Yang Berhormat Dato' Seri
Reezal Merican Naina Merican
SSAP DGPN DIMP MLA
ريزال ماريکان ناينا ماريکان‎
Reezal Merican in 2022
9th Chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation
Assumed office
1 May 2023
MinisterTengku Zafrul Aziz
Chief Executive OfficerMohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz
Minister of Housing and Local Government
In office
30 August 2021 – 24 November 2022
MonarchAbdullah
Prime MinisterIsmail Sabri Yaakob
DeputyIsmail Muttalib
Preceded byZuraida Kamaruddin
Succeeded byNga Kor Ming
(Minister of Local Government Development)
ConstituencyKepala Batas
Minister of Youth and Sports
In office
10 March 2020 – 16 August 2021
MonarchAbdullah
Prime MinisterMuhyiddin Yassin
DeputyWan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal
Preceded bySyed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman
Succeeded byAhmad Faizal Azumu
ConstituencyKepala Batas
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
29 July 2015 – 10 May 2018
MonarchsAbdul Halim
(2015–2016)
Muhammad V
(2016–2018)
Prime MinisterNajib Razak
MinisterAnifah Aman
Preceded byHamzah Zainudin
Succeeded byMarzuki Yahya
ConstituencyKepala Batas
Chief of the Elections Department of the
United Malays National Organisation
Assumed office
22 March 2023
PresidentAhmad Zahid Hamidi
Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly
for Bertam
Assumed office
12 August 2023
Preceded byKhaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq
(PH–BERSATU)
Majority2,321 (2023)
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Kepala Batas
In office
5 May 2013 – 19 November 2022
Preceded byAbdullah Ahmad Badawi
(BN–UMNO)
Succeeded bySiti Mastura Mohamad
(PN–PAS)
Majority4,176 (2013)
4,736 (2018)
Faction represented in Penang State Legislative Assembly
2023–Barisan Nasional
Faction represented in Dewan Rakyat
2013–2022Barisan Nasional
Personal details
Born
Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican

(1972-07-29) 29 July 1972 (age 51)
Kepala Batas, Seberang Perai Utara, Penang, Malaysia
CitizenshipMalaysian
Political partyUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
Other political
affiliations		Barisan Nasional (BN)
Spouse(s)Ismalina Ismail, Sharifah Norhaslinda
Alma materInternational Islamic University Malaysia

Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican (Jawi: ريزال ماريکان بن ناينا ماريکان‎;[1] born 29 July 1972) is a Malaysian politician and banker who has served as 9th Chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) since May 2023 and Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Bertam since August 2023.[2] He served as the Minister of Housing and Local Government in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 to the collapse of the BN administration in November 2022, the Minister of Youth and Sports in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin from March 2020 to the collapse of the PN administration in August 2021 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kepala Batas from the retirement of 5th and former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as the MP from politics in May 2013 to his electoral defeat in November 2022. He is also a member and Division Chief of Kepala Batas of the Supreme Council of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the BN coalition and one of the only two Penang BN and UMNO MLAs alongside MLA for Sungai Acheh Rashidi Zinol. He has also served as Chief of the Elections Department of UMNO since March 2023. He is an ethnic Malay of mixed Indian descent.

Early and political career

Before entering Parliament, Reezal worked in the bank sector.[3] Reezal took over Abdullah as the party's Division Head of Kepala Batas and as the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the parliamentary seat.[4] Reezal won the seat in the 2013 Malaysian general election while defeated a candidate from the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) by 4,176 majority of the votes.[5] In October 2013, he was elected to Supreme Council of UMNO, the highest-ranking body of the party.[6] In a cabinet reshuffle on 28 July 2015, Reezal was picked as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs by former Prime Minister Najib Razak. Despite winning the majority to defend his seat in his parliamentary constituency, Reezal lost his cabinet post following the results of the 2018 Malaysian general election. At the 2023 Penang state election, he alongside Rashidi Zinol are the only Malay representatives in the PH-BN Unity Government elected from the mainland Seberang Perai part of Penang.

Controversy

On 29 August 2015, Reezal intimidated Malaysians participating in the Bersih 4 demonstrations abroad that the Foreign Ministry would gather their information for eventual legal action against them, without even citing which law the citizen abroad violated.[7]

Personal life

After first wife Ismalina Ismail and second wife Sharifah Norhaslinda which once filed for divorce with Reezal but retracted.[8]

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia[5][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2013 P041 Kepala Batas, Penang Reezal Merican Naina Merican (UMNO) 25,128 54.53% Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (PAS) 20,952 45.47% 46,738 4,176 90.52%
2018 Reezal Merican Naina Merican (UMNO) 22,459 42.94% Zaidi Zakaria (AMANAH) 17,723 33.89% 53,127 4,736 87.78%
Siti Mastura Mohamad (PAS) 12,120 23.17%
2022 Reezal Merican Naina Merican (UMNO) 25,737 37.14% Siti Mastura Mohamad (PAS) 28,604 41.27% 69,302 2,867 83.41%
Muhammad Daniel Abdul Majeed (MUDA) 14,214 20.51%
Hamidi Abu Hassan (PEJUANG) 747 1.08%
Penang State Legislative Assembly
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2023 N02 Bertam Reezal Merican Naina Merican (UMNO) 10,453 56.24% Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq (BERSATU) 8,132 43.76% 18,711 2,321 77.44%

Honours

See also

References

  1. ^ "Malaysia intends to join the Executive Board of the United Nations Human Settlements Programe". Malaysia National News Agency (Bernama) - Arabic (in Arabic). 30 June 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Reezal Merican is new MATRADE chairman". The Star. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  3. ^ "Reezal Merican appointed chairman of Amanah Raya Berhad". The Star. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Kepala Batas Umno division plans to set up Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Leadership Development Institute". ABN News. 20 October 2013. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Maklumat Terperinci Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  6. ^ Zain, Irwan Muhammad (20 October 2013). "Three UMNO Youths in supreme council". Astro Awani. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  7. ^ "BERNAMA - Foreign Ministry Identifying Malaysian Protestors Abroad - Reezal Merican". www.bernama.com. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Sinarharian - Sharifah Haslinda tarik balik permohonan cerai". www.sinarharian.com.my (in Malay). Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  9. ^ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 26 May 2010. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
  10. ^ "Malaysia General Election". undiinfo Malaysian Election Data. Malaysiakini. Retrieved 4 February 2017. Results only available from the 2004 election.
  11. ^ "KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM 13". Sistem Pengurusan Maklumat Pilihan Raya Umum (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 24 March 2017.Results only available for the 2013 election.
  12. ^ "my undi : Kawasan & Calon-Calon PRU13 : Keputusan PRU13 (Archived copy)". www.myundi.com.my. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  13. ^ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13". Utusan Malaysia. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  14. ^ "SEMAKAN KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM KE - 14" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2018. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
  15. ^ "The Star Online GE14". The Star. Retrieved 24 May 2018. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
  16. ^ a b "SEMAKAN PENERIMA DARJAH KEBESARAN, BINTANG DAN PINGAT". Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia). Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  17. ^ "David Arumugam, Khadijah Ibrahim now Datuks". Bernama. The Star. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  18. ^ "PM ketuai penerima darjah Pahang". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). 24 October 2006. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  19. ^ "PKR, DAP veterans among 30 new 'Datuk Seri' in Penang". Free Malaysia Today. 13 October 2023.


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