Mukhriz Mahathir

Dato' Seri Utama Mukhriz bin Tun Dr. Mahathir (Jawi: مخرج بن محاضر; born 25 November 1964) is a Malaysian politician and businessman served as the 11th and 13th Menteri Besar of Kedah from May 2013 to February 2016 and again from May 2018 to May 2020, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak as well as former Minister Mustapa Mohamed from March 2008 to May 2013, Member of Parliament (MP) for Jerlun from March 2008 to May 2013 and again from May 2018 to November 2022 as well as Member of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Jitra from May 2018 to August 2023 and for Ayer Hitam from May 2013 to May 2018.

He is the third son of Mahathir Mohamad, the 4th, 7th and former Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Mukhriz attended Sophia University, in Tokyo, where he received a bachelor's degree in business management (assumed in 1987).

He later received another bachelor's degree in marketing after graduating from Boston University (assumed in 1989).

Mukhriz has held various posts in several business firms, which include Opcom Holdings, Kosmo Tech as well as the Malaysian Franchise Association.

He was also the executive director of Perdana Peace Global Organisation.

He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Malaysian cancer vaccine company, Bioven.

In 2004, he won election to the executive council of UMNO's youth wing, by garnering the highest number of votes of any candidate.

He was also seen as a potential candidate for being the deputy chief of UMNO Youth, but he later withdrew his candidacy.

Mukhriz was noted for his continuous efforts in speaking for his father in the events of the rift between Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his father.

In 2006, his father lost a bid to be elected as one of seven delegates from Kubang Pasu to UMNO's general assembly; Mukhriz was elected as one of the seven.

In the 2008 Malaysian general election, Mukhriz contested and won the Jerlun Parliament Seat.

Before this, he offered himself to contest in Langkawi Parliament Seat but was rejected by 85 out of 91 UMNO branches in Langkawi.

However, many Langkawi leaders backed him later.

The Jerlun UMNO division welcomed Mukhriz to contest in their Parliament seat and promised to give him full support in the election.

Nominations for the posts coincided with division meetings which took place between October and November 2008.

Mukhriz was initially seen as leading in nominations compared to Khairy but eventually lost in the final vote count.

However, a controversy was sparked when Khairy was allowed to contest for the post even though he was found guilty for being involved with money politics by the UMNO Disciplinary Board, while others who were found guilty for the same offence, such as Mohd Ali Rustam who was supposed to contest for the UMNO Vice-President post, were not allowed to contest for their respective posts.

However, Khairy denied the allegation, as stated in his blog.

In 2009, Mukhriz contested as a candidate for the new UMNO Youth Chief after the wing's predecessor, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein released his position.

He was rivalled by Khairy Jamaluddin and Khir Toyo.

Ahmad Bashah, who is also the Bakar Bata assemblyman, succeeded him as the 12th Chief Minister of Kedah.

Daughter of Mukhriz, Meera Alyanna Mukhriz expressed her gratitude to the rakyat of Kedah for giving her father a chance to serve the state and its people.

In the 2013 election, Mukhriz gave up his seat in federal parliament to contest the Kedah State Assembly seat of Ayer Hitam.

The move was taken with a view to becoming the Chief Minister of Kedah if the Barisan Nasional coalition could defeat the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government led by Azizan Abdul Razak.

Mukhriz won Ayer Hitam (defeating the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) incumbent), Barisan Nasional reclaimed the state government, and Mukhriz was sworn in as Chief Minister on 6 May, the day after the election, in the presence of his father.

He was the 1st and founding Deputy President and State Chairman of Kedah of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU) from party foundation in September 2016 to his membership termination in May 2020 and was also the State Chairman of Kedah of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.

He was also a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the BN coalition.

He left UMNO with Mahathir and they founded BERSATU in 2016.

In January 2016, UMNO Kedah leaders, led by Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, declare the loss of confidence towards Mukhriz due to "his inability to maintain a united party leadership".

The move is widely believed to be a reprisal orchestrated by the Prime Minister Najib Razak's camp in UMNO, which was increasingly infuriated by Mahathir's and Mukhriz's criticisms against Najib.

He resigned on 3 February 2016 after losing the majority of support among the assemblymen.

Mukhriz was expelled from UMNO together with Muhyiddin Yassin in June 2016.

In August 2016, Mukhriz together with Mahathir Mohamad, Muhyiddin Yassin, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Kamarulazman Habibur Rahman, Anina Saadudin and Akhramsyah Sanusi formed Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM or BERSATU).

Mukhriz was the Deputy President of BERSATU and the Chairman of Pakatan Harapan in Kedah.

In the 2018 general election, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition led by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Mukhriz's father, won 18 of the 36 state assembly seats.

He has been the 1st and founding President of the Homeland Fighters Party (PEJUANG) since party foundation in August 2020.

Mahathir and his BERSATU memberships were terminated and they founded PEJUANG in 2020.

He is one of the two Menteris Besar of Malaysia who represented two different political parties and coalitions.

Mukhriz was born in Kedah, Malaysia and he is the fourth child among four siblings from the marriage of Mahathir Mohamad and Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali.