Zulhasnan Rafique

Who is Zulhasnan Rafique?

Dato' Sri Zulhasnan Rafique is a Malaysian politician and the former Malaysian Minister of the Federal Territories. He is also the Member of Parliament for Setiawangsa in Kuala Lumpur and a supreme council member in the United Malay National Organisation, the main component party in the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional.

On 27 March 2004, following a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Federal Territory and Klang Valley Planning and Development Division was upgraded to a full-fledged ministry. Its responsibility expanded to include jurisdiction over the territories of Labuan and Putrajaya. Zulhasnan was the first deputy minister to be appointed to the ministry.

Tan Sri Isa bin Hj Abdul Samad was the first minister to be appointed. However, Isa was dismissed from office after found guilty of corruption charges related to money politics during the UMNO General Assembly Election of 2005. Shahrizat Abdul Jalil assumed the responsibilities of acting minister until a replacement could be found.

On 16 February 2006, Dato' Sri Zulhasnan Rafique was appointed the Federal Territories Minister. Under the leadership of Zulhasnan, a strategic plan that focused on development plans for all three Federal Territories was created. He was dropped from the new cabinet on 9 April 2009 by Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak who took over as the 6th Prime Minister.