Abidin Ismail

Summary

Abidin bin Ismail (born 7 December 1968) is the PAS/Perikatan Nasional assemblyman for Sungai Bakap, Penang, elected in a 6 July 2024 by-election with a majority of 4,267 votes. A former logistics executive and longtime PAS grassroots organiser from Nibong Tebal, he previously served as special officer to the late incumbent Nor Zamri Latiff. He sits in opposition in the Penang State Legislative Assembly and has identified resolving the constituency's long-running water supply crisis as his primary legislative priority.

Biography

Abidin bin Ismail (born 7 December 1968) is a Malaysian politician and member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) who has served as the Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) for Sungai Bakap, Penang, since July 2024 [1]. A native of Kampung Sungai Duri in the Nibong Tebal area near the Penang-Kedah border, Abidin spent approximately 30 years working as a logistics executive at USG Sendirian Berhad before leaving the private sector in 2022 to serve as the special officer to the late Sungai Bakap assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff [2]. His political career within PAS began in 2005 when he became branch secretary of the Sungai Duri PAS branch, a post he held until 2015 [2]. He subsequently served as Branch Chief of Sungai Duri and Head of the Publicity Committee of Nibong Tebal before rising to his current position as Vice Division Chief of PAS Nibong Tebal [1]. Within his community, he holds roles including Chairman of the Masjid Jamek Sungai Duri and Chairman of the Ibnu Sina Resources Education Center Sungai Duri [1]. Following the death of Nor Zamri on 24 May 2024, Perikatan Nasional (PN) named Abidin as its candidate for the resulting by-election [3]. He made his electoral debut on 6 July 2024, winning the seat with 14,489 votes against Pakatan Harapan's Dr Joohari Ariffin who obtained 10,222 votes, a majority of 4,267 [4]. He was sworn in as ADUN before the Penang State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang on 22 November 2024 [4]. He is a father of two [5].

Known for

Abidin Ismail is known as a grassroots PAS organiser and community activist from Nibong Tebal who transitioned from a decades-long logistics career to frontline politics. He is identified with the push to resolve a persistent, years-long water supply crisis in the Mukim 5 area of Sungai Bakap, which became the defining issue of the 2024 by-election he contested and won [2]. His victory — achieved with a substantially larger majority than his predecessor's — was widely reported as a signal of voter dissatisfaction with the Pakatan Harapan-led unity government, particularly over cost-of-living pressures and the rollout of targeted diesel subsidies [5].

Political positions

Abidin Ismail has consistently prioritised resolving the chronic water supply disruption in the Mukim 5 area of Sungai Bakap, which he described as a fundamental right for residents and which had persisted for over six years by the time of his election [2]. After winning the seat, he stated his immediate priority was to engage with the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) to address the water issue [2]. He has positioned himself as a check-and-balance figure in the Penang State Assembly, representing the opposition to a Pakatan Harapan-controlled state government, and has argued that an opposition voice is necessary to represent constituents' grievances at the assembly level [2]. His by-election manifesto, framed under the acronym KERJA (Khidmat, Ekonomi, Rangkaian infrastruktur, Jaminan, Amanah), covered community service, local economic development, infrastructure improvement, and a pledge of accountability through annual reporting to constituents [6][7]. He has also pledged to improve local road quality and upgrade public facilities [7].

Before politics

1. circa late 1980s–1990sBegan a career as a logistics executive at USG Sendirian Berhad, a position he held for approximately 30 years before leaving in 2022.⛓

Political career

1. 2005Joined PAS and became branch secretary of the Sungai Duri PAS branch, a post he held until 2015.⛓
2. 2022Left his logistics career to serve as special officer to the Sungai Bakap ADUN, the late Nor Zamri Latiff, assisting with assembly questions and constituency matters.⛓
3. 15 June 2024Named by Perikatan Nasional as its candidate for the Sungai Bakap state by-election, following the death of incumbent Nor Zamri Latiff on 24 May 2024.⛓
4. 6 July 2024Won the Sungai Bakap state by-election with 14,489 votes, defeating Pakatan Harapan's Dr Joohari Ariffin (10,222 votes) by a majority of 4,267 votes, with a voter turnout of approximately 63.45 per cent.⛓
5. 22 November 2024Took the oath of office as ADUN for Sungai Bakap at the second sitting of the second term of the 15th Penang State Legislative Assembly, before Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang.⛓

Election history

• 2024Sungai Bakap (N.20), Penang State Assembly — By-electionWon58.6%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentThe Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow attributed PH's defeat in the Sungai Bakap by-election to national issues — including subsidy rationalisation, inflation, and cost of living — rather than to candidate quality, accepting the result while pledging continued work for constituents.⛓
• OppositionPAS vice-president Datuk Idris Ahmad described PN's win as a 'clear slap' against the federal government's leadership and against DAP's leadership of the Penang state government, framing the result as a protest vote.⛓
• ExpertProfessor Dr Bridget Welsh, honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, said the increased majority on lower turnout for PAS reinforces persistent low support for the federal government, and pointed to PKR's inability to win in Anwar Ibrahim's home state as a sign of 'persistent electoral weakness'.⛓
• AffectedResidents of Taman Widuri and other Sungai Bakap areas vented frustration to Abidin during campaigning about the chronic water shortage, with some households reporting taps running dry and residents having to carry water buckets from outside their homes.⛓
• VerifiedFactsThe official result confirmed by the Election Commission: Abidin Ismail (PAS/PN) 14,489 votes; Dr Joohari Ariffin (PH) 10,222 votes; majority 4,267; spoilt votes 208; voter turnout 63.45% of 39,279 registered voters. The seat's electorate is 59.3% Malay, 22.7% Chinese, and 17.4% Indian.⛓