# Menteri Besar of Johor

The Menteri Besar of Johor or Chief Minister of Johor is the head of government in the Malaysian state of Johor. According to convention, the Menteri Besar is the leader of the majority party or largest coalition party of the Johor State Legislative Assembly.
The 19th and current Menteri Besar of Johor is Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who took on office since 15 March 2022.

## Appointment

According to the state constitution, the Sultan of Johor shall first appoint the Menteri Besar to preside over the Executive Council and requires such Menteri Besar to be a member of the Legislative Assembly who in His Majesty's judgement is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Assembly, must be an ethnic Malay who professes the religion of Islam and must not a Malaysian citizen by naturalisation or by registration. The Sultan on the Menteri Besar's advice shall appoint not more than ten nor less than four members from among the members of the Legislative Assembly.
The member of the Executive Council must take and subscribe in the presence of the Sultan the oath of office and allegiance as well as the oath of secrecy before they can exercise the functions of office. The Executive Council shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly. The members of the Executive Council shall not hold any office of profit and engage in any trade, business or profession that will cause conflict of interest.
If a government cannot get its appropriation (budget) legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, or the Legislative Assembly passes a vote of "no confidence" in the government, the Menteri Besar is bound by convention to resign immediately. The Sultan's choice of replacement on Menteri Besar will be dictated by the circumstances. A member of the Executive Council other than the Menteri Besar shall hold office during the pleasure of the Sultan, unless the appointment of any member of the Executive Council shall have been revoked by the Sultan on the advice of the Menteri Besar but may at any time resign his office.
Following a resignation in other circumstances, defeated in an election or the death of the Menteri Besar, the Sultan will generally appoint as Menteri Besar the person voted by the governing party as their new leader.

## Powers

The power of the Menteri Besar is subject to a number of limitations. Menteri Besar removed as leader of his or her party, or whose government loses a vote of no confidence in the Legislative Assembly, must advise a state election or resign the office or be dismissed by the Sultan. The defeat of a supply bill (one that concerns the spending of money) or unable to pass important policy-related legislation is seen to require the resignation of the government or dissolution of Legislative Assembly, much like a non-confidence vote, since a government that cannot spend money is hamstrung, also called loss of supply.
The Menteri Besar's party will normally have a majority in the Legislative Assembly and party discipline is exceptionally strong in Johor politics, so passage of the government's legislation through the Legislative Assembly is mostly a formality.

## Caretaker Menteri Besar

The legislative assembly unless sooner dissolved by the Sultan with His Majesty's own discretion on the advice of the Menteri Besar shall continue for five years from the date of its first meeting. The state constitution permits a delay of 60 days of general election to be held from the date of dissolution and the legislative assembly shall be summoned to meet on a date not later than 120 days from the date of dissolution. Conventionally, between the dissolution of one legislative assembly and the convening of the next, the Menteri Besar and the executive council remain in office in a caretaker capacity.

## List of Menteris Besar of Johor

The following is the list of Menteris Besar of Johor since 1886:
Colour key (for political parties): Independent  UMNO  Alliance Party  Barisan Nasional  Pakatan Harapan
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Election | Assembly |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) Constituency | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Party | Election | Assembly |
| 1 | | Dato' Jaafar Muhammad (1838–1919) | 1886 | 3 July 1920 | | | None | – | – |
| Vacant (3 July 1919 – 16 July 1920) |||||||||
| 2 | | Dato' Mohamed Mahbob (1852–1923) | 16 July 1920 | 1 September 1922 | 2 years, 48 days | | None | – | – |
| Vacant (1 September 1922 – September 1923) |||||||||
| 3 | | Dato' Abdullah Jaafar (1875–1934) | September 1923 | 16 September 1928 | | | None | – | – |
| 4 | | Dato' Mustapha Jaafar (1862–1946) | 16 September 1928 | 23 November 1931 | 3 years, 69 days | | None | – | – |
| 5 | | Dato' Abdul Hamid Yusof (1876–1934) | 23 November 1931 | 28 December 1934 | 3 years, 36 days | | None | – | – |
| Vacant (28 December 1934 – April 1935) |||||||||
| 6 | | Dato' Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Majid (1887–1951) | April 1935 | 1 June 1947 | | | None | – | – |
| 7 | | Dato' Onn Jaafar (1895–1962) | 1 June 1947 | 18 May 1950 | 2 years, 352 days | | UMNO | – | – |
| Vacant (18 May 1950 – 18 February 1952) |||||||||
| 8 | | Dato' Syed Abdul Kadir Mohamed (1900–1960) | 18 February 1952 | 5 June 1955 | 3 years, 108 days | | UMNO | – | – |
| 8 | | Dato' Syed Abdul Kadir Mohamed (1900–1960) | 18 February 1952 | 5 June 1955 | 3 years, 108 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | – | – |
| Vacant (5 June – 1 October 1955) |||||||||
| 9 | | Dato' Wan Idris Ibrahim (1888–1973) | 1 October 1955 | 16 June 1959 | 3 years, 259 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | – | – |
| Vacant (16 – 27 June 1959) |||||||||
| 10 | | Tan Sri Dato' Hassan Yunus (1907–1968) MLA for Bukit Serampang | 27 June 1959 | 31 January 1967 | 7 years, 219 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | 1959 | 1st |
| 10 | | Tan Sri Dato' Hassan Yunus (1907–1968) MLA for Bukit Serampang | 27 June 1959 | 31 January 1967 | 7 years, 219 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | 1964 | 2nd |
| 11 | | Tan Sri Dato' Othman Saat (1927–2007) MLA for Jorak (until 1974) MLA for Kesang (from 1974) | 4 February 1967 | 4 April 1982 | 15 years, 60 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | – | 2nd |
| 11 | | Tan Sri Dato' Othman Saat (1927–2007) MLA for Jorak (until 1974) MLA for Kesang (from 1974) | 4 February 1967 | 4 April 1982 | 15 years, 60 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | 1969 | 3rd |
| 11 | | Tan Sri Dato' Othman Saat (1927–2007) MLA for Jorak (until 1974) MLA for Kesang (from 1974) | 4 February 1967 | 4 April 1982 | 15 years, 60 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1974 | 4th |
| 11 | | Tan Sri Dato' Othman Saat (1927–2007) MLA for Jorak (until 1974) MLA for Kesang (from 1974) | 4 February 1967 | 4 April 1982 | 15 years, 60 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1978 | 5th |
| 12 | | Dato' Abdul Ajib Ahmad (1947–2011) MLA for Endau | 29 April 1982 | 12 August 1986 | 4 years, 106 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1982 | 6th |
| 13 | | Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin Yassin (born 1947) MLA for Bukit Serampang | 12 August 1986 | 3 May 1995 | 8 years, 265 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1986 | 7th |
| 13 | | Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin Yassin (born 1947) MLA for Bukit Serampang | 12 August 1986 | 3 May 1995 | 8 years, 265 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1990 | 8th |
| 14 | | Dato' Abdul Ghani Othman MLA for Serom (born 1946) | 3 May 1995 | 14 May 2013 | 18 years, 12 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1995 | 9th |
| 14 | | Dato' Abdul Ghani Othman MLA for Serom (born 1946) | 3 May 1995 | 14 May 2013 | 18 years, 12 days | | BN (UMNO) | 1999 | 10th |
| 14 | | Dato' Abdul Ghani Othman MLA for Serom (born 1946) | 3 May 1995 | 14 May 2013 | 18 years, 12 days | | BN (UMNO) | 2004 | 11th |
| 14 | | Dato' Abdul Ghani Othman MLA for Serom (born 1946) | 3 May 1995 | 14 May 2013 | 18 years, 12 days | | BN (UMNO) | 2008 | 12th |
| 15 | | Dato' Mohamed Khaled Nordin (born 1958) MLA for Permas | 14 May 2013 | 12 May 2018 | 4 years, 364 days | | BN (UMNO) | 2013 | 13th |
| 16 | | Dato' Osman Sapian (1951–2021) MLA for Kempas | 12 May 2018 | 14 April 2019 | 338 days | | PH (BERSATU) | 2018 | 14th |
| 17 | | Dato' Sahruddin Jamal (born 1975) MLA for Bukit Kepong | 14 April 2019 | 28 February 2020 | 321 days | | PH (BERSATU) | – | 14th |
| 18 | | Dato' Hasni Mohammad (born 1959) MLA for Benut | 28 February 2020 | 15 March 2022 | 2 years, 16 days | | BN (UMNO) | – | 14th |
| 19 | | Dato' Onn Hafiz Ghazi (born 1978) MLA for Machap | 15 March 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 253 days | | BN (UMNO) | 2022 | 15th |
* ↑ This column names only the Menteri Besar's party. The state government he heads may be a complex coalition of several parties and independents; those are not listed here.

## Living former Menteris Besar

| Name | Term of office | Date of birth |
| Muhyiddin Yassin | 1986–1995 | 15 May 1947 (age 77) |
| Abdul Ghani Othman | 1995–2013 | 14 November 1946 (age 78) |
| Mohamed Khaled Nordin | 2013–2018 | 30 November 1958 (age 65) |
| Sahruddin Jamal | 2019–2020 | 26 May 1975 (age 49) |
| Hasni Mohammad | 2020–2022 | 27 March 1959 (age 65) |