Kuala lumpur: Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi is no stranger to the state's political landscape as he begins a second term following Barisan Nasional's (BN) victory in the 16th Johor state election yesterday, while carrying forward a distinguished political legacy.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 48-year-old is the great-grandson of the late Datuk Onn Jaafar, UMNO's founder and Johor's seventh Menteri Besar, and the grandson of Malaysia's third Prime Minister, the late Tun Hussein Onn, underscoring a lineage deeply rooted in both Johor and the nation's political history.
Onn Hafiz secured a renewed mandate after BN won 48 of the 56 state seats in yesterday's election, improving on the 40 seats the coalition captured in the 2022 Johor state election.
The expanded majority strengthens his position to continue implementing the development and governance agenda he began after being appointed Johor's 19th Menteri Besar on March 15, 2022.
Earlier, he took his oath of office as Menteri Besar of Johor before the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, at Istana Bukit Serene here.
Born on March 2, 1978, Onn Hafiz received his early education at the Royal Military College before earning a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.
A father of four, he began his career with international audit and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he worked from 2001 to 2004 before moving into the corporate sector.
Between 2005 and 2013, he served in several corporate leadership roles, including as a director of Chin Well Holdings Berhad and chief executive officer of KMB Sdn Bhd.
His corporate experience has shaped an administrative style that places emphasis on efficiency, investment promotion and economic growth.
Onn Hafiz entered active politics as a member of the UMNO Youth executive council and chief of the Sembrong UMNO Youth division between 2012 and 2018.
He also served as political secretary to the defence minister from 2013 to 2018 before being elected as the Layang-Layang assemblyman in the 14th General Election in 2018.
Following that victory, he was appointed chairman of the Johor Tourism, Youth and Sports Committee, serving from 2019 to 2022.
He later contested and won the Machap state seat in the 2022 Johor state election, paving the way for his appointment as Johor's 19th Menteri Besar, succeeding Datuk Hasni Mohammad after BN formed the state government.
During his more than four years at the helm of the Johor administration, Onn Hafiz has focused on advancing the "Maju Johor 2030" agenda, the state's long-term development blueprint centred on economic expansion and attracting investment.
Within UMNO, he has served as chairman of the Johor UMNO Liaison Committee and chief of the Simpang Renggam UMNO division since 2023, having previously served as the division's deputy chief from 2018 to 2023.