Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
Encyclopedia
Datuk Seri
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (born 15 August 1953) is a Malaysian politician
and the current Minister of Women, Family and Community Development
in the Malaysian cabinet
. She is a Senator in the Dewan Negara
and the former Member of Parliament
for Lembah Pantai
which she held for 13 years before eventually losing it to first time MP, 27 year old Nurul Izzah Anwar
during the 2008 general election.
Shahrizat is the Chairlady of the Women's wing of the United Malays National Organisation
(UMNO), and therefore also the Chairlady of the Women's Wing of the ruling Barisan Nasional
coalition.
Shahrizat is married to Datuk Dr. Mohamad Salleh Ismail with whom she has three children. Together, they run the government-subsidised family business called the National Feedlot Corporation
.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2001. Later, when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
became Prime Minister, he revamped the ministry and renamed it to Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development.
She was also acting Federal Territories Minister from 16 October 2005 until 16 February 2005, when fellow UMNO member, Tan Sri Isa Abdul Samad had to step down from the post after being found guilty of corruption charges. Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique
was later chosen to fill the post.
constituency in Kuala Lumpur
for the past 3 terms since 1995. Housing squatters in Lembah Pantai under her leadership has been Barisan Nasional
’s trump card. To date, some 90% of squatters in Lembah Pantai have been resettled and allowed to purchase their homes, according to Shahrizat.
When Shahrizat first became the area’s MP in 1995, the problem of the day was squatters as well as other concerns, such as floods, fire, garbage collection, street lamps, and children’s scholarships. Nevertheless, some have disputed her contribution to the development seen in the constituency, with most development being private sector driven initiatives, or projects under the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, which is unrelated to her position as an MP. At the same time, many have characterised these federal government-funded development projects as vote buying measures, especially in wooing the urban poor in the Pantai Dalam area.
During the 10th Malaysian general election
, Shahrizat narrowly defeated Zainur Zakaria. The counting of votes was fraught with controversy, and Shahrizat won after a recount was conducted.
In an upset during the 12th Malaysian general election
which was held on 8 March 2008, Lembah Pantai constituents rejected UMNO and Shahrizat as their elected representative, to a 27-year old newcomer, Nurul Izzah Anwar
, daughter of Parti Keadilan Rakyat
(PKR) de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
.
appointed Shahrizat as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister for Women and Social Development Affairs on March 18, 2008, recognising that this wing was not represented in his cabinet.
It was said she would be working closely with the ministry she had once served. The special adviser position carries with it ministerial status whereby she gets access to information and is provided with an office and secretaries like a full Cabinet minister. However, she cannot attend Cabinet meetings.
Upon Shahrizat's victory as Wanita UMNO Chairlady on March 26, 2009, and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
becoming Prime Minister of Malaysia
, she was reappointed as Minister of Women, Family and Community Development
on April 10, 2009. To qualify to be appointed as a minister, she was sworn in as a Senator in the Dewan Negara
the day before.
Currently Sharizat is embroiled in a controversy regarding her family links to the National Feedlot Corporation
.
Malay titles
The Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which are still used extensively in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders....
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (born 15 August 1953) is a Malaysian politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and the current Minister of Women, Family and Community Development
Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (Malaysia)
The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development , better known by its Malay acronym, KPWKM, is a government ministry that is responsible determining the policies and direction to achieve the goals of gender equality, family development and a caring society in line with Malaysia's commitment...
in the Malaysian cabinet
Cabinet of Malaysia
The Cabinet of Malaysia is the executive branch of Malaysia's government. Led by the Prime Minister, the cabinet is a council of ministers who are accountable collectively to the Parliament. According to the Article 43 of the Constitution, members of the Cabinet can only be selected from members...
. She is a Senator in the Dewan Negara
Dewan Negara
The Dewan Negara is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. The Dewan Negara consists of 70 members, of which 26 are indirectly elected by the states, with two senators for every state in the Federation, and the other 44 being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong .The Dewan Negara...
and the former Member of Parliament
Parliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....
for Lembah Pantai
Lembah Pantai
Lembah Pantai is a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Constituencies adjacent to Lembah Pantai are Seputeh, Segambut and Bukit Bintang....
which she held for 13 years before eventually losing it to first time MP, 27 year old Nurul Izzah Anwar
Nurul Izzah Anwar
Nurul Izzah binti Anwar is a Malaysian politician from Parti Keadilan Rakyat , and is the current Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai. She is the daughter of Anwar Ibrahim, a former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and the current de facto opposition leader and of the PKR...
during the 2008 general election.
Shahrizat is the Chairlady of the Women's wing of the United Malays National Organisation
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
(UMNO), and therefore also the Chairlady of the Women's Wing of the ruling Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
coalition.
Shahrizat is married to Datuk Dr. Mohamad Salleh Ismail with whom she has three children. Together, they run the government-subsidised family business called the National Feedlot Corporation
National Feedlot Corporation
National Feedlot Corporation is a company owned by Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd with participation from the Government of Malaysia. Its commercial interest is the development of a planned, integrated and sustainable Malaysian beef industry through the development of the fully integrated livestock...
.
Early Life
Shahrizat was born in Penang where she attended Northam Road Girls' School and Madrasah Tarbiah Islamiah during her primary years, and pursued her secondary education at St. George's Girls' School.Ministership
Shahrizat became the first Minister for Women and Family Development when the ministry was created by the then Prime Minister of MalaysiaPrime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2001. Later, when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Tun Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi is a Malaysian politician who served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009. He was also the President of the United Malays National Organisation , the largest political party in Malaysia, and led the governing Barisan Nasional parliamentary coalition...
became Prime Minister, he revamped the ministry and renamed it to Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development.
She was also acting Federal Territories Minister from 16 October 2005 until 16 February 2005, when fellow UMNO member, Tan Sri Isa Abdul Samad had to step down from the post after being found guilty of corruption charges. Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique
Zulhasnan Rafique
Dato' Sri Zulhasnan Rafique is a Malaysian politician and the former Malaysian Minister of the Federal Territories. He is also the Member of Parliament for Setiawangsa in Kuala Lumpur and a supreme council member in the United Malay National Organisation, the main component party in the ruling...
was later chosen to fill the post.
Member of Parliament
Shahrizat had been the Member of Parliament for the Lembah PantaiLembah Pantai
Lembah Pantai is a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Constituencies adjacent to Lembah Pantai are Seputeh, Segambut and Bukit Bintang....
constituency in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
for the past 3 terms since 1995. Housing squatters in Lembah Pantai under her leadership has been Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
’s trump card. To date, some 90% of squatters in Lembah Pantai have been resettled and allowed to purchase their homes, according to Shahrizat.
When Shahrizat first became the area’s MP in 1995, the problem of the day was squatters as well as other concerns, such as floods, fire, garbage collection, street lamps, and children’s scholarships. Nevertheless, some have disputed her contribution to the development seen in the constituency, with most development being private sector driven initiatives, or projects under the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, which is unrelated to her position as an MP. At the same time, many have characterised these federal government-funded development projects as vote buying measures, especially in wooing the urban poor in the Pantai Dalam area.
During the 10th Malaysian general election
Malaysian general election, 1999
The 1999 Malaysian General Election was held on 29 November 1999 as stipulated by the laws of Malaysia for general elections. As expected, the Barisan Nasional coalition maintained its majority in parliament, and thus, its grip on the post of Prime Minister....
, Shahrizat narrowly defeated Zainur Zakaria. The counting of votes was fraught with controversy, and Shahrizat won after a recount was conducted.
In an upset during the 12th Malaysian general election
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
which was held on 8 March 2008, Lembah Pantai constituents rejected UMNO and Shahrizat as their elected representative, to a 27-year old newcomer, Nurul Izzah Anwar
Nurul Izzah Anwar
Nurul Izzah binti Anwar is a Malaysian politician from Parti Keadilan Rakyat , and is the current Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai. She is the daughter of Anwar Ibrahim, a former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and the current de facto opposition leader and of the PKR...
, daughter of Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
(PKR) de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
.
Post 2008 general elections
In a face saving gesture to the Wanita UMNO wing, then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad BadawiAbdullah Ahmad Badawi
Tun Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi is a Malaysian politician who served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009. He was also the President of the United Malays National Organisation , the largest political party in Malaysia, and led the governing Barisan Nasional parliamentary coalition...
appointed Shahrizat as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister for Women and Social Development Affairs on March 18, 2008, recognising that this wing was not represented in his cabinet.
It was said she would be working closely with the ministry she had once served. The special adviser position carries with it ministerial status whereby she gets access to information and is provided with an office and secretaries like a full Cabinet minister. However, she cannot attend Cabinet meetings.
Upon Shahrizat's victory as Wanita UMNO Chairlady on March 26, 2009, and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Najib Tun Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak is the sixth, and since 2009, Prime Minister of Malaysia. He previously held the post of Deputy Prime Minister from 7 January 2004 until he succeeded Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister on 3 April 2009. Najib is President of the United...
becoming Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...
, she was reappointed as Minister of Women, Family and Community Development
Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (Malaysia)
The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development , better known by its Malay acronym, KPWKM, is a government ministry that is responsible determining the policies and direction to achieve the goals of gender equality, family development and a caring society in line with Malaysia's commitment...
on April 10, 2009. To qualify to be appointed as a minister, she was sworn in as a Senator in the Dewan Negara
Dewan Negara
The Dewan Negara is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. The Dewan Negara consists of 70 members, of which 26 are indirectly elected by the states, with two senators for every state in the Federation, and the other 44 being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong .The Dewan Negara...
the day before.
Currently Sharizat is embroiled in a controversy regarding her family links to the National Feedlot Corporation
National Feedlot Corporation
National Feedlot Corporation is a company owned by Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd with participation from the Government of Malaysia. Its commercial interest is the development of a planned, integrated and sustainable Malaysian beef industry through the development of the fully integrated livestock...
.