# Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff

Siti Zailah binti Mohd Yusoff (Jawi: سيتي ظل ﷲ بنت محمد يوسف; born 12 October 1963) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rantau Panjang since March 2008. She served as the Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development for the second term in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and former Minister Rina Harun from August 2021 to the collapse of the BN administration in November 2022 and the first term in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former Minister Rina from March 2020 to the collapse of the PN administration in August 2021. She is a member and Women Chief of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component party of the PN and formerly Gagasan Sejahtera (GS) as well as Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalitions.

## Political career

She was elected to the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia for Rantau Panjang in the 2008 general election. Before her election she was a Senator for Kelantan, an appointed position. She won the seat again in the 2013 general election.
In 2011, she was elected as the head of PAS Muslimat, the women's wing of PAS. She retained the post in the 2013 party elections.

## Controversies and issues

In July 2014, after the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, Siti Zailah stated that in light of the possibility of "Allah's wrath", Malaysia Airlines should stop serving alcohol and revise the dress code of the female flight attendants, and especially so for Muslim females. Empower, the non-governmental organization criticized her statements, accusing them of being "insensitive and irrelevant".
During the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, Siti Zailah, the newly appointed deputy minister for women and family development brought up the question of shariah-compliant uniforms at a time when airline staff were facing likely job cuts, resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak causing a worldwide collapse in travel demand, in Parliament. She faced backlash from the National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia, and from both the public and former Youth and Sports minister YB Syed Saddiq.
Within the same period, she made a post on Twitter, noting that "The fatality rate for COVID-19 is only just 1%, but the chances of us dying at any moment is 100%. Renew our faith and be afraid of Allah, as death is something that is genuine, and comes without invitation". After much blowback on social media, she temporarily closed her Twitter account.
In February 2022, she made an Instagram video telling husbands how to punish their wives for "unruly" behavior. She suggested that a husband should start by communicating and if that fails, he should refuse to sleep with his wife. If the wife still does not change her behavior, Siti recommended husbands beat their wives "gently" and use the “bodily contact method” as punishment. This led to outcries from the women's rights coalition Joint Action Group for Gender Equality and from its members such as Sisters in Islam, the Women's Aid Organisation, the Women's Centre for Change, calling for her to step down.
In May 2023, Siti Zailah is being investigated for illegally using water from a fire hydrant for the use of residents in her constituency facing a water shortage due to the 2023 heat wave. While she claimed that she has gotten permission from Air Kelantan Sdn. Bhd. (AKSB) in her Facebook page, Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department director Zainal Madasin said otherwise. Zainal had also checked with AKSB managing director Nazmi Ghazali Azmi and confirmed that neither agency had received any request from Siti Zailah. Zainal and Nazmi have lodged police reports on the issue.
On 24 March 2024, Siti Zailah and her daughter were injured after a car accident along Jalan Bukit Antarabangsa, Ampang Jaya, Selangor. The accident involved a 4WD which they were in and a car. Investigations revealed that it was raining heavily during the time of the accident. The 4WD was manoeuvring around a corner when the car, that was traveling in the opposite direction, suddenly entered its path. The 4WD driver was not able to avoid the car and crashed. Siti Zailah and others injured were then hospitalised at the Ampang Hospital for treatment at the emergency room yellow zone. Siti Zailah added that they were ten minutes into their drive to a fast-breaking event in Puchong, Selangor.

## Election results

Parliament of Malaysia :
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout |
| 2008 | P023 Rantau Panjang | Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS) | 19,344 | 54.57% | Mohd Afandi Yusoff (UMNO) | 14,858 | 41.91% | 35,451 | 4,486 | 78.11% |
| 2008 | P023 Rantau Panjang | Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS) | 19,344 | 54.57% | Isma Airfath Hassanuddin (IND) | 330 | 0.93% | 35,451 | 4,486 | 78.11% |
| 2013 | P023 Rantau Panjang | Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS) | 23,724 | 56.57% | Ghazali Ismail (UMNO) | 17,448 | 41.61% | 41,934 | 6,362 | 79.27% |
| 2018 | P023 Rantau Panjang | Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS) | 24,581 | 50.82% | Abdullah Mat Yasim (UMNO) | 18,431 | 38.10% | 49,639 | 6,150 | 75.08% |
| 2018 | P023 Rantau Panjang | Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS) | 24,581 | 50.82% | Wan Shah Jihan Wan Din (AMANAH) | 5,361 | 11.08% | 49,639 | 6,150 | 75.08% |
| 2022 | P023 Rantau Panjang | Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS) | 37,759 | 62.38% | Zulkarnain Yusoff (UMNO) | 17,123 | 28.29% | 61,406 | 20,636 | 64.91% |
| 2022 | P023 Rantau Panjang | Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS) | 37,759 | 62.38% | Wan Shah Jihan Wan Din (AMANAH) | 4,256 | 7.03% | 61,406 | 20,636 | 64.91% |
| 2022 | P023 Rantau Panjang | Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS) | 37,759 | 62.38% | Ibrahim Ali (PUTRA) | 1,216 | 2.01% | 61,406 | 20,636 | 64.91% |
| 2022 | P023 Rantau Panjang | Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS) | 37,759 | 62.38% | Mohd Zain Ismail (PRM) | 172 | 0.29% | 61,406 | 20,636 | 64.91% |

## Honours

* Malaysia :
** Recipient of the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Installation Medal (2024)
* Kelantan :
** Crown of Kelantan Decoration (SMK) (2010)
** Companion of the Order of the Life of the Crown of Kelantan (JMK) (2011)
** Knight Commander of the Order of the Life of the Crown of Kelantan (DJMK) – Dato' (2019)