Datuk 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 served as the Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation in the PH administration under Prime Minister Anwar and 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 Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), a component party of the BN coalition and the eldest son of 1st and founding President of PBRS Joseph Kurup. He has also served as the 2nd President of PBRS since January 2023.[3] He also previously served as the Deputy President of PBRS from November 2015 to his promotion to party presidency in January 2023, the Vice President and Youth Chief of PBRS.[4][5][6]
Arthur Joseph Kurup | |
|---|---|
| Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Assumed office 7 January 2023 | |
| Deputy | TBA |
| 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 | TBA |
| Faction represented in Dewan Rakyat | |
| 2018 | Barisan Nasional |
| 2018–2020 | Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah |
| 2020– | Barisan Nasional |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arthur Joseph Kurup 4 August 1982 Sabah, Malaysia |
| Citizenship | Malaysian |
| Political party | Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) |
| Other political affiliations | Barisan Nasional (BN) (–2018, since 2020) Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) (2018–2020) |
| Spouse | Stella Boklin |
| Relations | Joseph Kurup (father)[1] |
| Residence | Seri Pensiangan |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | |
| 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
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
| 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
Sabah :- Justice of the Peace (JP) (2014)[14]
Companion of the Order of Kinabalu (ASDK) (2021)[15]
Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (PGDK) – Datuk (2023)[16]
Federal Territory (Malaysia) :
Commander of the Order of the Territorial Crown (PMW) – Datuk (2021)[17][18]
