Biography
Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi (born 4 January 1953 in Bagan Datuk, Perak) is Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Rural and Regional Development, holding both posts since December 2022. He has been the Member of Parliament for Bagan Datuk since 1995 — one of the longest unbroken runs in the Dewan Rakyat — and has led the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) as president, and the Barisan Nasional coalition as chairman, since 2018. Zahid entered politics as political secretary to Najib Razak in 1986, became UMNO Youth chief in 1996, and won Bagan Datuk at his first attempt in the 1995 general election. He served in successive Barisan Nasional cabinets under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak between 2008 and 2018, holding the Home Affairs and Defence portfolios among others, and was Deputy Prime Minister for the first time from 2015 to 2018. After Barisan Nasional lost power in 2018 he took over the UMNO presidency and served as Leader of the Opposition. Under his leadership the coalition won state elections in Malacca (2021) and Johor (2022) but recorded its worst-ever federal result in the 2022 general election, returning only 30 seats. His decision to take UMNO into a unity government with Pakatan Harapan — its opponent of two decades — put Anwar Ibrahim in office and returned Zahid to the deputy premiership, making him the first person appointed to that post under two different prime ministers. Zahid has faced extensive corruption proceedings. He was acquitted in September 2022 of 40 bribery charges relating to a foreign visa system and seven charges of receiving bribes as Home Minister. In September 2023 he was granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal on the remaining 47 charges concerning the Yayasan Akalbudi charitable foundation.
Constituencies (1)
Electoral track record
| Year | Party | Votes | % | Majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | BN | 16,578 | 39.61% | — | Won |
| 2018 | BN | 18,909 | 51.37% | — | Won |
| 2013 | UMNO | 17,176 | 53.27% | — | Won |
Parliamentary activity
From 249 Dewan Rakyat sittings- 3 Mar 2026· Sitting 20Absent
- 2 Mar 2026· Sitting 19
Connections (298)
News sentiment over time
796 mentions across 13 months
News mentions
BN-PN pact in Melaka may look different, says Hadi
PAS presiden Abdul Hadi Awang menyatakan kerjasama BN-PN di Negeri Sembilan mungkin berbeza di Melaka bergantung kepada perkembangan tempatan, dan menekankan mereka akan membincangkan pengagihan kerusi secara berbeza.
Why you’re seeing this: Mentions Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Mohd Radzi's death a huge loss to Umno family, says Zahid - The Star
Mohd Radzi's death a huge loss to Umno family, says Zahid - The Star
Why you’re seeing this: Mentions Ahmad Zahid Hamidi