Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali

Summary

Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali is a PBB assemblywoman who has held the N7 Samariang seat in the Sarawak DUN continuously since 2006, winning four successive elections under both BN and GPS banners. She currently serves as Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department with responsibility for Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations, making her one of the state government's primary voices on constitutional, petroleum jurisdiction, and devolution matters. Her portfolio directly bears on issues of education autonomy, health services, and resource revenue that affect the daily lives of Sarawakians.

Biography

Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali is a Malaysian politician and member of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), the dominant component party of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). She has represented the N7 Samariang state constituency in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) since first winning the seat in 2006 under Barisan Nasional [1]. She has been returned at every subsequent state election — in 2011, 2016, and most recently in the 12th Sarawak State Election held on 18 December 2021, where she secured 11,354 votes (53.1%) with a majority of 10,283 votes in a three-cornered contest [2]. She was reported to be aged 42 at the time of the 2011 election, placing her birth year at approximately 1969 [1]. Following GPS's landslide victory in the 2021 state election, she was appointed Deputy Minister in the Premier's Department with responsibility for Law, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), and State-Federal Relations [3]. She previously held the position of Assistant Minister for Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring from 2017 [4]. In her ministerial capacity, she has been one of Sarawak's principal spokespersons on constitutional and federal-state matters, including issues relating to Sarawak's petroleum rights, the applicability of federal legislation to Sarawak, and the devolution of education and health administration to the state [5].

Known for

Sharifah Hasidah is known as Sarawak's principal deputy minister for law and federal-state constitutional affairs, regularly articulating the state's legal positions on MA63 implementation, petroleum jurisdiction disputes, and Sarawak's autonomy vis-à-vis Putrajaya. She has represented the Samariang seat continuously since 2006, becoming one of Sarawak's longest-serving female assemblypeople. Her public profile is largely defined by her role as a legal and constitutional spokesperson for the Sarawak state government in its dealings with the federal government.

Political positions

Sharifah Hasidah has consistently advocated for Sarawak's constitutional rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963. She has stated that Sarawak's territorial boundaries — including its continental shelf — cannot be subject to federal negotiation, and has argued that federal legislation such as the Petroleum Development Act 1974, the Continental Shelf Act 1966, and the Petroleum Mining Act 1966 impinge on Sarawak's pre-Malaysia Day boundaries and its rights to offshore petroleum resources [6]. On the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage Bill, she said the proposed law does not apply to Sarawak because carbon storage involves state land regulated under state law [7]. On education, she has pushed for administrative devolution, including Sarawak's right to recruit teachers, set TVET curricula, and implement its own assessments [8]. On federal-state fiscal relations, she has called for formal legal frameworks — including possible Federal Constitution review — to ensure states receive fair funding regardless of which political parties hold federal power [6]. She has also defended Sarawak's exclusive prerogative over the appointment of community leaders, citing the Community Chief and Head Ordinance 2004 [1].

Political career

1. 2006First elected to the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for N7 Samariang under Barisan Nasional (PBB), defeating PKR's Zulrusdi Mohamad Hol with a majority of 2,488 votes and 5,365 votes received.⛓
2. April 2011Re-elected for Samariang (10th Sarawak State Election) under BN-PBB with a majority of 5,431 votes in a straight fight against PKR's Zulrusdi Mohamad Hol.⛓
3. April 2011Malaysiakini reported her age as 42 at the time of the 2011 election, among seven women who won seats in that state election.⛓
4. May 2016Re-elected for Samariang (11th Sarawak State Election) under BN-PBB with 9,795 votes and a majority of 7,760, defeating Amanah and PAS candidates.⛓
5. 2017Appointed Assistant Minister for Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring in the Sarawak state government.⛓
6. December 2021Re-elected for Samariang (12th Sarawak State Election) under GPS-PBB with 11,354 votes (53.1%) and a majority of 10,283 in a three-cornered contest.⛓
7. Post-December 2021Appointed Deputy Minister in the Premier's Department with responsibility for Law, Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and State-Federal Relations following GPS's 12th Sarawak State Election victory.⛓
8. September 2019As Assistant Minister for Law and State-Federal Relations, publicly rejected the federal government's proposed Malaysian Forestry Policy and cautioned Putrajaya against appointing community leaders in Sarawak, citing state ordinances.⛓
9. August 2024Stated as Deputy Minister that the proposed federal Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage Bill does not apply to Sarawak, invoking the Sarawak (Alteration of Boundaries) Order 1954 and the Federal Constitution.⛓
10. November 2024Announced in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly that the federal government had agreed to devolve 10 administrative education matters to Sarawak, including TVET programme design and contract teacher recruitment.⛓
11. February 2026Announced that Sarawak had filed a Federal Court petition challenging the constitutional validity of three federal petroleum laws — the Petroleum Development Act 1974, the Continental Shelf Act 1966, and the Petroleum Mining Act 1966 — as they affect Sarawak's boundaries and offshore petroleum rights.⛓
12. June 2026Called for formal legal safeguards, including a possible review of the Federal Constitution, to ensure equitable federal funding and project approvals for all states regardless of political alignment, speaking at Penang Institute.⛓

Election history

• 2021N7 SamariangWon53.1%⛓
• 2016N7 SamariangWon⛓
• 2011N7 SamariangWon⛓
• 2006N7 SamariangWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentAs Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department for Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations, Sharifah Hasidah is the official Sarawak government spokesperson on constitutional and devolution matters. The state government's position, which she articulates, is that Sarawak's pre-Malaysia Day territorial boundaries — including the continental shelf — are inviolable, that multiple federal laws encroach on Sarawak's rights, and that education and health administration should be devolved to the state.⛓
• VerifiedFactsSPR records confirm Sharifah Hasidah contested N7 Samariang in the 12th Sarawak State Election (2021) as a GPS-PBB candidate. The Star election tracker confirms she received 53.1% of the vote (11,354 votes) with a majority of 10,283. Malaysiakini official results confirm her 2016 majority of 7,760 and her 2011 majority of 5,431. Malaysiakini (2011) confirms her 2006 majority of 2,488 as an incumbent.⛓
• OppositionNo direct opposition commentary on Sharifah Hasidah specifically was found in allowlist sources. The federal government, under Pakatan Harapan, has taken positions that differ from Sarawak's on petroleum jurisdiction: the Minister for Economy Rafizi Ramli's statement on Sarawak's boundaries was specifically rebutted by Sharifah Hasidah, who said it failed to consider the Sarawak (Alteration of Boundaries) Order 1954. Putrajaya has stated it will respect the court process on Sarawak's Federal Court petition.⛓