TYT Wan Junaidi committed to leading Sarawak forward

KUCHING: Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has expressed his commitment to fulfilling his responsibilities as the newly appointed Sarawak Governor.

Speaking with the New Sarawak Tribune, Wan Junaidi stated his intention to continue serving the people of Sarawak.

“After enduring a period of speculation and anticipation, today, by the Grace of Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala, my appointment has become a reality.

“Now, I must carry on serving my beloved state of Sarawak, entrusted to me by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and with the consent of the Premier and the Prime Minister.

“I will strive to fulfil the duties of my office to the best of my ability, InshaAllah,” he shared when contacted today.

Earlier, Wan Junaidi received his appointment letter, or watikah, from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at Istana Negara.

During the same ceremony, he was honoured with the nation’s highest accolade, the Darjah Kebesaran Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara (SSM), and bestowed with the title ‘Tun’.

Last week, it was reported that the former Senate President had resigned from his post to make way for his appointment as the eighth Sarawak Governor.

Having served seven terms as an MP, Wan Junaidi was first elected to Parliament in 1990, representing the Batang Lupar parliamentary constituency. In 2004, he secured the Santubong parliamentary seat and successfully defended it for four consecutive terms until the 2022 general election (GE15).

Throughout his tenure in public service, he held various ministerial positions, including Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat in 2008, Deputy Home Minister in 2013, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in 2015, and Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives in 2020.

His most recent Cabinet role was as the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), a position he held from 2021. He did not seek re-election for the subsequent term.

Wan Junaidi assumed the role of Senate President on June 19, 2023, until his resignation.