Shahidan Kassim

Summary

Datuk Seri Dr. Shahidan Kassim is a veteran Malaysian politician from Perlis, born in 1951, who has served as Arau MP across multiple terms since 1986 and as Perlis's longest-serving Menteri Besar (1995–2008). Originally from UMNO, he was sacked by the party in December 2022 after contesting GE15 under the PAS/Perikatan Nasional banner, winning the Arau seat with a commanding majority. He currently serves as MP for Arau, a Member of PAS's Central Working Committee, and Perlis PN state chairman.

Biography

Datuk Seri Dr. Shahidan bin Kassim (born 17 June 1951, Tambun Tulang, Perlis) is a Malaysian politician currently serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Arau under the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition [1]. He received his secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Sultan Abdul Halim in Perlis, where he served as Head of Rumah Cendikia [1]. Shahidan first served as Arau MP from August 1986 to April 1995, then as Menteri Besar of Perlis from May 1995 to March 2008 — a tenure that makes him the longest-serving Menteri Besar of the state [1]. He returned to the Dewan Rakyat in May 2013, defeating senior PAS leader Haron Din by 1,371 votes, and was subsequently appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department under Najib Razak's cabinet [1]. He retained the Arau seat in GE14 (2018) and served as Chairman of the PN Government Backbenchers Club from May 2020 until the collapse of the PN government in August 2021 [1]. After being dropped from BN's GE15 candidate list in 2022, Shahidan contested and won under the PN/PAS ticket, receiving 31,458 votes against BN's 8,242 and PH's 7,089 [2]. He was subsequently sacked from UMNO in December 2022, and officially joined PAS, where he is a Member of the Central Working Committee [3]. As of October 2025, he was appointed Perlis PN state chairman [4]. He also holds the presidency of the Malaysia Swimming Federation for the 2023–2025 term [5].

Known for

Shahidan Kassim is defined politically by his decades-long association with Perlis, first as its longest-serving Menteri Besar (1995–2008) and then as the Arau MP across multiple parliamentary terms. His cross-party migration from UMNO to PAS following his exclusion from BN's GE15 ticket, and his subsequent landslide victory under the PN banner, mark him as a durable political figure in Malaysia's smallest state. He is also active in sports governance, serving as president of the Malaysia Swimming Federation.

Political positions

Shahidan has consistently articulated positions grounded in Islamic conservatism and Malay-Muslim unity. Wikipedia notes he is described as a proponent of Salafism within his former party UMNO, and in 2017 he publicly declared that atheism is incompatible with the Malaysian Constitution, calling for atheists to be identified [1]. He opposed Malaysia signing the UN Refugee Convention, citing domestic employment concerns and social disruptions attributed to refugees [6]. In Parliament he has raised constituency-specific healthcare concerns, including the discharge of government patients from the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) [7]. On electoral reform, he proposed Malaysia consider a group representation constituency system similar to Singapore's to enhance minority representation [8]. On trade, he questioned the economic implications of the Malaysia–US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) for Malaysian agriculture and halal standards [7]. As Perlis PN chairman, he has maintained that Perlis PAS will continue supporting the state Bersatu-led government even following the national PAS–Bersatu split in mid-2026 [4].

Education

1. Late 1960sAttended Sekolah Menengah Sultan Abdul Halim (known as Jenan) in Perlis, serving as Head of Rumah Cendikia.⛓

Political career

1. August 1986First elected as Member of Parliament for Arau under UMNO/BN.⛓
2. April 1995Left Arau parliamentary seat, elected to the Perlis State Legislative Assembly for the newly created Tambun Tulang seat.⛓
3. May 1995Appointed 7th Menteri Besar of Perlis, taking over from Abdul Hamid Pawanteh.⛓
4. March 2008Tenure as Menteri Besar ended when Raja Sirajuddin of Perlis appointed Md Isa Sabu to the post instead, despite UMNO prime ministerial support for Shahidan.⛓
5. May 2013Returned to federal Parliament, winning Arau in GE13 by defeating senior PAS leader Haron Din by 1,371 votes.⛓
6. May 2013Appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department under Prime Minister Najib Razak.⛓
7. May 2018Reelected as Arau MP in GE14 under BN but removed from cabinet following BN's loss to Pakatan Harapan.⛓
8. May 2020Appointed Chairman of the Perikatan Nasional Government Backbenchers Club (PNBBC) following PN's takeover of government in March 2020.⛓
9. March 2021Appointed Chairman of PR1MA and Chairman of the National Housing Corporation by Housing Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.⛓
10. April 2021Removed as Perlis UMNO state chairman by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and replaced by Azlan Man.⛓
11. August 2021PN government collapsed; role as PNBBC Chairman ended.⛓
12. August 2021Appointed Minister of Federal Territories under the Ismail Sabri administration.⛓
13. November 2022Dropped from BN/UMNO's GE15 candidate list by UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.⛓
14. November 2022Won Arau seat in GE15 under Perikatan Nasional/PAS ticket with 31,458 votes, defeating BN (8,242) and PH (7,089) candidates.⛓
15. December 2022Formally sacked from UMNO following his defection to contest under the PN ticket in GE15.⛓
16. October 2025Appointed new Perlis Perikatan Nasional state chairman.⛓

Election history

• 2022ArauWon67.2%⛓
• 2018ArauWon⛓
• 2013ArauWon⛓
• 1995Tambun Tulang (State)Won⛓
• 1990ArauWon⛓
• 1986ArauWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• OppositionAs an opposition MP under the current federal government, Shahidan has used parliamentary debates to scrutinise government trade agreements such as the US ART deal and to question cabinet overseas travel expenditure, positioning himself as a watchdog on fiscal and sovereignty issues.⛓
• GovernmentThe Star reported that Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli congratulated Shahidan on his appointment as Perlis PN state chairman in October 2025, expressing hope he would strengthen coalition unity ahead of GE16.⛓
• ExpertAccording to The Star columnist Joceline Tan, Shahidan has a "larger-than-life personality" and is known for his "warlord style of politics" within Malaysian political circles.⛓
• VerifiedFactsShahidan won the Arau seat in GE15 (2022) with 31,458 votes (approx. 67.2% vote share) under the PAS/PN ticket after being dropped by UMNO/BN. He was formally sacked from UMNO in December 2022 per an UMNO supreme council decision.⛓

Notable legal history

On 12 November 2018, Shahidan was charged with molesting an underage girl at the Kangar Sessions Court. On 24 April 2019, the Kangar Sessions Court granted him a discharge not amounting to an acquittal after the victim retracted her police report (Source: en.wikipedia.org). The case is finalised.