Zaidi Attan

Summary

Datuk Zaidi bin Attan is the UMNO assemblyman for Serkam in Melaka, first elected in 2013 and re-elected in 2018 and 2021. He has served across multiple Melaka state executive councils, most recently as Deputy EXCO for Tourism, Heritage, Art and Culture from April 2023, and also holds the position of Deputy Chairman of Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB). His 2021 re-election by a majority of just 79 votes marked one of the tightest contests in that state election cycle.

Biography

Datuk Zaidi bin Attan (born 4 October 1968, Malacca) is a Malaysian politician serving as Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Serkam since May 2013, under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner as a member of UMNO [1]. He has held executive council roles across multiple Melaka state administrations. Under Chief Minister Idris Haron, he served as a member of the Malacca EXCO from May 2013 until the collapse of the BN administration in May 2018 [1]. Following BN's return to power after the 2021 Melaka state election, he was sworn in as EXCO member for Housing, Local Government and Environment under Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali in November 2021 [2]. In April 2023, following the transition to Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh, Zaidi was dropped from the full EXCO but was subsequently appointed Deputy EXCO for Tourism, Heritage, Art and Culture [2]. He is also the Deputy Chairman of Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB), the state's government-linked water utility company [1]. Within UMNO, he holds the position of Vice Division Chief of the Jasin division [1]. He attended a Chinese national-type primary school (SJKC) and is noted to have basic proficiency in Chinese [1]. He has contested and won the Serkam seat in the 2013, 2018, and 2021 state elections.

Known for

Zaidi Attan is known as the long-serving ADUN for Serkam, a seat he has held since 2013, and for his repeated role as a Melaka state EXCO member overseeing the Housing, Local Government and Environment portfolio. He is also recognised for his position as Deputy Chairman of Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB), linking his legislative role with state water utility governance. His narrow re-election victory in 2021 — by a majority of just 79 votes — drew attention to the competitiveness of his seat.

Political positions

Zaidi Attan's publicly recorded portfolio responsibilities centre on housing, local government, environment, and, in his current deputy EXCO capacity, tourism and heritage. In his role as EXCO for Housing, Local Government and Environment (2021–2023), he was reported overseeing local authority compliance with standard operating procedures and public health advisories at community-level events such as Ramadan bazaars [3]. As ADUN for Serkam, he has been involved in local enforcement actions, including leading the oversight of a demolition operation at an unauthorised structure in his constituency in April 2026 [3]. No formal public statements on national-level policy positions were found in allowlist sources.

Education

1. ChildhoodAttended a Chinese national-type primary school (SJKC), gaining basic proficiency in the Chinese language.⛓

Political career

1. May 2013First elected as ADUN for Serkam under Barisan Nasional at the 13th general election. Also appointed as a member of the Malacca State Executive Council (EXCO) under Chief Minister Idris Haron.⛓
2. May 2018Re-elected as ADUN for Serkam at the 14th general election with a majority of 2,737 votes. The BN state administration subsequently collapsed, ending his first EXCO term.⛓
3. November 2021Re-elected as ADUN for Serkam at the 2021 Melaka state election with a majority of 79 votes, in a four-cornered contest. Constituency had 15,977 registered voters.⛓
4. November 2021Sworn in as EXCO member for Housing, Local Government and Environment under Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali following BN's victory in the 2021 Melaka state election.⛓
5. March 2023Contested the Jasin UMNO Division Chief post but was unsuccessful, receiving 151 votes. His loss contributed to his subsequent removal from the full state EXCO.⛓
6. April 2023Dropped from the full Melaka EXCO lineup under newly appointed Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh, having previously held the Housing, Local Government and Environment portfolio.⛓
7. April 2023Appointed as Deputy EXCO for Tourism, Heritage, Art and Culture under Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh.⛓

Election history

• 2021SerkamWon⛓
• 2018SerkamWon⛓
• 2013SerkamWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsZaidi Attan has served as ADUN for Serkam since 2013, winning three consecutive state elections. He held the EXCO portfolio for Housing, Local Government and Environment under two chief ministers (Idris Haron and Sulaiman Md Ali) and was subsequently appointed Deputy EXCO for Tourism, Heritage, Art and Culture under Ab Rauf Yusoh from April 2023. He is Deputy Chairman of Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB).⛓
• GovernmentMalay Mail reported that Zaidi was dropped from the full EXCO in April 2023 as he was no longer an UMNO division head after losing the party's internal divisional election, per a report citing Utusan Malaysia.⛓
• PublicBernama reported that Serkam constituency had 15,977 registered voters ahead of the 2021 state election, with the seat seeing a four-cornered contest; Zaidi ultimately retained the seat with a majority of only 79 votes, reflecting competitive local sentiment.⛓

Business interests (publicly reported)

Zaidi Attan serves as Deputy Chairman of Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB), a government-linked company responsible for water supply services in Malacca. This role was reported by Bernama in the context of SAMB's training and workforce development initiatives (Source: bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2086330) and by Sinar Harian in relation to a SAMB–IWK memorandum of understanding (Source: sinarharian.com.my/article/137235). No separate private-sector business interests were found in allowlist sources.