Salahuddin gets new portfolio as Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) deputy president Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub who has been appointed as the new Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living is no stranger to the country’s political arena.

Born in Tanjung Piai, Pontian, Johor, the 61-year-old Pulai Member of Parliament was previously the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in 2018.

Before venturing into the political arena, Salahuddin was the Secretary of the Pontian branch of the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement  (ABIM).

His active involvement in politics began in 1983 and has since held various positions in PAS, starting with Pontian PAS vice-chief (1983-1987) up to the highest position of vice-president of the party (2009-2015).

He then joined Amanah in 2015 and contested for Pulai parliamentary seat Parliament and Simpang Jeram state seat in the 2018 General Election on the PH ticket.

With the PH victory in the election, Salahuddin was appointed as the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister.

Salahuddin, who is also Johor PH chairman, retained both the Simpang Jeram state seat and the Pulai parliamentary seat in the state election last March and the 15th General Election last month, respectively.

He defended his parliamentary seat with a majority of 33,174 votes, defeating Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed and Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Loh Kah Yong.

Salahuddin received his primary education at Serkat English Primary School in Pontian from 1967 to 1973, before entering the Teluk Kerang English Secondary School, also in Pontian (1974-1976).

He continued his secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Sri Perhentian and later at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Datuk Penggawa Barat.

He then pursued a Business Administration Diploma programme at the Tunku Abdul Rahman College (1982-1983) and a Bachelor of Science in Human Development at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 1984.

-- BERNAMA