KUALA LUMPUR: Former Senate President Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, 78, has been appointed as the eighth Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak.
He takes over from Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud whose term expired yesterday.
He received his appointment letter or watikah from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at Istana Negara here, this morning.
Present at the ceremony were Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, Wan Junaidi’s wife Toh Puan Sri Fauziah Mohd Sanusi, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Oepng, Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Fadillah Yusof,
Speaker of Parliament Tan Sri Johari Abdul, Speaker of Sarawak Legislative Assembly Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar, Attorney-General Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh, Keeper of Rulers’ Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohamad Zuki Ali, Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohammad Abu Bakar Marzuki and Sarawak Attorney General Datuk Safri Ali were also present.
Others who attended the ceremony were Minister of Works Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Deputy Minister or Health Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni, Deputy Minister of Digital Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong, Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Rubiah Wang and Deputy Minister of Transport Datuk Hasbi Habibollah.
As soon as he received his watikah, Wan Junaidi was bestowed the country’s highest award, the Darjah Kebesaran Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara (SSM) which carries the title ‘Tun’.
Wan Junaidi was born on Feb 1, 1946 in Sadong Jaya Simunjan.
He started his career as a police officer before he pursued his studies in law at the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom.
He later obtained his masters in law from the Council of Legal Education London and subsequently completed his PhD in Business Administration (DBA) from the University of Southern California, USA.
He started his political career in 1987 when he was appointed as an executive committee member of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Youth Satok Branch and rose to become one of its vice-presidents.
Wan Junaidi was chosen to contest in Batang Lupar in 1990 and was elected as its Member of Parliament (MP). He held the post until 2004 when he switched his seat to Santubong; he held the post until he retired from active politics in 2021.
As an MP, Wan Junaidi had held various important posts in the federal government, starting as Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Later he was appointed as Deputy Home Affairs Minister.
After successfully retaining the Santubong seat in the 13th general election in 2013, he was appointed as Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and later as Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives.
His last post in the federal Cabinet was as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law).
Wan Junaidi was appointed as President of the Senate on June 19, 2023 until he resigned from the post on Jan 19, this year.
Apart from being a successful lawyer and politician, Wan Juniaidi is also a prolific writer having written seven books.
Additionally, he is also active in non-governmental organisations such as the Ex-policemen Association Sarawak where he was its president from 1990-2001 and has been active in the Scout’s movement whereby he has held the post of Sarawak’s Chief Scout Commissioner since 1992.
Wan Junaidi married the late Datin Sri Fiona Sim Abdullah and they are blessed with three daughters. He married Toh Puan Fauziah on Dec10, 2022.
