MALAYSIANSKINI | On the back of her late father’s graduation photograph, a 13-year-old Mas Ermieyati Samsudin lovingly penned a tribute to him, along with a heartfelt pledge to follow in his footsteps and become a university graduate.
Little did she know that this promise would transform the photograph into a personal manifesto that doubled as a vision board, keeping the now Masjid Tanah MP focused on her ambitions throughout her schooling years and, in the end, making her more like her politician father than she had ever expected.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson’s adulation for her father, Samsudin Md Ali, is unmistakable as she acknowledges his perseverance and determination, promising to stay committed to striving for her goals, despite any challenges.
For the first time, she has made public, her penned promise:
“Abah tersayang,
“Emi juga bercita-cita ingin menjejak kaki ke universiti seperti abah.
“Tapi Emi tahu, abah adalah seorang yang gigih.
“Tapi Emi akan cuba berusaha bersungguh-sungguh!
“InsyaAllah!”
Although the note was addressed to her father, Mas Ermieyati kept it as a personal reminder of her aspirations and the inspiration her father provided.
“I never sent the photo to him and I don’t think he even knows of this pledge.
“This note was only for me, to remind me of my goals,” she shared with Malaysiakini.
At just 11, the second of six siblings knew leaving home for her school in town was her best chance to excel academically, as well as in athletics and basketball.
She transferred to Ramuan China Besar primary school in a rural area in Malacca to position herself for boarding school acceptance - where she earned 5 As in UPSR and secured a place at the prestigious Tun Fatimah School in Johor Bahru.
This set her on the road she is on now.
Delving into politics
Whatever teenage Mas Ermieyati had envisioned for herself, it did not include following her father’s footsteps in politics.
As a child, she watched her father, Samsudin, contest in the 1990 general election under the banner of Semangat 46 - an Umno splinter party - and lose to an Umno candidate.
The harsh realities of electoral politics weren’t an experience she wanted to replicate but it was her father’s values - “to do good and help - especially for our kampung mates” - that led her down the same path.
“I have his blood,” she said.
This desire to give back to the community led her to be active in Gerakan Belia 4B, an organisation known for fostering young political and community leaders, at the age of 15.
Then, after completing her law degree at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Mas Ermieyati took her first real step into politics as part of Puteri Umno when it was launched in 2000.
Today, she is one of two women to have ever held the chairperson position of the bi-partisan PAC, and, in the most recent general election, was re-elected as Masjid Tanah MP for the third time in a row.
Her decisive majority of 4,411 votes as part of Perikatan Nasional came despite the constituency largely considered a stronghold of Umno, the party where she first cut her teeth in politics.
Switching camps
For years, Masjid Tanah and neighbouring Kuala Pilah in Negeri Sembilan were considered Umno strongholds, safe seats that the party could always count on.
However, in 2018, Kuala Pilah fell, with Umno losing this parliamentary seat to Bersatu - a shift that foreshadowed the political upheaval that would soon follow.
Mas Ermieyati, then an Umno loyalist, found herself at a crossroads when she decided to leave the party.
She declined to share the reasons behind her departure but admitted that at the time, she felt like her daring move would end her career in electoral politics.
“I didn’t think I would contest (in any elections) again,” she said, recalling how leaving Umno cost her friendships and forced her to start over.
“But adversity taught me that leadership isn’t about comfort - it’s about conviction,” she said.
Support from youth constituents
In those trying times, she said, it was support from family and loved ones which kept her centred.
This, she said, is especially important for women politicians, who are judged even more harshly than their male counterparts in the face of a patriarchal society.
For six months, she remained independent, fielding offers from multiple parties before finally joining Bersatu at the invitation of the party’s co-founder and then chairperson, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
While her defection to Bersatu helped her political survival, Mas Ermieyati believes it was the younger generation - not the traditional Umno voter base - that played a decisive role in her victory.
“After 2022, the 18-year-old voters and automatic voter registration took effect. That’s where I got support - from the younger voting streams,” she said.
The Bersatu leader credits her early focus on education initiatives as a key reason young voters resonated with her.
“Since 2013, I’ve prioritised education - organising awards for top students in Ujian Penilaian Kelas Kafa (UPKK, an exam for Islamic schools), SPM, and STPM, and actively engaged with schools,” she said.
This long-term engagement paid off, she acknowledged, as many of these students eventually became first-time voters who recognised her contributions.
But today, as an opposition politician, it is much harder to have direct engagement with schools.
Quick to adjust, she turned to social media to reach younger constituents and would-be voters.
Mas Ermieyati’s ability to adapt to changing political landscapes - whether by switching parties or shifting her outreach strategies - has kept her firmly in the game.
Politics rooted in family
Growing up, she said, politics was always a conversation in her home, but as a mother of five today, she leaves politics at the front door, avoiding political discussions even with her husband.
“Even if I have a problem, I come home with a happy face. I’m a happy mum, and home is my happy place.”
An involved parent and passionate scuba diver, she believes in maintaining balance and “making time for what truly matters”.
“I prioritise tasks, set boundaries, and make time for my family.
“Activities like going out together or having dinner together help me stay focused and happy,” she said.
Despite keeping politics out of the home, she said, her second son, Hakim Mohd Helmy, has shown the same interest and passion for politics.
Like her father did with her, she will let him find his own way, with full support.
Husband taking a back seat
Behind the political force that is Mas Ermieyati, is her staunchest supporter and husband, former journalist and restaurateur, Mohd Helmy Abd Talib.
Dating since they were teenagers, their married life after nine years of courtship coincided with her upward trajectory in Umno.
A week before they tied the knot, she was elected the Alor Gajah Puteri Umno chief.
It marked the beginning of her serious involvement in politics, a path they didn’t plan for when they decided to merge their lives.
As her political career took off, they had to make a difficult decision.
“Things got very busy, so we discussed, and in the end, he sacrificed himself,” she said.
“He told me, ‘Never mind, I’ll take care of the children.’ That was the biggest sacrifice he made,” she said.
“We’re not from wealthy families, but we wanted to make sure our children were well taken care of.
“If we were both busy with work, where would that leave us?”
For her, his unwavering support has been a cornerstone of her journey.
“That’s what brought me to where I am today,” she said.
Grassroots approach inspiration
Mas Ermieyati’s leadership style is often compared to Azalina Othman Said, a strong-willed and outspoken politician who became Umno’s first Puteri Umno chief - a role Mas Ermieyati would assume 14 years later as its fourth leader.
However, she views her approach as being more grassroots-focused, drawing inspiration from her mentor, Ali Rustam, the former Malacca chief minister, who she served as a special officer for over seven years. Ali is now the Malacca governor.
“I think I carved my own path because Azalina is a very strong-willed and outspoken leader.
“I took a different approach, more grassroots-focused, like Tun Ali, rather than simply following in Azalina’s footsteps,” she said.
Under Ali’s wing, she observed and learned how the popular politician made deep connections with people and always emphasised community development.
“Being around him every day was a learning process. I saw how he worked tirelessly for the rakyat,” she said, lauding him as a visionary leader of the state.
Mas Ermieyati recalled how he would meet constituents as early as 8am, signing documents they needed to be signed on the trunk of his car, before rushing off to the next meeting. It left a lasting impression.
“That is Tun Ali,” she gushed, adding that some days started as early as 5am.
“He was so passionate about helping people. When I became an elected representative, I followed his way of handling things,” she said.
So instrumental were her years under Ali’s mentorship that she continues to ask herself “What would Tun Ali do?” when making decisions in her work.
Working under Ali and Azalina taught her the key ingredient behind a successful political career: passion.
“If you don’t have that passion, you won’t make it.”
Reflecting on those early days in politics, one thing Mas Ermieyati said she had to learn the hard way was the “art of politics”, manoeuvring and balancing the wants and needs of various stakeholders to make things happen.
“In the beginning, I thought I could approach politics directly, but I learned that’s not how it works.
“Politics requires a certain art. Even answering questions has its own technique. That’s how I learned,” she said.
Emotional leadership
Being on the frontlines of partisan politics also comes with a lot of stress.
She said one of her main causes of stress is finding the financial means to meet constituents’ needs, with government allocations for constituencies bypassing elected leaders from the opposition.
“Sometimes, you burn out,” she said.
Mas Ermieyati’s technique in managing the emotional toll of the job seems unconventional in the hard, macho world of politics.
“I cry a lot,” she said. “When I feel stressed, I just cry. Nothing wrong with crying, right?”
Under her composed exterior, she said, is an emotional being and crying is a way to reset.
“After I cry, I’m okay. That’s how I find relief.”
However, she is aware that this can be perceived as a weakness. Ever strategic, she is careful about where she cries, and who she cries to.
“You must cry to the right people, seek advice from the right people, or else people will take advantage of you,” she added.
Record number of investigations
Despite these challenges, under Mas Ermieyati’s lead, the PAC has been at its most prolific, releasing the highest number of reports and investigating the most number of issues concerning the public purse.
The PAC examines the federal government’s spending to ensure accountability. Last year, 22 PAC reports were tabled in the Dewan Rakyat, with 25 planned for this year.
Her efforts have earned the PAC a reputation for high productivity with 148 meetings held last year, the highest in the committee’s history.
“Our target is to produce a good and quality report that the public can read and scrutinise,” she said, noting that it’s not just about quantity.
At the PAC, she leads with a strong focus on consensus and accountability.
“Whatever we decide in the PAC, we do it as a consensus. There’s no one-sided approach, we do it as a team.”
She is also committed to maintaining a neutral, bipartisan approach in her role.
“It’s important for us to leave our political hats outside the meeting room to ensure productive discussions and fair decision-making,” she noted.
‘A woman prime minister’
For Mas Ermieyati, advocating for women in leadership is crucial, but competence and qualification must remain the priority.
“Simply appointing more women might not be enough for better governance if systemic issues within organisations aren’t addressed,” she stressed.
Instead, Mas Ermieyati emphasised the need for stronger transparency and accountability measures.
“Leaders must be held accountable for their performance and decisions.”
She believes in the possibility of a female prime minister in Malaysia.
Women leaders, she said, often bring fresh perspectives, particularly in social welfare, education, healthcare, and gender equality.
But she acknowledges that bringing this possibility into the highest political office in Malaysia requires a sea change.
“It will take strong leadership, political will, and public support to make it a reality.”
More than gender, she believes effective governance and meaningful change matter most.
“A female prime minister would be symbolic, but real transformation depends on policies, governance style, and navigating Malaysia’s complex political landscape,” she said.
This includes elevating women into political party leadership.
In her own party, Bersatu, nine out of 202 division chiefs are women. That’s barely five percent, but “for a party that’s only eight years old, that’s significant,” she said.
“I’m not sure how many Umno has, but for Bersatu, this is quite a step forward in terms of meritocracy and political strategy.”
A legacy of integrity
Mas Ermieyati hopes her legacy will be one of integrity, resilience, and meaningful change.
Foremost in her mind are her five children.
“I want to inspire my children to lead with kindness and courage,” she said.
“Professionally, I strive to build a cleaner, more accountable political culture that truly serves the rakyat.
“Leadership is temporary, but the impact we make should last for generations,” she said.
MALAYSIANSKINI is a series on Malaysians you should know. For March, we are featuring notable Malaysian women as part of the Women In Front series for International Women’s Day.
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