Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad (10 October 1939 – 25 March 2010) was a Malaysian politician. He was the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia

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 the Hulu Selangor

Hulu Selangor

Hulu Selangor is a district in Selangor, Malaysia. It is located in the northeastern part of Selangor. It borders the state of Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Sabak Bernam district to the east, Kuala Selangor district to its southwest and Gombak district to the south.The district's...

 constituency in Selangor

Selangor

Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...

 until his death in 2010. He was a member of the 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) party in the Pakatan Rakyat

Pakatan Rakyat

Pakatan Rakyat or PR is an informal Malaysian political coalition. It currently controls four state governments while in opposition to the ruling Barisan Nasional at the federal level....

 opposition coalition.

Zainal Abidin was a member of the State Assembly of Selangor from 1990 for the UMNO party before being omitted from the ticket of the governing 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 for the 2004 election

Malaysian general election, 2004

General elections were held in Malaysia on March 21, 2004. The incumbent National Front government of Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was re-elected with an increased majority.-Election results:...

. From 1995 to 1999 he served as Deputy Menteri Besar

Menteri Besar

The Menteri Besar is the chief executive of the state government for states in Malaysia with hereditary rulers. For states without a monarch, the title Chief Minister is used...

 (Chief Minister) and on the Selangor Executive Council.

Zainal Abidin switched to the opposition Keadilan party in 2005. In the 2008 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...

, Zainal won the federal seat of Hulu Selangor, unseating the incumbent 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...

 member by a narrow margin of 198 votes.

Zainal Abidin died on 25 March 2010 from brain cancer, triggering a by-election

By-election

A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....

 in Hulu Selangor which was won by YB P. Kamalanathan

P. Kamalanathan

Kamalanathan s/o. P. Panchanathan , is the member-elect of the Parliament of Malaysia for the seat of Hulu Selangor in Selangor...

 of (MIC) - (BN

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...

). He is survived by his wife Datin Siti Zaharah Mohd Zin and four children.

Election results

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ Parliament of Malaysia

Dewan Rakyat

The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...

: P94 Hulu Selangor

Hulu Selangor

Hulu Selangor is a district in Selangor, Malaysia. It is located in the northeastern part of Selangor. It borders the state of Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Sabak Bernam district to the east, Kuala Selangor district to its southwest and Gombak district to the south.The district's...

, Selangor

Selangor

Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...

!|Year
!
!|Opposition
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Barisan Nasional
!|Votes
!|Pct
|-
|2008

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...

|
| | (PKR)
| align="right" |23,177
| |48.7%
|
| |G. Palanivel (MIC)
| align="right" |22,979
| |48.2%