Jamawi Ja'afar

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Ja'afar is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Jamawi. The word "bin"/"ibn" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.

Yang Berhormat Datuk
Jamawi Ja'afar
PGDK ASDK ADK MLA
جماوي جعفر‎
State Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food industries of Sabah
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 December 2025
GovernorMusa Aman
Chief MinisterHajiji Noor
Assistants
Preceded byJeffrey Kitingan
ConstituencyMelalap
Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly
for Melalap
Incumbent
Assumed office
29 November 2025
Preceded byPeter Anthony
(KDM)
Majority525 (2025)
Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly
for Kemabong
In office
9 May 2018 – 26 September 2020
Preceded byRubin Balang
(BN–UMNO)
Succeeded byRubin Balang
(Independent)
Majority862 (2018)
Personal details
BornJamawi bin Ja'afar
(1974-01-08) 8 January 1974
Sabah
PartyUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
(until 2018, 2020–2023)
Sabah Heritage Party (WARISAN) (2018–2020)
Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GAGASAN)
(2023–2025)
People's Justice Party (PKR) (since 2025)
Other political
affiliations		Barisan Nasional (BN)
(until 2018, 2020–2023)
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)
(2023–2025)
Pakatan Harapan (PH) (since 2025)
SpouseZainatunnisa Ibrahim
Alma materUniversity of Putra Malaysia
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionAgropreneur

Jamawi bin Ja'afar (born 8 January 1974) is a Malaysian politician and businessman who served as the State Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries of Sabah since December 2025 in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state administration under Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, as well as Member of Sabah State Legislative Assembly for Melalap since November 2025. He is a member of the People's Justice Party (PKR), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.[1][2]

Politics

He was the UMNO Youth Chief of Tenom Division and National Youth Information Chief of UMNO, under the leadership of National Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin.[3] He quit UMNO in 2018 and later joined WARISAN with the reason to support Sabah local party. In 2020, he quit WARISAN because of PSS controversies and rejoined UMNO as alternative choices. After BN-UMNO lost many seats in the Malaysia General Election in November 2022, he decided to joining GRS through GRS direct membership constitution. In February 2023, he confirmed his support and joined Sabah local party GAGASAN, one of the major component party of GRS. In March 2023, he officially become the Division Chairman of Melalap branch. On 17 October 2023, he confirmed that Tenom parliamentary branch of GAGASAN has successfully reached 5,000 memberships.

2025 Sabah state election

Jamawi sparked controversy after he was chosen as a candidate for the Melalap state constituency, where he contested under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) ticket. His detractors, particularly from PKR members, such as the former Deputy President of PKR Rafizi Ramli, have labeled him a "frog".[4][5]

On 1 December 2025, he swore-in as a Minister in Chief Minister Hajiji's cabinet.

On 25 January 2026, he was appointed as an ex-officio member of the Central Leadership Council of PKR alongside fellow Sabahan PKR members Ruji Ubi and Yamani Hafez Musa.[6]

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct. Opponent(s) Votes Pct. Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2022 P181 Tenom Jamawi Ja'afar (Sabah UMNO) 8,625 30.11% Riduan Rubin (IND) 10,027 35.00% 28,649 1,108 68.14%
Noorita Sual (DAP) 8,919 31.13%
Ukim Buandi (WARISAN) 992 3.46%
Peggy Chaw Zhi Ting (IND) 86 0.30%
Sabah State Legislative Assembly[7][8]
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct. Opponent(s) Votes Pct. Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2018 N43 Kemabong Jamawi Ja'afar (Sabah UMNO) 6,093 50.65% Haris Bolos (WARISAN) 5,198 43.21% 12,030 862 84.93%
Tay Jin Kiong @ Alfred (PCS) 152 1.26%
Yahia @ Yahya Raimah (PHRS) 124 1.03%
2020 N42 Melalap Jamawi Ja'afar (Sabah UMNO) 3,526 33.25% Peter Anthony (WARISAN) 5,245 49.46% 10,605 1,719 75.79%
Radin Malleh (PBS) 1,359 12.81%
Apiang Sausun (PCS) 268 2.53%
Sazali Justi (USNO Baru) 32 0.30%
Masdin Tumas (LDP) 23 0.22%
2025 Jamawi Ja'afar (PKR) 5,064 33.80% Priscella Peter (KDM) 4,539 30.29% 15,118 525 71.08%
Gabriel George Tulas (IND) 2,879 19.22%
Junik Bajit (UPKO) 1,702 11.36%
Cheld Bryend Lind (WARISAN) 448 2.99%
Alviana Linus (STAR) 271 1.81%
Fatimah Ibrahim (IND) 59 0.39%
Kevin Chong (IMPIAN) 21 0.14%

Honours

References

  1. ^ "Sabah Cabinet takes oath of office, three deputy CM appointed". The Borneo Post. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  2. ^ "Sabah Polls: GRS Takes Karanaan Seat, PH Wins In Melalap - EC". Bernama. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  3. ^ "Keputusan | Pilihan Raya Umum Malaysia Ke-15". PRU @ Sinar Harian. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Sabah masih dalam bayang warlord?". PRU @ Sinar Harian. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  5. ^ "PRK dulu janji buang budaya ambil calon lompat – Rafizi". MalaysiaGazette. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  6. ^ "Tengku Zafrul, Zaliha appointed to PKR political bureau as ex-officio members". Free Malaysia Today. 25 January 2026.
  7. ^ "RESULTS OF CONTESTED ELECTION AND STATEMENTS OF THE POLL AFTER THE OFFICIAL ADDITION OF VOTES". Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  8. ^ "RESULTS OF CONTESTED ELECTION AND STATEMENTS OF THE POLL AFTER THE OFFICIAL ADDITION OF VOTES". Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Sabah Tahun 2023" (PDF). www.sabah.gov.my.
  10. ^ "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Sabah Tahun 2014" (PDF). www.sabah.gov.my.
  11. ^ "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Sabah Tahun 2009" (PDF). www.sabah.gov.my.
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