| Yang Berhormat Senator Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil |
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|---|---|
| Malaysian Minister of Women, Family and Community Development | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 10 April 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Ng Yen Yen |
| Constituency | Senator |
| Chairlady of UMNO's Women's Wing | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 26 March 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Rafidah Aziz |
| Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai | |
| In office 1995 – 8 March 2008 |
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| Succeeded by | Nurul Izzah Anwar |
| Special Adviser to the Prime Minister for Women and Social Development Affairs | |
| In office 18 March 2008 – 8 April 2009 |
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| Preceded by | post created |
| Succeeded by | post closed |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 August 1953 Penang, Malaysia |
| Political party | United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) part of Barisan Nasional |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Mohamad Salleh Ismail |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Religion | Islam |
| Website | http://shahrizat.net/ |
Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (born 15 August 1953) is a Malaysian politician and the current Minister of Women, Family and Community Development in the Malaysian cabinet. She is a Senator in the Dewan Negara and the former Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai which she held for 13 years before eventually losing it to first time MP, 27 year old Nurul Izzah Anwar during the 2008 general election.
Shahrizat is the Chairlady of the Women's wing of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), and therefore also the Chairlady of the Women's Wing of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
Shahrizat is married to Datuk Dr. Mohamad Salleh Ismail with whom she has three children. Together, they run the government-subsidised family business called the National Feedlot Corporation.
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Shahrizat was born in Penang where she attended Northam Road Girls' School and Madrasah Tarbiah Islamiah during her primary years, and pursued her secondary education at St. George's Girls' School.
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 Mohamad in 2001. Later, when Tun 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 had 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, according to 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.
During the 10th Malaysian general election, Shahrizat narrowly defeated Zainur Zakaria. The counting of votes was fraught with controversy, and Shahrizat won after a recount was conducted.
In an upset during the 12th Malaysian general election which was held on 8 March 2008, Lembah Pantai constituents rejected UMNO and Shahrizat as their elected representative, to a 27-year old newcomer, Nurul Izzah Anwar, daughter of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In a face saving gesture to the Wanita UMNO wing, then Prime Minister Tun 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 was 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.
Upon Shahrizat's victory as Wanita UMNO Chairlady on March 26, 2009, and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak becoming Prime Minister of Malaysia, she was reappointed as Minister of Women, Family and Community Development on April 10, 2009. To qualify to be appointed as a minister, she was sworn in as a Senator in the Dewan Negara the day before.
Currently Sharizat is embroiled in a controversy regarding her family links to the National Feedlot Corporation.[3][4]
Khoo Salma Nasution, Alison Hayes & Sehra Yeap Zimbulis: Giving Our Best: The Story of St George's Girls' School, Penang, 1885-2010, Areca Books, 2010
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