Abdul Khalib Abdullah

Summary

Dato' Abdul Khalib bin Abdullah has served as the Member of Parliament for Rompin (P091), Pahang, under the BERSATU/Perikatan Nasional banner since winning GE15 in November 2022 — ending a BN hold on the seat dating back to 1986 [1][2]. He rose to serve as Pahang BERSATU Chief in early 2025 before his removal and the subsequent suspension of his party membership rights by the BERSATU Disciplinary Board in May 2026, in connection with his support for former Deputy President Hamzah Zainudin [3][4]. He sits on the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Health and has been active in Dewan Rakyat debates on cybercrime and digital safety [5][4].

Biography

YB Dato' Haji Abdul Khalib bin Abdullah is a Malaysian politician serving as the Member of Parliament for Rompin (P091), Pahang, since November 2022 [5]. He is a member of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [2]. At GE15 in November 2022, Abdul Khalib won the Rompin seat with 31,589 votes and a majority of 1,438 votes over Barisan Nasional's Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin — marking the first BN loss in the Rompin constituency since it was established in 1986 [1]. He has stated that he was a long-time UMNO member before joining BERSATU [6]. Within BERSATU, he rose to serve as Pahang BERSATU Chief from February 2025 and was subsequently appointed Deputy Chairman of PN Pahang in January 2026 [6]. His tenure as Pahang BERSATU Chief was terminated effective 10 March 2026 [7]. In May 2026, the BERSATU Disciplinary Board suspended his party membership rights for two party election terms after finding he had violated the party constitution and its code of conduct and ethics, in connection with his attendance at a programme organised by former BERSATU Deputy President Hamzah Zainudin [3]. Abdul Khalib has stated he would continue his responsibilities as MP and Rompin Division Chief, and that his commitment to serving the Rompin constituency remains unaffected [6]. He sits on the Parliament of Malaysia's Special Select Committee on Health [5].

Known for

Abdul Khalib is known for ending BERSATU-aligned PN's electoral losing streak in Rompin by defeating BN in a constituency the latter had held without interruption since 1986 [1]. He attracted national attention in 2026 when his BERSATU party membership was suspended for two terms following his alleged support for former BERSATU Deputy President Hamzah Zainudin [3][4]. He has also been active in parliamentary debates on digital and cybersecurity legislation, including proposing mandatory whipping for perpetrators of AI-generated deepfake pornography [4].

Political positions

Abdul Khalib sits in the opposition bloc under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. On digital and cybercrime policy, he has advocated for harsher penalties against deepfake pornography, proposing mandatory whipping in addition to financial and custodial sentences, and calling for a national facial recognition system integrated with the MCMC to enable swift enforcement action [4]. On party-internal matters, following his suspension from BERSATU, he indicated continued support for PN and his Rompin division while associating himself with the faction supportive of Hamzah Zainudin, whom he described as championing the people's interests [6]. He has stated no interest in joining UMNO's 'Rumah Bangsa' initiative and indicated he would continue working with PN elected representatives in Pahang [6]. He has previously publicly called for BERSATU divisions to raise party funds given the seizure of party accounts [8].

Before politics

1. Pre-2022Abdul Khalib was a long-time UMNO member prior to joining BERSATU, as he himself stated in reference to his political background.⛓

Political career

1. November 2022Won the Rompin parliamentary seat (P091) at GE15 under the PN-BERSATU ticket with 31,589 votes and a majority of 1,438, marking the first BN loss in the constituency since its establishment in 1986.⛓
2. January 2026Appointed Deputy Chairman of Perikatan Nasional Pahang.⛓
3. February 2025Appointed Pahang BERSATU Chief, replacing Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (MP for Indera Mahkota).⛓
4. March 2026Service as Pahang BERSATU Chief was terminated, effective 10 March 2026, per a letter from the BERSATU President's office received on 7 April 2026.⛓
5. May 2026BERSATU Disciplinary Board suspended his party membership rights for two party election terms for violating Clause 9.1.4 of the Party Constitution and the Members' Code of Ethics and Conduct, in connection with attendance at a programme organised by former BERSATU Deputy President Hamzah Zainudin.⛓
6. July 2026Debated the Cybercrime Bill 2026 in Dewan Rakyat, proposing mandatory whipping for perpetrators of AI-generated deepfake pornography and the establishment of a national facial recognition system integrated with MCMC.⛓

Election history

• 2022Rompin (P091)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsAbdul Khalib won the Rompin seat at GE15 with 31,589 votes and a majority of 1,438 votes, defeating BN's Hasan Arifin — the first BN loss in Rompin since 1986.⛓
• VerifiedFactsThe BERSATU Disciplinary Board suspended Abdul Khalib's party membership rights for two party election terms in May 2026 for violating Clause 9.1.4 of the Party Constitution and the Members' Code of Ethics and Conduct.⛓
• GovernmentAbdul Khalib sits in the parliamentary opposition under PN; the ruling Madani government (PH-BN) has not issued specific public statements regarding Abdul Khalib personally based on available sources.⛓
• OppositionFollowing his suspension, Abdul Khalib stated he would continue cooperating with PN Pahang elected representatives and that his commitment to serving Rompin was unaffected, while also aligning himself with the political direction of Hamzah Zainudin.⛓