Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff

Summary

Muhammad Fauzi bin Yusoff is a PAS politician who has served as ADUN for Sungai Dua and State Opposition Leader of Penang since 2023, making him the first PAS representative to hold the latter post in the state. A religious scholar with an Islamic studies degree from Syria, he has served as Penang PAS Commissioner since 2015 and leads the 11-member PN bloc in the Penang DUN. He is known for scrutinising the financial management of state-linked entities and championing constituency-level resource equity.

Biography

Muhammad Fauzi bin Yusoff is a Malaysian politician serving as Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Sungai Dua since August 2023 and as State Leader of the Opposition of Penang since November 2023 [1]. He is a member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. Within PAS, he holds the positions of Commissioner, Chief Dewan Ulama of PAS Penang, and Chairman of the PAS Balik Pulau Division [1]. He is a native of Balik Pulau and holds a degree in Islamic studies from a university in Syria; he previously served as the head of a religious school [2]. He was appointed Penang PAS Commissioner in June 2015, replacing Datuk Mohd Salleh Man [2]. In the 2018 state election, Fauzi led the Gagasan Sejahtera coalition in Penang and contested the Permatang Pasir seat, which PAS lost to Amanah [1][2]. In the August 2023 Penang state election, he won the Sungai Dua constituency under the PN banner with 49.8% of the vote and a majority of 5,509 votes over UMNO's Shaik Hussein Mydin [3]. Following PN's 11-seat showing in the 2023 state polls, Fauzi was appointed State Opposition Leader by PN's central leadership and the appointment letter was submitted to the Speaker of the Penang DUN [4][5]. He is the first PAS representative to hold the position of State Opposition Leader in Penang [4].

Known for

Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff is known primarily as the first PAS politician to serve as State Opposition Leader in Penang, heading the 11-member PN bloc in the Penang DUN after the 2023 state election [4]. He has been a persistent critic of the Pakatan Harapan-led Penang state government, raising questions about financial transparency in state-linked entities such as Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) and opposing the Penang South Reclamation project on behalf of affected fisherfolk [6][7]. He has served as Penang PAS Commissioner since 2015 and is regarded as a central figure in PN's strategy to expand its influence in a state that has been governed continuously by DAP-led coalitions since 2008 [2].

Political positions

Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff has consistently advocated for greater financial transparency in Penang state governance. In May 2026, he alleged in the DUN that Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) had failed to present fully audited accounts and questioned why accounts had not been tabled in the state assembly despite CMI managing state revenues and multi-million ringgit projects [7]. He raised concerns about CMI's lack of transparency in state land management, strategic leases, and collaborations through special purpose vehicles [7]. On development, he has opposed the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, questioning the political will of PH leaders to stand against a project that fisherfolk and NGOs had rallied against [6]. He also claimed that his Sungai Dua constituency received RM130,000 less in funding allocation compared to constituencies held by the ruling party, framing this as evidence of unequal resource distribution [8]. As Penang PAS Commissioner, he has emphasised a 'check and balance' role for the opposition in the DUN [4].

Education

1. Before 2015Muhammad Fauzi obtained a degree in Islamic studies from a university in Syria.⛓

Before politics

1. Before 2015Muhammad Fauzi served as the head of a religious school in Balik Pulau, Penang.⛓

Political career

1. June 2015Appointed Penang PAS Commissioner, replacing Datuk Mohd Salleh Man.⛓
2. 9 May 2018Led the Gagasan Sejahtera coalition in the 2018 Penang state election and contested Permatang Pasir under PAS; the seat was lost to Amanah.⛓
3. February 2021Appointed as Vice-Chairman of the Penang Perikatan Nasional Committee.⛓
4. 12 August 2023Won the Sungai Dua state seat in the Penang state election under PN-PAS, with 49.8% of the vote (13,988 votes) and a majority of 5,509 over UMNO's Shaik Hussein Mydin.⛓
5. November 2023Appointed State Opposition Leader of the Penang DUN, the first PAS representative to hold this position in Penang, by PN's central leadership.⛓
6. 11 May 2026Raised allegations in the Penang DUN that Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) had failed to present fully audited accounts, and questioned the transparency of its financial management.⛓

Election history

• 2023Sungai DuaWon49.8%⛓
• 2018Permatang PasirLost27.1%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsMuhammad Fauzi Yusoff won the Sungai Dua state seat in August 2023 with 49.8% of the vote and a 5,509-vote majority. He was appointed State Opposition Leader of Penang in November 2023, the first from PAS. He settled a defamation suit with Jelutong MP RSN Rayer in April 2025, issuing a public apology in open court and paying RM10,000 in legal costs.⛓
• OppositionAs State Opposition Leader, Muhammad Fauzi has argued that the Penang state government lacks financial transparency, specifically in relation to CMI's unaudited accounts and its management of multi-million ringgit projects without adequate reporting to the DUN.⛓
• GovernmentPenang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow responded to Fauzi's CMI allegations by stating that CMI's first financial report would cover the six months ending December 31, 2026, and would be audited by the auditor-general before being tabled in the state assembly in 2027.⛓
• AffectedAccording to Malaysiakini, Jelutong MP RSN Rayer filed a defamation suit against Fauzi in September 2023, alleging that Fauzi had falsely depicted him as racist, arrogant, and irresponsible in a public talk. The matter was settled by a court-supervised apology in April 2025.⛓

Notable legal history

In September 2023, Jelutong MP RSN Rayer filed a defamation suit against Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff for comments made about him at a talk on June 2, 2023, in which Fauzi allegedly depicted Rayer as racist, arrogant, and irresponsible (Source: thestar.com.my). The case was settled in open court in April 2025, when Muhammad Fauzi read out a formal apology before Sessions Judge Helmi Ghani, admitted he was wrong, and withdrew his statement; he was also ordered to pay Rayer RM10,000 in legal costs (Source: thestar.com.my, malaysiakini.com).