Wan Junaidi: Policeman, parliamentarian, prolific writer and more

THE long and distinguished career of Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar reached its pinnacle last Friday with his appointment as Sarawak’s eighth Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

Many have hailed his appointment as appropriate, given his legal background, vast experience as a parliamentarian and federal minister, and published author.

Born on Feb 1, 1946 in Kampung Pendam, Simunjan, Wan Junaidi received his early education at Sekolah Rakyat Kampung Pendam (now known as Sekolah Rendah Kerajaan Sadong Jaya) from 1956 to 1958.

Between 1959 and 1960, he studied at the then Abang Man Secondary School, Simunjan (now known as Sekolah Rendah Kerajaan Abang Man), before  continuining his lower secondary education at Maderasah Melayu in Kuching from 1961 to 1963.

Wan Junaidi joined the police force in March 1964 and completed his training in December the same year, going on to serve in various branches of the force from 1965 to 1968 including as Aide-de-Camp to the Sarawak Police Commissioner.

In 1968, he was transferred to the Para-Military Police Field Force (PFF) and served in Miri and in the Rascom area until 1973. In his four-and-a-half years in the PFF, he battled communists in the jungles of Miri, Sibu, Sarikei, Bintangor, Muara Tebas, and Kapit.

From 1974 to 1977, Wan Junaidi continued his Form 5 and 6 education via correspondence with Stamford College Correspondence School in Singapore, and in December 1978, went to England to read law at University College of Buckingham (now University of Buckingham) where he passed his LL.B. with Second Class Honours in 1981.

He continued his legal studies at the Council of Legal Education, London in May 1981 for the Degree of Utter Barrister, also securing Second Class Honours.

Right after he completed of his LLB modules, which was during his study break in 1981 and also just before he went back to England to continue his post-graduate studies at the Council of Legal Education, he reported to the Royal Malaysia Police and was made chief training officer at the Bukit Siol Police Training School in Kuching.

He continued his post-graduate and professional legal studies at the Council of Legal Education in 1981 and graduated at the Council of Legal Education with a Degree of Utter-Barrister (Second Class Honours) in 1982 Trinity Examination in May 1982.

He was subsequently called to the English Bar in May 1982, and became a Member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in June 1982.

Upon his return to Sarawak, he was called to the Sarawak Bar in August 1982 and appointed chief prosecution officer of the Sarawak police.

However, he resigned six months later with the rank of ASP to commence his journey as a lawyer by opening up his legal practice to fulfil his lifelong ambition.

Career in politics

In 1990, he was elected Batang Lupar MP and held the seat until 2004 when he switched to the Santubong seat, which he retained in the next three general elections.

In 2008, Wan Junaidi was elected Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker until the dissolution of Parliament in May 2013.

As an MP, he had held the post of Deputy Home Affairs Minister (2013), Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (2015), Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative (2020), and Minister in the Prime Minister Department in charge of Parliament and Law (2021).

He retired from politics in 2022, before being appointed as Dewan Negara President the following year.

Prolific writer

Beyond politics, Wan Junaid has written a number of books published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), including ‘Evolusi Parlimen Dan Evolusi Speaker Parlimen Malaysia’, ‘Falsafah Undang-Undang Ilmu Berpengakap’, and ‘Journal of BIMP-EAGA Jamboree 2000’.

The second edition of ‘Evolusi Parliamen dan Evolusi Speaker Parlimen Malaysia’ was published in 2014.

He completed writing the manuscript for the third edition in June 2022 and, as of December last year, the final copies have been printed and awaiting distribution by DBP.

A monograph ‘Kosa Kata Melayu Sarawak’ was launched several times by several universities in Malaysia, and Wan Junaidi says he intends to write the second edition – time permitting.

He is also the author of the book ‘A Policemen’ which details his 13 years in the Sarawak Constabulary and Royal Malaysia Police. The book was published in 2014.

He also co-authored the book ‘Crimson Tide over Borneo: Untold Police Stories and Cessation of the Sarawak Communist Insurgency (1952 – 1990)’ which was launched on Oct 6, 2011 by then chief minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, whom Wan Junaidi succeeded as Head of State.

Wan Junaidi has also written many articles in local and international magazines on parliamentary practice in Malaysia and the Commonwealth countries, including a piece titled ‘Malaysia’s Traditional Leadership in Parliamentary Monarchical System of Government’ which was published by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in its annual magazine in 2008.

This article’s extended version was written at the request of the CPA Secretariat in England in 2010, and later published by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Journal.

Personal life

Wan Junaidi was married to Datuk Seri Feona Sim, who passed away in April 2022, with the couple blessed with three daughters and two granddaughters.

In December 2022, Wan Junaidi remarried to Fauziah Mohd Sanusi and also welcomed her son into the family.

He was chairman of the Sarawak Ex-Police Association from 2001 to 2013 and vice president of the Malaysian Ex-Police Association from 1987 until 2006.

His greatest achievement during his time in the Malaysian Ex-Police Association was obtain the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and federal government for all former police personnel who served during the country emergencies from 1948 to 1990 to be awarded the Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara (PJPN) medal.

He was also an active scout, having first joined the movement in 1959 and continuing on until he retired as Sarawak Chief Scout Commissioner in 2007.

Wan Junaidi earned his doctorate in business administration from University of Southern California in the United States. He had enrolled in 2001 and graduated in August 2005.