Hasbi Habibollah

Summary

Datuk Haji Hasbi bin Haji Habibollah (born 2 January 1963) is the four-term PBB Member of Parliament for Limbang, Sarawak, and currently serves as Deputy Minister of Transport in the Unity Government under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. A trained engineer before entering politics in 2008, he has held deputy ministerial roles across three successive federal administrations spanning Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional, and the present Unity Government. He is the parliamentary representative for a constituency uniquely surrounded by Brunei's territory, giving cross-border transport and infrastructure issues direct relevance to his portfolio.

Biography

Datuk Haji Hasbi bin Haji Habibollah (born 2 January 1963) is a Malaysian politician and engineer, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Limbang (P221), Sarawak, since March 2008 [1]. He is a member of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), a component party of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), formerly aligned with Barisan Nasional (BN) [1]. Before entering politics, Hasbi worked as an engineer [1]. He was first elected in the 2008 general election for the newly created Limbang seat, winning by a narrow margin, and retained the seat in the 2013, 2018, and 2022 general elections [2]. In GE15 (November 2022), he secured 14,897 votes with a majority of 9,998 votes [3]. He has held three deputy ministerial posts across successive administrations: Deputy Minister of Transport I under the Perikatan Nasional government from March 2020 to August 2021; Deputy Minister of Rural Development II under the Barisan Nasional government from August 2021 to November 2022; and Deputy Minister of Transport for a second term under the Unity Government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim since December 2022, serving under Minister of Transport Anthony Loke Siew Fook [1]. Limbang is geographically flanked by Brunei on two sides, giving Hasbi's constituency cross-border transport and infrastructure matters particular relevance to his ministerial portfolio [4]. He holds the honorific title Datuk Haji and is listed on the official Parliament of Malaysia member roll as YB Datuk Haji Hasbi bin Haji Habibollah [5].

Known for

Hasbi is the four-term MP for Limbang, the only federal constituency entirely surrounded by Brunei's territory, and has served as Deputy Minister of Transport across two separate administrations. He has been a consistent advocate for transport connectivity and infrastructure serving Sarawak and East Malaysia, including Limbang's road access, port governance, and aviation routes. As Deputy Minister, he has been the government's parliamentary voice on matters ranging from railway fleet procurement, LRT3 station reinstatement, and airline regulatory issues, to road safety enforcement.

Political positions

Hasbi has publicly advocated for improved land and air transport connectivity for East Malaysia. He raised the issue of Malaysian motorists being fined by Brunei for tinted vehicle windows and called for bilateral discussion to resolve the matter, highlighting the impact on Limbang residents who must transit Brunei daily [4]. He has championed the prospect of petroleum exploration in Limbang, asking for updates on Petros's onshore block evaluation at PBB conventions [6]. In his transport portfolio, he has defended the government's oversight of MYAirline following its suspension, assured passengers on Malaysia Airlines' fleet condition, and announced procurement of new ETS train sets and reinstatement of five LRT3 stations [7]. He has also promoted road safety through mandatory second-driver rules for long-distance express buses and the deployment of undercover JPJ officers [4]. On aviation infrastructure, he announced progress on the Penang International Logistics Aeropark and new international routes to East Malaysian airports as part of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 [7].

Before politics

1. Pre-2008Hasbi worked as an engineer prior to entering politics.⛓

Political career

1. March 2008First elected as Member of Parliament for the newly created Limbang seat (P221) under BN-PBB, winning by a narrow margin in GE12.⛓
2. May 2013Re-elected as MP for Limbang under BN-PBB in GE13, retaining the seat.⛓
3. May 2018Re-elected as MP for Limbang in GE14. PBB subsequently withdrew from BN and joined GPS coalition.⛓
4. March 2020Appointed Deputy Minister of Transport I in the Perikatan Nasional administration under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Minister Wee Ka Siong.⛓
5. August 2021Appointed Deputy Minister of Rural Development II in the BN administration under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Minister Mahdzir Khalid, following the collapse of the PN government.⛓
6. November 2022Re-elected as MP for Limbang (P221) under GPS-PBB in GE15 with 14,897 votes and a majority of 9,998 votes.⛓
7. December 2022Appointed Deputy Minister of Transport for a second term in the Unity Government under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.⛓

Election history

• 2022Limbang (P221)Won⛓
• 2018Limbang (P221)Won⛓
• 2013Limbang (P221)Won⛓
• 2008Limbang (P221)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsHasbi has served as MP for Limbang continuously since 2008 across four general elections (GE12–GE15), representing PBB under both the BN and GPS coalition banners. He is listed on the official Parliament of Malaysia roll as YB Datuk Haji Hasbi bin Haji Habibollah for constituency P221.⛓
• GovernmentAs Deputy Minister of Transport in the Unity Government, Hasbi has been the ministry's parliamentary spokesperson on transport infrastructure procurement (ETS trains, LRT3 stations), airline regulatory matters, road safety enforcement, and East Malaysian aviation connectivity including Visit Malaysia Year 2026 routes.⛓
• AffectedLimbang residents face a distinctive daily constraint: the only land route linking Limbang to the rest of Sarawak passes through Brunei, exposing Malaysian motorists to foreign traffic laws, including fines for tinted vehicle windows. Hasbi raised this issue in Parliament and at the federal level, calling for bilateral negotiations.⛓