Quick Facts
Biography
Wan Muhamad Noor Matha (Thai: วันมูหะมัดนอร์ มะทา; Thai pronunciation: [wān.muː.hà.mát.nɔː má.tʰāː]; RTGS: Wanmuhamatno Matha), also called Wan Nor, (Thai: วันนอร์; Thai pronunciation: [wān.nɔː]; RTGS: Wan No; born 11 May 1944 in Yala, Thailand) is a Thai politician. He is a founder of the Wahdah Group, a small lobby of integrated Muslim politicians from the Southern provinces. He is a former university lecturer at Songkhla Rajabhat University and Thaksin University.
Political career
He was elected to the Thai House of Representatives in 1979, representing Yala Province and the Social Action Party until 1984. He moved to the Democratic Party in 1986, to the Solidarity Party in 1988, and to the New Aspiration Party in 1992. Each time he took a group of representatives from the Muslim-majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala—called "Wahdah Group"—with him. After 1980 he worked in the Ministry of Finance and Industry. From 1994 to 1995, he was appointed Deputy Minister of the Interior and was President (Speaker) of Parliament from November 1996 to June 2000.
When New Aspiration Party dissolvedand merged with the Thai Rak Thai party in 2001..He became Minister of Transport and Communications, in October 2002 Minister of the Interior.
As one of 111 executive members of the TRT, he was banned from political activities for five years after the 2006 coup d'état.
After the 2006 Thai coup d'état and Thaksin's fall, Wan Noor was appointed Director of the National Drug Control Centre and promised vigorous action. He initially joined the TRT's successor party People's Power Party in 2008, but at the time a five-year ban on political activity was enforced. The Wahdah Group evolved into the Matubhum Party.