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.
Reezal Merican Naina Merican | |
|---|---|
| ريزال ماريکان ناينا ماريکان | |
 Reezal Merican in 2022 | |
| 9th Chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation | |
| Assumed office 1 May 2023 | |
| Minister | Tengku Zafrul Aziz |
| Chief Executive Officer | Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz |
| Minister of Housing and Local Government | |
| In office 30 August 2021 – 24 November 2022 | |
| Monarch | Abdullah |
| Prime Minister | Ismail Sabri Yaakob |
| Deputy | Ismail Muttalib |
| Preceded by | Zuraida Kamaruddin |
| Succeeded by | Nga Kor Ming (Minister of Local Government Development) |
| Constituency | Kepala Batas |
| Minister of Youth and Sports | |
| In office 10 March 2020 – 16 August 2021 | |
| Monarch | Abdullah |
| Prime Minister | Muhyiddin Yassin |
| Deputy | Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal |
| Preceded by | Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman |
| Succeeded by | Ahmad Faizal Azumu |
| Constituency | Kepala Batas |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 29 July 2015 – 10 May 2018 | |
| Monarchs | Abdul Halim (2015–2016) Muhammad V (2016–2018) |
| Prime Minister | Najib Razak |
| Minister | Anifah Aman |
| Preceded by | Hamzah Zainudin |
| Succeeded by | Marzuki Yahya |
| Constituency | Kepala Batas |
| Chief of the Elections Department of the United Malays National Organisation | |
| Assumed office 22 March 2023 | |
| President | Ahmad Zahid Hamidi |
| Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly for Bertam | |
| Assumed office 12 August 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq (PH–BERSATU) |
| Majority | 2,321 (2023) |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Kepala Batas | |
| In office 5 May 2013 – 19 November 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (BN–UMNO) |
| Succeeded by | Siti Mastura Mohamad (PN–PAS) |
| Majority | 4,176 (2013) 4,736 (2018) |
| Faction represented in Penang State Legislative Assembly | |
| 2023– | Barisan Nasional |
| Faction represented in Dewan Rakyat | |
| 2013–2022 | Barisan Nasional |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican 29 July 1972 Kepala Batas, Seberang Perai Utara, Penang, Malaysia |
| Citizenship | Malaysian |
| Political party | United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) |
| Other political affiliations | Barisan Nasional (BN) |
| Spouse(s) | Ismalina Ismail, Sharifah Norhaslinda |
| Alma mater | International Islamic University Malaysia |
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 Zinolare 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
| 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% | ||||||||||
| 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]
