Yusuf Abd Wahab

Summary

Dato Ir. Haji Yusuf bin Abd Wahab (born 10 December 1963) is the Member of Parliament for Tanjong Manis (P206), Sarawak, representing PBB under the GPS coalition, having held the seat continuously since winning it in GE14 in May 2018 and retaining it in GE15 in November 2022. A licensed civil engineer by profession, he serves concurrently as Chairman of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and as Chairman of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Infrastructure Development, Transport and Communications. His parliamentary activity centres on infrastructure, digital connectivity, and transport policy relevant to East Malaysia.

Biography

Dato Ir. Haji Yusuf bin Abd Wahab (born 10 December 1963) is a Malaysian politician and civil engineer who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Manis (P206), Sarawak, since May 2018. [1] He is a member of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), a component party of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition, having previously contested under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner in GE14. [1] He holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, United States, and brings over 34 years of experience in the engineering field to his public roles. [2] In May 2020, he was appointed Chairman of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), the federal body responsible for regulating, developing and facilitating Malaysia's construction industry. [3] He also chairs the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Infrastructure Development, Transport and Communications. [1] Prior to entering parliament, Yusuf served as a director of public and private infrastructure projects and is listed as director of Jurutera Perunding Wahba Sdn Bhd. [3] He is a member of the Board of Engineers Malaysia, the Institution of Engineers Malaysia, and the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia, and serves as a panel adviser for Universiti Malaysia Sarawak's civil engineering programme. [4] He also holds community positions including trustee of the Kuala Rejang Islamic Welfare Trustee Board and chairman of the Paloh Muslim Charitable Trust Fund. [3] Tanjong Manis constituency, which Yusuf represents, is located across the Mukah and Sarikei Divisions of Sarawak and had a population of approximately 32,768 as of 2020. [1]

Known for

Yusuf Abd Wahab is known as the only licensed civil engineer in the Dewan Rakyat with a dedicated institutional role overseeing Malaysia's construction sector, serving as CIDB Chairman since May 2020. He chairs the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Infrastructure Development, Transport and Communications, positioning him as a key parliamentary voice on physical connectivity and public works policy. His parliamentary record shows a pattern of raising constituency-level infrastructure and digital connectivity issues at the federal level on behalf of an East Malaysian rural constituency.

Political positions

Yusuf has used his role as Chairman of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Infrastructure Development, Transport and Communications to question federal ministries on connectivity gaps in Sarawak. In March 2024, he tabled a parliamentary question on telecommunications and internet coverage in Tanjong Manis, drawing a ministerial response that coverage had reached 89.57% of populated areas as of Q4 2023 but that full roll-out remained incomplete. [4] He also raised questions in parliament on the proposed Trans Borneo Railway project, prompting the Transport Ministry to confirm it had commenced a feasibility study expected to complete by mid-2026. [5] In August 2025, Yusuf, in his capacity as PSSC chairperson, was reported by Malaysiakini to have stated that a letter he wrote to the Housing and Local Government Minister regarding urban redevelopment issues was intended as private ministerial correspondence. [6] No publicly reported stances on social or fiscal policy have been sourced from the allowlist.

Education

1. Pre-1988Graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, United States of America.⛓

Before politics

1. Pre-2018Accumulated over 34 years of experience in the engineering field, serving as director of public and private infrastructure projects and as director of Jurutera Perunding Wahba Sdn Bhd. Also served as a member of the Board of Engineers Malaysia, Institution of Engineers Malaysia, Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia, and as a panel adviser for Universiti Malaysia Sarawak's civil engineering programme.⛓

Political career

1. April 2018Named as one of six new PBB candidates for the 14th General Election (GE14), fielded under the BN banner for the Tanjong Manis parliamentary seat, replacing retiring incumbent Datuk Norah Abdul Rahman.⛓
2. May 2018Won the Tanjong Manis parliamentary seat in GE14 under the BN-PBB ticket, receiving 11,402 votes (52.1%) against PKR's Mohamad Fadillah Sabali (2,728 votes), with a majority of 8,674.⛓
3. May 2020Appointed Chairman of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), effective 1 May 2020, succeeding Datuk Ir Dr Meor Abdul Aziz Osman.⛓
4. November 2022Retained the Tanjong Manis parliamentary seat (P206) in GE15 under GPS-PBB, winning with 16,474 votes and a majority of 13,908 votes.⛓

Election history

• 2022Tanjong Manis (P206)Won⛓
• 2018Tanjong Manis (P206)Won52.1%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsYusuf Abd Wahab has been the MP for Tanjong Manis since May 2018 and retained the seat in GE15 in November 2022 with a majority of 13,908 votes. He has served as CIDB Chairman since May 2020 and chairs the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Infrastructure Development, Transport and Communications.⛓
• GovernmentThe CIDB, in its May 2020 announcement, stated that Yusuf 'will be responsible for charting CIDB's direction as a credible organisation, in line with its functions to regulate, develop and facilitate the construction industry in Malaysia.'⛓
• IndustryThe CIDB board, management and staff welcomed Yusuf's appointment as chairman in May 2020, with the board statement expressing appreciation for his engineering background and professional memberships.⛓

Business interests (publicly reported)

Yusuf Abd Wahab is reported to be the director of Jurutera Perunding Wahba Sdn Bhd, an engineering consultancy firm. (Source: malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/05/06/yusuf-abd-wahab-named-cidb-chairman/1863622; freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/05/06/gps-mp-yusuf-abd-wahab-named-new-cidb-chairman) No further details of shareholdings or other commercial directorships have been sourced from the allowlist.