Mohamed Farid Mohamed Zawawi

Summary

Datuk Mohamed Farid Mohamed Zawawi is the elected Assemblyman for Kok Lanas, Kelantan, first winning the seat in August 2023 under the Perikatan Nasional banner with a majority of 8,219 votes and subsequently serving as Deputy Speaker of the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly. A qualified Chartered Accountant and businessman, he is the Chairman of Koperasi Wawasan Malaysia Berhad (Kowamas). In May 2026, Bersatu's Disciplinary Board expelled him for violating party rules linked to his attendance at a programme by expelled former deputy president Hamzah Zainudin; he retains his assembly seat as an independent under the Malaysian Constitution.

Biography

Datuk Mohamed Farid bin Mohamed Zawawi is a Malaysian politician and businessman who serves as the Member of the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Kok Lanas, a seat he has held since August 2023 [1]. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Koperasi Wawasan Malaysia Berhad (Kowamas), a cooperative that offers loans to civil servants [1]. He also serves as a Council Member of the People's Trust Council (MARA) [1]. Farid was elected in his electoral debut in the 12 August 2023 Kelantan state election under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner, winning the Kok Lanas seat with a majority of 8,219 votes [1]. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Speaker of the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly in September 2023 [1]. Prior to his electoral career, he served as BERSATU Divisional Chief of Kota Bharu from 2020, and later held the position of Ketereh division chief and state Bersatu deputy chief [1]. On 11 May 2026, Bersatu's Disciplinary Board expelled Farid with immediate effect for violating Clause 9.1.4 of the party constitution and its Code of Ethics and Conduct, linked by reporting to his attendance at a 'Reset' programme organised by expelled former Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin [2]. The Kelantan Speaker confirmed that Farid retains his ADUN seat as a party expulsion, unlike automatic membership termination, does not vacate an assembly seat under the Malaysian Constitution [3].

Known for

Mohamed Farid is known as Bersatu's representative who served as Deputy Speaker of the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly from September 2023 until his expulsion from the party in May 2026. He is also known as the Chairman of Koperasi Wawasan Malaysia Berhad (Kowamas), a cooperative providing loans to civil servants. His expulsion from Bersatu for allegedly attending a gathering linked to former party deputy president Hamzah Zainudin made him one of several elected representatives caught in the intra-party leadership dispute in 2026.

Political positions

During the 2023 Kelantan state election campaign, Malaysiakini reported that Farid stressed the importance of Malay political strength, warning that Malays risked marginalisation as he alleged had happened to Malay communities in Patani and Singapore. He aligned with the Perikatan Nasional coalition and BERSATU under the PN state government in Kelantan. Following his expulsion from BERSATU in May 2026, FMT (Bahasa) reported that Farid declared continued support for Hamzah Zainudin and claimed that BERSATU had deviated from its original struggle. No publicly stated positions on specific policy issues such as education, healthcare, or economic policy were found in the allowlist sources searched.

Before politics

1. Pre-2020Qualified as a Chartered Accountant and established Koperasi Wawasan Malaysia Berhad (Kowamas), serving as its Chairman of the Board of Directors.⛓
2. Pre-2020Appointed as a Council Member of the People's Trust Council (MARA).⛓

Political career

1. 2020Elected as BERSATU Divisional Chief of Kota Bharu, defeating former elections chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman in party polls.⛓
2. October 2025Confirmed receiving a Bersatu party directive prohibiting contact with suspended members, while serving as state Bersatu deputy chief; declined to comment further beyond confirming receipt.⛓
3. 12 August 2023Won the Kok Lanas state seat in his electoral debut under Perikatan Nasional in the 2023 Kelantan state election, with a majority of 8,219 votes.⛓
4. September 2023Appointed Deputy Speaker of the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly under Speaker Mohd Amar Abdullah.⛓
5. 11 May 2026Expelled from BERSATU by the party's Disciplinary Board with immediate effect for violating Clause 9.1.4 of the party constitution and its Code of Ethics and Conduct, linked to attendance at a 'Reset' programme associated with expelled former deputy president Hamzah Zainudin.⛓
6. 12 May 2026Kelantan Speaker confirmed Farid retains his Kok Lanas ADUN seat despite expulsion from Bersatu, as party expulsion does not trigger automatic seat vacation under the Malaysian Constitution. Kelantan Bersatu announced it would propose a replacement candidate for the Deputy Speaker post.⛓

Election history

• 2023Kok Lanas (Kelantan State)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsFarid won Kok Lanas in August 2023 with a majority of 8,219 votes, his first electoral contest, and was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly in September 2023.⛓
• GovernmentBersatu's Disciplinary Board stated the expulsion of Farid was for violating Clause 9.1.4 of the party constitution as well as the party's Code of Ethics and Conduct, effective 11 May 2026.⛓
• OppositionAccording to FMT (Bahasa), after his expulsion Farid declared continued support for Hamzah Zainudin and stated that BERSATU had deviated from its original struggle.⛓
• ExpertThe Kelantan Speaker confirmed that Farid's assembly seat is unaffected by his party expulsion, noting that expulsion differs from automatic membership termination (which would vacate a seat) under the Malaysian Constitution.⛓
• AffectedMalay Mail reported in May 2024 that civil servant borrowers of Kowamas — chaired by Farid — complained of being blacklisted by banks despite settling their debts, prompting a ministerial investigation.⛓

Business interests (publicly reported)

According to en.wikipedia.org, Farid is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Koperasi Wawasan Malaysia Berhad (Kowamas), a cooperative he established. Malay Mail reported in May 2024 that Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick confirmed an investigation had been launched following complaints that Kowamas borrowers — civil servants offered loans of up to RM200,000 — had been blacklisted by banks despite settling their debts, with the minister stating the investigation was underway to identify the cause. The Cooperatives Commission of Malaysia (SKM) confirmed it had been in contact with Kowamas during the matter (Source: malaymail.com).