Abdullah Saidol

Summary

Datuk Abdullah Saidol (PBB/GPS) is the three-term Semop state assemblyman who has held the N42 seat since 2011, winning under both the Barisan Nasional and Gabungan Parti Sarawak banners. He currently serves as Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department, responsible for Corporate Affairs, Information and the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS). Before entering the cabinet, he was Chief Political Secretary to the late Chief Minister Adenan Satem and Assistant Secretary-General of PBB.

Biography

Datuk Abdullah Saidol is a Malaysian politician from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), a component party of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition. He has represented the N42 Semop state constituency in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly since first winning the seat in the 2011 state election on a Barisan Nasional-PBB ticket [1]. He successfully defended Semop in the 2016 state election with a majority of 4,412 votes [2], and again in the 2021 state election on a GPS-PBB ticket with 42.1% of the vote and a majority of 3,158 [3]. Prior to his current executive role, Abdullah served as Chief Political Secretary to then Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem [2]. Within PBB, he held the position of Assistant Secretary-General [1]. In June 2022, he was elected to the PBB Bumiputera Wing Supreme Council, polling 836 votes at the party convention [1]. Following GPS's landslide victory in the 12th Sarawak State Election in December 2021, Abdullah was appointed Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department with responsibility for Corporate Affairs, Information and the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS), and was sworn in on 4 January 2022 [1]. He has since been referred to in official statements as Deputy Minister in the Premier's Department (Corporate Affairs, Information and UKAS) [4]. The Semop constituency is located in the Bintangor area, approximately two hours by road from Sibu town [4].

Known for

Abdullah Saidol is known as the three-term assemblyman for Semop, having held the seat continuously since 2011 under both the Barisan Nasional and GPS banners [5]. He is the Sarawak government's point person on corporate affairs, public information and communications, overseeing the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS) in the Premier's Department [4]. Prior to his executive appointment, he was Chief Political Secretary to Chief Minister Adenan Satem, during which he was a public voice on Sarawak's multiracial social values [2].

Political positions

Abdullah Saidol's publicly recorded positions centre on media development, digital governance, and Sarawak's social fabric. In his role overseeing UKAS, he has emphasised that state communications must help ordinary citizens understand government policies and assess their impact, citing the Premier's directive to this effect [5]. On digital technology, he has called for a measured approach to AI adoption, stressing that governance, compliance training and rural internet connectivity must be addressed before wholesale implementation of new technologies, noting that some parts of Sarawak still lack internet access [5]. On demographic challenges, he has publicly raised the alarm over Sarawak's declining birth rate, describing it as posing long-term risks to economic growth, labour supply and social sustainability, and calling on the younger generation to have larger families [5]. During his tenure as Chief Political Secretary, Abdullah articulated a firm stance on Sarawak's multiracial harmony, stating that 'racial and religious bigots are the last thing we need in Sarawak' and that 'efforts to maintain peace and harmony in our plural society in Sarawak should prevail over political agendas' [2]. He has also expressed strong support for the welfare of media practitioners, proposing media clubhouse facilities, welfare schemes and professional training programmes for journalists [4].

Before politics

1. c. 2014–2016Served as Chief Political Secretary to Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, acting as a public spokesperson on state policy and social affairs.⛓

Political career

1. April 2011First elected to the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, winning the N42 Semop seat on a Barisan Nasional-PBB ticket in the 10th Sarawak state election.⛓
2. May 2016Re-elected to Semop in the 11th Sarawak state election on a Barisan Nasional-PBB ticket, winning with a majority of 4,412 votes.⛓
3. December 2021Re-elected to Semop for a third consecutive term in the 12th Sarawak state election on a GPS-PBB ticket, securing 42.1% of the vote and a majority of 3,158 in a five-cornered contest.⛓
4. December 2021Appointed Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department responsible for Corporate Affairs, Information and the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS) in the second Abang Johari cabinet.⛓
5. 4 January 2022Sworn in virtually as Assistant Minister in the new Sarawak Cabinet in front of Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud.⛓
6. June 2022Elected to the PBB Bumiputera Wing Supreme Council at the PBB Convention in Kuching, polling 836 votes, the third highest tally among the newly elected members.⛓

Election history

• 2021N42 SemopWon42.1%⛓
• 2016N42 SemopWon⛓
• 2011N42 SemopWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentChief Minister Abang Johari confirmed Abdullah Saidol's candidacy for Semop in the 2021 election, stating: 'Dollah (Abdullah) will continue to be our candidate in this area to develop together what we have set,' underscoring the state government's confidence in him as a key GPS representative for the Bintangor region.⛓
• VerifiedFactsThe Star's official 2021 Sarawak election results record Abdullah Bin Saidol (GPS-PBB) winning Semop with 4,338 votes (42.1%), a majority of 3,158, in a five-cornered contest with a voter turnout of 65.2% from 10,297 registered voters.⛓
• VerifiedFactsBernama reported that Abdullah Saidol was listed in the official second Abang Johari cabinet (announced 30 December 2021) as Assistant Minister responsible for Corporate Affairs, Information and UKAS in the Chief Minister's Department.⛓