Hassan Abdul Karim

Summary

Hassan Abdul Karim is a veteran Malaysian lawyer and politician who has represented the Pasir Gudang parliamentary constituency in Johor for PKR since May 2018, having previously led the left-wing Parti Rakyat Malaysia as its president. He served as Chairman of the Federal-State Relations Select Committee from 2018 to 2022 and has since become a notable government backbench critic within PKR, publicly challenging decisions on 5G network contracts and anti-corruption enforcement. He has announced he will not contest the upcoming 16th general election, citing his age.

Biography

Hassan bin Abdul Karim (born 17 October 1951) is a Malaysian lawyer and politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pasir Gudang, Johor, since May 2018 under the People's Justice Party (PKR), a component of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. He was educated at Universiti Malaya, where he was a student activist, and later at the University of London [1]. He began his legal career and joined the left-wing Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia (PSRM, later Parti Rakyat Malaysia or PRM) in 1978, rising through the ranks to become its youth chief, secretary-general, and eventually president [1]. After an unsuccessful push for PRM to join the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition, he resigned from the party presidency in November 2009 and re-joined PKR the same month [1]. He had previously contested and lost five successive elections before winning the Pasir Gudang seat in GE14 in 2018, defeating then-Johor Menteri Besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin of BN by a majority of 24,726 votes [1]. He was re-elected in GE15 in 2022 with an increased majority of 31,558 votes [2]. He served as Chairman of the Federal-State Relations Select Committee from December 2018 to November 2022 [1]. Since 2022, he has operated as a government backbencher and public critic within PKR. In March 2025, he announced he would not contest the upcoming 16th general election (GE16), citing his age and the need to give younger leaders an opportunity [3].

Known for

Hassan is known as a veteran left-leaning politician and lawyer with over five decades of involvement in Malaysian opposition politics, having led PRM before re-joining PKR [1]. Since GE15, he has drawn attention as one of the more outspoken critics within the PKR government backbench, publicly questioning government decisions including the award of the second 5G network to U Mobile and raising anti-corruption concerns in Parliament [4]. He has confirmed he will not defend his Pasir Gudang seat at GE16, signalling the close of his parliamentary career [3].

Political positions

Hassan has consistently championed parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, arguing that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's constitutional powers must be exercised within the bounds of the Federal Constitution [5]. He has been a critic of cronyism and corruption, raising questions in the Dewan Rakyat about how anti-corruption efforts can be credible when convicted individuals receive reduced penalties [5]. He publicly criticised the government's decision to award the second 5G network rollout to U Mobile, comparing it to the rise of crony capitalism [6]. He also raised concerns about Johor's decision to revert its weekend to Saturday and Sunday and has called for UMNO leadership reform [6]. Despite frequent public disagreements with PKR's central leadership on various issues, he has reaffirmed his loyalty to the party and PH [4].

Education

1. Early 1970sAttended Universiti Malaya, where he was active as a student activist.⛓
2. Post-UMStudied at the University of London, qualifying as a lawyer by profession.⛓

Before politics

1. 1978Joined the left-wing Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia (PSRM, later Parti Rakyat Malaysia/PRM) and practised as a lawyer.⛓

Political career

1. Late 1970s–1990sRose through PRM ranks, serving as its youth chief and secretary-general.⛓
2. April 2005Elected president of PRM by a faction of dissident members who opposed the party's merger with the National Justice Party into PKR.⛓
3. 15 November 2009Announced resignation as PRM president after the party congress rejected his proposal to join the Pakatan Rakyat coalition; re-joined PKR the same month.⛓
4. 9 May 2018Won the Pasir Gudang parliamentary seat (P159) for PKR in GE14, defeating then-Johor Menteri Besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin (BN) by a majority of 24,726 votes — his first electoral victory after five previous losses.⛓
5. 4 December 2018Appointed Chairman of the Federal-State Relations Select Committee of Parliament.⛓
6. December 2018 – July 2019Served as PKR Johor state chairman; resigned on 12 July 2019, citing differences with the Johor palace.⛓
7. 19 November 2022Successfully defended the Pasir Gudang seat in GE15, winning with a majority of 31,558 votes.⛓
8. November–December 2024Summoned before PKR's disciplinary board over public criticism of the government, including the award of the second 5G network to U Mobile; PKR's central leadership council decided to take no action against him.⛓
9. 9 March 2025Announced he would not defend his Pasir Gudang seat in GE16, citing his age and the need to give younger leaders the opportunity.⛓

Election history

• 2022Pasir Gudang (P159)Won⛓
• 2018Pasir Gudang (P159)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentPKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil confirmed in November 2024 that the party's central leadership council decided to take no disciplinary action against Hassan, stating the matter had been discussed and resolved internally.⛓
• VerifiedFactsHassan won Pasir Gudang in both GE14 (majority: 24,726 votes) and GE15 (majority: 31,558 votes); chaired the Federal-State Relations Select Committee from December 2018 to November 2022; confirmed he will not contest GE16; sedition charges filed in 2015 were dropped by the prosecution and he was discharged not amounting to an acquittal in May 2018.⛓
• PublicAccording to Malaysiakini, Hassan was announced as one of the winners of the 37th Lim Lian Geok Spirit Award for 2024 on the same day he appeared before PKR's disciplinary board, with the award recognising his stance on current issues.⛓

Notable legal history

On 16 November 2015, Hassan was charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court with three counts of making seditious statements via his public Twitter account, in which he was alleged to have criticised the Selangor Sultan for being abroad during the Selangor Menteri Besar crisis in 2014. He was discharged not amounting to an acquittal by the Sessions Court in May 2018, following the prosecution's decision to drop the charges (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Abdul_Karim; nst.com.my/news/politics/2024/02/1009424).