Rodziah Ismail

Summary

Rodziah binti Ismail (born 8 July 1964) is the PKR Member of Parliament for Ampang (P099, Selangor), serving since November 2022 after winning the GE15 contest with a 29,681-vote majority [1]. She brings over 15 years of experience as a Selangor State Executive Councillor, having overseen housing, urban well-being, and entrepreneur development portfolios under three successive Menteris Besar [2]. As of mid-2026, she remains in office but faces internal PKR uncertainty regarding her candidacy for the next general election, amid party deliberations over constituency allocations [3].

Biography

Rodziah binti Ismail (born 8 July 1964, Ipoh) is a Malaysian politician and member of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) who has served as the Member of Parliament for Ampang (P099) since November 2022 [4]. She previously served as a member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly for the Batu Tiga seat from March 2008 to August 2023, representing the seat for three consecutive terms [4]. During her tenure as a state assemblyperson, she simultaneously held a position on the Selangor State Executive Council (EXCO) under three Menteris Besar — Khalid Ibrahim, Azmin Ali, and Amirudin Shari — from March 2008 to August 2014 (when she resigned in a show of solidarity during a PKR-EXCO dispute under MB Khalid), and again from May 2018 to August 2023 [5]. Her EXCO portfolios included Housing, Urban Well-being and Entrepreneur Development [6]. In the 15th General Election (GE15) in November 2022, she was moved from the Batu Tiga state seat to contest the Ampang parliamentary constituency, where she defeated former PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin and eight other candidates with a majority of 29,681 votes [7]. Within PKR, she has contested the Wanita PKR chief post on multiple occasions, losing by a narrow margin to Fadhlina Sidek in 2022 following a forensic audit, and again in 2025 [8]. She has been identified as serving as PKR's welfare bureau chief as of 2025 [9]. As of mid-2026, she remains MP for Ampang, though her candidacy for the next general election (GE16) is subject to ongoing party deliberations [3].

Known for

Rodziah Ismail is defined politically by her long tenure as a Selangor EXCO member overseeing housing, urban well-being, and entrepreneur development across multiple administrations [2]. She won the Ampang parliamentary seat in GE15 with a substantial majority of 29,681 votes, reclaiming it for PKR after it had been held by Zuraida Kamaruddin [10]. She has been closely associated with the Rafizi Ramli wing of PKR, a political alignment that has shaped both her internal party contests and her standing within the Pakatan Harapan government as of 2025–2026 [11].

Political positions

Rodziah has used her parliamentary platform to raise questions on housing and tourism regulatory issues, including the delayed rollout of Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) guidelines and their alignment with the Tourism Industry Act 1992, as well as preparations for Visit Malaysia 2026 [10]. She has joined fellow PKR backbenchers in calling for greater parliamentary scrutiny of institutional appointments, including co-signing a statement demanding that findings of an investigation into former MACC chief Azam Baki's shareholdings be made public, and calling for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the matter [10]. She has also publicly supported the separation of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor roles and advocated for stronger checks in the appointment process [12]. In party politics, she has publicly argued that political differences and the act of raising questions should not be construed as disloyalty, framing her position as consistent with principles of mature democratic practice [9].

Political career

1. March 2008First elected as Selangor State Legislative Assembly member for the Batu Tiga constituency, and simultaneously appointed to the Selangor State EXCO under Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.⛓
2. August 2014Resigned from her position as Selangor EXCO member in solidarity with PKR and DAP colleagues who were dismissed by MB Khalid Ibrahim during the political dispute within Pakatan Rakyat.⛓
3. May 2018Re-elected as Batu Tiga state assemblyperson following GE14 and re-appointed to Selangor EXCO under new MB Amirudin Shari, holding the Housing, Urban Well-being and Entrepreneur Development portfolio.⛓
4. October 2020Selangor EXCO underwent a minor portfolio reshuffle; Rodziah retained her position as chairperson of the Housing and Urban Well-being and Entrepreneur Development Standing Committee.⛓
5. July 2022A forensic audit of PKR's internal party election results determined that Rodziah, who had initially been declared winner of the Wanita PKR national chief post, no longer qualified for the position, with Fadhlina Sidek confirmed as chief instead.⛓
6. November 2022Contested and won the Ampang parliamentary seat (P099) in GE15 under the Pakatan Harapan banner, defeating Zuraida Kamaruddin and eight other candidates with a majority of 29,681 votes.⛓
7. August 2023Concluded her service as Selangor State Assemblyperson for Batu Tiga and as Selangor EXCO member, following the formation of the new Selangor state government after the 2023 Selangor state election.⛓
8. May 2025Contested the Wanita PKR national chief post again but lost to incumbent Fadhlina Sidek in the PKR party elections.⛓
9. May 2026Attended an event where Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced their takeover of Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), prompting a PKR divisional leader to call on her to vacate her Ampang parliamentary seat; she rejected the call and affirmed her mandate.⛓

Election history

• 2022Ampang (P099)Won⛓
• 2018Batu Tiga (N46), Selangor State AssemblyWon⛓
• 2013Batu Tiga (N46), Selangor State AssemblyWon⛓
• 2008Batu Tiga (N46), Selangor State AssemblyWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• ExpertPolitical analyst Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara assessed that Rodziah's chances of being re-fielded in GE16 were slim given her defeats in internal PKR elections and her alignment with Rafizi Ramli, but cautioned that replacing her with Tengku Zafrul Aziz would be a significant gamble given Rodziah's established grassroots support in Ampang.⛓
• ExpertAhmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia stated it would be unwise to supplant Rodziah with Tengku Zafrul if she had proven herself a capable MP for Ampang, noting Tengku Zafrul would lack time to build connections with constituents before GE16.⛓
• GovernmentPKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh was reported as stating that PKR MPs should carry the party's vision instead of promoting other parties while serving their constituencies, following Rodziah's attendance at the Rafizi-linked Bersama event in May 2026.⛓
• OppositionAmpang PKR divisional deputy chief Daing Reduan Bachok called on Rodziah to vacate her parliamentary seat in May 2026, stating that she was no longer loyal to the party's leadership following her appearance at the Bersama announcement event.⛓
• VerifiedFactsRodziah won the Ampang parliamentary seat in GE15 (November 2022) with a majority of 29,681 votes, defeating incumbent Zuraida Kamaruddin and eight other candidates. She has served as Selangor EXCO member under three Menteris Besar across two separate tenures (2008–2014 and 2018–2023), with portfolios in housing, urban well-being, and entrepreneur development.⛓