Noraini Ahmad

She served as the Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development in the Unity Government administration under Prime Minister Anwar and Minister Nancy Shukri from December 2023 to her re-promotion in December 2025, Minister of Higher Education for the second term under the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 to the collapse of BN administration in November 2022 and the first term in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin from March 2020 to her resignation in August 2021. She is a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the BN coalition. She has also served as the 10th Women Chief of UMNO since June 2018, 2nd Women Youth Chief of UMNO from 2004 to 2009 and 1st Deputy Women Youth Chief from 2001 to her promotion to Women Youth Chief in 2004. She is formerly a Chairperson of the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) from March 2023 to January 2024. She is also the first PAC Chairwoman in Malaysian history. Her appointment as a Deputy Minister in the 2023 cabinet reshuffle is a rare occurrence in Malaysian politics since she was a former federal minister in the Muhyiddin cabinet and Ismail Sabri cabinet. She is one of the three deputy ministers who were previously a federal minister alongside Shamsul Anuar Nasarah and M. Kulasegaran.