Muhammad Jailani Khamis

Summary

Datuk Muhammad Jailani bin Khamis (born 26 May 1972) is the PAS Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly for Rembia, a seat he has held since 2018 across affiliations with PKR, independent status, UMNO, and now PAS. He is best known for his role in the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan Melaka state government in March 2020, and for his eventual move to PAS in June 2023 — publicly confirmed only in July 2024 — which resulted in his formal reassignment to the opposition bloc in December 2024. He currently serves as the only PAS assemblyman in the Melaka State Legislative Assembly.

Biography

Datuk Muhammad Jailani bin Khamis (born 26 May 1972, Melaka) is a Malaysian politician who has served as Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Rembia since May 2018 [1]. He is currently a member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. His political career has spanned three parties: he was originally a member of UMNO before leaving to join PKR, under whose ticket he first won the Rembia seat in the 2018 state election with a majority of 1,814 votes [2]. During the 2020 Malaysian political crisis, he withdrew support from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) state government, contributing to the collapse of the administration led by Chief Minister Adly Zahari [3]. He subsequently supported the new BN-PN state coalition as an independent, and in 2021 rejoined UMNO and was re-elected under the BN banner with a majority of 860 votes in a five-cornered contest [4]. He served as a Melaka State EXCO member holding the Tourism, Heritage and Culture portfolio across three successive administrations from May 2018 to April 2023 [1]. He was dropped from the EXCO when Ab Rauf Yusoh formed his Cabinet in April 2023. On 10 June 2023, he joined PAS — a fact publicly announced only in July 2024 by PAS Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan [4]. In December 2024, the Melaka State Assembly Speaker formally moved him to the opposition bloc [4]. He is presently the sole PAS MLA in the Melaka assembly and sits in the opposition [1].

Known for

Muhammad Jailani is defined politically by a pattern of party transitions — from UMNO to PKR to independent to UMNO and finally to PAS — across a single term-and-a-half legislative career. His withdrawal of support from the Pakatan Harapan state government in March 2020 was a decisive act in the collapse of that administration. As of December 2024, he sits in the Melaka State Assembly opposition bloc as the only PAS assemblyman in the state.

Political positions

No formal policy manifesto or detailed portfolio positions have been reported in the allowlist sources. During his tenure as Melaka State EXCO for Tourism, Heritage and Culture (2018–2023), Muhammad Jailani was publicly associated with promoting eco-tourism products such as bird-watching at Taman Mutiara in Batu Berendam and developing the state's island tourism assets [4]. He articulated his move to PAS as a choice to stand with ordinary Malaysians facing economic hardship caused by government policies, stating he preferred to 'susah bersama rakyat' (share in the hardship of the people) rather than align with those motivated by federal allocations [5]. Beyond these statements, no detailed recorded positions on specific policy areas such as housing, healthcare, or education could be found in allowlist sources.

Political career

1. Before 2018Was a member of UMNO before leaving to join PKR.⛓
2. May 2018Won the Rembia state seat for the first time, contesting under PKR (Pakatan Harapan) with a majority of 1,814 votes. Appointed as Melaka State EXCO member for Tourism, Heritage and Culture under Chief Minister Adly Zahari.⛓
3. November 2019Was absent from the Melaka State Assembly sitting during a motion to nominate the PKR state liaison chief as a Senator, contributing to the defeat of the motion. PKR President Anwar Ibrahim described the absence as unacceptable.⛓
4. March 2020Withdrew support from the Pakatan Harapan Melaka state government, appearing at a press conference alongside UMNO leaders to declare support for Perikatan Nasional. This contributed to the collapse of the PH state administration under Chief Minister Adly Zahari.⛓
5. March 2020 – January 2021Served as an independent MLA supporting the BN-PN Melaka state coalition, continuing as EXCO member for Tourism, Heritage and Culture under Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali.⛓
6. January 2021Joined UMNO after nine months as an independent MLA. His admission was announced at the UMNO Alor Gajah divisional meeting.⛓
7. November 2021Re-elected as Rembia MLA, contesting under BN (UMNO), with a majority of 860 votes in a five-cornered contest at the 2021 Melaka state election. Reappointed as State EXCO for Tourism, Heritage and Culture.⛓
8. March–April 2023Publicly opposed the appointment of Ab Rauf Yusoh as Chief Minister following Sulaiman Md Ali's resignation, labelling Ab Rauf a 'backdoor' leader. Was dropped from the State EXCO when Ab Rauf formed his Cabinet on 5 April 2023.⛓
9. 10 June 2023Joined PAS as a member — one month before the Melaka State Assembly enacted its anti-party hopping law on 31 July 2023. His UMNO membership was suspended for six years in August 2023 for allegedly sabotaging the party by attending a PN candidate announcement event.⛓
10. 16 July 2024PAS Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan publicly announced at a Parliament press conference that Muhammad Jailani had joined PAS in June 2023.⛓
11. 27 December 2024Melaka State Assembly Speaker Ibrahim Durum formally moved Muhammad Jailani's seat from the government bloc to the opposition bloc, following review of his PAS membership. The opposition now comprises three MLAs.⛓

Election history

• 2021RembiaWon26.8%⛓
• 2018RembiaWon43.3%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• OppositionUMNO Youth Chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh criticised Muhammad Jailani as a 'political frog', citing his pivotal role in overthrowing the PH state administration in 2020, and called for a Rembia by-election to give voters a fresh mandate.⛓
• GovernmentChief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh stated that all BN candidates in the 2021 Melaka state election had signed a letter of undertaking pledging not to party-hop, and UMNO Secretary-General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki demanded Muhammad Jailani pay RM100 million or face legal action.⛓
• VerifiedFactsPAS Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan confirmed Muhammad Jailani joined PAS on 10 June 2023, one month before Melaka's anti-party hopping law came into force on 31 July 2023. The Melaka State Assembly Speaker moved him to the opposition bloc on 27 December 2024.⛓
• IndustryThe Malacca Media Practitioners Club (Pendika) expressed disappointment with Muhammad Jailani in November 2022 over alleged remarks disparaging local journalists in front of foreign investors at a press conference.⛓