Aliakbar Gulasan (Jawi: ‏علي أكبر بن ۢولاسن‎‎; born 8 February 1971) is a Malaysian politician of mixed Pakistani-Murut-Dusun descent from Sabah, East Malaysia. He is an official member cum Sabah state liaison chairman of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). At the party level, he is a member of the PAS Central Working Committee representing the state of Sabah. He was previously a senior lecturer of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Heritage, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). In 2020, he was recognised by Sabahans as the first ever Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) member who become a nominated assemblyman for the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (ADUN), which irked the ire of most Sabahans especially those who did not vote nor support the said party.
Background.
Early life.
He is of mixed Dusun-Pakistani-Murut bloodline and is currently residing with his family in Keningau, Sabah which is his birthplace cum paternal hometown, whilst also maintaining residences in his maternal hometown of Tenom and the state capital city of Kota Kinabalu, owing to his political and academic career. Aliakbar was born in Kampung Kota Ayangan, Keningau and he is the fourth child out of eight children. His father, Gulasan bin Mushall Khan who is of mixed Pakistani-Dusun descent is a native of the said village in the said district since the predominant ethnicity or tribe are mostly native Dusuns, initially worked as a personal driver who was hired by several Sabah state government departments and agencies using a Land Rover car along the Tenom-Keningau highway who was last posted to the Public Works Department (JKR) in Tenom prior to retirement. His mother, Ruhujah binti Musturullah Khan who is of mixed Pakistani-Murut ancestry from Tenom was a full-time housewife.
Education.
He received his early education at St Anthony's Primary School, Tenom from 1977 to 1982 before continuing his secondary education in St Anthony's Secondary School, Tenom from 1 to 5 (1983–1989). Then he continued schooling in sixth form at SMK Gunsanad, Keningau (1989–1991).
He then continued his studies at the University of Malaya in the field of Geography in 1993. After that, he continued his studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) until he graduated with a master's degree in environmental management in 1995 and then continued his studies at the PhD level in the field of Urban Geography in 2009.
Academic and early political career.
After successfully completing his studies at UKM in 1995, he became a lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) since November 1996. He was appointed as chairman of the Malaysian Cocoa Board on 1 July 2020 and served in this position until September 2021.
Involvement in politics.
After the Malaysian Islamic Party leadership election, he was elected as a member of the PAS Central Working Committee representing Sabah as well as East Malaysia.