Hamzah Brahim

Summary

Datuk Hamzah bin Brahim is a PBB politician and Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for Stakan, elected in December 2021 with a majority of 5,807 votes under the GPS coalition. He has been active in PBB party structures since 1995 and has served as a Political Secretary at the federal level to two consecutive ministers. He drew public attention in 2024 for his public criticism of Petronas over the Sarawak gas distribution dispute and his support for Petros as the state's sole gas aggregator.

Biography

Datuk Hamzah bin Brahim is a Malaysian politician serving as Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Stakan since December 2021, under the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) banner and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) ticket [1]. He was born around 1973, as Sinar Harian reported him to be 48 years old at the time of the December 2021 election [2]. He has been active in party politics since 1995, and served as Secretary-General of the PBB Youth Wing prior to his election as an assemblyman [2]. Before contesting the Stakan seat, he served as Political Secretary to the Senior Minister of Works [2]. The Stakan constituency, which has a population of 73,478 as of 2020, was created in the 2015 electoral redistribution and carved out of the former Muara Tuang area [1]. Hamzah won the seat in the 12th Sarawak State Election on 18 December 2021 with 7,854 votes (46.2% vote share) and a majority of 5,807 over three other candidates [3]. Following his election, he was appointed Political Secretary to the Minister of Plantation and Commodities in 2022, and subsequently to the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Fadillah Yusof, from January 2023 [1]. He holds the title of Datuk.

Known for

Hamzah Brahim is known primarily as the GPS-PBB assemblyman for the Stakan constituency in the Kota Samarahan division of Sarawak. He drew national attention in November 2024 when, as reported by Free Malaysia Today, he publicly criticised Petronas for its approach in finalising a gas distribution agreement with state-owned Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros), and warned Putrajaya against allowing the dispute to destabilise the federal unity government [4]. He has also advocated in the Sarawak State Assembly for a railway link between Sarawak and Kalimantan, arguing it would boost cross-border trade with Indonesia [5].

Political positions

Hamzah Brahim has taken a consistent stance in favour of Sarawak's resource rights and state autonomy. In November 2024, Free Malaysia Today reported that he called on Putrajaya to ensure Petronas respected Sarawak's laws and concluded a gas distribution deal recognising Petros as the state's sole gas aggregator, describing Petronas as 'stubborn' and 'disrespectful' in the negotiations. He warned that failure to resolve the dispute could contribute to the 'potential downfall' of the Madani government, a statement that analysts from Universiti Malaya and the University of Tasmania assessed as reflecting a minority view within GPS [4]. On infrastructure and trade, he proposed during a 2023 state assembly sitting that Sarawak develop plans for a railway connecting the state to Kalimantan, arguing it would ease the export of goods between Malaysia and Indonesia [5]. During his 2021 campaign, he also pledged to focus on the welfare of armed forces personnel stationed in Kem Muara Tuang and Kem Penrissen within the Stakan constituency [6].

Before politics

1. 1995Began involvement in party politics, as reported at the time of his 2021 election candidacy. Served within PBB structures over the following decades.⛓
2. Pre-2021Served as Secretary-General of the PBB Youth Wing (Pergerakan Pemuda PBB), and as Political Secretary to the Senior Minister of Works prior to contesting the Stakan seat.⛓

Political career

1. December 2021Elected as Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for Stakan in the 12th Sarawak State Election, contesting under the GPS-PBB ticket. Won with 7,854 votes (46.2%) and a majority of 5,807 in a four-cornered contest.⛓
2. 2022Appointed Political Secretary to the Minister of Plantation and Commodities.⛓
3. January 2023Appointed Political Secretary to the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Fadillah Yusof.⛓
4. May 2023Proposed a railway link connecting Sarawak and Kalimantan during a state assembly sitting, arguing it would boost international trade between Malaysia and Indonesia.⛓
5. November 2024Publicly criticised Petronas for its approach in the gas distribution negotiations with Petros, calling on Putrajaya to ensure Petronas respected Sarawak's laws. His remarks attracted responses from national political figures and academics.⛓

Election history

• 2021Stakan (N17), Sarawak State Legislative AssemblyWon46.2%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentHamzah has positioned himself as a vocal advocate for Sarawak's state resource rights within the GPS coalition, pressing Putrajaya and Petronas to finalise the gas aggregation deal in Petros's favour.⛓
• ExpertUniversiti Malaya's Awang Azman Pawi dismissed Hamzah's warning of a 'potential downfall' of the unity government as merely a 'populist statement', and James Chin of the University of Tasmania assessed that Hamzah's GPS colleagues were unlikely to share his views.⛓
• OppositionFormer Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, as reported by Free Malaysia Today, described Hamzah's remarks warning of the Madani government's 'potential downfall' as unwise, saying 'It is unwise to go to that extent.'⛓
• VerifiedFactsHamzah won the Stakan seat in December 2021 with 7,854 votes (46.2% share) and a majority of 5,807 in a four-cornered contest. The constituency had 16,992 registered voters and a 63.8% turnout.⛓