KUCHING: Today (October 11), Sarawak celebrates the 79th official birthday of the Head of State, Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT) Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
Wan Junaidi stands as one of the most respected figures in the nation’s leadership history, a distinguished statesman and scholar who has dedicated his life to public service and community development, particularly for the progress of Sarawak and Malaysia.
With a career spanning over half a century, he is widely recognised as a principled leader who consistently upholds excellence, integrity and societal advancement, both at the state, national and international levels.
Born on February 1, 1946, in Kampung Pendam, Sadong Jaya, Wan Junaidi began his education at Sekolah Rakyat Kampung Pendam (now Sekolah Rendah Kerajaan Sadong Jaya) from 1956 to 1958, followed by Sekolah Abang Man, Simunjan (now Sekolah Rendah Kerajaan Abang Man) from 1959 to 1960.
He pursued his lower secondary education at Madrasah Melayu, Kuching, between 1961 and 1963, and later completed his Form Five and Form Six studies through correspondence with Stamford College, Singapore, from 1974 to 1977.
He began his career as a police officer in March 1964, serving until 1978 in various units, including the Police Field Force in operations against communist insurgents in Sarawak.
He was later appointed as head of the Kuching Traffic Branch before departing for England in 1978 to further his studies at the University College Buckingham (now the University of Buckingham), where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) with Lower Second Class Honours.
Upon completing his LL.B., he rejoined the Royal Malaysia Police in Sarawak as Chief Training Officer at the Bukit Siol Police Training School, Kuching, before serving as Chief Police Prosecutor of Sarawak.
In 1981, he furthered his studies at the Council of Legal Education, London, qualifying as an Utter Barrister with Lower Second Class Honours.
In 1982, he resigned from the force to establish his own legal firm, a decision that marked the beginning of his transition to broader public service.
He later earned a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from the University of Southern California, United States, in 2005.
Wan Junaidi entered politics in January 1983 through Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), where he served with distinction for more than 40 years.
He was a Member of Parliament for 32 years, first representing Batang Lupar from 1990, and later Santubong from 2004 until his retirement in 2022.
Throughout his tenure, he held several key positions in the federal Cabinet and represented Malaysia at numerous international conferences, seminars and dialogues with heads of government, ministers, and senior officials in countries including Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Egypt, Ethiopia, Moscow, Cuba, Northern Ireland, Geneva, India, Pakistan, ASEAN member states, and many more.
Among the significant posts he held were as Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (2008-2013), Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (2013), and later, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment on July 29, 2015.
In the latter role, he led Malaysia’s efforts in tackling the ASEAN haze crisis, resolving bauxite pollution issues, and heading the Malaysian delegation in climate change negotiations under the Paris Agreement 2015.
Following the change of government in 2020, he was appointed Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, where he spearheaded bureaucratic reforms and launched several high-impact initiatives to strengthen the domestic economy, including the establishment of the Malaysian Cooperative Entrepreneurship University (MKU), the first university of its kind focusing on cooperatives and entrepreneurship.
In 2021, he was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), where he drafted historic amendments to the Federal Constitution that reshaped Malaysia’s political landscape.
These included the recognition of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), the lowering of the voting age to 18, and the introduction of the anti-party-hopping law – a landmark in the nation’s political reform.
Beyond his record in administration and diplomacy, Wan Junaidi is also a prolific writer.
Among his works are Silence (2025), Teriso’s Little Star (2025), Evolusi Parlimen dan Evolusi Speaker Parlimen Malaysia (three editions), Kosa Kata dan Peribahasa Melayu Sarawak (two editions), the memoir A Policeman, Falsafah Undang-undang Ilmu Berpengakap, Crimson Tide over Borneo, and the Journal of BIMP-EAGA Jamboree 2000.
He has also contributed numerous articles to both local and international publications, including an essay on Malaysia’s parliamentary monarchy system published by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) to mark its 100th anniversary in 2008.
The full version was later included in the CPA 2010 book presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
His involvement in the Scouting Movement began in 1959 and culminated with his retirement as Sarawak State Scout Commissioner in 2007.
Among his international contributions, he attended the World Scout Parliamentary Union (WSPU) Conference in Warsaw, Poland, in 2000, and led the Malaysian delegation to the WSPU in Cairo, Egypt, in 2003.
On June 15, 2023, Wan Junaidi was appointed as Senator by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
Later, he was nominated and elected as President of the Senate on June 19, 2023, where he presides for exactly seven months before stepping down on January 19, 2024, after being appointed as the Head of State of Sarawak.
Now serving as the Head of State of Sarawak, Wan Junaidi continues to play a vital role in safeguarding the stability, unity and harmony of the State while offering wise counsel to the leadership of the state government.
His lifelong dedication to law, politics, the environment, diplomacy, academia, and social development places him among the most influential and respected figures in the modern history of Sarawak and Malaysia – a true statesman who has always placed the people, the State, and the nation above all else.
