Mohd Hayati Othman

Summary

Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati bin Othman is a PAS politician and medical doctor from Kedah who has served the Pendang-area electorate for over two decades, first as MP for Pendang (2004–2013) and subsequently as Tokai state assemblyman (2018–present). He served as Kedah's state Exco for Health and Local Government from 2020 to 2023 under Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, acting as the state government's public face on health and local governance matters. Re-elected for Tokai in the 2023 state election with 64.6% of the vote, he was not reappointed to the state executive council and currently serves as a government backbencher in the Kedah DUN.

Biography

Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati bin Othman (born 12 June 1957, Kedah) is a Malaysian politician and medical doctor affiliated with the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. He received his secondary education at Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah (KISAS) in Klang, Selangor, and holds a Bachelor of Medicine degree from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi [2]. He first entered federal politics when nominated by PAS for the 2002 Pendang federal by-election, called following the death of PAS president Fadzil Noor, but was defeated by UMNO's Othman Abdul by 283 votes [1]. He subsequently won the Pendang parliamentary seat at the 2004 general election with a narrow 50-vote margin — a rare PAS success in an election where the party lost 20 of its 27 parliamentary seats — and retained it in 2008 with an increased majority [1]. He was conferred the Datuk honorific by the Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Halim, in January 2010 [1]. He did not contest the 2013 general election for Pendang. He returned to elected office at the state level by winning the N.18 Tokai seat in the Kedah State Legislative Assembly at the 2018 general election [1]. Following the political realignment of 2020, he was appointed Chairman of the Kedah State Health and Local Government Committee under Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor [3]. He retained this portfolio after a 2022 reshuffle but was not reappointed following the 2023 Kedah state election [4]. He was re-elected for Tokai in the 2023 state election with 64.6% of the vote [5].

Known for

Mohd Hayati is recognised for his long service in Pendang-area politics, spanning a federal parliamentary career representing Pendang (2004–2013) and subsequent state assembly representation for Tokai (2018–present). He is associated with his tenure as Kedah's state Exco for Health and Local Government (2020–2023), during which he served as the state government's public voice on health matters including Covid-19, disease outbreaks, and public health enforcement. He has also served as PAS Kedah's deputy commissioner, reflecting a senior organisational role within the party's state structure.

Political positions

Mohd Hayati has operated consistently within PAS's framework throughout his career. As Kedah's state Health and Local Government Exco (2020–2023), he applied public health enforcement in line with state norms, including summoning the organisers of Kedah Fashion Week 2022 over the appearance of a model whose attire he considered inappropriate, stating action would be taken against them [6]. He oversaw state-level responses to communicable diseases including Covid-19, HFMD, monkeypox, and Japanese Encephalitis, coordinating with the state Health Department and announcing public health data in the Kedah DUN [6]. On inter-coalition relations, in 2017 he described statements by the Kedah PKR chairman about PAS's GE14 prospects as a 'political provocation', warning against arrogance within the then-opposition alliance [7]. In the Kedah DUN, he has raised the issue of access by elected representatives to school premises, drawing a contrast between the access he was granted as Exco in 2020 and restrictions in 2024, attributing the change to federal government policy direction [4].

Education

1. Pre-1975 (approx.)Attended Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah (KISAS), an Islamic boarding school in Klang, Selangor.⛓
2. Late 1970s–early 1980s (approx.)Obtained a Bachelor of Medicine (MBBS) degree from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi.⛓

Before politics

1. Pre-2002Practised as a local medical practitioner in the Pendang area and became a committee member of PAS's Pendang division.⛓

Political career

1. 18 July 2002Contested the Pendang federal by-election for PAS following the death of PAS president Fadzil Noor; lost to UMNO's Othman Abdul by 283 votes.⛓
2. March 2004Won the Pendang parliamentary seat at the 2004 general election with a 50-vote majority — a notable PAS win in an election where the party lost 20 of its 27 seats.⛓
3. March 2008Re-elected to the Pendang parliamentary seat at the 2008 general election with an increased majority.⛓
4. January 2010Conferred the Datuk honorific by Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah.⛓
5. January 2017As Kedah PAS deputy commissioner, publicly described PKR Kedah chairman's statements about PAS's GE14 prospects as a 'political provocation', warning the party against arrogance.⛓
6. May 2018Won the N.18 Tokai seat in the Kedah State Legislative Assembly at the 2018 general election, transitioning from federal to state politics.⛓
7. 20 May 2020Appointed Chairman of the Kedah State Health and Local Government Committee (Exco) following the formation of the new PN-aligned state government under Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.⛓
8. 12 August 2023Re-elected to the N.18 Tokai seat in the 2023 Kedah state election under the PN banner, obtaining 64.6% of the vote and a majority of 23,919.⛓
9. 21 August 2023Not reappointed to the Kedah state executive council following the 2023 state election; reverted to a government backbencher role in the Kedah DUN.⛓

Election history

• 2023Tokai (N.18)Won64.6%⛓
• 2018Tokai (N.18)Won⛓
• 2008Pendang (P.026)Won⛓
• 2004Pendang (P.026)Won⛓
• 2002Pendang (P.026) — federal by-electionLost⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentMohd Hayati was part of the PN state government's executive council in Kedah from 2020 to 2023, serving as Health and Local Government Exco. The Kedah state government confirmed his appointment and reappointment to this portfolio across two terms. He was subsequently dropped from the Exco after the 2023 state election.⛓
• OppositionDuring a Kedah DUN debate in November 2024, opposition leader Bau Wong Bau Ek's session on politician access to schools was interjected by Mohd Hayati, who contrasted his 2020 experience of being permitted school entry as Exco with being barred in 2024, attributing the change to federal government policy direction under the Pakatan Harapan-led federal administration.⛓
• VerifiedFactsThe Election Commission of Malaysia (SPR) official candidate list for the 2023 Kedah state election confirms Mohd Hayati bin Othman as the registered PAS/PN candidate for N.18 Tokai.⛓