Reezal Merican Naina Merican

2023–Barisan NasionalFaction represented in Dewan Rakyat2013–2022Barisan Nasional Personal detailsBorn
(1972-07-29) 29 July 1972 (age 51)
Kepala Batas, Seberang Perai Utara, Penang, MalaysiaCitizenshipMalaysianPolitical partyUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO)Other political
affiliationsBarisan Nasional (BN)Spouse(s)Ismalina Ismail, Sharifah NorhaslindaAlma materInternational Islamic University Malaysia

Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican (Jawi: ريزال ماريکان بن ناينا ماريکان‎;^[1] born 29 July 1972) is a Malaysian politician and banker who has served as 9th Chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) since May 2023 and Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Bertam since August 2023.^[2] He served as the Minister of Housing and Local Government in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 to the collapse of the BN administration in November 2022, the Minister of Youth and Sports in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin from March 2020 to the collapse of the PN administration in August 2021 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kepala Batas from the retirement of 5th and former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as the MP from politics in May 2013 to his electoral defeat in November 2022. He is also a member and Division Chief of Kepala Batas of the Supreme Council of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the BN coalition and one of the only two Penang BN and UMNO MLAs alongside MLA for Sungai Acheh Rashidi Zinol. He has also served as Chief of the Elections Department of UMNO since March 2023. He is an ethnic Malay of mixed Indian descent.

Early and political career

Before entering Parliament, Reezal worked in the bank sector.^[3] Reezal took over Abdullah as the party's Division Head of Kepala Batas and as the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the parliamentary seat.^[4] Reezal won the seat in the 2013 Malaysian general election while defeated a candidate from the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) by 4,176 majority of the votes.^[5] In October 2013, he was elected to Supreme Council of UMNO, the highest-ranking body of the party.^[6] In a cabinet reshuffle on 28 July 2015, Reezal was picked as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs by former Prime Minister Najib Razak. Despite winning the majority to defend his seat in his parliamentary constituency, Reezal lost his cabinet post following the results of the 2018 Malaysian general election. At the 2023 Penang state election, he alongside Rashidi Zinol are the only Malay representatives in the PH-BN Unity Government elected from the mainland Seberang Perai part of Penang.

Controversy

On 29 August 2015, Reezal intimidated Malaysians participating in the Bersih 4 demonstrations abroad that the Foreign Ministry would gather their information for eventual legal action against them, without even citing which law the citizen abroad violated.^[7]

Personal life

After first wife Ismalina Ismail and second wife Sharifah Norhaslinda which once filed for divorce with Reezal but retracted.^[8]

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia^{[5][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]}

Year	Constituency	Candidate		Votes	Pct	Opponent(s)		Votes	Pct	Ballots cast	Majority	Turnout
2013	P041 Kepala Batas, Penang		Reezal Merican Naina Merican (UMNO)	25,128	54.53%		Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (PAS)	20,952	45.47%	46,738	4,176	90.52%
2018			Reezal Merican Naina Merican (UMNO)	22,459	42.94%		Zaidi Zakaria (AMANAH)	17,723	33.89%	53,127	4,736	87.78%
							Siti Mastura Mohamad (PAS)	12,120	23.17%
2022			Reezal Merican Naina Merican (UMNO)	25,737	37.14%		Siti Mastura Mohamad (PAS)	28,604	41.27%	69,302	2,867	83.41%
							Muhammad Daniel Abdul Majeed (MUDA)	14,214	20.51%
							Hamidi Abu Hassan (PEJUANG)	747	1.08%

Penang State Legislative Assembly

Year	Constituency	Candidate		Votes	Pct	Opponent(s)		Votes	Pct	Ballots cast	Majority	Turnout
2023	N02 Bertam		Reezal Merican Naina Merican (UMNO)	10,453	56.24%		Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq (BERSATU)	8,132	43.76%	18,711	2,321	77.44%

Honours

•  Pahang :
  • Knight Companion of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (DIMP) – Dato' (2006)^[16][17]
  • Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – Dato' Sri (2008)^[16][18]
•  Penang:
  • Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DGPN) – Dato' Seri (2023)^[19]

See also

• Kepala Batas (federal constituency)
• Bertam (state constituency)

References