Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Akbar Khan is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Khairul Firdaus. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Yang Berhormat Tuan
Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan
ASDK MP
خير الفردوس أكبر خان‎
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 December 2022
MonarchsAbdullah
(2022–2024)
Ibrahim Iskandar
(since 2024)
Prime MinisterAnwar Ibrahim
MinisterTiong King Sing
Preceded byEdmund Santhara Kumar Ramanaidu
ConstituencyBatu Sapi
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Batu Sapi
Incumbent
Assumed office
19 November 2022
Preceded byLiew Vui Keong (WARISAN)
Majority4,821 (2022)
Personal details
Born
Khairul Firdaus bin Akbar Khan

(1983-07-26) 26 July 1983 (age 41)
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
CitizenshipMalaysian
NationalityMalaysia
Political partyUnited Malays National Organisation of Sabah
(Sabah UMNO) (until 2018)
Malaysian United Indigenous Party of Sabah (Sabah BERSATU)
(2019–2022)
Other political
affiliations		Barisan Nasional (BN)
(until 2018)
Pakatan Harapan (PH)
(2019–2020)
Perikatan Nasional (PN)
(2020–2022)
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)
(since 2020)
Alma materDeakin University (BCom)
OccupationPolitician

Khairul Firdaus bin Akbar Khan (born 26 July 1983)[1] is a Malaysian politician who has served as the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture in the Unity Government administration under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Minister Tiong King Sing since December 2022 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Batu Sapi since November 2022. He is a direct member of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition. His proposal of turning Langkawi into a preferred tourism destination for Muslims has been controversial.[2]

Education

He graduated from Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Electronics Commerce Management and Human Resource Management.[3]

Controversies and issues

Turning Langkawi into a preferred tourism destination for Muslims

On 24 June 2024, Khairul Firdaus made a speech in Parliament, proposing and claiming that his ministry would possibly turn and position Langkawi as a preferred tourism destination for Muslims, the adherents of the Islam religion who make up of the religious majority in the state of Kedah and nation of Malaysia. The following day, Member of the Kedah State Executive Council (EXCO) in charge of Tourism, Culture and Entrepreneurship Mohd Salleh Saidin praised the proposal and stressing that it is in line with the plan of the '2025 Kedah Tourism Year'. It was however criticised by Zaid Ibrahim as controversial in the non-Muslim community. On 29 June 2024, Minister Tiong King Sing apologised to Malaysians for the statement by Khairul Firdaus, highlighting that no tourism destinations should be made to satisfy the needs of the followers of a single religion and that inclusivity was the key of cultural tourism strategy that must be upheld.

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2022 P185 Batu Sapi Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan (BERSATU) 12,152 44.95% Liau Fui Fui (DAP) 7,331 27.11% 27,608 4,821 61.57%
Alias Sani (WARISAN) 7,218 26.70%
Boni Yusuf Abdullah @ Narseso P Juanico (PEJUANG) 176 0.65%
Othman Ahmad (IND) 160 0.59%

Honours

References

  1. ^ "YB Tuan Khairul Firdaus Bin Akbar Khan". www.parlimen.gov.my.
  2. ^ "KHAIRUL FIRDAUS AKBAR KHAN". Sinar Harian. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Biodata Calon". 2022.
  4. ^ "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Sabah Tahun 2022" (PDF). www.sabah.gov.my.


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