In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Md Said is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Md Salleh. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
After finishing his further studies, he was designated as Kota Belud District Officer from 1984 to 1986 and later became a political secretary to the sitting chief minister's administration from 1986 to 1994.
In addition, he also held some positions in the Cabinet of Sabah. For many years, he served as the minister of finance, minister of local government and housing and deputy chief minister.
On 28 December 1994, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad appointed him as the chief minister of the state. His tenure as the state's chief minister ended on 26 May 1996 and was succeeded by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president, Yong Teck Lee.
On 4 January 2010, then-chief minister, Musa Aman, appointed him as his government's Science and Technology Adviser with ministerial rank.[1] He succeeded Tham Nyip Shen, a former Deputy Chief Minister for the ethnic Chinese quota who hailed from Keningau.
Later on 31 December of the same year, he was appointed the Speaker of the State Legislature.[2] A day later, on the first day of 2011, he was appointed the chairman of Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (FINAS)[3] by the then-Federal Minister of Information, Communications and Culture, Dr. Rais Yatim.
Under the party of United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), he previously served Sabah state liaison committee deputy chairperson from 2006 to 2018, serving under the long-term chairmanship of then-Chief Minister, Musa Aman who was concurrently the state liaison committee chairperson from 2003 to 2018 (but now he currently serves as its elections machinery director since the crucial party elections in 2018).
In addition, he also presides over the United Sabah Bajau Organisation (USBO).
On 6 October 2019, he admitted that he submitted a party membership application to the People’s Justice Party (PKR) as the party is multiracial and it is in line with Salleh's political beliefs, especially focusing on the future of the Malaysian state in East Malaysia, Sabah.
On 30 June 2020, he canceled his application to join PKR in the aftermath of the 2020 political crisis.[4] On 9 September 2020, Salleh rejoined UMNO.[5]
He is currently married to Datin Seri Panglima Datuk Raya Erom (born 21 April 1963), an ethnic Kadazandusun woman of Lotud descent from Tuaran, since 18 December 1984. Prior to their marriage, she was a Roman Catholic Christian before converting to Sunni Islam in order to marry Salleh. The couple are blessed with two sons and two daughters: Mohd Syarulnizam (born 1986), Syazeera (born 1988), Mohd Hafeez (born 1996) and Syeera (born 2002).
^"Abdul Rahman challenged by four in Kota Belud". The Borneo Post. 21 April 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2018. The second cousin of former Chief Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said also said there was not objection from her family to stand under the opposition even though her cousin (Salleh) was also standing as a BN candidate for the Usukan state seat. My family is very supportive of this move, and they also believe in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) after what they had done in several states in Peninsular Malaysia, especially in Selangor and Penang. "After having a meeting with our machinery tonight, we will start our campaign in Tempasuk and Usukan areas, and after that we will continue in Kadamaian," said Isnaraissah Munirah who is fluent in English, Malay, Dusun and Bajau.
