Syerleena Abdul Rashid

Summary

Syerleena Abdul Rashid (born 31 August 1980) is the DAP Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera, Penang, having won the seat at GE15 in November 2022 with a 78.98% vote share — one of the largest margins recorded in that election. A Universiti Sains Malaysia Graphic Communication graduate and former city councillor, she entered elected politics in 2018 as the ADUN for Seri Delima before moving to the parliamentary level. She is active in parliamentary debates on education reform, gender representation, child online safety, and Malaysia's ageing population policy.

Biography

Syerleena Abdul Rashid (born 31 August 1980) is a Malaysian politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Bendera, Penang, since November 2022 [1]. She is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. Prior to her parliamentary role, she served as a Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Seri Delima from May 2018 to August 2023, and as a councillor on the Penang Island City Council from January 2015 to April 2018 [1]. She formally joined DAP in 2013, after being encouraged by her associate Chris Lee Chun Kit [1]. Within the party, she holds the positions of Assistant Publicity Secretary for DAP Penang and National Executive Committee Member for DAP Wanita [1]. Syerleena is a Graphic Communication graduate from the School of Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia, and received her primary and secondary education at Convent Green Lane, Penang [1]. Before entering politics, she worked as a kickboxing and water sports coach [2]. She was selected in 2015 to participate in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), a programme sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, and spent four weeks with the Des Moines City Council in Iowa under the Professional Fellowship Programme [1]. She was also a delegate for the American Council of Young Political Leaders Exchange Program, during which she observed the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign trail [1]. She was previously a columnist for The Malaysian Insider and a member of the NGO Aliran [1]. She is listed on the official Parlimen Malaysia Dewan Rakyat member roster as YB Puan Syerleena binti Abdul Rashid, representing P048 Bukit Bendera under Pakatan Harapan [3].

Known for

Syerleena Abdul Rashid is one of DAP's prominent Malay elected representatives, operating in what Malay Mail described as a predominantly Chinese-majority constituency [4]. She won the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat at GE15 in 2022 with a majority of 42,610 votes, securing 78.98% of the total votes cast [1]. She is an active parliamentary voice on issues including education, gender representation, child protection online, and Malaysia's ageing population [5][6][7].

Political positions

Syerleena has consistently advocated for improvements to Malaysia's education system. In the Dewan Rakyat she praised legislation to make Form Five education compulsory as a measure against child marriage and poverty [5]. She has written in favour of integrating arts into STEM education (STEAM) and strengthening science and technology education in Penang [2]. On historical accuracy, she stated in Parliament in November 2025 that "History must be based on authentic evidence, not based on myth or fantasy" in response to a disputed claim about Malay-Roman shipbuilding connections [2]. On gender representation, she has called for a legislated Gender Parity in Political Representation Act and a firm 30% quota for women in cabinet, the Senate, GLC boards, and local councils, citing Malaysia's low ranking of 134th out of 146 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index for political empowerment [2]. She received a memorandum from NGOs on women's political representation in June 2026 alongside other MPs [5]. On child online safety, she supported government moves to licence social media services, citing the dangers of digital predation on children [6]. On Malaysia's ageing population, she has argued that demographic transition should be treated as an opportunity, advocating for smart homes, telemedicine, and assistive technology to support independent living for the elderly [7]. On national unity and multiculturalism, she has argued for education and accountability to address religious insensitivity, writing that "respect starts with us" and calling for stronger multicultural education from an early age [4]. She has described race-based political tactics as divisive and stated that voters judge elected representatives based on work, presence, and sincerity regardless of race [5].

Education

1. Pre-2000sReceived primary and secondary education at Convent Green Lane, Penang.⛓
2. Early 2000sGraduated with a degree in Graphic Communication from the School of Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang.⛓

Before politics

1. Pre-2013Worked as a kickboxing and water sports coach before entering politics.⛓
2. Pre-2013Served as a columnist for The Malaysian Insider and was a member of the NGO Aliran, as well as an anti-human trafficking movement.⛓

Political career

1. 2013Formally joined the Democratic Action Party (DAP).⛓
2. January 2015Appointed as a councillor of the Penang Island City Council, a position she held until April 2018.⛓
3. April 2018Stepped down as Penang Island City Council councillor to contest the Seri Delima state seat in GE14, becoming the first Malay woman fielded in a Penang state seat under the opposition banner.⛓
4. May 2018Won the Seri Delima state seat at GE14 with a majority of 13,211 votes (note: a separate report by FMT cited the majority as 16,553 votes; the lower figure is sourced from both Wikipedia and Malay Mail).⛓
5. October 2022Named by DAP as the Pakatan Harapan candidate for the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat for GE15, replacing incumbent Wong Hon Wai.⛓
6. 19 November 2022Won the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat at GE15 with a majority of 42,610 votes, securing 78.98% of the total votes cast.⛓
7. August 2023Did not defend the Seri Delima state seat at the 2023 Penang state election, in line with DAP's 'one candidate, one seat' policy, having moved to the parliamentary level.⛓

Election history

• 2022Bukit Bendera (P048)Won78.98%⛓
• 2018Seri Delima (Penang State)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentAs a Pakatan Harapan backbencher, Syerleena has supported government legislative initiatives including the bill to make Form Five education compulsory, the Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation Fund (Amendment) Bill, and the licencing of social media platforms to address child online safety.⛓
• OppositionNo specific opposition characterisation of Syerleena Abdul Rashid was found in allowlist sources at the time of research.⛓
• VerifiedFactsParlimen Malaysia's official member roster confirms Syerleena binti Abdul Rashid as the sitting MP for P048 Bukit Bendera under Pakatan Harapan as of the current parliamentary term.⛓
• PublicMalay Mail reported in November 2022 that Syerleena continued to be questioned about her racial identity by some members of the Malay community, even as she maintained widespread cross-ethnic support within her constituency.⛓
• ExpertCodeBlue (Galen Centre) published an opinion piece by Syerleena in September 2023 in which she set out a policy framework for managing Malaysia's ageing population through technology, talent retention, and healthcare reform, positioning her as a voice on public health and demographic policy.⛓