Najmi Ahmad

Summary

Dato' Ustaz Najmi bin Ahmad is a PAS politician and retired Brigadier General who has represented the Kupang state seat (N31) in Kedah since 2018, winning re-election in both 2018 and 2023. He served as Kedah EXCO for Religion, Education and Human Resources from May 2020 to August 2023 under Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, before being dropped from the cabinet following the 2023 state election. At the 2023 Kedah state poll, he secured a commanding 61.7% of the vote and a majority of 19,275 votes.

Biography

Dato' Ustaz Najmi bin Ahmad (also referred to as Brigadier General (Retired) Datuk Najmi Ahmad) is a Malaysian politician and PAS member who has served as the Member of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Kupang (N31) since May 2018 [1]. He is a member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component party of Perikatan Nasional (PN), and was previously part of the Gagasan Sejahtera and Pakatan Rakyat coalitions [1]. Najmi first won the Kupang seat at the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018 under the PAS banner, defeating his nearest rival from BN-UMNO by a majority of 1,627 votes with 38.6% of the vote [2]. Following the formation of the Perikatan Nasional state government in Kedah in May 2020, he was appointed as a member of the Kedah State Executive Council (EXCO), serving as Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Agama, Pendidikan dan Sumber Manusia (Chairman of the Committee on Religion, Education and Human Resources) under Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor [3]. He held the EXCO portfolio until August 2023, when he was dropped from the cabinet following the state election [4]. At the 2023 Kedah State Election, Najmi retained the Kupang seat under the PN banner with 61.7% of votes cast (26,366 votes) and a majority of 19,275 [2]. Sources including Sinar Harian and Utusan Malaysia refer to him with the title Brig Jen (B), indicating a prior career as a Brigadier General in the Malaysian Armed Forces [4].

Known for

Najmi Ahmad is known as the two-term ADUN for the Kupang constituency in the Baling district of Kedah, and as a former Kedah EXCO member who oversaw the Religion, Education and Human Resources portfolio from 2020 to 2023 [1]. He is also identified in multiple sources as a retired Brigadier General who transitioned from a military career into state-level politics under PAS [4]. He is noted for raising constituency-level concerns in the DUN, including questions on rural development in the Baling district and the Kedah 2035 Development Plan [4].

Political positions

During his tenure as Kedah EXCO for Religion, Education and Human Resources (2020–2023), Najmi Ahmad articulated positions consistent with PAS's emphasis on Islamic governance and moral regulation. He maintained and defended the Kedah state government's ban on open-air concerts, stating that such events could affect the state's image and contribute to moral decline among youth [4]. He oversaw the monitoring of preschool and religious school compliance in the state, advocating for registration of unregistered private kindergartens while noting the need for pragmatic enforcement [4]. As ADUN for Kupang, he has raised questions in the DUN regarding rural development planning and the positioning of Kupang as a small-and-medium enterprise (SME) hub under the Kedah Structure Plan 2035 [4]. He also responded publicly to arson incidents affecting residents of Kampung Tiak in the Kupang area, raising the matter on social media and engaging with constituents on community safety [5].

Before politics

1. Pre-2018Served in the Malaysian Armed Forces, retiring at the rank of Brigadier General (Brig Jen (B)), before entering state-level politics. Multiple sources refer to him with the designation 'Brig Jen (B)'.⛓

Political career

1. May 2018First elected as ADUN for Kupang (N31), Kedah, under the PAS banner at GE14, defeating BN-UMNO's Harun Abdul Aziz by a majority of 1,627 votes with 38.6% of votes cast.⛓
2. May 2020Appointed as member of the Kedah State Executive Council (EXCO) under Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's Perikatan Nasional state administration, holding the portfolio of Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Agama, Pendidikan dan Sumber Manusia (Chairman, Committee on Religion, Education and Human Resources).⛓
3. August 2023Dropped from the Kedah State EXCO cabinet following the 2023 Kedah State Election, as the new cabinet under Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor appointed a revised lineup. Sinar Harian reported he was among three incumbent EXCO members not retained.⛓
4. August 2023Re-elected as ADUN for Kupang (N31) at the 2023 Kedah State Election under the PN-PAS banner, with 61.7% of votes (26,366 votes) and a majority of 19,275 over his PH-Amanah opponent.⛓

Election history

• 2023N31 Kupang, KedahWon61.7%⛓
• 2018N31 Kupang, KedahWon38.6%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsNajmi Ahmad won the N31 Kupang seat at both GE14 (2018) and the 2023 Kedah State Election under PAS/PN. He served as Kedah EXCO for Religion, Education and Human Resources from May 2020 to August 2023. He was not retained in the post-2023 EXCO cabinet. Election results are confirmed by The Star's election portal and SPR official records.⛓
• GovernmentAs EXCO, Najmi represented the PN state government's policy stance on public entertainment restrictions, stating that open-air concerts 'boleh menjejaskan imej kerajaan negeri' (could damage the state government's image), and oversaw regulation of Islamic schools and kindergartens in Kedah.⛓
• AffectedResidents of Kampung Tiak in the Kupang constituency faced a series of arson attacks in late 2024 and early 2025. Free Malaysia Today reported that Najmi Ahmad publicly acknowledged the incidents via Facebook and engaged with the issue at the community level.⛓