Mohd Ali Rustam

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Rustam is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Mohd Ali. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.

Mohd. Ali bin Mohd. Rustam (Jawi: محمد علي بن محمد رستم; born 24 August 1949) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 7th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca since June 2020. He served as the 9th Chief Minister of Malacca from December 1999 to May 2013, Deputy Minister of Health from November 1996 to December 1999, Deputy Minister of Transport from May 1995 to November 1996, Member of Parliament (MP) for Batu Berendam from April 1995 to November 1999, Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Bukit Batu from March 2004 to May 2013, for Paya Rumput from November 1999 to March 2004, for Sungai Udang from October 1990 to April 1995 and for Ayer Molek from August 1986 to October 1990. He was a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Seri Setia Dr. Haji Mohd. Ali Mohd. Rustam SMN SPSM SPDK SUMW DUNM DUPN PSM DGSM DCSM DMSM DSM PBM
محمد علي بن محمد رستم‎
7th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 June 2020
Chief Minister	Sulaiman Md Ali (2020–2023) Ab Rauf Yusoh (since 2023)
Preceded by	Mohd Khalil Yaakob
9th Chief Minister of Malacca
In office 3 December 1999 – 7 May 2013
Governor	Syed Ahmad Syed Mahmud Shahabuddin Mohd Khalil Yaakob
Preceded by	Abu Zahar Ithnin
Succeeded by	Idris Haron
Constituency	Paya Rumput Bukit Batu
Deputy Minister of Health
In office 12 November 1996 – 14 December 1999
Monarchs	Ja'afar Salahuddin
Prime Minister	Mahathir Mohamad
Minister	Chua Jui Meng
Preceded by	Siti Zaharah Sulaiman
Succeeded by	Suleiman Mohamed
Constituency	Batu Berendam
Deputy Minister of Transport
In office 8 May 1995 – 12 November 1996
Monarch	Ja'afar
Prime Minister	Mahathir Mohamad
Minister	Ling Liong Sik
Preceded by	Zaleha Ismail
Succeeded by	Ibrahim Saad
Constituency	Batu Berendam
Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Batu Berendam
In office 26 April 1995 – 29 November 1999
Preceded by	Mohd Tamrin Tun Haji Abdul Ghafar (BN–UMNO)
Succeeded by	Abdul Ghafar Baba (BN–UMNO)
Majority	22,175 (1995)
Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly for Bukit Baru
In office 21 March 2004 – 5 May 2013
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Md Khalid Kassim (PAS)
Majority	5,992 (2004) 2,708 (2008)
Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly for Paya Rumput
In office 29 November 1999 – 21 March 2004
Preceded by	Yasin Mohd Sarif (BN–UMNO)
Succeeded by	Tahir Hassan (BN–UMNO)
Majority	2,876 (1999)
Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly for Sungai Udang
In office 21 October 1990 – 25 April 1995
Preceded by	Ahmad Nordin Mohd Amin (BN–UMNO)
Succeeded by	Noordin Yaani (BN–UMNO)
Majority	6,608 (1990)
Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly for Ayer Molek
In office 4 August 1986 – 21 October 1990
Preceded by	Mohd Tamrin Abdul Ghafar (BN–UMNO)
Succeeded by	As'ari Ibrahim (BN–UMNO)
Majority	7,069 (1986)
Personal details
Born	Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam (1949-08-24) 24 August 1949 (age 75) Malacca, Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia)
Citizenship	Malaysian
Political party	United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) (1968–2020)
Other political affiliations	Alliance (1968–1973) Barisan Nasional (BN) (1974–2020)
Spouse	Asmah Abdul Rahman
Alma mater	University of Science Malaysia (BA) University of Malaya (MA) University of Malaya (Phd)
Occupation	Politician

Early life and education

Mohd Ali was born in Kampung Bukit Katil, Malacca on 24 August 1949. He got his first education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Katil and Sekolah Kebangsaan Semabok and continued his secondary education at Malacca High School. He got his tertiary education with Bachelor of Social Science at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).^[1]

He was awarded a Doctorate in History and Archeology from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of University of Malaya for his research completion on "The Government's Role in Empowering Leadership and Socioeconomics of Youth in Malaysia, 1963-2013." Mohd Ali received his doctorate from UM Chancellor, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, on the first day of the university's 63rd Convocation ceremony.

Political career

Mohd Ali joined UMNO in 1968 and became its vice-president from 2004 to 2009. He has been an elected representative in Malacca since 1986^[2] and became Chief Minister on 3 December 1999 for fourteen years.^[3]

He was a member of the Dewan Rakyat for Batu Berendam from 1995 to 1999 and tried to contest in Bukit Katil (later Hang Tuah Jaya) in 2013 and 2018 general elections but lost both to Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin from People's Justice Party.

Mohd Ali is also president of the Malaysian Silat Federation (PESAKA), Malaysian Karate Federation^[4] and of Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam.

Chief Minister of Malacca (1999-2013)

Malacca became a fully developed state in 2010 under the leadership of Mohd Ali. This news came after Malacca fulfilled 32 indicators of development specified by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Other contributions done by Mohd Ali include Melaka River Cruise,^[5][6][7][8] Melaka Straits Mosque^[9][10] and Taming Sari Tower.^[11]

Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca (since 2020)

Mohd Ali entered the office of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca on 5 June 2020 replacing Mohd Khalil Yaakob who ended his sixteen-year tenure as the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca and was reappointed for second term on 28 May 2024.^[12][13] He is the first native Malaccan to hold the highest post.

Election results

Malacca State Legislative Assembly^[14][15]

Year	Constituency	Candidate		Votes	Pct	Opponent(s)		Votes	Pct	Ballots cast	Majority	Turnout
1986	N09 Ayer Molek		Mohd Ali Rustam (UMNO)	9,484	76.28%		Husin Kassim (PAS)	2,415	19.42%	12,433	7,069	75.38%
1990	N12 Sungai Udang		Mohd Ali Rustam (UMNO)	12,073	68.84%		Ahmad Nordin Mohd Amin (S46)	5,465	31.16%	18,659	6,608	77.68%
1999	N12 Paya Rumput		Mohd Ali Rustam (UMNO)	8,632	58.31%		Loo Ah Boo (DAP)	5,756	38.88%	14,803	2,876	78.53%
2004	N17 Bukit Baru		Mohd Ali Rustam (UMNO)	8,258	76.69%		Bakrin Sidek (PAS)	2,266	21.04%	10,768	5,992	79.71%
2008			Mohd Ali Rustam (UMNO)	7,644	59.51%		Bakrin Sidek (PAS)	4,936	38.43%	12,845	2,708	80.77%

Parliament of Malaysia^[14][15][16]

Year	Constituency	Candidate		Votes	Pct	Opponent(s)		Votes	Pct	Ballots cast	Majority	Turnout
1995	P122 Batu Berendam		Mohd Ali Rustam (UMNO)	37,846	62.19%		Tan Seng Seng (DAP)	15,671	25.75%	62,528	22,175	78.30%
							Mohd. Nor Jaafar (PAS)	7,335	12.05%
2013	P137 Bukit Katil		Mohd Ali Rustam (UMNO)	40,720	46.70%		Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (PKR)	46,167	53.30%	88,271	5,733	88.77%
2018	P137 Hang Tuah Jaya		Mohd Ali Rustam (UMNO)	30,427	39.73%		Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (PKR)	39,067	51.01%	76,583	8,640	86.72%
							Md Khalid Kassim (PAS)	7,089	9.26%

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

• Malaysia :
  • Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (2014)^[17]
  • Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN) – Tun (2020)^[18]
• Malacca :
  • Recipient of the Community Service Medal (PBM) (1982)
  • Member of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DSM)
  • Companion Class I of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DMSM) – Datuk (1989)
  • Knight Commander of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DCSM) – Datuk Wira (1995)
  • Grand Commander of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DGSM) – Datuk Seri (2001)
  • Grand Master of the Premier and Exalted Order of Malacca (DUNM) – Datuk Seri Utama (2020)
  • Founding Grand Master and Knight Grand Commander of the Premier and Faithful Exalted Order of Malacca (SPSM) – Seri Setia (2020)^[19][20]
• Sabah :
  • Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) – Datuk Seri Panglima (2005)^[21]
• Federal Territory (Malaysia) :
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Territorial Crown (SUMW) – Datuk Seri Utama (2021)^[22][23]
• Penang :
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DUPN) – Dato' Seri Utama (2021)^[24]
• Perlis:
  • Recipient of Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail Silver Jubilee Medal (2025)

Honorary degrees

• Malaysia :
  • Honorary Ph.D. degree from Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (2003)^[25]
  • Honorary Ph.D. degree in Management from Multimedia University (2011)^[26]

Further reading

• Dari Bukit Katil ke Istana Melaka, (2023).