In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Shukri is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Nancy. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Nancy binti Shukri was born on 5 August 1961 in Kuching, Crown Colony of Sarawak, to Shukri Mahidi and Bibi McPherson. There are eleven siblings, and she is the tenth. Her father was of Malay and Melanau descent, while her mother had Scottish, Iban, and Chinese ancestry.[1] She received her early education at Sekolah Rendah Padungan Council School from 1968 to 1973 and at Green Road Secondary School from 1974 to 1978.[2]
Nancy began her career in public service as part of the Legal Division of Kuching North City Hall, where she served from 1992 to 2003.[3] She later became Political Secretary to Chief MinisterAbdul Taib Mahmud from 2006 to 2008,[4] during which she regarded him as an important influence on her entry into politics.[5] In 2007, she was appointed Assistant Secretary-General of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).[6][4]
On 30 June 2013, Nancy announced Malaysia's shift towards decriminalising drug dependence by treating dependants as patients, strengthening harm reduction policies, and reviewing existing drug laws.[14] Later that year, on 23 September, she tabled the Legal Profession (Amendment) Act 2012 (Amendment) 2013, which liberalised the legal sector by allowing limited participation of foreign lawyers, aimed at enhancing Malaysia's global standing.[15] On 22 October, she further announced revisions to clauses in the Penal Code relating to vandalism and the national flag, ensuring the provisions were placed under more appropriate legislation and reworded to avoid disproportionate penalties.[16]
Nancy in 2014
In October 2014, Nancy distanced herself from the Attorney General's (AG) decision not to charge Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali under the Sedition Act. While she personally disagreed with Ibrahim's religious and racial views, she emphasised that it was not her role to advise the public prosecutor and that the decision was based on police findings. Nancy stressed her duty to uphold the rule of law and clarified that the choice not to prosecute was made fairly and without bias, in accordance with the Malaysian constitution.[17]
On 13 May 2015, Nancy stated that the government would retain Section 375 of the Penal Code, meaning marital rape would not be fully criminalised, a decision that drew criticism for not adequately protecting women from spousal sexual abuse.[18] Later that year, on 10 November, she dismissed a recycled viral claim alleging she had insulted Bumiputera, explaining that her words had been distorted for political purposes ahead of the Sarawak election and emphasising her focus on serving the people rather than responding to unfounded accusations.[19]
In the 2016 state election for the Batang Sadong parliamentary seat, Nancy retained her position with 13,277 votes.[8] That same year, she briefly served as acting Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities after Douglas Uggah Embas resigned to become Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister.[20] In a cabinet reshuffle on 28 June, she ended her role overseeing legal affairs in the Prime Minister's Department,[12] succeeded by Azalina Othman Said, and was appointed to manage portfolios related to innovation, technology and nuclear power, taking over from Mah Siew Keong.[21] Earlier, on 31 March, she clarified that although she was responsible for legal affairs in the department, the AG remained the rightful authority on legal matters, rejecting the label of "de facto law minister."[13]
In January 2017, Nancy noted that Sarawak lawmakers had not yet been briefed on the bill proposed by Malaysian Islamic Party president Abdul Hadi Awang to strengthen Syariah Court powers. She cautioned that the state would not support the bill if it included hudud provisions, highlighting that such measures were unsuitable for Sarawak's predominantly non-Muslim population, and emphasised that state governments would have the final authority on implementation.[22] Later that year, in August, Nancy highlighted the importance of adopting e-hailing applications for taxi drivers to remain competitive, underscoring the operational and economic advantages, and expressed confidence that the technology would modernise Malaysia's transport sector following its formal legal recognition and regulatory framework.[23]
On 16 August 2021, Nancy, along with Muhyiddin and his cabinet, resigned following the loss of parliamentary majority,[28] before being reappointed under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's cabinet on 27 August[29] and sworn in on the 30th.[30] During her tenure, she oversaw the creation of the National Cultural Policy 2021 in October, providing a roadmap for the development of Malaysian art, culture, and heritage industries.[3][31] In December, she highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on women in tourism and guided recovery efforts through government support, the National Tourism Policy 2020–2030, and initiatives such as reopening Langkawi to vaccinated international tourists.[32]
In the 2022 general election, Nancy won the Santubong parliamentary seat with 43,739 votes, securing a majority of 38,681, having been announced in November 2022 as Gabungan Parti Sarawak's candidate to replace Wan Junaidi.[33][34]
Minister of Women, Family and Community Development
When Anwar Ibrahim formed his cabinet after being sworn in on 24 November 2022, Nancy was appointed Minister of Women, Family and Community Development on 3 December 2022, while Tiong King Sing succeeded her as Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.[35][3][36] This appointment made her the longest-serving female federal minister from Sarawak.[7] Later that month, on 29 December, Nancy announced that the cabinet had agreed in principle to establish a dedicated department or institution for children to better safeguard their welfare and interests.[37]
On 15 February 2023, Nancy announced her ministry would draft regulations and establish a tribunal under the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022.[38] She later launched the Children's Development Department on 18 September 2023 to replace the Children's Division and address child neglect and abuse,[39] and on 1 September 2024 highlighting the need to amend the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act to include organisational responsibility, noting gaps in holding organisations accountable for workplace harassment and committing to a study to guide the necessary legislative changes.[40][41]
Personal life
Nancy married businessman Kamil Misuari since 1985, and they have three children: Faeroz, Farouk, and Bibi Freka. Her maternal grandfather, John Andrew McPherson, served in the Charles Vyner Brookeadministration in various roles, including magistrate, acting judge, and Resident, and was killed by the Japanese in 1942 while coordinating evacuation exercises.[6]
Awards and honours
In October 2022, Nancy was recognised at the 6th Malaysia Tourism Council Gold Awards, receiving the Tourism Icon Inspirational Woman in Tourism award for her contributions to the industry.[42] The honours conferred to her are as follows:[2]
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