Shahril Sufian Hamdan

Shahril Sufian bin Hamdan (شهريل سفيان حمدان, ; born 29 October 1985) is a Malaysian politician who served as the Economic Director at the Prime Minister's Office under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from October 2021 to November 2022. Apart from that, he was the Information Chief of UMNO and the Vice Youth Chief of the party. Shahril currently hosts a podcast called Keluar Sekejap alongside Khairy Jamaluddin, where they discuss Malaysian politics and current affairs with a variety of guests. In 2023, Shahril was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.

Early life and education
Born into a multiracial family — father Malay and mother Chinese — Shahril studied in SMK Taman Bukit Maluri. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economics and Politics at the University of Manchester under a Bank Negara Malaysia's scholarship in 2008 and completed his master's degree in Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, upon receiving a full Chevening Scholarship from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Early career
Previously, he was a strategy and management consultant at McKinsey and Company for three years, a placement manager at Teach For Malaysia for a few months, and a policy officer to Khairy Jamaluddin for two years. Shahril also worked at Destini Oil Services as the chief executive officer of the company.

Career in UMNO and BN
Shahril has held various positions in UMNO within the divisional, state, and national level. He was the Youth Chief of the Division of Kuala Langat, Youth EXCO of UMNO Malaysia during the previous 2013-2018 session, and formerly the Vice Youth Chief of UMNO during the 2018-2023 session. In 2020, he succeeded Shamsul Anuar Nasarah as the Information Chief of the Party. Shahril was eventually suspended for 6 years from UMNO alongside other national party leaders such as Annuar Musa, Noh Omar and Khairy Jamaluddin.

Parliamentary candidacy
Shahril first contested in the 14th Malaysian general election, where he was fielded for the Kuala Langat federal constituency under the BN ticket, but eventually lost to a 3 cornered race with former Pakatan Harapan MP Xavier Jayakumar. Shahril was hinted again to contest for parliament in the 15th Malaysian general election, and he was fielded at Alor Gajah in Malacca but again fell short losing to former Chief Minister of Malacca, Adly Zahari by a slim majority of 890 votes.