TopicsPolitician AnalysisSabri Azit

Sabri Azit

Party
PAS · Malaysian Islamic Party
Coalition
PN
Constituency
Jerai
State
Kedah
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Why this matters to you

As the MP for Jerai (P012), Sabri Azit directly represents residents of a predominantly rural, padi-farming constituency in Kedah, meaning his parliamentary questions and advocacy on agricultural income, flood mitigation, and rural cost of living have a direct bearing on the livelihoods of farmers and lower-income households in Yan and surrounding areas. His tenure as ITBM Board Chairman (2020–2023) placed him in oversight of a federal agency responsible for Malaysia's publicly funded translation and book publishing activities, affecting the availability and affordability of educational and literary materials (Source: bernama.com). As an opposition MP under the current Pakatan Harapan-led government, his constituency receives representation through an opposition voice in Dewan Rakyat on issues such as flood disaster response, food security, and rural welfare spending.

Summary

Sabri bin Azit is the PAS Member of Parliament for Jerai (P012), Kedah, first elected in GE14 (2018) and re-elected with a substantially increased majority in GE15 (2022), representing a rural constituency centred on padi farming and the Yan district. A former teacher and long-serving PAS division official, he served as Chairman of the Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (ITBM) Board of Directors from 2020 to 2023. In Parliament, he has focused on rural welfare, agricultural livelihoods, flood disaster accountability, and consumer protection issues relevant to his constituency.

Biography

Sabri bin Azit is a Malaysian politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Jerai (P012), Kedah, under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition through PAS [1]. He has held the Jerai seat since May 2018, having first won in GE14 and successfully defended it in GE15 [2]. Prior to entering politics, he worked as a teacher and served as vice-chief of the Jerai PAS division before being fielded as a candidate in GE14 as a late replacement [3]. He resides in Kampung Sungai Lintang, Dulang, within the Jerai constituency, and is married with ten children [3]. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (ITBM) from 2020 to 2023 [4]. In Parliament, he has raised constituency-level issues including the Gunung Jerai flash flood and its link to logging activity in August 2021 [5], rural cost-of-living burdens on padi farmers in the Yan district [6], and concerns about misleading health product promotions on social media [5]. Jerai's demographic composition is approximately 79% Malay, 15% Chinese, and 6% Indian [3]. He contests under the PAS banner as part of the Perikatan Nasional coalition [1].

Known for

Sabri Azit is known as a PAS-aligned former teacher who won the Jerai parliamentary seat in GE14 (2018) against an incumbent minister, and dramatically expanded his majority in GE15 (2022) to over 33,000 votes [7]. He served as Chairman of the ITBM Board of Directors from 2020 to 2023, a government-linked body overseeing Malaysia's national translation and book publishing functions [8]. He has consistently used his parliamentary platform to raise issues affecting rural and agricultural communities in Kedah, particularly padi farmers and flood-affected residents in the Yan district.

Political positions

Based on reported parliamentary activity and public statements, Sabri Azit has prioritised issues affecting rural and lower-income communities. He has raised rural cost-of-living pressures on padi farmers in the Yan district, noting poor harvests and declining incomes [6]. He questioned the government in Parliament over the causes of the deadly Gunung Jerai flash flood in August 2021, pressing on whether illegal logging was a contributing factor [5]. He has also raised consumer protection concerns, including misleading health product promotions by individuals claiming to be doctors on social media [5]. In 2024, he raised road safety and transport policy questions in Dewan Rakyat regarding speed enforcement and speed limits [5]. Prior to his election, he cited reducing the cost of living and job creation for youth as his primary priorities if elected [3]. He is a member of PAS, a party committed to Islamic governance principles, and is affiliated with the Perikatan Nasional coalition [2].

References

  1. [1]parlimen.gov.my
  2. [2]en.wikipedia.org
  3. [3]freemalaysiatoday.com
  4. [4]en.wikipedia.org; bernama.com
  5. [5]thestar.com.my
  6. [6]sinarharian.com.my
  7. [7]utusan.com.my; election.thestar.com.my
  8. [8]bernama.com

Before politics

  1. Pre-2018Worked as a teacher before entering electoral politics. Also served as vice-chief of the Jerai PAS division.⛓

Political career

  1. May 2018Won the Jerai parliamentary seat (P012) in GE14 under PAS, receiving 27.9% (22,312 votes) and defeating incumbent Jamil Khir Baharom (BN-UMNO) with a majority of 539 votes.⛓
  2. 2020Appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (ITBM), a federal government-linked body overseeing national translation and book publishing.⛓
  3. September 2021Raised a parliamentary question regarding the deadly Gunung Jerai flash flood in Yan, Kedah, pressing on whether illegal logging contributed to the disaster that claimed multiple lives.⛓
  4. 2023Concluded tenure as Chairman of the ITBM Board of Directors.⛓
  5. November 2022Successfully defended the Jerai parliamentary seat in GE15 under Perikatan Nasional (PAS), winning 47.1% (49,461 votes) with a greatly expanded majority of 33,192 votes over nearest rival Jamil Khir Baharom (BN-UMNO).⛓

Election history

  • 2022Jerai (P012)Won47.1%⛓
  • 2018Jerai (P012)Won27.9%⛓

Stance evolution

Public statements grouped chronologically. The party tag shows which party the politician was contesting under at that point.

  1. 2018PAS
    • I have always been a party worker. So when I heard that I was nominated, I looked at it as an opportunity to help the party win. My love for the party is deeper than the delight of being chosen as a candidate.

      Sabri Azit speaking to reporters at his home in Kampung Sungai Lintang, Dulang, ahead of GE14. · Source

    • We will look at ways and means of reducing the cost of living. And we'll look into sectors where we can generate jobs for young people.

      Sabri Azit outlining his priorities if elected to Parliament, in an interview during the GE14 campaign period. · Source

Perspectives on key issues

  • VerifiedFactsSabri Azit is listed as the sitting MP for Jerai (P012) under Perikatan Nasional on the official Parliament of Malaysia members list.⛓
  • VerifiedFactsIn GE15 (2022), Sabri Azit secured 49,461 votes (47.1%) with a majority of 33,192, a marked increase from his GE14 majority of 539 votes.⛓
  • GovernmentThe then-Energy and Natural Resources Minister Takiyuddin Hassan, responding to Sabri Azit's parliamentary question in September 2021, attributed the Gunung Jerai flash flood to an act of God rather than illegal logging.⛓
  • AffectedSinar Harian reported that rural residents in Yan district, particularly padi farmers, faced significant cost-of-living burdens including crop failures due to pest attacks, a concern raised by Sabri Azit as their MP.⛓

Sources

Every URL the AI used to draft this profile, for editor and reader verification.

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