TopicsPolitician AnalysisWan Sukairi Wan Abdullah

Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah

Party
PAS · Malaysian Islamic Party
Coalition
PN
Constituency
Wakaf Mempelam
State
Terengganu
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Why this matters to you

As Terengganu EXCO chairman for Local Government, Housing and Health, Wan Sukairi's decisions directly govern the operating rules for businesses, entertainment venues, and public health in Terengganu — affecting traders, hawkers, and residents in areas such as operating hour restrictions for karaoke centres, the state vape sales ban, and the relocation of market traders in Kuala Terengganu's Kampung Cina area (Source: thestar.com.my, freemalaysiatoday.com). His portfolio also covers public health communications and disease surveillance, meaning he is the state official responsible for issuing public health alerts such as the 2025 HFMD case monitoring reports (Source: thestar.com.my). Terengganu residents and businesses seeking local authority licences or operating approvals fall under policies determined by his committee (Source: thestar.com.my).

Summary

Datuk Wan Sukairi bin Wan Abdullah is a PAS politician who has represented the Wakaf Mempelam state seat in Terengganu since May 2018 and currently serves as a member of the Terengganu State Executive Council under Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar. He holds the Local Government, Housing and Health portfolio and has been the principal spokesperson for a range of Terengganu state-level policies spanning entertainment guidelines, public health measures, and morality-based public messaging. He was re-elected at the 2023 Terengganu State Election under the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Biography

Datuk Wan Sukairi bin Wan Abdullah (born 12 December 1971, Terengganu) is a Malaysian politician and member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. He has served as the Member of the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Wakaf Mempelam, under the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency, since May 2018 [1]. He is concurrently a member of the Terengganu State Executive Council (EXCO) in the PN state administration under Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar [1]. He received his early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Tengku Bariah and Sekolah Menengah Agama Sultan Zainal Abidin Ladang, both in Kuala Terengganu, before continuing religious studies at Maahad An-Nahdah in Kodiang, Kedah [2]. Within PAS, he has held the positions of Yang Dipertua PAS Kawasan Kuala Terengganu and, later, Secretary of Badan Perhubungan PAS Terengganu [3]. He is also Vice Chairman of Yayasan Amal Terengganu and Chairman of Gerakan Bertindak Anti Murtad [2]. He was first elected to the Wakaf Mempelam seat in the 14th General Election (GE14) in May 2018, winning 52.7 percent of the vote with a majority of 7,378 votes in a three-cornered contest [4]. He was re-elected at the 2023 Terengganu State Election on 12 August 2023 under the PN banner [5]. He holds the Datuk title, conferred by Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu on 14 August 2022 [6]. He is married to Fadzillah Ismail and has eight children [2].

Known for

Wan Sukairi is known primarily in his capacity as Terengganu EXCO member overseeing Local Government, Housing and Health, a portfolio through which he has implemented or announced a range of public-morality and public-health policies [7]. He has been a prominent spokesperson for Terengganu's entertainment and conduct guidelines — including restrictions on female performers and a state-wide ban on vape sales — as well as social messaging campaigns on issues such as anti-LGBT signboards near Universiti Malaysia Terengganu [7][5]. He previously held the Youth Development, Sports and NGO Development portfolio in the 2018–2023 term, during which he announced plans for syariah-compliant sports attire guidelines for Terengganu athletes [5].

Political positions

Wan Sukairi has consistently advocated for the application of Islamic principles in state governance across multiple policy domains. In 2019, as EXCO in charge of sports, he announced that Terengganu was drafting syariah-compliant attire and conduct guidelines for athletes, and that the state had withdrawn from certain sporting events it deemed non-compliant with Islamic rules [5][7]. On entertainment regulation, he has defended existing Terengganu guidelines restricting female performers in open public spaces, stating these guidelines are general in nature and not aimed at discriminating against any religion [7]. In May 2025, he confirmed that anti-homosexuality signboards erected by the Kuala Terengganu City Council were intended as an educational effort to instil aversion to acts contrary to religious and societal norms [7][5]. On public health, he announced and enforced a state ban on the sale of e-cigarettes and vape products effective 1 August 2025, framing it as a proactive measure to protect public health, especially among youth [7]. In February 2026, he announced restrictions on karaoke centre operating hours, capping them at 10 pm under local authority jurisdiction [5]. He has also stated that Terengganu will address concerns about the Rohingya community in a fact-based, law-abiding manner without hasty enforcement [8].

References

  1. [1]en.wikipedia.org
  2. [2]pru.sinarharian.com.my
  3. [3]utusan.com.my
  4. [4]election.thestar.com.my
  5. [5]freemalaysiatoday.com
  6. [6]wikidata.org
  7. [7]thestar.com.my
  8. [8]malaymail.com

Education

  1. Early yearsReceived primary education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Tengku Bariah, Kuala Terengganu, followed by secondary religious education at Sekolah Menengah Agama Sultan Zainal Abidin Ladang, Kuala Terengganu.⛓
  2. Secondary/post-secondary (religious)Continued religious studies at Maahad An-Nahdah, Kodiang, Kedah.⛓

Before politics

  1. Pre-2018Served as Yang Dipertua PAS Kawasan Kuala Terengganu and Penolong Setiausaha Badan Perhubungan PAS Terengganu. Also held positions as Vice Chairman of Yayasan Amal Terengganu and Chairman of Gerakan Bertindak Anti Murtad.⛓

Political career

  1. May 2018First elected as ADUN for Wakaf Mempelam under PAS in GE14, defeating BN's Salleh Othman (7,418 votes) and PH's Mohd Zubir Mohamed (1,589 votes) with 14,796 votes (52.7%) and a majority of 7,378.⛓
  2. May 2018Sworn in as member of the Terengganu State Executive Council (EXCO) under Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar's first-term administration.⛓
  3. 2018–2023Served as EXCO chairman for Youth Development, Sports and Non-Governmental Organisation Development during the first PAS-led Terengganu term. Announced draft syariah-compliant sports attire guidelines and the withdrawal of Terengganu from certain sporting events in 2019.⛓
  4. 12 August 2023Re-elected as ADUN for Wakaf Mempelam under Perikatan Nasional (PAS) at the 2023 Terengganu State Election, in a straight fight against PKR's Wan Muhamad Haikal Wan Ghazali.⛓
  5. 15 August 2023Sworn in again as EXCO member under Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar's second-term administration, assigned the Health, Housing and Local Government portfolio.⛓
  6. August 2023Assigned the Local Government, Housing and Health portfolio for the second consecutive term as Terengganu EXCO.⛓

Election history

  • 2023Wakaf Mempelam (N13), TerengganuWon⛓
  • 2018Wakaf Mempelam (N13), TerengganuWon52.7%⛓

Stance evolution

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

  1. 2025PAS
    • The decision was a proactive action on the state's part to ban the sale and use of e-cigarettes and vapes that can bring a negative impact to the health of the people, especially the younger generation.

      Statement issued announcing the Terengganu vape and e-cigarette sales ban effective 1 August 2025. · Source

    • We really want the people to hate homosexual acts. We want them to consider it dirty, wrong and to be avoided.

      Commenting to Sinar Harian on anti-homosexuality signboards erected by the Kuala Terengganu City Council near Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. · Source

    • We've given enough time for traders to clear their vape stock before their premises are no longer allowed to sell such products.

      Speaking to reporters after the launch of the National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang Campaign in Terengganu, reaffirming the state's position on the vape sales ban. · Source

Perspectives on key issues

  • GovernmentAs EXCO chairman for Local Government, Housing and Health, Wan Sukairi has consistently presented his policy decisions — including entertainment guidelines, the vape ban, and anti-LGBT public messaging — as efforts to protect public health, uphold Islamic values, and educate the community in line with Terengganu's PN state government's agenda.⛓
  • OppositionDAP chairman Lim Guan Eng described Wan Sukairi's justification for directing a Chinese temple to halt female performer performances as "tidak masuk akal" (unreasonable), arguing that a religious event involving only non-Muslims should not fall under state entertainment guidelines.⛓
  • AffectedMCA Terengganu chief Monna Ong urged the state government to reconsider its 10 pm operating hour restriction on karaoke centres, stating that public policy must balance community concerns with protecting the livelihoods of business operators.⛓
  • PublicThe Star reported that transgender activist Nisha Ayub described the Terengganu anti-LGBT signboards as a form of institutionalised discrimination and a dangerous endorsement of hatred.⛓
  • VerifiedFactsWan Sukairi has held the Wakaf Mempelam state seat since May 2018 across two consecutive elections (GE14 2018 and PRN 2023), and has served as Terengganu EXCO member in both terms under the same Menteri Besar, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.⛓

Sources

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

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