Zahidi Zainul Abidin

Yang Berbahagia Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin DMSM SMP
زاهدي زين العابدين‎
Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia
In office 30 August 2021 – 24 November 2022
Monarch	Abdullah
Prime Minister	Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Minister	Annuar Musa
Preceded by	Himself
Succeeded by	Teo Nie Ching (Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital)
Constituency	Padang Besar
In office 10 March 2020 – 16 August 2021
Monarch	Abdullah
Prime Minister	Muhyiddin Yassin
Minister	Saifuddin Abdullah
Preceded by	Eddin Syazlee Shith
Succeeded by	Himself
Constituency	Padang Besar
Chairman of the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority
In office 1 September 2015 – 27 December 2018
Minister	Ismail Sabri Yaakob (2015–2018) Rina Harun (2018)
Director General	Mohd Najib A. Samad (2015–2017) Wan Ahmad Shabri Zainuddin Wan Mohamad (2017–2018)
Preceded by	Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik
Succeeded by	Rosely Kusip
Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Padang Besar
In office 5 May 2013 – 19 November 2022
Preceded by	Azmi Khalid (BN–UMNO)
Succeeded by	Rushdan Rusmi (PN–PAS)
Majority	7,426 (2013) 1,438 (2018)
Member of the Perlis State Legislative Assembly for Beseri
In office 29 November 1999 – 8 March 2008
Preceded by	Nordin Abdullah (BN–UMNO)
Succeeded by	Mat Rawi Kassim (BN–UMNO)
Majority	819 (1999) 1,871 (2004)
Exco roles (Perlis)
1999–2003	Deputy Chairman of the Education
2003–2006	Chairman of the Investment, Trade, Science, Technology, Consumerism and Agro-based Industry
Faction represented in Dewan Rakyat
2013–2022	Barisan Nasional
Faction represented in Perlis State Legislative Assembly
1999–2008	Barisan Nasional
Personal details
Born	Zahidi bin Zainul Abidin (1961-01-09) 9 January 1961 (age 64)
Citizenship	Malaysian
Political party	United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) (–2022) Independent (2022–2024) People's Justice Party (PKR) (since 2024)
Other political affiliations	Barisan Nasional (BN) (–2022) Muafakat Nasional (2019–2022) Pakatan Harapan (PH) (since 2024)
Occupation	Politician
Zahidi Zainul Abidin on Facebook Zahidi Zainul Abidin on Parliament of Malaysia

Zahidi bin Zainul Abidin (Jawi: زاهدي بن زين العابدين; born 9 January 1961) is a Malaysian politician who served as the Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia for the second term in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and former Minister Annuar Musa from August 2021 to the collapse of the BN administration in November 2022 and the first term in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former Minister Saifuddin Abdullah from March 2020 to the collapse of the PN administration in August 2021, Chairman of the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) from September 2015 to December 2018, Member of the Perlis State Executive Council (EXCO) in the BN state administration under former Menteri Besar Shahidan Kassim from 1999 to 2006, Member of Parliament (MP) for Padang Besar from May 2013 to November 2022 and Member of the Perlis State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Beseri from November 1999 to March 2008. He is a member of the People's Justice Party (Malaysia) (PKR), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and was a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the BN coalition. He is also the Chairman of the Malaysian International Institute of Islamic Cooperation (IKIAM).^[1]

Zahidi received his Diploma in Public Administration from Institut Teknologi MARA (Universiti Teknologi MARA).^[2] Zahidi joined AMANAH by submitting his membership application form to the party on 4 February 2023 although he had revealed on 30 January 2023 that he planned to join the People's Justice Party (PKR), another PH component party.^[3]

Zahidi has held various positions in politics and UMNO:

In September 2020, Zahidi caused a nationwide outrage when he falsely accused a Sabahan foundation student named Veveonah Mosibin from Universiti Malaysia Sabah of trying to popularise her YouTube channel when she posted a video of her in a hut on top of a tree struggling to take an exam. Veveonah at the time had to stay home due to Malaysia's Movement Control Order (MCO) to stop the COVID-19 outbreak in the country and had to go on top of tree to get signal for internet connection.^[4] Zahidi was later made to apologise for his inaccurate remark in Dewan Negara and informed that it was Abdul Rahim Bakri of Kudat MP who told him that Veveonah did not have exams on the day she uploaded the video, of which, later clarified otherwise by the university's chairman, Masidi Manjun.^[5][6][7]

The aftermath of the incident had brought Zahidi's academic credentials under spotlight for purportedly dubious academic qualification while Veveonah's hometown district got 13 new telecommunication towers expeditiously installed with 4G connection under the JENDELA program.^[8][9]

In January 2021, Zahidi was tested positive for COVID-19 and sent to Sungai Buloh Hospital for treatment.^[10] He was discharged after 11 days.^[11]

•  Perlis :
  • Companion of the Order of the Crown of Perlis (SMP) (2003)^[16]
•  Malacca:
  • Companion Class I of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DMSM) – Datuk (2003)^[17]

• Zahidi Zainul Abidin on Facebook

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