Dato' Sri

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....

 Zulhasnan Rafique is a Malaysian politician and the former Malaysian Minister of the Federal Territories. He is also the Member of Parliament for Setiawangsa

Setiawangsa

Setiawangsa is an eastern suburb in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, located less than 4 kilometres from the city centre. It is a much sought-after residential address in the Klang Valley...

 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...

 and a supreme council member in the United Malay National Organisation, the main component party in the ruling coalition 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...

.

On 27 March 2004, following a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister 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...

, the Federal Territory and Klang Valley

Klang Valley

Klang Valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs, and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. An alternative reference to this would be Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area or Greater Kuala Lumpur. It is geographically delineated by Titiwangsa Mountains to the...

 Planning and Development Division was upgraded to a full-fledged ministry. Its responsibility expanded to include jurisdiction over the territories of Labuan

Labuan

Labuan is a federal territory in East Malaysia. It is an island off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support...

 and Putrajaya

Putrajaya

Putrajaya is a planned city, located 25km south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government was shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya, due to the overcrowding and congestion in the Kuala Lumpur areas...

. Zulhasnan was the first deputy minister to be appointed to the ministry.

Tan Sri Isa bin Hj Abdul Samad was the first minister to be appointed. However, Isa was dismissed from office after found guilty of corruption charges related to money politics during the UMNO General Assembly Election of 2005. Shahrizat Abdul Jalil

Shahrizat Abdul Jalil

Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is a Malaysian politician and the current Minister of Women, Family and Community Development in the Malaysian cabinet...

 (then the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development) assumed the responsibilities of acting minister until a replacement could be found.

On 16 February 2006, Dato' Sri Zulhasnan Rafique was appointed the Federal Territories Minister. Under the leadership of Zulhasnan, a strategic plan that focused on development plans for all three Federal Territories was created. He was dropped from the new cabinet on 9 April 2009 by Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak who took over as the 6th Prime Minister.

He joined the Royal Malaysian Air Force as a fighter pilot and retired in 1985 with the rank of major before enter politics.