Ahmad Amzad Hashim recontest and won on 12 August 2023

Summary

Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim (born 1970) is the PAS Member of Parliament for Kuala Terengganu, currently serving his third term after winning the seat in GE14 (2018), GE15 (2022), and the August 2023 by-election triggered by an election court nullification of his GE15 result. A former Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation under two administrations (2020–2022), he is now an opposition backbencher chairing the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Environment, Science and Agriculture. His recorded positions align with PAS's Islamist policy framework, including views on national education and public health regulation.

Biography

Datuk Ahmad Amzad bin Hashim (born 15 January 1970 in Kuala Terengganu) is a Malaysian politician and member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. He has served as the Member of Parliament for Kuala Terengganu since his electoral debut in 2018, with a brief interruption following a court-ordered seat nullification in June 2023 [1]. He was educated at Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mahmud (SESMA) in Terengganu and graduated with an accounting degree from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia [1]. Prior to entering politics, he served as Managing Director of MSET Shipbuilding Corporation Sdn Bhd from 1995 to 2004 [1]. He holds the title of Datuk and is a member of the PAS central working committee [2]. During the Perikatan Nasional government under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation in March 2020. He continued in the same post under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 until the collapse of the Barisan Nasional administration in November 2022 [1]. He won the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election on 12 August 2023, defeating Pakatan Harapan's Azan Ismail with a majority of 47,266 votes, after the Terengganu Election Court had annulled his GE15 result [2]. He was sworn in as MP on 5 September 2023 before Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul [3]. He has served as Chair of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Environment, Science and Agriculture in the 15th Parliament [3].

Known for

Ahmad Amzad is recognised for representing the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat across three consecutive terms as a PAS/PN member, building successive electoral majorities from 14,773 votes in 2018 to 47,266 votes in the 2023 by-election [1]. He served as Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation under two separate administrations — PN under Muhyiddin Yassin and BN under Ismail Sabri Yaakob — from 2020 to 2022 [1]. As an opposition MP in the 15th Parliament, he chairs the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Environment, Science and Agriculture [3].

Political positions

Ahmad Amzad has publicly stated that the education minister must be Malay and Muslim, arguing that national education should be grounded in the Federal Constitution and framing Malaysia as 'a sovereign Islamic nation' [4]. On the issue of tobacco and vaping regulation, he has expressed concern about youth exposure to nicotine products and criticised the government's removal of liquid nicotine from the Poisons Act schedule, linking it to increased vape prevalence [5]. On Terengganu's oil resources, he raised in Parliament as early as 2018 the position that the 1975 Petronas–Terengganu agreement must be amended if the 20 per cent oil royalty is calculated on a profit basis [6]. Consistent with PAS values, his recorded positions reflect an Islamist framework on social and educational policy.

Education

1. Pre-1990Attended Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mahmud (SESMA), Terengganu.⛓
2. Early 1990sGraduated with an accounting degree from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.⛓

Before politics

1. 1995–2004Served as Managing Director of MSET Shipbuilding Corporation Sdn Bhd.⛓

Political career

1. May 2018First elected as Member of Parliament for Kuala Terengganu (GE14), defeating BN and PH candidates with a majority of 14,773 votes.⛓
2. 10 March 2020Appointed Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Perikatan Nasional administration.⛓
3. 30 August 2021Reappointed Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's Barisan Nasional administration.⛓
4. November 2022Re-elected as Kuala Terengganu MP in GE15 under PN banner, winning with a majority of 40,907 votes. Lost ministerial post on 24 November 2022 when the BN administration collapsed.⛓
5. 27 June 2023Terengganu Election Court annulled his GE15 victory; Ahmad Amzad lost his seat with immediate effect. PAS subsequently decided not to appeal the ruling.⛓
6. 12 August 2023Won the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election, defeating PH candidate Azan Ismail with a majority of 47,266 votes (68,369 votes to 21,103).⛓
7. 5 September 2023Sworn in as Kuala Terengganu MP for a third term before Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.⛓

Election history

• 2023Kuala Terengganu (By-election)Won76.4%⛓
• 2022Kuala TerengganuWon⛓
• 2018Kuala TerengganuWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsBernama confirmed Ahmad Amzad won the 12 August 2023 Kuala Terengganu by-election with 68,369 votes versus Azan Ismail's 21,103 votes — a majority of 47,266.⛓
• VerifiedFactsThe Star reported that Ahmad Amzad was sworn in as Kuala Terengganu MP on 5 September 2023 before Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul following his by-election win.⛓
• OppositionMalaysiakini reported that AMANAH's deputy president Salahuddin Ayub questioned PAS's decision not to appeal the election court ruling, stating it was 'as if PAS themselves had admitted that there were elements of corruption.'⛓
• GovernmentThe Terengganu Election Court, per The Star's reporting, found that BN candidate Mohd Zubir had successfully proven that corrupt practices had occurred with the aim of influencing voters in GE15 for the Kuala Terengganu seat.⛓
• PublicCodeBlue reported that Ahmad Amzad publicly alleged PH campaign teams distributed cigarette packs during the Kuala Terengganu by-election, and criticised government health policy on vape regulation — claims CodeBlue noted remained unverified as to who the recipients were.⛓

Business interests (publicly reported)

According to Wikipedia, Ahmad Amzad served as Managing Director of MSET Shipbuilding Corporation Sdn Bhd from 1995 to 2004 prior to entering politics. No current business interests have been reported by credible Malaysian news outlets.

Notable legal history

On 27 June 2023, the Terengganu Election Court, presided by Judge Mohd Firuz Jaffril, annulled Ahmad Amzad's GE15 victory for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat. The court found that the petitioner, BN candidate Mohd Zubir Embong, had successfully proven that corruption had taken place with the aim of influencing voters (Source: malaysiakini.com/news/670144; thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/07/09/pas-wont-appeal-lost-mp-seat; malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/08/13/pas-ahmad-amzad-retains-kuala-terengganu-parliamentary-seat/84993). The court also ordered Ahmad Amzad to pay RM50,000 to Mohd Zubir (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Amzad_Hashim). PAS announced on 8 July 2023 that it would not appeal the ruling (Source: thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/07/09/pas-wont-appeal-lost-mp-seat). Ahmad Amzad subsequently contested and won the resulting by-election on 12 August 2023 (Source: bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2215802). Note: The election court's finding related to electoral corruption by campaign associates; contemporaneous reporting by The Star noted that Ahmad Amzad maintained the ruling had not found him personally guilty of corruption (Source: thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/09/15/kuala-terengganu-mp-says-hulu-langat-mp-insulted-him).