Biography
Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob (born 18 January 1960 in Temerloh, Pahang) was the ninth Prime Minister of Malaysia, from August 2021 to November 2022. A lawyer and a member of UMNO, he has been the Member of Parliament for Bera since 2004. He is the son of a rubber tapper and sold limes and fish at the Temerloh market as a schoolboy. He read law at the University of Malaya, writing his final thesis on the treatment of political detainees in Malaysia — a subject shaped by the detention without trial of his elder brother, the student leader Kamarazaman Yaakob. Ismail Sabri won Bera in 2004 and served in Barisan Nasional cabinets from 2008 until the coalition's defeat in 2018, holding Youth and Sports, Domestic Trade, Agriculture, and Rural and Regional Development. He was Leader of the Opposition from March 2019 to February 2020. In the Perikatan Nasional government he became Senior Minister for Security and Minister of Defence, giving the daily briefings that made him one of the most visible figures of Malaysia's pandemic response, and served a 40-day stint as Deputy Prime Minister in 2021. When UMNO withdrew support from Muhyiddin Yassin in June 2021 over the handling of the pandemic, Ismail Sabri led the faction that continued to back the prime minister. After the government fell he secured the support of the most MPs and was sworn in on 21 August 2021. As prime minister he lifted the movement control order as vaccination expanded, oversaw the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and the response to the 2021–2022 floods, and signed a memorandum of understanding on transformation and political stability with the opposition. He called an early election in November 2022, at which Barisan Nasional recorded its worst result. He has attracted criticism for statements in support of Malay pre-eminence.
Constituencies (1)
Electoral track record
| Year | Party | Votes | % | Majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | UMNO | 31,762 | 53.34% | — | Won |
| 2018 | BN | 20,760 | 43.89% | — | Won |
| 2013 | BN | 21,669 | 51.76% | — | Won |
| 2008 | BN | 18,297 | 56.68% | — | Won |
| 2004 | BN | 17,572 | 58.26% | — | Won |
Parliamentary activity
From 249 Dewan Rakyat sittings- 3 Mar 2026· Sitting 20Absent
- 2 Mar 2026· Sitting 19Present
- 26 Feb 2026· Sitting 18Present
- 25 Feb 2026· Sitting 17Absent
- 24 Feb 2026· Sitting 16Present
- 23 Feb 2026· Sitting 15Present
- 12 Feb 2026· Sitting 14Present
- 11 Feb 2026· Sitting 13Present
- 10 Feb 2026· Sitting 12Absent
- 9 Feb 2026· Sitting 11Present
- 5 Feb 2026· Sitting 10Present
- 4 Feb 2026· Sitting 9Present
- Rang Undang-undang Perlembagaan Persekutuan (Pindaan) 20262 Mar 2026Yes
- RANG UNDANG-UNDANG PERLEMBAGAAN (PINDAAN) 202417 Oct 2024Yes
- RANG UNDANG-UNDANG PERLEMBAGAAN (PINDAAN) 202417 Oct 2024Yes
- RANG UNDANG-UNDANG SURUHANJAYA PENERBANGAN MALAYSIA (PEMBUBARAN) 202426 Jun 2024No
- RANG UNDANG-UNDANG TENAGA BOLEH BAHARU (PINDAAN) 202325 May 2023Yes
Attendance, participation & recorded votes extracted from official Hansard records.
Connections (305)
Explore network- Fadillah YusofPBB100% aligned
- Tiong King SingPDP100% aligned
- Chan Foong HinDAP100% aligned
- Mohammad Yusof bin ApdalWARISAN100% aligned
- Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad100% aligned
- Adam Adli bin Abd HalimPKR100% aligned
- Mustapha SakmudPKR100% aligned
- Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh AliUMNO100% aligned
- Tan Kar HingPKR100% aligned
- Rodziah binti IsmailPKR100% aligned
News sentiment over time
248 mentions across 15 months
News mentions
Summaries, sentiment labels and article-to-politician links here are generated automatically and can be wrong. Each item links to its original source — treat that as the record. How we generate this. Spotted a mistake? Use “Report an issue”.
COA upholds summary judgment on Ismail Sabri’s former son-in-law Jovian Mandagie - The Edge Malaysia
Why you’re seeing this: Mentions Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Appeals court upholds RM10mil judgment against Ismail Sabri’s former son-in-law - Free Malaysia Today
Why you’re seeing this: Mentions Ismail Sabri Yaakob
#SHOWBIZ: Not married yet: Fazley Yaakob clears air on Vida romance, confirms wedding plans
Datuk Fazley Yaakob denies rumors of a secret marriage to Datuk Seri Vida and confirms wedding plans.
Why you’re seeing this: Mentions Ismail Sabri Yaakob
‘Sah!’ at 10.40am: Syed Saddiq and Bella Astillah tie the knot in star-studded Merdeka 118 wedding
Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman and Bella Astillah tied the knot in a star-studded ceremony at Merdeka 118, attended by former prime ministers and…
Why you’re seeing this: About Ismail Sabri Yaakob
From Parliament nerves to 'I do': Syed Saddiq, Bella tie the knot 118 floors up
Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Muar MP, marries singer-actor Bella Astillah in a high-profile ceremony at Menara Merdeka Maybank, attended…
Why you’re seeing this: Mentions Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Showing the 5 most recent of 19 tracked mentions.