In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 14 October 1954
- Birthplace
- Tasek Gelugor, Penang
- Country
- Malaysia
- Nationality
- Malaysian
- Known for
- Founding and leading Amanah after a long career in PAS and the opposition
- Public name
- Mat Sabu
- Party office
- Amanah President, since 2015
- Cabinet offices
- Defence, 2018–2020; Agriculture and Food Security, since 2022
- Parliamentary seat
- Kota Raja
- Former party
- PAS, 1981–2015
Why this life matters
Mohamad Sabu connects the Reformasi-era opposition, PAS’s internal realignment, Amanah’s creation and Pakatan Harapan’s two periods in federal government.
Timeline
Key moments
Born in Tasek Gelugor
Born in Penang and later studied food technology at Institut Teknologi MARA.
Joined PAS
Began a long career as an organiser and public speaker in the Islamic party.
Entered Parliament
Won Nilam Puri in Kelantan, the first of several constituencies he would represent.
Became PAS deputy president
Defeated incumbent Nasharudin Mat Isa in a contest seen as a gain for the party’s coalition-minded wing.
Became Amanah’s founding president
Led former PAS progressives into a new party that joined PKR and DAP in Pakatan Harapan.
Served as defence minister
Won Kota Raja and entered the first Pakatan Harapan federal cabinet.
Returned to cabinet
Retained Kota Raja and became minister of agriculture and food security in Anwar Ibrahim’s government.
Continued leading Amanah and the ministry
Remained the party president and the federal minister responsible for agriculture and food security at the review date.
Activism and a public-speaking reputation
Mohamad Sabu was born in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, and studied food technology at Institut Teknologi MARA. Better known as Mat Sabu, he developed a national following through opposition speeches, street-level organisation and repeated involvement in reform campaigns.
He joined PAS in 1981 and became associated with the party’s activist and coalition-oriented wing. His public career included detention under the Internal Security Act, an experience shared by several opposition figures during the period of Barisan Nasional dominance.
Parliament and PAS leadership
Mohamad first entered Parliament in 1990 for Nilam Puri. He later represented Kubang Kerian and Kuala Kedah, moving across constituencies as opposition alliances and electoral opportunities changed.
Within PAS he served as vice-president and then won the deputy presidency in 2011. His victory was widely read as support for cooperation with PKR and DAP inside Pakatan Rakyat, although ideological and policy differences continued to divide the partnership.
The creation of Amanah
In 2015, Mohamad and other leaders associated with PAS’s progressive faction lost party contests as relations with DAP deteriorated. They left and organised Parti Amanah Negara, with Mohamad as its founding president.
Amanah joined PKR and DAP to announce Pakatan Harapan in September 2015. The new party allowed the coalition to retain an explicitly Islamic-democratic component after PAS moved outside the opposition alliance.
Two cabinet portfolios
Mohamad won Kota Raja in 2018 and became defence minister after PH’s historic federal victory. His term ended with the collapse of the government in February 2020, returning Amanah to opposition after less than two years in office.
He retained Kota Raja in 2022 and returned to cabinet as minister of agriculture and food security. The portfolio placed food supply, farmer incomes, imports and climate-related production risks at the centre of his executive responsibilities.
Why Mohamad Sabu matters
Mohamad’s life makes the organisational history of PH easier to understand. Amanah was not created as an abstract new label: it emerged from a real split over PAS’s direction, coalition strategy and the place of progressive Islamic politics.
His career also joins protest politics to government administration. The same figure who spent decades as an opposition mobiliser later became responsible for defence and national food policy, illustrating the institutional transition experienced by Malaysia’s reform movement.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Mohamad Sabu
- Who is Mohamad Sabu?
- Mohamad Sabu is an amanah president and Minister of Agriculture and Food Security. Mohamad Sabu connects the Reformasi-era opposition, PAS’s internal realignment, Amanah’s creation and Pakatan Harapan’s two periods in federal government.
- What is Mohamad Sabu best known for?
- Mohamad Sabu is best known for founding and leading Amanah after a long career in PAS and the opposition.
- When and where was Mohamad Sabu born?
- Mohamad Sabu was born on 14 October 1954 in Tasek Gelugor, Penang.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 4 October 2026.
- Parliament of MalaysiaMember profile: Kota Raja
- Ministry of Agriculture and Food SecurityOffice of the Minister
- Ministry of Defence MalaysiaMinister of Defence biodata: Mohamad Sabu
- Parliament of MalaysiaArchive member profile: Mohamad Sabu
- Wikimedia CommonsMohamad Sabu portrait and public-domain record
