Zairil Khir Johari

Zairil attended the Multimedia University in Cyberjaya, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Information Systems Engineering.{{Cite web|url=https://osc.mmu.edu.my/psc/csprd/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/s/WEBLIB_N_ROG.WEBSERVICE.FieldFormula.IScript_info?convocation=2004&id=31303031313637383135&encoded=Y|title = The 5th Convocation Ceremony 2004}} He then received a Master of Arts from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Upon his return to Malaysia, he started Chocolab, where he was the Chief Executive Officer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfm.my/chocolate-fair-mr.-zairil-khir-johari-lynn-chong-ceo-chocolab-shirin-asal-sdn.-bhd.-iranian.html|title = Front Row: Chocolate Fair - Mr. Zairil Khir Johari, CEO of Chocolab & Lynn Chong, Marketing Manager of Shirin Asal SDN. BHD., Iranian Chocolate Manufacturer}} In late 2010, he left the business to pursue politics full-time.

In 2010, Zairil joined the DAP, a component party of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in opposition to the BN and UMNO federal government. The choice, given that his father was a prominent UMNO politician and that he would be a rare Malay member of the DAP, attracted significant attention. He claimed that UMNO had changed for the worse since his father was a politician, and that "after more than 50 years of UMNO rule, the situation is such that people are being colonised, oppressed by our own people, we do not have any freedom."{{cite news|url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/zairil-khir-johari-why-i-joined-dap/|title=Zairil Khir Johari: Why I joined DAP|last=Shazwan Mustafa Kamal|date=25 January 2011|work=The Malaysian Insider|access-date=2 November 2014}}

On 23 February 2011, he was appointed the Political Secretary to Lim Guan Eng, the DAP Secretary-General and Chief Minister of Penang with immediate effect. He henceforth assisted Lim with political matters at party and national level. He was based at the DAP Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur.{{cite web | url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2011/02/24/zairil-is-guan-engs-aide | title=Zairil is Guan Eng's aide }}{{cite web | url=https://dapmalaysia.org/english/2011/feb11/lge/lge1216.htm | title=Appointment of new political secretary to the Secretary-General }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.therocket.com.my/en/472/|title=Zairil Khir Johari: "We need a new system"|date=5 April 2011}}

In 2013 Penang state party convention, Zairil was elected into the DAP Penang State Committee and subsequently appointed vice-chairman.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2013/12/02/chow-returned-as-penang-dap-chairman|title=Chow returned as Penang DAP chairman|website=The Star}} In the 2015 state party convention, he was reelected into the committee, placing third highest out of the fifteen elected members with a total vote of 490 out of 760 delegates, he was reappointed to the same position. In the 2018 Penang state party convention, a major surprise emerged after he was defeated, however, he was co-opted into the committee to save his state vice chairmanship.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2018/11/432498/shock-big-names-tumble-penang-dap-party-elections|title=Shock as big names tumble in Penang DAP party elections | New Straits Times}}{{cite web |url=http://m.thestar.com.my/story.aspx?hl=Penang+DAP+committee+Teh+out+Chow+at+No+1+spot+again&sec=news&id=%7BD42D9DF6-F6F7-4D73-881E-E5E50B8C28C5%7D |title=The Star Online {{!}} Chow is Penang DAP chief again, Teh out of committee |website=m.thestar.com.my |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304124636/http://m.thestar.com.my/story.aspx?hl=Penang+DAP+committee+Teh+out+Chow+at+No+1+spot+again&sec=news&id=%7BD42D9DF6-F6F7-4D73-881E-E5E50B8C28C5%7D |archive-date=2016-03-04}} In the 2021 state party convention, he was reelected this time after his defeat in 2018 and retained his state vice-chairmanship.{{cite web | url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/03/21/ramkarpal-defeated-in-penang-dap-polls-jagdeep-clinches-last-spot-in-state-committee | title=Ramkarpal defeated in Penang DAP polls, Jagdeep clinches last spot in state committee }}

At the DAP National Congress in December 2012, Zairil was elected to the Central Executive Committee (CEC) and appointed the Assistant National Publicity Secretary. The election was re-run in 2013, after a tabulation error that had resulted in his exclusion. He was successful again the second time around.{{cite news|url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/zairil-gets-bigger-majority-as-same-set-of-dap-leaders-elected-in-fresh-cec|title=Zairil gets bigger majority as same set of DAP leaders elected in fresh CEC polls|last=Ng|first=Eileen|date=29 September 2013|work=The Malaysian Insider|access-date=2 November 2014}} In November 2017, Zairil was once again re-elected into the CEC and re-appointed the Assistant National Publicity Secretary.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/11/12/dap-finalises-cec-lineup|title=DAP finalises CEC lineup|first=RASHVINJEET S.|last=BEDI|website=The Star}} In the 2013 DAP National Congress, he was elected into the central executive committee and appointed the National Assistant Publicity Secretary, he was reelected and reappointed in 2017 National Congress. However, in the 2022 National Congress, he was not reelected into the CEC and was replaced by Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan as the Assistant National Publicity Secretary.

{{cite web | url=https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/comment/2022/03/21/dap-party-polls-results-show-no-one-is-untouchable | title=DAP party polls results show no one is untouchable }}

From 2012 to 2016, Zairil headed the Penang Institute, a public policy think tank to the State Government of Penang. Zairil has been in the forefront of co-ordinating most of its major activities in propagating the cause of Penang on the national and international arenas, and providing realistic solutions for the economic and social sustenance of the people of the Penang region{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqHGXBjSl7A/|title = ASEAN Coalition for Clean Governance 2012 | Closing Remarks|website = YouTube}} Under his leadership, the Institute organised the ASEAN Coalition for Clean Governance (ACCG).{{cite web |url=http://penangmonthly.com/tag/asean-coalition-for-clean-governance/ |title=Penang Monthly— Asean Coalition for Clean Governance |website=penangmonthly.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726161806/http://penangmonthly.com/tag/asean-coalition-for-clean-governance/ |archive-date=2012-07-26}} The inaugural conference was held in June 2012, attracting participants from seven countries around the region.

In March 2014, Zairil was promoted to the post of Executive Director{{Cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Education/2014/02/09/Finance-expert-helms-institute/|title = Finance expert helms institute}} and continued to hold this post until December 2016, when he stepped down to take over the reins of the Football Association of Penang.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2017/02/02/team-manager-zairil-is-new-president-of-fap/|title = Team manager Zairil is new president of FAP}} He has since been appointed a Senior Fellow of Penang Institute.{{cite web |url=https://penangmonthly.com/winner2019.aspx |title=Penang Monthly |website=penangmonthly.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530162129/https://penangmonthly.com/winner2019.aspx |archive-date=2020-05-30}}

In the 2013 general election, Zairil won the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat polling 45,591 votes defeating Barisan National candidate with 32,778 majority. He also gained one of the highest majorities in the election. He was also the youngest candidate to win a federal seat in the election at the age of 30.{{Cite web |url=http://keputusan.spr.gov.my/#parlimen/7/P.048 |title=Dashboard PRU13 |access-date=16 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423092454/http://keputusan.spr.gov.my/#parlimen/7/P.048#parlimen/7/P.048 |archive-date=23 April 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

In the 2018 Penang state election, Zairil was fielded to contest the Tanjong Bunga seat where he faced off against Barisan Nasional Penang Chairman Teng Chang Yeow. Considered one of the more challenging seats due to controversies involving the former Tanjong Bunga MLA from DAP who had left the party, Zairil went on to defeat Teng by a margin of 9,343 votes, nearly doubling the margin in the previous election. Following his defeat, Teng announced his retirement from politics.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2018/05/10/teng-chang-yeow-quits-politics-following-ge14-loss|title = Teng Chang Yeow quits politics following GE14 loss}} Zairil was not nominated to contest his Bukit Bendera seat after holding for a term from 2013 to 2018 and hence transferred to the Penang state level from the federal level.

With Pakatan Harapan emerging victorious and being reelected to the power as the Penang state government in the 2018 Penang state election as well as elected to the power as federal government for the very first time in the 2018 general election, then Chief Minister of Penang Lim Guan Eng was appointed the new Minister of Finance and transferred to the federal level by then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, while National Vice Chairman and State Chairman of Penang of DAP and EXCO member Chow Kon Yeow took over the reins as new Chief Minister of Penang. A new Penang State Executive Council was formed with Zairil being appointed member for Public Works, Utilities and Flood Mitigation.{{Cite web|url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/05/17/what-a-load-as-zairil-gets-the-works-in-exco/|title=What a load, as Zairil gets the works in Exco | Free Malaysia Today (FMT)}} During a mid-term review exercise, Zairil took new portfolios and relinquished the old ones, which are the Infrastructure and Transport, with the latter being an additional portfolio.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/09/09/chow-hands-transport-portfolio-to-zairil-in-mid-term-exco-reshuffle/|title=Chow hands transport portfolio to Zairil in mid-term exco reshuffle | Free Malaysia Today (FMT)}}

Following his re-election to the Penang State Assembly in 2023, Zairil was reappointed a Penang State Executive Councillor holding the Infrastructure, Transport and Digital portfolios.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/08/16/10-penang-exco-members-sworn-in|title=10 Penang exco members sworn in | The Star}}

In December 2018, Zairil married lawyer and political activist Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud who was also a candidate in the 2014 Telok Intan by-election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2018/12/438892/zairil-dyana-tie-knot|title = Zairil, Dyana tie the knot | New Straits Times|date = 9 December 2018}} In 2020, Zairil formed a rock band called Priwayat, in which he is the pianist and songwriter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/2563/penang-dap-duo-form-rock-band|title = Penang DAP duo form rock band|date = 11 October 2020}}

Zairil was a columnist for the now-defunct news portal, The Malaysian Insider, from 2011 until its closure in 2016. He currently writes regularly for The Penang Monthly. In 2017, he published his first book, Finding Malaysia: Making Sense of an Eccentric Nation, a collection of his selected writings on identity politics, political Islam, federalism and education.{{cite web |url=http://gbgerakbudaya.com/home/product/finding-malaysia/ |title=Finding Malaysia – Gerakbudaya |website=gbgerakbudaya.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419025919/http://gbgerakbudaya.com/home/product/finding-malaysia/ |archive-date=2018-04-19}} Finding Malaysia proved to be one of publisher Gerakbudaya's best-selling books of 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd1iNJrDMlA/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/gerakbudaya/1690407672467999040 |archive-date=25 December 2021 |url-access=registration|title = Gerakbudaya | SIRD on Instagram: "2017 BESTSELLERS at our bookstore: 2 titles on socioeconomics, 2 on political leaders, and 2 on history — all published by us! Which would…"}}{{cbignore}}

Zairil has also published book chapters in Secularism, Religion, and Democracy in Southeast Asia by Vidhu Verma,{{Cite book|url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/secularism-religion-and-democracy-in-southeast-asia-9780199496693?cc=my&lang=en&|isbn=978-0-19-949669-3|title=Secularism, Religion, and Democracy in Southeast Asia|date=27 February 2020|publisher=Oxford University Press}} Policies and Politics in Malaysian Education: Education Reforms, Nationalism and Neoliberalism by Cynthia Joseph,{{Cite web|url=https://www.routledge.com/Policies-and-Politics-in-Malaysian-Education-Education-Reforms-Nationalism/Joseph/p/book/9781138550308|title = Policies and Politics in Malaysian Education: Education Reforms, Nationalism and Neoliberalism}} Dialog: Thoughts on Tunku's Timeless Thinking by the think tank IDEAS,{{cite web |url=http://gbgerakbudaya.com/home/product/dialog-thoughts-on-tunkus-timeless-thinking/ |title=Dialog: Thoughts on Tunku's Timeless Thinking – Gerakbudaya |website=gbgerakbudaya.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715024522/http://gbgerakbudaya.com/home/product/dialog-thoughts-on-tunkus-timeless-thinking/ |archive-date=2018-07-15}} and Young and Malay: Growing up in Multicultural Malaysia by Ooi Kee Beng and Wan Hamidi Hamid.{{cite web |url=http://gbgerakbudaya.com/home/product/young-and-malay-growing-up-in-multicultural-malaysia/ |title=Young and Malay: Growing up in Multicultural Malaysia – Gerakbudaya |website=gbgerakbudaya.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170527114515/http://gbgerakbudaya.com/home/product/young-and-malay-growing-up-in-multicultural-malaysia/ |archive-date=2017-05-27}}

In recognition of his contributions to the engineering profession, Zairil was conferred the Honorary Fellow Award by the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) at their 64th Annual Dinner and Awards Night 2023, alongside Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri Fadillah Yusof.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2206904|title = Fadillah conferred IEM's Honorary Fellow Award}}

{{reflist}}

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• [http://www.therocket.com.my/en/tag/zairil-khir-johari/ Zairil Khir Johari – The Rocket]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130117162842/http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/political-news/229316-zairil-i-will-earn-my-own-stripes.html Zairil: I will earn my own stripes]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150923193738/http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/printable.php?id=231083 Umno Veteran Khir Johari Dies Of Heart Attack, 19 November 2006 17:04 PM]

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Category:Living people

Category:1982 births

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Category:Malaysian MPs 2013–2018