KUCHING: Since being elected as the Kanowit Member of Parliament (MP) in 2004, Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has been moving up the political ladder, leading to his appointment as National Unity Minister in the new government.
Aaron is among five MPs from Sarawak who were appointed to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Unity Government.
He served as Deputy Health Minister II from 2020 to 2022 under two prime ministers, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Aaron, 64, entered politics in 2001 when he was appointed as political secretary to then Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Amar Leo Moggie, who was also the Kanowit MP at that time.
Aaron was given the trust to continue Moggie’s legacy as Kanowit MP when the former president of Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) retired from politics after serving for seven terms.
Then aged 45, he contested and won the Kanowit seat on his debut in the 11th General Election (GE11).
He was a member of PBDS and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party before joining Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) in 2005.
Aaron, who holds a forestry degree from Universiti Putra Malaysia and a Master’s from University of Gottingen in Germany, served the Sarawak Forestry Department for 16 years.
In GE15, he retained the Kanowit seat, polling 7,411 votes to win by a majority of 236 votes in a five-way contest. – Bernama
