Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir
Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir | |
|---|---|
| Born | Abdul Kadir bin Sheikh Fadzir June 4, 1939 Kedah, Malaysia |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, lawyer, educator |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Known for | Minister of Information (1999–2006), Minister of Culture, Arts and Tourism (1997–2004) |
Abdul Kadir bin Sheikh Fadzir (Jawi: عبدالقادر بن شيخ فاضل; born 4 June 1939) is a Malaysian statesman who represented the Kulim-Bandar Baharu constituency in Kedah as a Member of Parliament for seven consecutive terms. His tenure in the Malaysian Cabinet included roles as Minister of Information from 1999 to 2006 and Minister of Culture, Arts and Tourism between 1997 and 2004.
Early life and education
His formative education took place at Malay Tawar School from 1946 until 1949, followed by studies at Sultan Badlishah Secondary School in Kulim from 1950 to 1957. He pursued legal studies at Lincoln's Inn, London, completing his qualifications in 1970.
Early career
Abdul Kadir began his professional journey as an educator at Serdang English School in 1958 and subsequently at Sekolah Kebangsaan Baling from 1958 to 1960. He then transitioned to administrative work as a clerk within the Public Works Department in Alor Star between 1960 and 1963. His diplomatic experience includes serving as a General Worker at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1963–1964), Third Secretary at the Malaysian High Commission in Karachi, Pakistan (1964–1965), and Third Secretary at the Malaysian Embassy in Saigon, Vietnam (1966–1968). Later, he was appointed Political Secretary to the Minister of General Welfare from 1971 to 1974 before practicing law with the firm "Hisham, Sobri and Kadir" until 1982.
Political career
Abdul Kadir became a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 1969. His early party leadership roles included serving as President of the UMNO Club UK (1969–1970), Vice-president of Kedah UMNO Youth (1970–1976), Deputy Head of Padang Serai UMNO (1978), and ultimately representing Kulim Bandar Baharu as MP from 1978 to 2004. He was also actively involved in the Kulim Bandar Baharu Division leadership between 1984 and 1987.
Amid the UMNO leadership upheaval in 1987, he aligned with Dr Mahathir Mohamad in founding UMNO Baru (New UMNO) and secured membership on its Supreme Council starting in 1988. Abdul Kadir maintained his position on UMNO’s Supreme Council until he lost re-election in 2004.
Following his initial parliamentary win in 1978, he occupied several deputy ministerial positions: Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs (1982), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (1983), Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade (1990), Deputy Minister of Human Resources (1995), and Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (1999).
Minister of Culture, Arts and Tourism
In 1999, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad appointed Abdul Kadir as Minister of Culture, Arts and Tourism. During this period, he also chaired the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board.
Minister of Information
Under Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration beginning in 2004, Abdul Kadir was named Minister of Information, succeeding Datuk Mohd Khalil Yaakob.
While serving as Information Minister, he oversaw key initiatives such as rebranding Radio 6 to Minnal FM on April 1, 2005. He inaugurated the continuous broadcasting service of Kedah FM on November 12 and launched Jia Yu's channel on November 17, both in 2005. Notably, Cosmos Discovery was responsible for approximately seventy percent of imported programming from China and Hong Kong.
On February 14, 2006, Abdul Kadir stepped down from his role as Information Minister and was succeeded by Datuk Zainuddin Maidin.
Social and NGO activities
Beyond politics, Abdul Kadir held leadership positions including Secretary-General of the Afro-Asian People's Organization (Malaysia), Chairman of the Sultan Badlishah Secondary School Alumni Association, and Patron of the Kulim District Orphanage Board.
He was also instrumental as founding deputy president of Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah), a non-governmental organization established by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah on July 22, 2011. Amanah was formed by veterans from Barisan Nasional and faced allegations regarding political ambitions, with suggestions that it might evolve into a political party aligning with opposition forces ahead of forthcoming elections.
Departure from UMNO
On 19 March 2012, after a political career spanning more than 56 years within UMNO, Abdul Kadir declared his resignation from the party. This decision was interpreted by various observers, including leaders from PAS, as a reflection of underlying leadership challenges inside UMNO. PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar regarded Abdul Kadir’s withdrawal as a major setback for UMNO president Najib Razak, characterizing it as an appeal for political reform and a message urging voters to reassess their allegiance to UMNO in anticipation of upcoming elections.
Establishment of Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (IKATAN)
On 7 June 2012, Abdul Kadir launched Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (IKATAN), collaborating with several former UMNO affiliates. Following a delay exceeding two years in obtaining official recognition, he initiated legal action against the Registrar of Societies (RoS) in the High Court in February 2013 to accelerate the approval process. The party received formal authorization on 15 May 2015, appointing Abdul Kadir as its inaugural president. Subsequently, IKATAN entered into an informal coalition with the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) on 16 March 2016, which was later formalized as Gagasan Sejahtera (GS) on 13 August 2016.
In popular culture
In 2004, Abdul Kadir made a cameo appearance in the television drama Mahligai Gading, which also starred Datuk Dr. Maximus Ongkili and Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.
Personal life
Abdul Kadir is married to Suraya Mohd Noah, and together they have twin sons named Erman and Erwan Abdul Kadir. His family wields considerable influence within UMNO's political landscape, especially in Kedah. Beyond Abdul Kadir’s ministerial responsibilities, his younger brother Dato' Abd. Aziz Sheikh Fadzir held positions as Kuala Ketil assemblyman and later as Member of Parliament for Kulim–Bandar Baharu, succeeding Abdul Kadir himself. Other siblings include the late Datuk Haidar Ali Sheikh Fadzir, who once led the Federal Territory UMNO Youth wing, and Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir, who serves as Bukit Mertajam UMNO chief and Senator.
Election results
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | P015 Kulim-Bandar Baharu | Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir (UMNO) | 16,360 | 72.04% | Template:Party shading/PAS | | Abdul Aziz Kassim (PAS) | 6,351 | 27.96% | N/A | 10,009 | N/A |
| 1982 | rowspan=2 Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir (UMNO) | 17,097 | 64.48% | Template:Party shading/PAS | | Mohamed Salleh Mohamad (PAS) | 4,843 | 18.26% | 27,388 | 12,254 | 75.24% | |
| Template:Party shading/Democratic Action Party | | Lee Chuan Sam @ Lee Chian Sum (DAP) | 4,576 | 17.26% | |||||||||
| 1986 | P016 Kulim-Bandar Baharu | Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir (UMNO) | 21,043 | 73.91% | Template:Party shading/PAS | | Hassan Razak (PAS) | 7,429 | 26.09% | 29,359 | 13,614 | 69.76% |
| 1990 | Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir (UMNO) | 23,149 | 70.90% | Template:Party shading/S46 | | Hashim Endut (S46) | 9,499 | 29.10% | 33,699 | 13,650 | 74.23% | |
| 1995 | P018 Kulim-Bandar Baharu | Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir (UMNO) | 22,455 | 73.36% | Template:Party shading/S46 | | Abdul Aziz Mohamed (S46) | 8,153 | 26.64% | 32,438 | 14,302 | 70.60% |
| 1999 | Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir (UMNO) | 20,764 | 62.05% | Template:Party shading/Keadilan | | Syeikh Azmi Ahmad (keADILan) | 12,697 | 37.95% | 34,781 | 8,067 | 73.85% | |
| 2004 | \ Template:Party shading/Barisan Nasional | | '\'Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir\ (UMNO) | '\'22,556\' | '60.77%' | \ Template:Party shading/Keadilan | | 'Alwi Mohd Yusop' (PKR) | '14,558' | '39.23%' | '38,789' | '7,998' | '77.54%' | |
Malaysian Honours
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- Awarded Member of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (AMN) in 1992
- Conferred Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM), granting the title Tan Sri in 2007
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- Bestowed Knight Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal House of Kedah (DSDK), carrying the title Dato' in 1986
- Received Knight Commander of the Order of Loyalty to Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah (DHMS), with the honorific Dato' Paduka in 2002
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- Granted Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Life of the Crown of Kelantan (SJMK), entitled Dato' in 2003
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- Awarded Grand Commander of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DGSM), conferring the title Datuk Seri in 2004
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- Decorated as Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP), earning the title Dato' Sri in 2004
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- Appointed Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (PGDK), with the title Datuk in 1995
- Elevated to Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK), carrying the title Datuk Seri Panglima in 2005
Awards and Recognitions
- Honored as 'Best Tourism Personality for 2001' by the Pacific Regional Tourism Author Association (PATWA) during an event held in Berlin
See also
External links
- Living people
- 1939 births
- People from Kedah
- Malaysian Muslims
- Malaysian politicians of Malay descent
- Malaysian politicians of Indian descent
- Culture ministers of Malaysia
- Information ministers of Malaysia
- Tourism ministers of Malaysia
- Former United Malays National Organisation politicians
- Members of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
- Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu
- Grand Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu
- Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
- Malaysian schoolteachers
- Malaysian lawyers
- Malaysian MPs 1978–1982
- Malaysian MPs 1982–1986
- Malaysian MPs 1986–1990
- Malaysian MPs 1990–1995
- Malaysian MPs 1995–1999
- Malaysian MPs 1999–2004
- Malaysian MPs 2004–2008