Shaari Mat Hussain

Summary

Shaari bin Mat Hussain is a BERSATU politician serving as the Paloh state assemblyman in Kelantan since August 2023, having won the seat with a majority of 2,205 votes in the state election that year. He also holds the position of Deputy Member of the Kelantan State Executive Council under Menteri Besar Mohd Nassuruddin Daud. A former UMNO assemblyman for Gual Periok (2004–2008) and ex-president of the Kelantan Football Association, he is one of a small number of BERSATU representatives operating within Kelantan's PAS-led Perikatan Nasional state government.

Biography

Shaari bin Mat Hussain is a Malaysian politician and member of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), a component party of Perikatan Nasional (PN) [1]. He currently serves as Member of the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Paloh, a position he has held since August 2023, and as Deputy Member of the Kelantan State Executive Council (EXCO) under Menteri Besar Mohd Nassuruddin Daud [1]. He was previously a member of UMNO, a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) [1], and earlier served as MLA for Gual Periok from March 2004 to March 2008 under that banner [1]. In the 2013 Kelantan state election, he contested the Gual Periok seat under BN but was defeated by PAS incumbent Mohamad Awang with a majority of 733 votes [2]. Prior to re-entering electoral politics, Shaari held the position of President of the Kelantan Football Association (KAFA), where he was reported to have addressed the association's financial challenges [3]. He also served as KAFA President in 2022, during which he made public statements on Malaysian football governance [4]. In the 2023 Kelantan state election, Shaari contested the Paloh seat (N44) as PN-BERSATU's candidate, winning with a majority of 2,205 votes and a vote share of approximately 35.0% [5]. He was appointed Deputy Kelantan EXCO Member on 23 August 2023 [1]. As of May 2026, he remains one of the sitting BERSATU assemblymen in the Kelantan state legislature [6].

Known for

Shaari Mat Hussain is known for his return to elected office after a 15-year gap, winning the Paloh state seat in 2023 under BERSATU following an earlier term as UMNO assemblyman for Gual Periok (2004–2008). He is recognised in Kelantan public life for his prior leadership of the Kelantan Football Association (KAFA). Within the PN-administered Kelantan state government, he holds the position of Deputy EXCO Member, making him one of a small number of BERSATU representatives in a PAS-dominant coalition.

Political positions

No detailed statements of Shaari Mat Hussain's positions on specific policy issues were found across the allowlist sources searched. His public record indicates he operates within the Perikatan Nasional coalition framework in Kelantan, where PAS holds dominant influence. His role as Deputy EXCO Member places him within the PN state government's collective decision-making structure. No individual voting record, legislative speeches, or policy stances attributable to him by name were identified in the sources reviewed.

Political career

1. March 2004Elected as Member of the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly for Gual Periok under UMNO (Barisan Nasional), serving until March 2008.⛓
2. March 2008Lost the Gual Periok state seat, ending his first term as a state assemblyman. Wikipedia records his tenure at Gual Periok as March 2004 to March 2008.⛓
3. May 2013Contested the Gual Periok state seat under BN (UMNO) in the 13th general election, losing to PAS incumbent Mohamad Awang with a majority of 733 votes.⛓
4. July 2023Announced as Perikatan Nasional's (BERSATU) candidate for the N44 Paloh seat in the 2023 Kelantan state election.⛓
5. August 2023Won the Paloh state seat with a majority of 2,205 votes (35.0% vote share) against UMNO's Amran Arifin, marking his return to elected office after a 15-year gap.⛓
6. 23 August 2023Appointed Deputy Member of the Kelantan State Executive Council (EXCO) by Menteri Besar Mohd Nassuruddin Daud.⛓

Election history

• 2023Paloh (Kelantan DUN N44)Won35%⛓
• 2013Gual Periok (Kelantan DUN N15)Lost⛓
• 2008Gual Periok (Kelantan DUN N15)Lost⛓
• 2004Gual Periok (Kelantan DUN N15)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsShaari Mat Hussain won the Paloh seat in the 2023 Kelantan state election with 7,407 votes (35.0%), defeating UMNO's Amran Arifin by a majority of 2,205 votes. He was appointed Deputy Kelantan EXCO Member on 23 August 2023.⛓
• VerifiedFactsAs of May 2026, Shaari Mat Hussain remains one of the active BERSATU assemblymen in the Kelantan state legislature, alongside Bahari Nor (Gual Ipoh), at a time when several other Kelantan BERSATU lawmakers have faced party disciplinary action.⛓
• GovernmentBernama confirmed Shaari Mat Hussain as PN's candidate for N44 Paloh in the July 2023 announcement of the full list of 45 PN candidates for the Kelantan state election.⛓

Business interests (publicly reported)

Shaari Mat Hussain served as President of the Kelantan Football Association (KAFA), a sporting body that previously held a 20% stake in Kelantan FC's operating entity, Team TRW Sdn Bhd. Bernama reported in March 2020 that KAFA, under Shaari's tenure as president, witnessed the transfer of Team TRW's full ownership to a private individual, with KAFA relinquishing its stake entirely (Source: bernama.com/en/news.php?id=1876188). No commercial business interests held personally by Shaari Mat Hussain were identified in the allowlist sources reviewed.