Shahidan Kassim
| Yang Berhormat Dato' Seri Dr. Shahidan Kassim MP | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister in the Prime Minister's Department | |
|
Assumed office 16 May 2013 | |
| Monarch | Abdul Halim |
| Prime Minister | Najib Razak |
| Constituency | Arau |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Arau, Perlis | |
|
Assumed office 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Ismail Kassim |
|
In office 1986–1995 | |
| Preceded by | Abdul Hamid Pawanteh (UMNO―Barisan Nasional) |
| Succeeded by | Kamarudin Ahmad (UMNO―Barisan Nasional)[1] |
| 6th Menteri Besar of Perlis | |
|
In office 6 May 1995 – 13 March 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Abdul Hamid Pawanteh |
| Succeeded by | Md Isa Sabu |
| Member of the Perlis State Legislative Assembly for Tambun Tulang | |
|
In office 1995–2013 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Ismail Kassim |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Shahidan bin Kassim 17 June 1951 Tambun Tulang, Perlis, Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) |
| Citizenship | Malaysian |
| Political party | United Malays National Organisation (UMNO)―Barisan Nasional |
| Spouse(s) | Shamsiah Mohd Yassin |
| Relations | Ismail Kassim (brother) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Dato' Seri Dr. Shahidan bin Kassim (born 17 June 1951) is a Malaysian politician. He is a Minister in the federal Cabinet of Najib Tun Razak and is a member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the seat of Arau, representing the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). He was the Chief Minister of the State of Perlis from 1995 to 2008.
Personal life
Shahidan was born in Tambun Tulang on 17 June 1951. He is married to Shamsiah Mohd Yassin.[2]
Political career
Shahidan was a member of the Federal Parliament for Arau from 1986 to 1995.[2] In 1992, he received international coverage for his criticism of what he cited as the criminal acts of Sultan Iskandar of Johor and his son Tunku Ibrahim Ismail.[3]
He was elected to the Perlis State Legislative Assembly for the newly created seat of Tambun Tulang in the 1995 election.[4] He immediately became Chief Minister of Perlis, taking over from Hamid Pawanteh.[5] His tenure as Chief Minister came to an end in March 2008, when Md Isa Sabu, a fellow member of Barisan Nasional, was appointed to the post by Raja Sirajuddin of Perlis after a general election in which UMNO retained its majority in the State Assembly. Md Isa claimed the support of eight out of the 12 other Barisan Nasional members of the Perlis State Assembly to replace Shahidan.[6] While Shahidan had the nomination of the Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi, and the state party machinery, the Raja was concerned about the stability of the state government should Shahidan, a powerful but divisive factional figure in UMNO, be reappointed. The Raja insisted upon appointing Md Isa instead, exercising his constitutional discretion to prevail over the wishes of Abdullah and UMNO.[7] Shahidan left the Perlis Executive Council (a body akin to a Cabinet), sitting out the 2008–13 State Assembly term as a backbencher and criticising Md Isa's leadership.[8]
In the 2013 election, Shahidan returned to federal Parliament in the seat of Arau, switching seats with his brother Ismail, who had held Arau since 2008. Shahidan defeated the senior Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) leader Haron Din by 1,371 votes. Despite his return to federal politics, Shahidan had stated before the election that his preference would have been to remain in the State Assembly.[9] After the election, he was appointed to the Cabinet of Najib Razak as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.[10]
Political views, style and interests
According to Joceline Tan, columnist for The Star, Shahidan has a "larger-than-life personality" and is known for his "warlord style of politics".[5] He has held numerous positions in sports administration, including the presidencies of the Malaysia Athletic Federation, the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia and the Perlis Football Association.[11] In 2010, he called for Facebook to be banned in Malaysia, citing national security issues after a Facebook account holder was found to have insulted Islam and the current as well as the former Prime Ministers of Malaysia.[12]
Shahidan is a leading proponent of Salafism—a puritanical Sunni Islamic movement opposed by Malaysia's religious establishment—within UMNO. In 2010 he arranged for a group of young Salafi clerics, including Fathul Bari Mat Jahya, to join UMNO to boost the party's standing with conservative Muslim voters.[13] While Chief Minister of Perlis, his government passed anti-apostasy laws in the State Assembly and sought to loosen restrictions on polygamy in the state.[14]
Election results
| Year | Government | Votes | Pct | Opposition | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Shahidan Kassim (UMNO) | 18,156 | 60% | Tengku Abdul Rahman (PAS) | 11,091 | 37% | ||
| 1990 | Shahidan Kassim (UMNO) | 20,948 | 60% | Khalid Samad (PAS) | 13,154 | 37% | ||
| 2013 | Shahidan Kassim (UMNO) | 19,376 | 51% | Haron Din (PAS) | 18,005 | 47% | ||
| Year | Government | Votes | Pct | Opposition | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Shahidan Kassim (UMNO) | 3,777 | 67% | Alias Othman (S46) | 1,661 | 30% | ||
| 1999 | Shahidan Kassim (UMNO) | 3,464 | 56% | Ismail Ahmad (PAS) | 2,587 | 42% | ||
| 2004 | Shahidan Kassim (UMNO) | 4,422 | 61% | Haron Din (PAS) | 2,680 | 37% | ||
| 2008 | Shahidan Kassim (UMNO) | 4,371 | 64% | Che Nordin Che Ahmad (PAS) | 2,361 | 34% | ||
References
- 1 2 3 "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri". Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 2 February 2010. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
- 1 2 "Shahidan becomes longest serving Perlis Menteri Besar". Utusan (Utusan Group). 26 March 2004. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
- ↑ Richardson, Michael (15 December 1992). "Malaysia Prepares To Strip Sultans of Their Immunity". New York Times (The New York Times Company). Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ↑ "Poser Over Who Will Be New Perlis MB". Berita Wilayah (Bernama). 11 March 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- 1 2 Tan, Joceline (6 January 2008). "Too many Umno 'tigers' on a hillock". The Star (Star Publications (Malaysia)). Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ↑ Kaur, Manjit (18 March 2008). "Isa sworn in as Perlis MB, Shahidan absent". The Star (Star Publications (Malaysia)). Retrieved 3 February 2010.
- ↑ Abdul Hamid, Ahmad Fauzi; Muhamad Takiyuddin Ismail (2012). "The Monarchy and Party Politics in Malaysia in the Era of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (2003–09): The Resurgence of the Role of Protector". Asian Survey 52 (5): 934. doi:10.1525/as.2012.52.5.924. ISSN 0004-4687.
- ↑ "Ex-MB slams current Perlis MB over slight". The Star. 13 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
- ↑ Mazwin Nik Anis (22 March 2013). "GE13: Shahidan: There is still a lot I can do for Perlis". The Star. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ↑ "Cabinet Has Right Mix – Shahidan Kassim". Bernama. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ↑ Singh, Aftar (1 October 2006). "Shahidan the new boss for MAAU". The Star (Star Publications (Malaysia)). Retrieved 3 February 2010.
- ↑ "Shahidan wants Facebook banned, cites national security". 6 December 2010.
- ↑ Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman (August 2014). "Salafi Ulama in UMNO: Political Convergence or Expediency?". Contemporary Southeast Asia 36 (2) – via Questia. (subscription required (help)).
- ↑ Hamayotsu, Kikue (2012). "Once a Muslim, always a Muslim: the politics of state enforcement of Syariah in contemporary Malaysia". South East Asia Research 20 (3): 409–413. doi:10.5367/sear.2012.0114. ISSN 0967-828X.
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