Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub, appointed yesterday as the agriculture and agro-based industry minister in the new cabinet led by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is a local boy of Kampung Serkat, Pontian.

In the recently concluded 14th general election, Salahuddin defeated former deputy home minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed, the incumbent of Pulai parliamentary seat, with a majority of 28,924 votes.

Salahuddin, 56, began his early education at the Serkat English Primary School in Pontian, before proceeding to the Teluk Kerang English Secondary School, Sri Perhentian Secondary School, SMKA Johor Bahru and then the SMK Datuk Penggawa Barat in 1980.

Salahuddin later further his studies at TAR College, obtaining a diploma in business administration before a BSc in human development from Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Married to Fatimah Taha with six children, he ventured into the political arena after joining PAS in 1983, and held several positions at the district and national levels, including as PAS Youth chief and PAS vice-president.

The former two term Kubang Kerian MP had also contested in the GE13 under the PAS ticket for the Nusajaya state seat and Pulai parliamentary seat, but was defeated in both constituencies.

On Aug 31, 2015, Salahuddin joined Amanah due to internal conflict among PAS members at that time.

Other positions he has held included being appointed as a member of the MACC Special Committee on Corruption, as well as leading several humanitarian missions to Afghanistan, Vietnam, Iraq and Lebanon.

- Bernama