Marina Ibrahim declared on May 31, 2026, that she will not defend her Skudai state assembly seat in the upcoming Johor state election and is retiring from politics after serving since March 2022 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. She said her decision followed discussions with close associates, family, and supporters, and she intends to return to community and social work outside politics. "I have chosen to return to something very close to my heart, being out in the field, engaging with the community and continuing the social work that has been part of my life even before I entered politics," she said [1].
Marina won the Skudai seat for the DAP in the 2022 Johor state election with 26,359 votes, defeating Barisan Nasional’s Lim Soon Hai who got 12,416 votes and Perikatan Nasional’s Khoo Keng Ek with 6,258 votes, a majority of over 13,000 votes [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 5]. She apologized for any shortcomings during her term and pledged to continue fulfilling her duties until a new representative is elected [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Rumours circulated that Marina was offered a position as chair of a government-linked company (GLC) and the chance to contest the Malay-majority Tiram seat in Johor’s upcoming state election. Marina denied these claims, saying she was not "bought over" or defecting and rejected offers from three political parties to return to politics [6, 7, 8]. She dismissed suggestions that she avoided Malay-majority constituencies, highlighting her grassroots work in Malay areas such as Layang-Layang and Mersing. "A Malay woman who has campaigned in villages and Felda settlements, and even had someone spit in her face during campaigning, is hardly someone afraid of entering Malay areas," she said [6, 7].
Johor DAP leadership clarified the offer was not for a GLC post but to lead a statutory body related to social welfare, compatible with Marina’s background in community activism [9]. They described it as a fitting role rather than a political reward. The announcement and related reports prompted criticism from UMNO’s Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who accused DAP of using such offers as political bargaining tools before elections [8, 10, 9]. Marina said her approach in politics was about strategic diplomacy and problem-solving rather than confrontation [8].
An aide to Marina questioned DAP’s election strategy, suggesting the decision to field her in the Malay-majority Tiram seat was poorly planned and involved internal party challenges. The aide said Marina had twice been asked to give up party positions to accommodate other candidates but never publicly criticized the party amid difficult circumstances [11].
Johor DAP chairman Teo Nie Ching and other officials expressed respect and appreciation for Marina’s contributions, calling her departure a loss. Teo said, "Throughout her service, she proved herself to be a dedicated and hardworking leader, including in areas that are not DAP strongholds" [12, 9].
Marina will continue performing her current duties until a new representative takes over after the upcoming Johor state election.
