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Awang Hashim

Awang Hashim

Party
PAS · Malaysian Islamic Party
Coalition
PN
Constituency
Pendang
State
Kedah
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Why this matters to you

As an opposition MP sitting in the Dewan Rakyat, Awang Hashim votes against government-tabled bills and budgets, directly influencing legislative outcomes on matters such as cost-of-living measures and federal development allocations for Kedah — a constituency of approximately 99,363 people (Source: en.wikipedia.org). Residents of Pendang may be most directly affected by his parliamentary advocacy on local infrastructure, including his June 2026 questioning of the federal government over delays in financing the Pelubang water treatment plant upgrade in Jitra (Source: freemalaysiatoday.com). His previous tenure as Deputy Minister of Human Resources means his voting record and public positions on workers' rights, SOCSO benefits, and employment policy carry context from direct ministerial experience (Source: en.wikipedia.org).

Summary

Datuk Awang Solahuddin bin Hashim (born 5 November 1964) is the PAS/Perikatan Nasional MP for Pendang, Kedah, serving since GE14 in 2018 and re-elected in GE15 in 2022 [1]. He previously served as Deputy Minister of Human Resources under two consecutive federal governments from March 2020 to November 2022 [1]. As an opposition backbencher since 2022, he has been active in Dewan Rakyat debates on Bumiputera economic policy and Kedah constituency infrastructure, and has received two 10-day parliamentary suspensions for conduct on the floor of the House [2].

Biography

Datuk Awang Solahuddin bin Hashim (born 5 November 1964) is a Malaysian politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Pendang, Kedah, a seat he has held since winning the 14th General Election (GE14) in May 2018 [1]. He is a member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. Before entering politics, he worked as a Finance Officer at a government-linked company (GLC) [3]. Awang first won Pendang in GE14 with 26,536 votes against Barisan Nasional's Othman Abdul who received 20,728 votes, a majority of 5,808 [3]. He retained the seat under the PN banner in the 15th General Election (GE15) on 19 November 2022 [4]. During the Perikatan Nasional government under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Awang served as Deputy Minister of Human Resources from March 2020. He continued in that role under the subsequent Barisan Nasional-led administration of former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, from August 2021 until that government's collapse in November 2022 [1]. He is a member of the PAS Central Working Committee [4]. As an opposition MP in the 15th Parliament, Awang has been an active debater on Bumiputera economic policy, infrastructure development for his Kedah constituency, and scrutiny of federal government allocations [4]. He has been the subject of two separate 10-day suspensions from the Dewan Rakyat — one in December 2024 and one in August 2025 [5].

Known for

Awang Hashim is known as a vocal PAS opposition MP who frequently raises Bumiputera economic interests and scrutinises federal policy on the floor of the Dewan Rakyat [4]. He served as Deputy Minister of Human Resources across two consecutive governments — the PN administration under Muhyiddin Yassin and the BN administration under Ismail Sabri Yaakob — giving him frontline experience in labour and workers' welfare policy [1]. He has attracted parliamentary attention on multiple occasions for floor conduct that led to two separate 10-day suspensions from the Dewan Rakyat [2].

Political positions

Awang Hashim has consistently emphasised Bumiputera economic rights in parliamentary debates. In August 2025, Free Malaysia Today reported that he criticised the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) for lacking specific initiatives for the Bumiputera community and raised the May 13, 1969 racial incident as a cautionary reference, framing it as a "friendly reminder" about the consequences of economic inequality. He also questioned the disbursement of a RM100 million allocation to the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra), calling on Indian MPs to raise the issue with the prime minister [4]. In June 2026, Free Malaysia Today reported that Awang raised the issue of upgrade works at the Pelubang water treatment plant in Jitra, Kedah, questioning federal-state financing mechanisms and calling for more efficient approval processes for strategic infrastructure projects [4]. As a PAS central working committee member, he has weighed in on inter-community language sensitivities, stating in September 2025 that while the term 'kafir' does not inherently carry a negative connotation in Islamic discourse, it would be preferable to use the term 'non-Muslim' to avoid giving offence [4]. He has also pushed for scheduled state elections to proceed on time, rejecting calls to postpone them due to geopolitical or economic crises [4].

References

  1. [1]en.wikipedia.org
  2. [2]nst.com.my; theedgemalaysia.com
  3. [3]sinarharian.com.my
  4. [4]freemalaysiatoday.com
  5. [5]theedgemalaysia.com; nst.com.my

Before politics

  1. Pre-2018Worked as a Finance Officer at a government-linked company (GLC) prior to his first parliamentary election.⛓

Political career

  1. May 2018Won the Pendang parliamentary seat (P011) for PAS under the Gagasan Sejahtera coalition in GE14, defeating BN's Othman Abdul with 26,536 votes to 20,728, a majority of 5,808.⛓
  2. March 2020Appointed Deputy Minister of Human Resources in the Perikatan Nasional government under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.⛓
  3. August 2021Continued as Deputy Minister of Human Resources under the Barisan Nasional government of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, serving until the government's collapse in November 2022.⛓
  4. November 2022Re-elected as MP for Pendang (P011) under the Perikatan Nasional coalition in GE15.⛓
  5. December 2024Suspended from the Dewan Rakyat for 10 days by Speaker Johari Abdul for allegedly insulting the Speaker in a TikTok video posted on 18 July 2024, after failing to retract the statement or issue an apology.⛓
  6. August 2025Suspended from the Dewan Rakyat for a second time, for 10 days, after being seen apparently challenging Jelutong MP RSN Rayer to a physical confrontation outside Parliament on 13 August 2025, during the 13th Malaysia Plan debate.⛓

Election history

  • 2022Pendang (P011)Won⛓
  • 2018Pendang (P011)Won⛓

Stance evolution

Public statements grouped chronologically. The party tag shows which party the politician was contesting under at that point.

  1. 2026PAS
    • However, elections should not be postponed as the state governments' current actions are seen as failing to serve the rakyat's interests

      Awang Hashim, as a PAS central working committee member, rejecting calls to delay the Johor and Melaka state elections amid the geopolitical crisis. · Source

  2. 2025PAS
    • This is a friendly reminder to us all

      Said during the Dewan Rakyat debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan, defending his earlier reference to the May 13, 1969 racial incident. · Source

    • But I agree that the term could offend some and we should avoid using it. Maybe it would be better to use the term non-Muslim

      Awang Hashim commenting on the use of the term 'kafir', in response to a call by a leader of the PAS non-Muslim supporters' wing. · Source

Perspectives on key issues

  • OppositionAs a PN/PAS opposition MP, Awang Hashim has consistently criticised the unity government's development plan for what he describes as insufficient attention to Bumiputera economic interests and inadequate federal funding mechanisms for Kedah's infrastructure needs.⛓
  • GovernmentDewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul suspended Awang twice — in December 2024 and August 2025 — citing conduct unbecoming of a member of Parliament, stating the second incident was witnessed by the Speaker personally and that such behaviour 'does not look good for the nation'.⛓
  • ExpertAccording to Free Malaysia Today, DAP's Melaka chief Khoo Poay Tiong questioned the sincerity of Awang's September 2025 statement on avoiding the term 'kafir', noting that Awang himself had reportedly referred to another MP as 'kafir harbi' during a Dewan Rakyat argument on 13 August 2025.⛓
  • VerifiedFactsAccording to Malay Mail, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) issued a statement in November 2024 denying that its chief commissioner had made a claim that RM94 million was found at a former minister's home, rebutting a statement attributed to Awang Hashim in Parliament. MACC stressed that 'statements are based on accurate facts to avoid confusion'.⛓

Sources

Every URL the AI used to draft this profile, for editor and reader verification.

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