Wan Badariah Wan Saad · Politician profile · CERAP

Topics Politician AnalysisWan Badariah Wan Saad

Why this matters to you

As the Mata Ayer state assemblyman, Wan Badariah is the direct elected representative for residents of the Mata Ayer constituency in Perlis, responsible for channelling community concerns to the state legislature. During her EXCO tenure (2022–2025), she oversaw welfare, disaster relief, and women's affairs portfolios, which directly governed the distribution of state disaster funds and temporary shelter coordination for flood-affected residents across Perlis (Source: utusan.com.my). The ongoing political uncertainty in the Perlis state assembly — in which she is among six PAS assemblymen at odds with the current Menteri Besar — raises the possibility of early dissolution of the state assembly, which would trigger a fresh state election and a transition period during which state services and budget allocations could be affected (Source: malaymail.com; freemalaysiatoday.com).

Summary

Wan Badariah Wan Saad (born 1976) is a PAS politician and syarie lawyer who made history in 2022 as the first woman ever fielded by Perlis PAS in a state election, winning the Mata Ayer seat with a majority of 2,021 votes. She served on the Perlis State Executive Council overseeing women's affairs, tourism, welfare, and disaster relief from November 2022 to December 2025. As of mid-2026, she is among six PAS assemblymen engaged in a political standoff with the current Bersatu-aligned Menteri Besar of Perlis, amid broader PAS-Bersatu tensions within the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Biography

Wan Badariah Wan Saad (born 21 August 1976) is a Malaysian politician and syarie lawyer who has served as Member of the Perlis State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Mata Ayer state seat since November 2022 [1]. She is a member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. A native of Padang Siding, Perlis, she operates her own law practice in Kedah and has been a syarie lawyer since 2014 [2]. She is an alumna of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) [1]. Wan Badariah was the first woman ever fielded by Perlis PAS in a state election when she contested the Mata Ayer seat in the 2022 general election (GE15) under the PN banner [3]. She won the seat with a majority of 2,021 votes, defeating incumbent BN assemblyman Siti Berenee Yahaya and PH candidate Amran Kamarudin [1]. Following the PN landslide victory in Perlis, she was appointed on 25 November 2022 as Perlis State EXCO Member in charge of Women, Family, Community Development, Tourism, Welfare, Disaster Relief, Culture, Arts and Heritage [1]. She held this EXCO position until December 2025, when it ended following the change in Menteri Besar [1]. Beyond elected office, she has served as Chairperson of the Law and Human Rights Council (LUHAM) of Perlis since 2021 and as a member of the Muslimat Legal Team (MUSLET) of Perlis since 2019 [1]. In May 2024, she was hospitalised at Tuanku Fauziah Hospital, Kangar, due to complications from a thyroid condition, including cardiac and pulmonary involvement, though she subsequently recovered [4].

Known for

Wan Badariah is noted as the first woman ever fielded by Perlis PAS in a state election, marking a historic milestone for the party in the state [3]. She served as the Perlis State EXCO member overseeing women's affairs, tourism, welfare, and disaster relief from November 2022 to December 2025 [1]. In 2026, she was among six PAS assemblymen in Perlis who publicly demanded an explanation from Menteri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah over the postponement of a state assembly sitting, placing her at the centre of internal PN political tensions in the state [5].

Political positions

No formal policy positions or voting stances on specific legislation have been reported by allowlisted sources beyond her portfolio responsibilities. As Perlis EXCO member for Women, Family, Community Development, Tourism, Welfare, Disaster Relief, Culture, Arts and Heritage from November 2022 to December 2025, she was involved in state-level disaster preparedness and welfare delivery, including overseeing the allocation of RM485,000 in annual disaster relief funds and the establishment of 122 temporary evacuation centres across Perlis [6]. Her background as a syarie lawyer and her role as Chairperson of the LUHAM (Law and Human Rights Council of Perlis) indicate an orientation toward Islamic law and human rights within a legal framework [1]. She has publicly expressed concern about political stability in Perlis, stating in December 2025 that she hoped claims of assemblymen withdrawing support from then-Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli were "not true and merely political manoeuvring" [7].

References

Education

Pre-2014Graduated from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), listed as a notable IIUM alumna.⛓

Before politics

2014Qualified and began practising as a syarie lawyer; operates her own law practice in Kedah.⛓
2019Became a member of the Muslimat Legal Team (MUSLET) of Perlis and a member of the Women Concern Association of Perlis; also began serving as Division Committee Member of PAS of Arau.⛓
2020Became a member of the Women Cakna Association of Arau.⛓
2021Appointed Chairperson of the Law and Human Rights Council (LUHAM) of Perlis.⛓

Political career

October 2022Announced by Perlis PAS as its candidate for the Mata Ayer state seat in GE15 — the first woman ever fielded by Perlis PAS in an election.⛓
19 November 2022Won the Mata Ayer state seat in GE15 under the PN banner, defeating BN incumbent Siti Berenee Yahaya and PH candidate Amran Kamarudin by a majority of 2,021 votes.⛓
25 November 2022Sworn in as Perlis State EXCO Member in charge of Women, Family, Community Development, Tourism, Welfare, Disaster Relief, Culture, Arts and Heritage under Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli.⛓
December 2025EXCO position ended following the political crisis in Perlis and the resignation of Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli, who was replaced by Bersatu's Abu Bakar Hamzah.⛓
December 2025Publicly stated she hoped claims that eight assemblymen had signed statutory declarations withdrawing support from then-Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli were 'not true and merely political manoeuvring'.⛓
April 2026Among six PAS assemblymen who issued a joint statement demanding a transparent explanation from Menteri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah for the sudden postponement of the Perlis state assembly sitting scheduled for 21–23 April 2026.⛓

Election history

2022Mata Ayer (N04), Perlis State Legislative AssemblyWon⛓

Stance evolution

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

2025PAS
- My hope is that this allegation is not true and is merely political manoeuvring.
  Wan Badariah commenting on reports that eight Perlis assemblymen had signed statutory declarations withdrawing support from then-Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli, as reported by The Star. · Source

Perspectives on key issues

VerifiedFactsWan Badariah won the Mata Ayer seat in GE15 (November 2022) with a majority of 2,021 votes, defeating BN incumbent Siti Berenee Yahaya. She served as Perlis State EXCO member from November 2022 to December 2025. She is the first woman ever fielded by Perlis PAS in a state election.⛓
GovernmentPerlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli (then her party leader and MB) described Wan Badariah as a local from Padang Siding with her own law practice, confirming she was selected as PAS's first ever female candidate in Perlis because she was willing to take on the challenge and had obtained her family's support.⛓
OppositionFree Malaysia Today and Malay Mail reported that Wan Badariah is among the six PAS assemblymen linked to potential moves against current Menteri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah of Bersatu, as the PAS-Bersatu relationship within PN in Perlis deteriorated in 2026.⛓

Sources

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