KUCHING: Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi has been dedicating his life to serving the state and country, especially the people of Kapit in Sarawak, for 23 years.
The six-term Kapit Member of Parliament first won the rural constituency in the 10th General Election (GE10) in 1999 and has held the seat till this day.
Nanta, 64, comes from an illustrious family. His father, Tan Sri Leonard Linggi Jugah, was involved in drafting the Rukun Negara in 1970 while his grandfather, the late Tun Jugah Barieng, was among Sarawak leaders who participated in negotiations which led to the Land of the Hornbills becoming part of Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963.
His mother, the late Puan Sri Margaret Linggi, was known for her love for the Iban art of weaving, having authored a book entitled “The Ties That Bind: Iban Ikat Weaving”.
Nanta ventured into business after graduating from Schiller International University in London in 1983 with a Business Studies degree.
Nanta, the eldest of four siblings, entered politics by joining Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), a party which Tun Jugah helped found.
His dedication to the party saw him rising through the ranks, first as PBB Youth supreme council member in 1983 and eventually becoming party secretary-general in 2018.
During the Barisan Nasional (BN) era, he served as Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister under the sixth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, from 2013 to 2018.
When PBB together with Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) decided to leave BN after GE14 and formed Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Nanta was appointed as GPS secretary-general.
Following the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government in 2020, Nanta was appointed as the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister in two administrations, first by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and then by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
The new Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, also recognised Nanta’s contributions by appointing him as Works Minister in his Unity Government.
Commenting on his latest appointment, Nanta gave an assurance that he would continue with the policies of the ministry, apart from adding value to initiatives which can benefit the people and country.
“I would like to stress that I am a ‘minister for all, not just for Sarawakians’. I will ensure that every effort and initiative taken by the ministry will bring benefits to all the people of Malaysia, including in Sabah and Sarawak,” he added. – Bernama
