Marina Ibrahim appointed special officer for Johor Orang Asli

Marina Ibrahim, a former DAP assemblyman and one-term Skudai MP, has been appointed as a special officer for Johor's Orang Asli community under the Sultan Ibrahim Johor Foundation. Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced the appointment at the National Orang Asli Sports Carnival in Iskandar Puteri. He stated that Marina would serve as the Sultan's special representative, working to identify and address the needs of the Orang Asli community.

Agriculture, agro-based industry, and rural development councillor Israk Abdullah will also assist in supporting the welfare of the Orang Asli community. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed confidence in Marina's ability to effectively engage with the community by visiting Orang Asli villages firsthand to understand their issues and challenges.

As a rural and regional development minister, Zahid emphasized the importance of this approach in ensuring that the community's problems are identified and addressed. Marina, who had announced her decision not to defend her Skudai seat before the Johor state election, chose instead to focus on community work aligned with her long-standing passion.

Before entering politics, she had been involved in social work. Johor DAP chairman Teo Nie Ching revealed that the party had initially intended for Marina to contest the Tiram seat, but she declined to do so. Marina previously won the Skudai seat in the 2022 Johor polls, defeating Barisan Nasional's Lim Soon Hai and Perikatan Nasional's Khoo Keng Ek.