Lawyer, writer , political analyst, social activist and Member of Parliament. Yusmadi was born in Balik Pulau, Penang. A Kampung Boy (his story was written in an article entitled From Balik Pulau to Washington D.C. in Al Islam Magazine issue February 2006). He had his early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Korok in Balik Pulau and continued his high school at SMKA Al-Mashoor (Lelaki), Pulau Pinang and Sultan Alam Shah Islamic College in Klang.

Yusmadi is a graduate of law (LL.B) from International islamic University Malaysia where he studied both common law and Islamic law.. He is a Partner at a regional law firm law firm in Malaysia where he specializes in public interest litigation and criminal defense cases. Yusmadi’s involvement in Human rights activism at the local and international level was duly recognised when he was nominated by the US Embassy of Kuala Lumpur to participate in the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) for Multi Regional Human Rights Advocacy Programme, 2004 in USA.

Apart from practicing law, he is a Fellow at the Institut Kajian Dasar (Institute for Policy Research) and a founding Director of GERAK (Movement for Democracy and Anti-Corruption) in Malaysia. Yusmadi was also a founding member of Malaysia America Friendship Alumni Association (MAFAA). In early 2005 Yusmadi was selected by Phoenix TV (a Hong Kong based TV station) to represent the Malaysian Youth for a documentary on successful Asian youths entitled The Neighboring Country Story. Yusmadi is a prolific writer and his views on law and politics are sought after by both print and electronic media in Malaysia.

He writes a weekly column, "Dengan Izin" ("May It Please the Court"), for the leading Malaysian daily, Utusan Malaysia. In 2006 he was nominated as Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow for Law & Human Rights at American University Washington College of Law, American University Washington D.C.

He was recently selected as Democracy & Development Fellow at Center on Democracy, Development & the Rule of Law, Stanford University.

In the recent Malaysia 12th general election, Yusmadi was elected as Member of Parliament of Malaysia for Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang and was also appointed as Chairman of Strategy & International Affairs, People's Justice Party Youth.

As at June 7, 2008.