, which was triggered after the incumbent ADUN was disqualified from Bersatu [2]. He won the by-election on 17 August 2024 with a majority of 3,352 votes, obtaining 9,091 votes against 5,739 for his Perikatan Nasional opponent [2]. He was sworn in as ADUN Nenggiri on 21 November 2024, becoming one of only two BN/UMNO representatives in the four Peninsular Malaysian states controlled by Perikatan Nasional [1]. He is married to Noor Khamilaa Mohd Zain and has three children [1].

Known for

Mohd Azmawi Fikri is known as the Barisan Nasional candidate who recaptured the Nenggiri state seat from Perikatan Nasional in the August 2024 by-election — the first seat to flip between coalitions in any by-election since the 2022 general election [1][3]. He holds the position of Kelantan UMNO Youth Chief and is one of only two BN/UMNO elected representatives in the four Perikatan Nasional-controlled states [1]. He is also recognised locally by the nickname 'Awie' and 'budok Awie', a grassroots identity he has maintained throughout his campaign [4].

Political positions

Following his by-election victory, Mohd Azmawi Fikri has stated that his main priority as ADUN is addressing land title and housing issues for second-generation FELDA and KESEDAR settlers in Nenggiri, and plans to engage with state and federal authorities to facilitate the land title process for settlers [2]. He has also raised concerns about infrastructure access in the constituency — including road conditions and the absence of ATM services — and publicly advocated for constituents' basic service needs during the by-election campaign period [3]. He has pledged to serve all residents of Nenggiri regardless of race or political affiliation, and has described his approach as engagement-focused rather than promise-driven [2]. He represents BN under the Unity Government framework at the state opposition level in Kelantan, where Perikatan Nasional holds 42 of 45 seats [3].

Education

1. Early yearsReceived early education at Gua Musang Primary School and Tengku Indra Putra 1 Secondary School in Gua Musang, Kelantan.⛓
2. 2019Graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Universiti Utara Malaysia after completing Form 6.⛓

Before politics

1. 2006Began serving as manager of Kaz Tech Enterprise.⛓
2. 2018Took up position as Youth Chief for the UMNO Gua Musang division.⛓
3. 2020Became managing director of AF Eighty Six Squad Sdn Bhd.⛓
4. 2022Appointed as board member of FELCRA, a position he held until 2023.⛓

Political career

1. 2018–2023Served as Communication Chief of UMNO Youth Kelantan from 2018 to 2023, and also as Vice Chief of UMNO Youth Kelantan from 2022 to 2023.⛓
2. 2023Elected as Kelantan UMNO Youth Chief. Also appointed board member of KESEDAR and FELCRA Processing & Engineering.⛓
3. 18 July 2024Announced as Barisan Nasional's candidate for the Nenggiri state by-election, scheduled for 17 August 2024.⛓
4. 17 August 2024Won the Nenggiri state by-election with 9,091 votes, defeating PAS/PN candidate Mohd Rizwadi Ismail (5,739 votes) by a majority of 3,352 votes. This was the first seat to flip between coalitions in any by-election since the 2022 general election.⛓
5. 21 November 2024Sworn in as ADUN Nenggiri at the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the 15th Kelantan State Legislative Assembly at Kompleks Kota Darulnaim, Kota Bharu.⛓

Election history

• 2024Nenggiri (DUN Kelantan) — By-electionWon61.3%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentPrime Minister Anwar Ibrahim congratulated Mohd Azmawi Fikri on his victory, describing the Nenggiri win as proof that the people of Kelantan accept the partnership under the Unity Government and a reflection of growing alignment with the Madani Government's direction.⛓
• IndustryKelantan BN chairman Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub attributed the by-election victory to Mohd Azmawi Fikri's ground-level presence and said the result was a significant signal that Malay support has returned to UMNO and BN in Kelantan.⛓
• ExpertUSM political science lecturer Prof Dr Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid assessed that the Nenggiri result indicated restored Malay support for BN-PH in a rural constituency with approximately 86% Malay voters. Geostrategist Prof Dr Azmi Hassan noted BN's framing of the contest as UMNO vs PAS — rather than BN vs PN — as a key strategic factor in the outcome.⛓
• PublicKampung Bertam Lama resident Ismail Nik Mustapah (85) told Bernama that Mohd Azmawi Fikri frequently engaged with the community on their concerns and did not distinguish between BN or PAS supporters in listening to issues.⛓
• AffectedTok Batin Ali Lateh of Kampung Orang Asli Kuala Lah told Bernama that the Orang Asli community knew Mohd Azmawi Fikri well and frequently sought his assistance for emergency matters, including transportation costs for medical treatment in Kota Bharu, even before the by-election.⛓
• VerifiedFactsThe Nenggiri constituency covers 235,300 hectares and has a registered voter population of 20,259 (approximately 86% Malay/Bumiputera, 14% Orang Asli, 0.2% Chinese, 0.1% Indian). The RM5 billion Nenggiri Hydroelectric Project — which will displace approximately 1,200 Orang Asli from Pos Pulat, Pos Tohoi and Kampung Kuala Wias — is under construction within the constituency and is expected to be completed by late 2027.⛓

Business interests (publicly reported)

According to en.wikipedia.org, Mohd Azmawi Fikri has been serving as manager of Kaz Tech Enterprise since 2006 and as managing director of AF Eighty Six Squad Sdn Bhd since 2020. He also served as a board member of FELCRA from 2022 to 2023, and has held board positions at Lembaga Kemajuan Kelantan Selatan (KESEDAR) and FELCRA Processing & Engineering since 2023.