Royston Valentine

Summary

Royston Valentine is the PBB-GPS assemblyman for Tellian in Sarawak's Mukah division, elected in the 12th Sarawak State Election in December 2021 with a majority of 2,917 votes. A youth activist and community organiser from Kampung Petanak, Mukah, he served on the PBB Youth Wing Supreme Council and the Malaysian Youth Parliament before entering electoral politics. His declared priorities centre on education access, digital infrastructure, and socio-economic development for Tellian's mixed Melanau, Iban, and Chinese community.

Biography

Royston Valentine is a Sarawak state assemblyman representing the Tellian constituency under the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) banner, contesting as part of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition. He was born in Kampung Petanak, Mukah, and was 35 years old at the time of the December 2021 Sarawak state election [1]. A grassroots activist, he served as a Supreme Council member of the PBB Youth Wing and was a member of the Malaysian Youth Parliament from 2014 to 2016 [1]. Prior to entering electoral politics, he worked as a temporary teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Parish, Balingian, and was active in youth and community organisations from as early as 2007 [1]. He is one of the founders of the Mukah Activity Centre and won Sarawak's Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports' State Youth Award in 2017, followed by the state-level National Youth Premier Award (Men's Individual Category) from the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 2018 [1]. He was also appointed vice-president of the Sarawak Football Association (FAS) in connection with his role as team manager for Mukah FA [1]. Royston pursued a Business Management/Administration degree at the Open University Malaysia (OUM), though as of December 2021 he had acknowledged that the degree was not yet completed [2]. He stood in the 12th Sarawak State Election on 18 December 2021 and won Tellian with a majority of 2,917 votes in a four-cornered contest [3]. His candidacy was announced by fellow PBB member and Sibuti MP Lukanisman Awang Sauni [3].

Known for

Royston Valentine is primarily known as a youth activist and grassroots community figure from Mukah who entered the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly through the 2021 state election, winning the newly-created Tellian seat on a GPS-PBB ticket [3]. He has consistently emphasised education, youth empowerment, and socio-economic development for the Mukah division as his central political focus [1]. His pre-political career in community work, state youth award recognition, and founding role at the Mukah Activity Centre defined his public profile before his electoral debut [1].

Political positions

Based on statements made during the 2021 state election campaign, Royston Valentine's publicly stated priorities centre on education, digital connectivity, and local socio-economic recovery. He expressed a determination to ensure youths in the Tellian constituency have access to tertiary education, stating that communities must prioritise education to avoid being left behind [1]. He also committed to improving internet infrastructure to facilitate e-commerce and online learning, particularly for small traders and entrepreneurs still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of his election [1]. He has not been reported as taking prominent positions on broader national policy issues in publicly available allowlist sources beyond the local development agenda for Tellian and the Mukah division.

Before politics

1. 2007Began active community work in Mukah; co-founded the Mukah Activity Centre.⛓
2. 2014–2016Served as a member of the Malaysian Youth Parliament.⛓
3. 2017Won Sarawak's Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports' State Youth Award.⛓
4. 2018Won the state-level National Youth Premier Award (Men's Individual Category) awarded by the Ministry of Youth and Sports; appointed vice-president of the Sarawak Football Association (FAS) as team manager of Mukah FA.⛓

Political career

1. December 2021Named as the GPS-PBB candidate for the Tellian seat in the 12th Sarawak State Election, completing the coalition's list of 82 candidates.⛓
2. 18 December 2021Won the Tellian state seat in the 12th Sarawak State Election with a majority of 2,917 votes in a four-cornered contest against PSB, PKR, and PBK candidates.⛓
3. July 2023Accompanied Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni on a working visit to Mukah Hospital in his capacity as Tellian assemblyman.⛓

Election history

• 2021TellianWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentSibuti MP and fellow PBB youth member Lukanisman Awang Sauni described Royston as a PBB youth supreme council member, former Malaysia Youth Parliament member, and grassroots activist upon announcing his candidacy.⛓
• ExpertNational Professors Council senior fellow Dr Jeniri Amir noted there was some intrigue within PBB over the choice of the Tellian candidate at the time of Royston's nomination.⛓
• VerifiedFactsTellian is a state constituency created in the 2015 redistribution with a population of 16,729 as of 2020, comprising 60 longhouses and 33 villages and a demographic mix of approximately 50% Melanau, 29% Iban, and the remainder Chinese.⛓