Aliakbar Gulasan

Aliakbar Gulasan Khan
Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly
for Karambunai
Assumed office
29 November 2025
Preceded byYakub Khan
(BNUMNO)
Majority365 (2025)
Member of Sabah State Legislative Assembly
Nominated Member
In office
8 October 2020 – 29 November 2025
Chairman of the
Malaysian Cocoa Board
In office
1 July 2020 – 30 September 2021
Prime Minister
Minister
Preceded byAnyi Ngau
Succeeded byRahimah Majid
Personal details
Born (1971-02-08) 8 February 1971
Kampung Kota Ayangan, Keningau, Sabah
PartyMalaysian Islamic Party (PAS)[1]
Other political
affiliations
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) (from 2022 until 2024)[2]
Perikatan Nasional (PN) (Member since 2020)[1]
Residence(s)Keningau and Tenom, Sabah (hometowns)
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
(personal)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Lecturer
  • Cocoa Farmer

Aliakbar Gulasan (Jawi: ‏علي أكبر بن ڬولاسن‎‎; born 8 February 1971) is a Malaysian politician of mixed Pakistani-Dusun-Murut-Bajau[3] descent from Sabah, East Malaysia.[4] He is an official member cum Sabah state liaison chairman of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). At the party level, he is a member of the PAS Central Working Committee representing the state of Sabah. He was previously a senior lecturer of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Heritage, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). In 2020, he was recognised by Sabahans as the first ever Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) member who become a nominated assemblyman for the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (ADUN), an appointment which contrary to certain claims, was quite well-received by Sabahans, but not all welcomed the appointment, owing that it marked the ire of some Sabahans especially those who did not support the said party.[5][4][2][1]

Background

Early life

He is of mixed Dusun-Pakistani-Bajau bloodline and is currently residing with his family in Keningau, Sabah which is his birthplace cum paternal hometown, whilst also maintaining residences in his maternal hometown of Tenom and the state capital city of Kota Kinabalu, owing to his political and academic career.[4] Aliakbar was born in Kampung Kota Ayangan, Keningau and he is the fourth child out of eight children. His father, the late Gulasan bin Mushall Khan who is of mixed Pakistani-Dusun descent is a native of the said village in the said district since the predominant ethnicity or tribe are mostly native Dusuns, initially worked as a personal driver who was hired by several Sabah state government departments and agencies using a Land Rover car along the Tenom-Keningau highway that was last posted to the Public Works Department (JKR) in Tenom prior to retirement. His mother, the late Ruhujah binti Musturullah Khan who is of mixed Pakistani-Murut ancestry from Tenom was a full-time housewife.[6][7][2]

Education

He received his early education at St Anthony's Primary School, Tenom from 1977 to 1982 before continuing his secondary education in St Anthony's Secondary School, Tenom from 1 to 5 (1983–1989). Then he continued schooling in sixth form at SMK Gunsanad, Keningau (1989–1991).

He then continued his studies at the University of Malaya in the field of Geography in 1993. After that, he continued his studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) until he graduated with a master's degree in environmental management in 1995 and then continued his studies at the PhD level in the field of Urban Geography in 2009.[6]

Academic and early political career

After successfully completing his studies at UKM in 1995, he became a lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) since November 1996. He was appointed as chairman of the Malaysian Cocoa Board on 1 July 2020 and served in this position until September 2021.[6][2][1]

Involvement in politics

After the Malaysian Islamic Party leadership election, he was elected as a member of the PAS Central Working Committee representing Sabah as well as East Malaysia.[8][2][1]

In the 2025 Sabah state election, he contested the N16 Karambunai seat under Perikatan Nasional and won with a majority of 365 votes in an eleven-cornered contest, marking the first time a PAS candidate was elected to the Sabah State Legislative Assembly.[9]

Election results

Sabah State Legislative Assembly
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2025 N16 Karambunai Aliakbar Gulasan (PAS) 7,054 27.48% Ahmad Jais Otong (WARISAN) 6,689 26.05% 25,676 365
Datuk Yakub Khan (UMNO) 4,475 17.43%
Datuk Arshad Idris (GAGASAN) 4,818 18.77%
Datuk Stephen Teo (STAR) 2,010 7.83%
Mohd Yunus Ibrahim (PBK) 127 0.49%
Matkri Kassim (PKS) 45 0.18%
Azman Fathil (GAS) 73 0.28%
Hates @ Ajis Abdul (SPP) 150 0.58%
Raynold Saikam Salinggou (PERPADUAN) 73 0.28%
Adis Jalie (PIS) 162 0.63%

Awards and honours

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "PRU15: Pas Sabah tidak bertanding, sokong calon GRS-BN". Astro Awani. November 3, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Pelantikan wakil Pas dalam kabinet Sabah beri impak kepada GRS?". Astro Awani. October 8, 2020.
  3. ^ Pisang Goreng Podcast (2025-11-02). S02E07 | Boleh kah PAS di Sabah? ft. Datuk Dr. Aliakbar Gulasan. [Pisang Goreng Podcast]. Event occurs at [2:15]. Retrieved 2025-12-05 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ a b c MANAP, ABDUL HADI AB (October 8, 2020). "Dr. Aliakbar, ADUN Pas pertama di Sabah".
  5. ^ Universiti Malaysia Sabah (31 July 2020). "Tahniah daripada UMS". Facebook. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Utusan Borneo (15 August 2020). "Dr Aliakbar Gulasan, membesar bersama koko". PressReader.
  7. ^ MANAP, ABDUL HADI AB (Oct 8, 2020). "Dr. Aliakbar, ADUN Pas pertama di Sabah". Utusan Malaysia. Retrieved Feb 24, 2025.
  8. ^ Nur Fazlizai Ali (November 7, 2021). "Muktamar Pas :Tiga penyandang Naib Presiden Pas kekal". Astro Awani. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  9. ^ [URL_BERITA "PRN Sabah: Aliakbar menang majoriti 365 undi"]. Berita Harian. 29 November 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  10. ^ "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Sabah Tahun 2024" (PDF). www.sabah.gov.my.
  11. ^ Sandra Sokial (4 October 2024). "Sarawak Premier heads Sabah TYT's Awards list". The Star. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.