Datuk Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin. Origin The oldest ...

Zahidi bin Zainul Abidin ( Jawi: زاهدي بن زين العابدين; born 9 January 1961) is a Malaysian politician who has served as Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia for the second term in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Minister Annuar Musa since August 2021. He served his first term in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former Minister

Saifuddin Abdullah Dato' Sri Saifuddin bin Abdullah ( Jawi: سيف الدين بن عبدالله; born 27 January 1961) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Indera Mahkota since May 2018. He served as Minister of Forei ...

from March 2020 to August 2021, Chairman of the

Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority ( ms, Pihak Berkuasa Kemajuan Pekebun Kecil Perusahaan Getah), abbreviated RISDA, is a Malaysian federal government agency under the Ministry of Rural Development entrusted to oversee the smal ...

(RISDA) from 2015 to 2018 and Member of the

Perlis State Executive Council The Perlis State Executive Council is the executive authority of the Government of Perlis, Malaysia. The Council comprises the Menteri Besar, appointed by the Raja on the basis that he is able to command a majority in the Perlis State Legislative As ...

(EXCO) in the BN state administration under former Menteri Besar

Shahidan Kassim Shahidan bin Kassim ( Jawi: شهيدان بن قاسم; born 17 June 1951) is a Malaysian politician who served as Minister of Federal Territories in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob fro ...

from 1999 to 2006. He has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Padang Besar since May 2013. He is an independent and was a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the BN coalition. He was also the Division Chief of UMNO of Padang Besar. He is also the Chairman of the Malaysian International Institute of Islamic Cooperation (IKIAM). Zahidi received his Diploma in Public Administration from Institut Teknologi MARA ( Universiti Teknologi MARA).

Political offices

Zahidi has held various positions in politics and UMNO:

Controversies

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 Movement may refer to: Common uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Motion, commonly referred to as movement Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy F ...

(MCO) to stop the

COVID-19 outbreak The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

in the country and had to go on top of tree to get signal for internet connection. Zahidi was later made to apologise for his inaccurate remark in

Dewan Negara The Dewan Negara (English language, English: Senate; Literal translation, lit. "State Council") is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia, consisting of 70 senators of whom 26 are elected by the State legislative assemblies of Malaysia, ...

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 Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun (born 1 June 1951) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the State Minister of Local Government and Housing from 2020 to 2023 and State Minister of Finance since January 2023 in the Gabungan Rakyat Saba ...

. 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.

Personal life

In January 2021, Zahidi was tested positive for COVID-19 and sent to

Sungai Buloh Hospital Sungai Buloh Hospital (HSB; ms, Hospital Sungai Buloh) is a secondary and tertiary hospital located in Sungai Buloh, Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. The hospital covers an area of 130 acres. The hospital serves the districts of Gombak, Pet ...

for treatment. He was discharged after 11 days.

Election results

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

* : **

Companion Class I of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DMSM) – Datuk (2003)

References

External links

* Living people 1961 births Place of birth missing (living people) People from Perlis Malaysian people of Malay descent Malaysian Muslims Former United Malays National Organisation politicians Independent politicians in Malaysia Members of the Dewan Rakyat Members of the Perlis State Legislative Assembly 21st-century Malaysian politicians {{Malaysia-politician-stub