Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon

Summary

Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon is a Malaysian politician born on 2 January 1960 in Johor, with a multi-decade career spanning PKR, Bersatu, and both Penang and Johor politics. He served as Penang Deputy Chief Minister I (2013–2018), MP for Batu Pahat (2018–2022), and Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker (2018–2022) before losing his parliamentary seat in GE15. He is contesting the Senggarang state seat for Bersatu/PN in the 16th Johor State Election (polling 11 July 2026).

Biography

Datuk Mohd Rashid bin Hasnon was born on 2 January 1960 in Johor [1]. He is a veteran Malaysian politician with a career spanning three decades and two states. He was one of the founding members of PKR in Penang, serving as GERAK Penang chairman from 1999 and PKR State Treasurer from 2001 [1]. In 2013, he was elected Penang State Assemblyman for Pantai Jerejak and was appointed Deputy Chief Minister I of Penang, holding the EXCO portfolio of Industrial Development and International Trade, Entrepreneurial Development, Cooperative and Community Relations. He also served as Deputy Chairman of the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and deputy chairman of the PBAPP board [1]. In 2018, he returned to his home state of Johor and won the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat under PKR with a majority of 17,894 votes [2]. In March 2020, he resigned from PKR and declared support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition during the Sheraton Move political realignment, subsequently joining Bersatu [2]. He served as Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker from July 2018 to December 2022, under Speakers Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof and Azhar Azizan Harun [1]. He was defeated in the 2022 general election (GE15) defending the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat, receiving 25,949 votes against PH winner Onn Abu Bakar's 41,880 [3]. At age 66, he is contesting the Senggarang (N24) state seat in Johor under the Bersatu/PN ticket in the 16th Johor State Election scheduled for 11 July 2026, facing BN's Mohd Yusla Ismail and PH's Onn Abu Bakar [2][4].

Known for

Mohd Rashid Hasnon is primarily known for his service as Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker (2018–2022) and for his cross-state political career spanning Penang and Johor. He is notable for his role in the 2020 Sheraton Move political realignment, resigning from PKR to support the incoming Perikatan Nasional coalition [2]. Malay Mail has described him as 'PN's most experienced candidate' in the 2026 Johor state election [2].

Political positions

Mohd Rashid Hasnon began his career within the PKR and Pakatan Rakyat framework, where he served as an EXCO member overseeing industrial development and trade under DAP Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in Penang. Following his defection to Perikatan Nasional in 2020, he aligned firmly with the Bersatu-led bloc. As Deputy Speaker, he presided over contentious parliamentary sessions, including rejecting opposition motions to replace the Dewan Rakyat Speaker on standing-order grounds [5]. He publicly cited his constituents' development interests as the reason for crossing to PN, stating his role was to ensure development continued [2]. During the GE15 campaign period, he emphasised economic policies such as the EPF moratorium and one-time withdrawal as being positively received by Batu Pahat voters [2]. He has also been active in international humanitarian and NGO work, serving as chairman of JIM International and participating in relief missions to Aceh (2004), Cambodia (2009), and Gaza (2011) [1].

Before politics

1. 1999Became chairman of GERAK Penang and was among the founding members of PKR in Penang. Subsequently served as PKR State Treasurer from 2001.⛓

Political career

1. May 2013Elected Penang State Assemblyman for Pantai Jerejak and appointed Deputy Chief Minister I of Penang, holding the EXCO portfolio of Industrial Development & International Trade, Entrepreneurial Development, Cooperative and Community Relations under CM Lim Guan Eng. Also served as Deputy Chairman of the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and PBAPP.⛓
2. May 2018Returned to home state Johor and won the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat under PKR with a majority of 17,894 votes, defeating BN's Haliza Abdullah and PAS's Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed.⛓
3. July 2018Appointed Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker under Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, a position he would continue to hold under Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun until December 2022.⛓
4. March 2020Resigned from PKR and declared support for the new Perikatan Nasional ruling coalition during the Sheraton Move political realignment, subsequently joining Bersatu. Cited his constituents' development interests as the reason.⛓
5. November 2022Lost the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat in GE15 to PH's Onn Abu Bakar. Rashid received 25,949 votes against Onn's approximately 41,880 votes, ending his tenure as Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker.⛓
6. June 2026Named by Bersatu as the PN candidate for the Senggarang (N24) state seat in the 16th Johor State Election, with polling day set for 11 July 2026.⛓

Election history

• 2026Senggarang N24 (Johor State)Won⛓
• 2022Batu Pahat (Parliamentary)Lost⛓
• 2018Batu Pahat (Parliamentary)Won⛓
• 2013Pantai Jerejak (Penang State)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsMohd Rashid Hasnon is Bersatu's candidate for Senggarang (N24) in the 16th Johor State Election (polling 11 July 2026). He faces BN's Mohd Yusla Ismail (the 2022 incumbent who won with a 3,912-vote majority) and PH's Onn Abu Bakar. Senggarang has 38,576 registered voters.⛓
• GovernmentBersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin confirmed all 16 Bersatu candidates for the Johor polls were vetted and were 'not bankrupt, nor had police cases or unpaid taxes', and that candidates would sign a declaration as part of the normal election process.⛓
• OppositionDuring GE15 campaigning in 2022, then-PKR president Anwar Ibrahim publicly criticised Rashid over his defection from PKR, alleging Rashid had sought positions before crossing over. Rashid denied these claims, calling them a 'fairy tale', and stated it was former PM Dr Mahathir who proposed his name for the Deputy Speaker post.⛓
• PublicIn the 2022 Johor state election, the Senggarang incumbent BN's Mohd Yusla Ismail won with 9,725 votes and a majority of 3,912, indicating BN held the seat with a moderate margin in a contest that did not include a PN candidate at the time.⛓