Shahrizat Abdul Jalil

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This is a Malay name; the name "Abdul Jalil" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by his or her given name, "Shahrizat".

Yang Berbahagia Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
Malaysian Minister of Women, Family and Community Developmment
In office 2001 – 8 March 2008
Preceded by	Post created
Succeeded by	Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen
Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai
In office 1995 – 8 March 2008
Preceded by	Unknown
Succeeded by	Nurul Izzah Anwar
Special Adviser to the Prime Minister for Women and Social Development Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office March 18, 2008
Preceded by	post created

Political party	United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) part of Barisan Nasional
Occupation	Lawyer
Religion	Islam

Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is a Malaysian politician from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a member of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. She is the former Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai the former Minister for Women, Family and Community Development in the Malaysian cabinet.

Shahrizat became the first Minister for Women and Family Development when the ministry was created by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammed in 2001. Later, when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Prime Minister, he revamped the ministry and renamed it to Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development.

She was also acting Federal Territories Minister from 16 October 2005 until 16 February 2005, when fellow UMNO member, Tan Sri Isa Abdul Samad had to step down from the post after being found guilty of corruption charges. Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique was later chosen to fill the post.

Shahrizat is currently the deputy head of the Wanita (Women's) wing in UMNO, which is part of the ruling national coalition, Barisan Nasional.

Shahrizat has been the Member of Parliament for the Lembah Pantai constituency in Kuala Lumpur for the past 3 terms since 1995. Housing squatters in Lembah Pantai under her leadership has been Barisan Nasional’s trump card. To date, some 90% of squatters in Lembah Pantai have been resettled and allowed to purchase their homes, says Shahrizat. When Shahrizat first became the area’s MP in 1995, the problem of the day was squatters as well as other concerns, such as floods, fire, garbage collection, street lamps, and children’s scholarships. Nevertheless, some have disputed her contribution to the development seen in the constituency, with most development being private sector driven initiatives, or projects under the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, which is unrelated to her position as an MP.^[1] At the same time, many have characterised these federal government-funded development projects as vote buying measures, especially in wooing the urban poor in the Pantai Dalam area.

In an upset during the 12th Malaysian general election which was held on 8th March 2008, Lembah Pantai constituents rejected UMNO and Shahrizat as their elected representative, to a 27-year old newcomer, Nurul Izzah Anwar, daughter of PKR de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim. During the 10th Malaysian general election, Shahrizat narrowly defeated Zainur Zakaria. The counting of votes was frought with controversy, and Shahrizat won after a recount was conducted.

In a face saving gesture to the Wanita UMNO wing, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi appointed Shahrizat as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister for Women and Social Development Affairs on March 18, 2008, recognising that this wing was not represented in his cabinet.^[2] It said she would be working closely with the ministry she had once served. The special adviser position carries with it ministerial status whereby she gets access to information and is provided with an office and secretaries like a full Cabinet minister. However, she cannot attend Cabinet meetings.