Arthur Joseph Kurup

Arthur Joseph Kurup (born 4 August 1982) is a Malaysian politician, lawyer and economist who has served as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security in the Unity Government administration under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Minister Mohamad Sabu since December 2023 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pensiangan since May 2018. He previously served as the Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation prior to the 2023 cabinet reshuffle under Minister Chang Lih Kang from December 2022 to December 2023, Deputy Minister of Works in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and former Minister Fadillah Yusof from August 2021 to the collapse of the BN administration in November 2022 and the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Economic Affairs in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former Minister Mustapa Mohamed from March 2020 to the collapse of the PN administration in August 2021.^[2] He is a member of the United Sabah People's Party (PBRS), a component party of the BN coalition and has served as the 2nd President of PBRS since January 2023. He is also presently the sole PBRS MP elected in the 2022 General election. Additionally, he is the only president of a party appointed as a deputy minister in Anwar's cabinet.^[3][4][5][6]

Yang Berhormat Dato' Sri Arthur Joseph Kurup SSAP PGDK PMW ASDK JP MP
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 December 2023
Monarchs	Abdullah (2023–2024) Ibrahim Iskandar (since 2024)
Prime Minister	Anwar Ibrahim
Minister	Mohamad Sabu
Preceded by	Chan Foong Hin
Constituency	Pensiangan
Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation
In office 10 December 2022 – 12 December 2023
Monarch	Abdullah
Prime Minister	Anwar Ibrahim
Minister	Chang Lih Kang
Preceded by	Ahmad Amzad Hashim
Succeeded by	Yusof Apdal
Constituency	Pensiangan
Deputy Minister of Works
In office 30 August 2021 – 24 November 2022
Monarch	Abdullah
Prime Minister	Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Minister	Fadillah Yusof
Preceded by	Eddin Syazlee Shith
Succeeded by	Abdul Rahman Mohamad
Constituency	Pensiangan
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy)
In office 10 March 2020 – 16 August 2021
Monarch	Abdullah
Prime Minister	Muhyiddin Yassin
Minister	Mustapa Mohamed
Preceded by	Radzi Jidin (Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs)
Succeeded by	Eddin Syazlee Shith
Constituency	Pensiangan
Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Pensiangan
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 May 2018
Preceded by	Joseph Kurup (BN–PBRS)
Majority	2,314 (2018) 5,412 (2022)
2nd President of the Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 January 2023
Deputy	Richard Kastum (since 2024)
Preceded by	Joseph Kurup
Deputy President of the Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah
In office 1 November 2015 – 7 January 2023
President	Joseph Kurup
Preceded by	Ellron Alfred Angin
Succeeded by	Richard Kastum
Faction represented in Dewan Rakyat
2018	Barisan Nasional
2018–2020	United Sabah People's Party
2020–	Barisan Nasional
Personal details
Born	Arthur Joseph Kurup (1982-08-04) 4 August 1982 (age 43) Sabah, Malaysia
Citizenship	Malaysia
Political party	United Sabah People's Party (PBRS)
Other political affiliations	Barisan Nasional (BN) (1994–2018, since 2020) Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) (2018–2020)
Spouse	Stella Boklin
Parent	Joseph Kurup (died 2024)[1]
Residence(s)	Seri Pensiangan, Sabah
Alma mater	Bond University University of Queensland
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Lawyer Economist
Arthur Joseph Kurup on Facebook

Career

Arthur previously worked as a Trade and Legal Officer at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland before returning to Malaysia.^[7] He served as a Director of Sabah Housing and Development Town Board.^[6]

Politics

He is the eldest son of the 1st and founding President of PBRS Joseph Kurup. He served as the Deputy President of PBRS from November 2015 to his promotion to party presidency in January 2023 and had served as Vice President and Youth Chief of PBRS in the past. In the 2018 general election, his party of United Sabah People's Party (PBRS) fielded him to contest the Pensiangan parliamentary seat to succeed his father and party president, Joseph Kurup.^{[8][9][10][11]} He faced Raymond Ahuar from the People's Justice Party (PKR) and defeated him.^[12]

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia^[13]

Year	Constituency	Candidate		Votes	Pct	Opponent(s)		Votes	Pct	Ballots cast	Majority	Turnout
2018	P182 Pensiangan		Arthur Joseph Kurup (PBRS)	11,783	48.35%		Raymond Ahuar (PKR)	9,469	38.86%	24,368	2,314	77.66%
							Richard Joe Jimmy (STAR)	2,839	11.65%
							Maidin Atak (PCS)	212	0.87%
							Engah Sintan (IND)	65	0.27%
2022			Arthur Joseph Kurup (PBRS)	19,623	52.88%		Sangkar Rasam (PKR)	14,211	38.29%	37,110	5,412	66.66%
							Jekerison Kilan (KDM)	1,640	4.42%
							Siti Noorhasmahwatty Osman (WARISAN)	1,512	4.07%
							Jamani Derimin (PEJUANG)	124	0.33%

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

• Malaysia
  • Recipient of the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal
• Federal Territory (Malaysia)
  • Commander of the Order of the Territorial Crown (PMW) – Datuk (2021)^[14][15]
• Pahang
  • Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – Dato' Sri (2025)^[16][17]
• Sabah
  • Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (PGDK) – Datuk (2023)^[18]
  • Companion of the Order of Kinabalu (ASDK) (2021)^[19]
  • Justice of the Peace (JP) (2014)^[20]