SHAH ALAM — Fondly known as Dr Sam, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has emerged as one of the most distinctive figures in Malaysia’s opposition landscape — an aerospace engineer by training, an academic by profession and now the chairman of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Recently named PN chairman, the Pas vice-president now sits at the forefront of the opposition coalition’s leadership, bringing with him a technocratic profile shaped by years in higher education, research and public service.
From Ru Rendang to Wisma Darul Iman
The 56-year-old Ru Rendang assemblyman has served as Terengganu Menteri Besar since 2018. His leadership was reaffirmed in 2023 when PN secured a clean sweep of all 32 seats in the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly, a mandate rarely seen in Malaysian state politics.
Samsuri first entered electoral politics during the 14th General Election, contesting the Ru Rendang seat. In a three-cornered fight, he won with a 6,028-vote majority, defeating Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Nik Dir Nik Wan Ku and PKR’s Sarawi Sulong.
He strengthened that hold in the most recent state polls, defending the seat with a commanding 17,286-vote majority against Pakatan Harapan candidate Suhaimi Sulaiman.
Academic Roots in Aerospace Engineering
Born on Nov 16, 1970, in Jerteh, Besut, Terengganu, Samsuri’s career path diverged early from conventional political routes.
He holds a PhD in Aeroengine Ignition and Combustion (High Altitude Engine Failure) from University of Leeds (2001), along with a Master of Science in Combustion and Energy from the same institution (1996). He earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical and Materials Engineering from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1993.
Before entering full-time politics, Samsuri built a distinguished academic and research career in aerospace engineering. He served as Professor in Practice at Universiti Selangor (Unisel) and was previously associate professor and head of the Aerospace Engineering Department at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
His earlier professional stints included work as a researcher at Universiti Sains Malaysia and as a quality assurance engineer at Hitachi Consumer Products.
National and International Exposure
Dr Samsuri’s expertise extended beyond academia. He served as an adviser to the Higher Education Ministry’s Strategic Aerospace Committee and chaired the National Aerospace Programme Deans Council, contributing to policy and talent development in a highly specialised field.
Internationally, he led Malaysian public university technical delegations to aerospace agencies in China, South Korea and Japan, and represented Malaysia at the NASA International Conference in Washington in 2006, an experience that would later shape his reputation as a data-driven and systems-oriented leader.
Personal Life
Samsuri is married to Tuan Faizah Tuan Abdul Rahman,