Malaysian politician
Ahmad Razif bin Abdul Rahman (born 7 November 1965) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 14th Menteri Besar of Terengganu from May 2014 to May 2018 and Member of the Terengganu State Executive Council (EXCO) in the Barisan Nasional (BN) state administration under former Menteri Besars Ahmad Said and himself from April 2008 to July 2016 as well as Member of the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Seberang Takir from March 2008 to August 2023. He is a member and the Division Chief of Kuala Nerus of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the BN coalition.
Profile
Ahmad Razif, the son of a religious teacher, was raised in Terengganu. He graduated from Universiti Putra Malaysia with a Masters in Science and rose through the ranks of his local UMNO division.[1]
Political career
In 2008, he was elected to the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly for the seat of Seberang Takir, defeating a People's Justice Party (PKR) candidate. The State's incoming Chief Minister Ahmad Said appointed him to the State's Executive Council—akin to a cabinet—with responsibility for education, higher education, science, technology and human resources.[2]
Ahmad Razif retained his assembly seat at the 2013 election.[1] However, the Barisan Nasional state government almost lost its majority in the assembly, clinging to power with a slim 17–15 majority. In response, the coalition's national leader, and the Prime Minister, Najib Razak, pressured Ahmad Said to resign within a year.[3] On 12 May 2013, Ahmad Said stood down and Ahmad Razif was appointed as his successor. He was sworn into office by Mizan Zainal Abidin, the Sultan of Terengganu, on 13 May.[1]
Ahmad Razif's first task as Chief Minister was to navigate a political crisis when Ahmad Said and two other UMNO assemblymen resigned from UMNO immediately after his appointment, potentially plunging his government into minority status. Ahmad Said stated that he was dissatisfied that he had not been allowed to remain as Chief Minister until after the wedding of his daughter in May 2014. The three assemblymen returned to the party within days, after the intervention of Najib and other senior Barisan Nasional leaders.[4][5] On 22 April 2016, his 'Datuk Seri' title had been revoked by the Sultan.[6] On 9 December 2016, the Sultan has consented to restore 'Datuk Seri' title to him.[7]He lost his Menteri Besar of Terengganu position after the defeat of Barisan Nasional in the 2018 Terengganu state election and became the opposition leader before resigning in March 2019.In 2023 Terengganu state election,he lost his Seberang Takir (state constituency) with the majority of 2797 votes after holding the seat for three terms.
Election results
Terengganu State Legislative Assembly[8][9][10][11]
Year
|
Constituency
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
Pct
|
Opponent(s)
|
Votes
|
Pct
|
Ballots cast
|
Majority
|
Turnout
|
2008
|
N11 Seberang Takir
|
|
Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman (UMNO)
|
6,440
|
61.24%
|
|
Muzafeq Assyulzaifuzan Muhammad (PKR)
|
4,010
|
38.13%
|
10,718
|
2,430
|
84.06%
|
2013
|
|
Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman (UMNO)
|
7,731
|
54.84%
|
|
Zakaria Dagang (PAS)
|
6,221
|
44.13%
|
14,302
|
1,510
|
88.22%
|
|
Ahmad Nazri Mohd Yusoff (IND)
|
73
|
0.52%
|
2018
|
|
Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman (UMNO)
|
9,340
|
52.66%
|
|
Mohd Fazil Wahab (PAS)
|
7,456
|
42.05%
|
17,996
|
1,884
|
87.30%
|
|
Abu Bakar Abdullah (PKR)
|
939
|
5.29%
|
2023
|
|
Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman (UMNO)
|
9,359
|
43.50%
|
|
Khazan Che Mat (BERSATU)
|
12,156
|
56.50%
|
21,515
|
2,797
|
77.58%
|
Honours
References