Zahidi Zainul Abidin

Zahidi bin Zainul Abidin was born on 9 January 1961 in Perlis, Malaysia. He received a Diploma in Public Administration from Institut Teknologi MARA (now Universiti Teknologi MARA). Details of his parents and childhood have not been made public. He had a brother, Zafruddin Zainul Abidin, who confirmed his death to the press in 2026.

Zahidi rose through UMNO Youth from 1991, serving as Islamic Education Chief for UMNO Youth Malaysia (1991 to 1993), Perlis Deputy UMNO Youth Chief (1994 to 1998), UMNO Padang Besar Youth Chief (1994 to 2001), UMNO Perlis Youth Chief (1998 to 2001) and a member of the UMNO Youth national executive (2001 to 2004).

He was elected to the Perlis State Legislative Assembly for Beseri in 1999 and re-elected in 2004, serving until 2008. On the Perlis State Executive Council under Menteri Besar Shahidan Kassim he was deputy chairman of the education committee (1999 to 2003) and chairman for investment, trade, science, technology, consumerism and agro-based industry (2003 to 2006).

He headed the UMNO Padang Besar division from 2008 to 2022 and became a member of the UMNO supreme council. He chaired RISDA, the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority, from 2015 to 2018, and chaired the Malaysian International Institute of Islamic Cooperation (IKIAM).

In 2013 he won the Padang Besar parliamentary seat with 21,473 votes (60.45 percent) against PAS, and he held it in 2018 with a majority of 1,438. He served as Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia from 10 March 2020 to 16 August 2021 under Muhyiddin Yassin and from 30 August 2021 to November 2022 under Ismail Sabri Yaakob. In November 2021 he said a proposal was being worked on to draft laws to license online gambling so that it could be taxed.

Barisan Nasional dropped Zahidi as its Padang Besar candidate for the 15th general election in November 2022. He stood as an independent in a five-cornered contest and received 1,939 votes (1.56 percent); the seat went to Rushdan Rusmi of PAS. In January 2023, by then a former UMNO supreme council member, he said he and about 100 supporters from the Padang Besar division would apply to join PKR. Utusan Malaysia reported on 4 February 2023 that he had instead submitted an application to join Amanah, another Pakatan Harapan party. Sinar Harian's obituary in November 2026 describes him as having left UMNO to join PKR.

In September 2020 Zahidi told the Dewan Negara that Sabahan student Veveonah Mosibin had not had an exam on the day she posted a video of herself in a tree trying to get an internet signal, implying she was seeking YouTube views. Universiti Malaysia Sabah confirmed she had been sitting exams. Zahidi apologised and said the information had come from the Kudat MP. The episode drew national outrage, brought scrutiny of his own academic credentials, and was followed by the fast-tracking of 13 new telecommunications towers in her home district under the JENDELA programme.

Zahidi was a Malaysian Muslim of Malay descent from Perlis. In January 2021, while a deputy minister, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was treated at Sungai Buloh Hospital, being discharged after 11 days. Details of his spouse and children have not been made public in the sources reviewed.

Companion Class I of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DMSM), carrying the title Datuk, 2003. Companion of the Order of the Crown of Perlis (SMP), 2003.

Zahidi is remembered as a long-serving Perlis politician who represented Beseri and then Padang Besar for most of two decades, sat on the state executive council, led RISDA and served as deputy communications minister through the COVID-19 period and two changes of government. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Radzi Jidin were among those who paid tribute when he died.

Zahidi died on the afternoon of Friday 13 November 2026, at around 5pm according to his brother Zafruddin Zainul Abidin, at a private hospital in Penang. He was 65. Zafruddin said his health had deteriorated since Wednesday 11 November and that he had been receiving treatment for kidney failure and needed dialysis. His body was prayed over after Isyak prayers and buried at the Bayan Lepas Muslim cemetery that night.