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Dr Maszlee Malik marked his political comeback in the Johor state election after winning the Puteri Wangsa state seat under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) banner.

The former education minister secured 41,821 votes to defeat four challengers, including Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Teow Chia Ling, with a 5,744-vote majority, returning to elected office after a series of political setbacks.

The victory ended a difficult spell for Maszlee, who lost the Layang-Layang state seat in the 2022 Johor election and later failed to retain the Simpang Renggam parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election.

His triumph in Puteri Wangsa also saw PH reclaim a constituency previously held by its former election partner MUDA.

READ MORE: Former Education Minister Launches Free Education Portal Accessible To Everyone

From Analyts To Active Politician

Maszlee’s journey into Malaysian politics was anything but conventional. Before becoming a household name in Putrajaya, the former International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) lecturer built his reputation in academia, specialising in Islamic jurisprudence and political thought while frequently appearing in public forums discussing governance, education and Middle Eastern affairs. Journalists too love quoting him on political issues.

His transition from academia to politics came ahead of the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018 when he joined Bersatu, then a component party of Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Contesting the Simpang Renggam parliamentary seat in Johor, Maszlee defeated incumbent Liang Teck Meng of Barisan Nasional (BN), riding on the historic wave that saw PH end BN’s six-decade rule at the federal level.

Key Cabinet Position

Barely a week after the election, Maszlee was entrusted with one of the government’s most challenging portfolios when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad appointed him as Education Minister. The appointment was seen as a significant vote of confidence in the academic-turned-politician, with many viewing the high-profile role as a sign that he was being positioned as one of the country’s emerging political figures.

During his 20-month tenure, Maszlee introduced several education reforms, including efforts to reduce teachers’ administrative burden, abolish examinations for lower primary pupils and implement the nationwide change from white to black school shoes.

Maszlee resigned as Education Minister in Jan 2020, couple of months before the Sheraton Move.

Despite facing criticism during his tenure, many within the education sector continue to acknowledge the initiatives introduced under his leadership and credit him for attempting to reshape Malaysia’s education landscape.

On Jan 2, 2020, however, Maszlee announced his resignation as Education Minister following pressure on him to bring about the recognition of the United Examinations Certificate or UEC despite it being Pakatan Harapan’s election pledge.

Sheraton Move And Maszlee’s Choice

Less than two months later, Malaysian politics was thrown into turmoil following the Sheraton Move — widely referred to as the “tebuk atap” government — which led to the collapse of the PH administration.

Maszlee’s party Bersatu withdrew from the coalition, paving the way for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to form the Perikatan Nasional government.

Maszlee refused to back the new administration and instead aligned himself with Dr Mahathir, effectively ending his brief stint in Bersatu after the party revoked the membership of Dr Mahathir and several of his allies.

From Bersatu to Pejuang, And Now PKR

Despite no longer holding a ministerial position, Maszlee remained active as an independent Member of Parliament before eventually rejoining PKR in 2021, returning to the coalition he had first joined before switching to Bersatu ahead of GE14.

His political comeback, however, was short-lived. Maszlee failed to retain the Simpang Renggam parliamentary seat during the 15th General Election in 2022, losing to BN’s Datuk Hasni Mohammad in a multi-cornered contest.

READ MORE: “I Drive An Aston Martin Too” Maszlee Debunks Rumours That He Received A Vellfire As A Gift

The Only PKR Man Left In Johor

The July 2026 Johor state election delivered a major setback for PH, particularly for PKR, after the coalition suffered a significant reduction in its representation despite entering the election as part of the federal government.

PH managed to secure only eight seats in the 56-member Johor Legislative Assembly, while Barisan Nasional (BN) delivered a dominant performance by sweeping 48 seats, cementing its return to power in the state.

PKR emerged as the biggest casualty within PH, securing only one seat — Puteri Wangsa, through Maszlee.

Maszlee defeated BN’s Teow Chia Ling, MUDA’s Sharifah Rashifa Syed Abdul Rashid Aljunied, Parti Bersama Malaysia’s Nicholas Paul Vincent, and independent candidate Wang Wee Siong in a five-cornered contest, by 5,744 votes.

Reflecting the resilience that has defined his political journey, Maszlee did not celebrate excessively nor dwell on PH’s disappointing performance in Johor after securing victory in Puteri Wangsa.

Instead, he offered a measuredresponse, saying: “We live to fight another day.”

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