Amna Shah was first elected in October 2024 as the NDP MLA for Surrey City Centre, one of the most urban and diverse ridings in the province. Within weeks of the vote she was named Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health and Addictions, and in July 2025 she added the Anti-Racism Initiatives file. She also serves as Deputy Government Whip, helping keep caucus members organised around votes and House business, a heavy set of responsibilities for a first term MLA. She took the anti-racism file over from Jessie Sunner, who moved into cabinet in the same July 2025 shuffle.
Her own story mirrors many in her riding. She emigrated from Malaysia to Canada as a teenager and has called Surrey home for nearly 20 years. Before entering the legislature she was Outreach Director with the BC Government Caucus, building relationships with community organizations across the province, and she volunteered with the Surrey Food Bank as a board director. Her community office sits on King George Highway, in the corridor her riding is built around.
In the legislature her work has stayed close to Surrey ground. She joined fellow Surrey MLAs to mark the roof completion at the 125-bed Guru Nanak Diversity Village long-term care home, a project bringing culturally respectful care to Surrey seniors, and she announced new child care spaces opening for Surrey families. She has highlighted employment skills training programs in the city alongside Jessie Sunner, and backed provincial funding to better prepare Surrey for disasters, including upgrades to the city's pumping system.
Mental health, addictions and anti-racism are among the most pressing files in Surrey City Centre, from the Whalley corridor to the neighbourhoods around it. Her background in community outreach is exactly what those portfolios demand. Days before the legislature was dissolved, she stood with provincial ministers to announce more than $33 million for emergency care and diagnostics at Surrey Memorial Hospital, the hospital at the centre of her riding's daily life. She said she hears from people in Surrey about the importance of timely, quality health care every single day.
Editor's note: the legislature was dissolved on September 22, 2026 and a provincial election was called for October 24, 2026. Offices above reflect the 43rd Parliament.
This profile is part of Apna News' Candidates series, introducing the people who represent Surrey and its neighbouring communities. Apna News is Surrey's new multilingual news platform. If you spot something to correct or add, reach us at info@apnanews.ca.
Official links: Government bio
