Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar

Summary

Datuk Seri Ghulamhaidar @ Yusof bin Khan Bahadar (born 9 June 1955) is a Sabah politician who has represented the Kawang state constituency without interruption since March 2004, winning his sixth consecutive term in the November 2025 Sabah state election under the GRS-GAGASAN banner with a majority of 8,763 votes. A member of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GAGASAN) within the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, he also serves as a director of the Yayasan Sabah Group. He has been active in the state assembly on issues of Sabah's federal revenue entitlement.

Biography

Datuk Seri Ghulamhaidar @ Yusof bin Khan Bahadar (born 9 June 1955) is a Malaysian politician from Papar, Sabah [1]. He has served as the Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Kawang constituency since March 2004, making him one of the longest-serving assemblymen in the state [1]. He is a member of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GAGASAN), a regionalist party that is a component of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition at both federal and state levels [1]. He also serves as a director of the Yayasan Sabah Group [1][2]. In the 17th Sabah General Election held on 29 November 2025, he secured his sixth consecutive term as Kawang assemblyman, defeating five challengers with 11,688 votes and a majority of 8,763 votes [3][4]. The Kawang constituency falls under the Papar parliamentary constituency and had a population of approximately 51,590 as of 2020 [1]). He has previously held the post of Assistant State Minister [1]. Armizan Mohd Ali, the federal Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living and Papar MP, is his nephew [5][2].

Known for

Ghulamhaidar Khan Bahadar is known for holding the Kawang state seat for over two decades without interruption since 2004, having secured his sixth consecutive term in the November 2025 Sabah state election [6]. He is also recognised as a director of the Yayasan Sabah Group and as an advocate within the Sabah state assembly for the state's constitutional 40% revenue entitlement from the federal government [7][8].

Political positions

Within the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, Ghulamhaidar has publicly advocated for Sabah's constitutional right to its 40% share of federal revenue. During the debate on the 2026 Sabah Supply Bill in December 2025, he expressed confidence that the strong ties between Chief Minister Hajiji Noor and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim would facilitate a faster resolution of the revenue-sharing mechanism, and he cited the High Court ruling that affirmed Sabah's constitutional right to the special grant as providing a clear legal framework going forward [9][10][11][12]. He operates within the GRS coalition framework and his constituency of Kawang sits under the Papar parliamentary seat [9][13].

Political career

1. March 2004First elected as Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly for Kawang, beginning continuous service in the seat.⛓
2. 2020Won the Kawang seat for his fifth term on a Perikatan Nasional (PN) ticket in the 16th Sabah state election snap poll.⛓
3. 2023Joined Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GAGASAN) after the party was taken over by Chief Minister Hajiji Noor in January 2023 and integrated into the GRS ruling coalition. Listed as GAGASAN Treasurer-General.⛓
4. 29 November 2025Secured his sixth consecutive term as Kawang assemblyman in the 17th Sabah General Election under GRS-GAGASAN, winning 11,688 votes with a majority of 8,763 in a five-cornered contest.⛓
5. 15 December 2025Debated the 2026 Sabah Supply Bill at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, advocating for resolution of Sabah's 40% federal revenue entitlement.⛓

Election history

• 2025KawangWon⛓
• 2020KawangWon⛓
• 2018KawangWon⛓
• 2013KawangWon⛓
• 2008KawangWon⛓
• 2004KawangWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentAs a GRS-GAGASAN assemblyman under Chief Minister Hajiji Noor's administration, Ghulamhaidar is aligned with the ruling state coalition and has expressed support for the Anwar–Hajiji federal-state relationship as a channel for advancing Sabah's revenue claims.⛓
• VerifiedFactsOfficial Election Commission results confirm Ghulamhaidar won the Kawang seat in the 17th Sabah General Election (29 November 2025) with 11,688 votes and a majority of 8,763, defeating five challengers.⛓
• PublicPapar MP Armizan Mohd Ali publicly thanked voters for the GRS 3-0 sweep of Papar's state seats — including Kawang — in the 2025 Sabah election, indicating constituent mandate for the coalition's candidates.⛓

Business interests (publicly reported)

According to The Star, Ghulamhaidar Khan Bahadar serves as a director of the Yayasan Sabah Group (Source: thestar.com.my, 3 December 2022). This is also noted in his Wikipedia entry (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghulamhaidar_Khan). No further details on the nature or scope of this directorship were available from allowlist sources.