TopicsPolitician AnalysisMohd Zakhwan Ahmad Badarddin

Mohd Zakhwan Ahmad Badarddin

Party
PAS · Malaysian Islamic Party
Coalition
PN
Constituency
Tahan
State
Pahang
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Why this matters to you

As ADUN for Tahan — a constituency that includes deep interior communities in Hulu Tembeling accessible only by river boat — Zakhwan's DUN questions on water supply, forest reserves, and road infrastructure directly influence state budget priorities and government responses affecting residents' access to clean water, safe roads, and a functioning river ecosystem (Source: sinarharian.com.my; bernama.com). His questions on invasive fish species and elephant-human conflict carry practical consequences for the livelihoods of river fishermen and smallholder farmers in the constituency (Source: bernama.com; sinarharian.com.my). Sitting in the opposition bloc against the BN-led Pahang state government, his ability to secure state constituency allocation for community development projects has been reported as constrained (Source: freemalaysiatoday.com).

Summary

Mohd Zakhwan Ahmad Badarddin (Ustaz Zakhwan) is the two-term PAS/Perikatan Nasional ADUN for Tahan (N.09), Pahang, having held the seat since 2018 and strengthened his mandate in 2022. A former Ketua Pemuda PAS Pahang, he represents one of Malaysia's most remote rural constituencies and is active in the Pahang DUN on issues of water, forest conservation, rural infrastructure, and community welfare.

Biography

Mohd Zakhwan Ahmad Badarddin (also referred to as Ustaz Zakhwan) is the Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) for Tahan (N.09), Pahang, representing Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. He first won the Tahan seat in the 14th Pahang State Election on 9 May 2018, defeating the Barisan Nasional incumbent by a narrow majority of 69 votes, with 5,638 votes or 37.1% of the poll [2]. He retained the seat in the 15th Pahang State Election held on 19 November 2022, increasing his majority substantially to 2,014 votes with 8,777 votes cast in his favour [3]. Prior to focusing fully on his duties as ADUN, Zakhwan served as Ketua Pemuda PAS Pahang, a position he held until he aged out of the youth category and was replaced in October 2021 [4]. His constituency of Tahan, which falls within the Jerantut parliamentary division, is characterised by remote riverine and FELDA communities, including parts of Hulu Tembeling that are accessible primarily by river boat and four-wheel-drive vehicles [3]. His late father, Ahmad Badarddin Mat Ripin, was a retired government health department officer, and Zakhwan is the eldest of 15 siblings [4]. During the 2020–2022 period under the UMNO-BN Pahang state government, PAS ADUNs including Zakhwan were reported to have received no state constituency allocation since January 2022 [5]. He is known in parliamentary records as 'Ustaz Zakhwan', reflecting a religious education background [6].

Known for

Mohd Zakhwan is recognised as a PAS state assemblyman who consistently uses the Pahang DUN floor to raise constituency-level issues covering water supply, forest conservation, invasive aquatic species, and elephant-human conflict — topics directly affecting the rural and remote communities of Tahan [7]. He was a former Ketua Pemuda PAS Pahang, having led the state's youth wing before ageing out of the position in 2021 [4]. He is also noted for hands-on constituency welfare work, including coordinating essential supply distributions to remote villages during COVID-19 lockdowns [3].

Political positions

Zakhwan's recorded positions in the Pahang State Assembly reflect a focus on natural resource stewardship and rural infrastructure. He has questioned the state government on the extent of gazetted water catchment areas and policies for their protection [1], on measures to prevent a water supply crisis [4], and on the state's forest reserve policy and the balance between development and environmental preservation [8]. He has also raised concerns over invasive fish species threatening native river ecosystems in Pahang [4], and asked about the state government's plans to address elephant-human conflict affecting farmers [1]. On anti-corruption, he has publicly advocated for religious grounding as a deterrent against corruption, arguing that political participation should be driven by public service rather than personal gain [4]. As a PAS representative under the Muafakat Nasional framework (2019–2021), he participated in joint UMNO-PAS activities at the state level [4]. He has also raised road infrastructure concerns for rural communities in the Dewan Rakyat context [6].

References

  1. [1]bernama.com
  2. [2]thestar.com.my
  3. [3]utusan.com.my
  4. [4]sinarharian.com.my
  5. [5]freemalaysiatoday.com
  6. [6]parlimen.gov.my
  7. [7]bernama.com; sinarharian.com.my
  8. [8]bernama.com; freemalaysiatoday.com

Political career

  1. 9 May 2018Won the Tahan (N.09) state seat in the 14th Pahang State Election under PAS, defeating the BN incumbent by a majority of 69 votes with 5,638 votes (37.1%).⛓
  2. Before October 2021Served as Ketua Pemuda PAS Pahang, leading the state's youth wing in joint Muafakat Nasional activities with UMNO Pahang youth.⛓
  3. October 2021Stepped down as Ketua Pemuda PAS Pahang after exceeding the youth age limit; replaced by Aireroshairi Roslan at the 39th Pahang PAS Youth Congress.⛓
  4. 19 November 2022Re-elected as ADUN Tahan (N.09) under the Perikatan Nasional coalition with 8,777 votes and a majority of 2,014 over the BN candidate.⛓
  5. May 2026Raised a question in the Pahang DUN regarding the state's permanent forest reserve (HSK) policy and the balance between development and environmental preservation.⛓

Election history

  • 2022Tahan (N.09), PahangWon⛓
  • 2018Tahan (N.09), PahangWon37.1%⛓

Stance evolution

Public statements grouped chronologically. The party tag shows which party the politician was contesting under at that point.

  1. 2021PAS
    • Jika mereka memilih dunia politik ini untuk berkhidmat kepada rakyat, mereka tentu dapat mengelakkan diri daripada amalan rasuah yang boleh merosakkan negara.

      Zakhwan speaking to Sinar Harian on the role of religious values and public service motivation in combating corruption. · Source

  2. 2020PAS
    • I have discussed with the religious office to organise a mass prayer session.

      Zakhwan commenting to The Star on community concerns over unexplained incidents in a Jerantut village, and steps taken with the district religious office. · Source

Perspectives on key issues

  • VerifiedFactsZakhwan won Tahan in 2018 with a majority of 69 votes (5,638 votes, 37.1%) and retained it in 2022 with a majority of 2,014 votes (8,777 votes) under the PN banner.⛓
  • VerifiedFactsFMT reported in September 2022 that PAS ADUNs in Pahang, including Zakhwan (Tahan), had not received state constituency allocations since January 2022 from the UMNO-BN state government.⛓
  • GovernmentThe Pahang Menteri Besar's office responded to Zakhwan's DUN questions on water catchment, forest reserves, and elephant conflict, indicating the state government takes those issues seriously at a policy level.⛓
  • OppositionAs a PAS/PN ADUN in an opposition role within the BN-governed Pahang state assembly, Zakhwan has used DUN sessions to question the state government on environmental and infrastructure issues affecting his rural constituency.⛓
  • AffectedRemote communities in Hulu Tembeling — over 100 km from Jerantut town and accessible only by river boat — depended on Zakhwan and MUIP to coordinate mobile market services during the 2021 full lockdown.⛓

Sources

Every URL the AI used to draft this profile, for editor and reader verification.

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