Wan Junaidi’s colourful career, political journey to Astana Negeri

KUCHING (Jan 26): Tun Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had a colourful career and political journey prior to his appointment as the eighth Sarawak Head of State today.

Born on Feb 1, 1946, at Kampung Pendam, Simunjan, Wan Junaidi joined the Police Force in March 1964.

He first served in various branches of the police force from general duty personnel to becoming Aide-de-Camp to the Sarawak Commissioner of Police.

In 1968, he was transferred to the Para-Military Police Field Force (PFF) and served in Miri and in the Rajang Area Security Command (Rascom) area until 1973.

He spent four and a half years in the PFF fighting communists in the jungles of Miri, Sibu, Sarikei, Bintangor, Muara Tebas, and Kapit.

In 1973, he was transferred back to general duties and appointed officer-in-charge of traffic in Kuching.

In December 1978, he went to England to pursue his studies in law at the University College of Buckingham (now known as the University of Buckingham) where he passed his LLB with Second Class Honours in 1981.

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 resumed his duty as the Chief Training Officer at Bukit Siol, Police Training School, Kuching.

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 was appointed as the Chief Prosecution Officer of the Police in Sarawak.

In December 1982, he resigned from the police force to commence his journey as a lawyer by opening up his legal practice to fulfil his lifelong dreams. He was an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) when he resigned.

He eventually entered politics by joining Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) in January 1983.

Seven years later, Wan Junaidi was elected as Member of Parliament for the new constituency of Batang Lupar and he continued to serve the constituency until he was shifted to the Santubong constituency in the 2004 general election.

He served as a Member of Parliament for a 32 years in total, having participated in seven general elections.

Wan Junaidi was not only active in serving his constituents, he was also an active parliamentarian in that he had represented Malaysia at numerous conferences and seminars of parliamentarians around the world.

In 2008, he was elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat and served a full term until parliament was dissolved in May 2013.

Immediately after the 13th General Elections in 2013, he was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.

In 2015, he was appointed as the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and in 2020, he was appointed the Minister of Entrepreneurial and Cooperatives Development and later that year, he was made the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in-charge of Parliament and Law.

Wan Junaidi opted not to contest in the Parliamentary Election in October 2022 and chose to retire from active politics.

However, on June 13, 2023, Wan Junaidi was asked by Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, whether he was willing to go back to Parliament as Senator and to be nominated as the President.

Then on June 19, 2023, he was sworn-in as a Senator and appointed as President of the Senate after he was proposed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Wan Junaidi was also very active in the Scout Movement after he joined as a Tenderfoot in 1959 and continued with the Movement until he retired as the Chief Commissioner of Scout Sarawak in 2007.

As the Chief Scout Commissioner of Sarawak, he travelled extensively, both domestically, regionally and Internationally, especially in Europe, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Singapore and all the States in Malaysia.

Wan Junaidi was married to Dato Sri Feona Sim, who passed away on April 28, 2022, and they had three daughters and two grandchildren.

He remarried Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi on Dec 10, 2022 and also welcomed her son into the family.