Salbiah Mohamed

Summary

Salbiah binti Mohamed (born 7 May 1978) is a three-term UMNO assemblyperson for Temengor, Perak, first elected in May 2013, and currently serves as a Perak State EXCO member chairing the Women, Family, Social Welfare and Entrepreneur Development Committee under Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad's unity government [1]. She built her career within UMNO's women's wing, rising to Women's Chief of UMNO Perak in 2013, before entering the state legislature. Her tenure spans roles as opposition backbencher and, since November 2022, as one of three UMNO representatives in Perak's BN-PH coalition EXCO.

Biography

Salbiah binti Mohamed (born 7 May 1978) is a Malaysian politician and member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) [1]. She has served as the Member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Temengor constituency since May 2013, making her a three-term incumbent [1]. Since November 2022, she has additionally served as a Member of the Perak State Executive Council (EXCO) under Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad in the BN-Pakatan Harapan unity state government [2]. Within the EXCO, she chairs the Women, Family, Social Welfare and Entrepreneur Development Committee [2]. Prior to her election to the state assembly, Salbiah built her career within UMNO party structures. In 2004, she was appointed Women's Chief of the UMNO Gerik branch, and in 2013 she was appointed Women's Chief of UMNO Perak as well as a Committee Member of UMNO's Women's Wing [1]. She also served as Communication Supervisor of KEMAS Pengkalan Hulu and Chairman of the Public Library Institution of Perak from 2014 to 2019 [1]. Her constituency of Temengor is located in the Hulu Perak district and encompasses the Royal Belum State Park and Temengor Forest Reserve. She has been active on constituency issues including Orang Asli welfare and the protection of the Temengor Forest Reserve's ecosystem [3].

Known for

Salbiah Mohamed is known as a long-serving UMNO assemblywoman for the remote Hulu Perak seat of Temengor, first elected in 2013 and re-elected through GE14 and GE15. She chairs the Perak EXCO committee on Women, Family, Social Welfare and Entrepreneur Development, making her the state's primary executive officer on social welfare policy. She also drew legislative attention in December 2020 when she co-filed the emergency motion in the Perak State Assembly that led to the confidence vote ousting then-Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu [4].

Political positions

Salbiah Mohamed has approached her EXCO portfolio with an emphasis on inter-agency collaboration to address social welfare challenges, including child abuse and domestic violence. In the Perak State Assembly, she has raised questions about domestic violence statistics in Perak [5] and, in her EXCO capacity, has reported child abuse data and stressed the need for coordinated responses across health, welfare, and enforcement agencies [6]. On environmental matters affecting her constituency, she took direct action in March 2024 by lodging a police report over the use of explosives to catch protected ikan kelah in the Temengor Forest Reserve, and expressed commitment to preventing recurrence of damage to the protected species' ecosystem [3]. While in opposition (2018–2022), she questioned the credibility of a Global Business Services investment deal in the Perak State Assembly and challenged government claims about the number of jobs it would create [5]. No formal policy positions on national issues such as fiscal policy or federal legislation have been sourced from allowlisted outlets.

Before politics

1. 2014–2019Served as Communication Supervisor of KEMAS Pengkalan Hulu and Chairman of the Public Library Institution of Perak.⛓

Political career

1. 2004Appointed Women's Chief of UMNO Gerik branch.⛓
2. 2013Appointed Women's Chief of UMNO Perak and Committee Member of UMNO Women's Wing.⛓
3. May 2013First elected as Member of the Perak State Legislative Assembly for Temengor under BN-UMNO at the 13th General Election.⛓
4. May 2018Re-elected as Temengor assemblyperson under BN-UMNO at the 14th General Election with 38.1% of votes and a majority of 3,935.⛓
5. December 2020Co-filed the emergency motion in the Perak State Assembly alongside Howard Lee (DAP) calling for a confidence vote against then-Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu; the motion succeeded and Ahmad Faizal lost the confidence vote.⛓
6. November 2022Re-elected as Temengor assemblyperson under BN-UMNO at the 15th General Election with 30.9% of votes (8,468 votes) and a majority of 1,048 in a three-cornered contest.⛓
7. 22 November 2022Sworn in as Member of the Perak State Executive Council (EXCO) representing UMNO in the BN-PH unity state government under Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad.⛓
8. 23 November 2022Assigned the portfolio of chairperson of the Women, Family, Social Welfare and Entrepreneur Development Committee by Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad.⛓
9. March 2024Lodged a police report at Gerik District Police Headquarters over the use of explosives to catch protected ikan kelah in the Temengor Forest Reserve.⛓

Election history

• 2022N02 TemengorWon30.9%⛓
• 2018N02 TemengorWon38.1%⛓
• 2013N02 TemengorWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentSalbiah Mohamed is recognised within the Perak unity government as one of three UMNO EXCO members, described by Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad as part of a combination of experienced and young leaders in the state cabinet.⛓
• VerifiedFactsElection Commission of Malaysia records confirm Salbiah binti Mohamed contested N02 Temengor as a BN candidate at the 15th General Election (GE15), with her nomination recorded on 16 December 2022.⛓
• OppositionIn December 2018, Pemuda Pakatan Harapan requested that authorities investigate Salbiah Mohamed following a speech at a night market near Gerik that they alleged contained defamatory content.⛓
• PublicSalbiah Mohamed received public attention in March 2024 after lodging a police report over the use of explosives to catch protected ikan kelah in the Temengor Forest Reserve, drawing support from those concerned about the destruction of the local ecosystem.⛓