Preceded by Hassan Mohamed Name Abdullah Zin Role Member of Parliament | Spouse(s) Wan Naimah Wan Latif Succeeded by Idris Jusoh Religion Sunni Islam | |
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Born 2 August 1946 (age 77)
Alor Selinsing, Jerteh, Terengganu, Malayan Union (now Malaysia) ( 1946-08-02 ) Alma mater Islamic University of Madinah
University of Kent
Al-Azhar University Occupation Politician, PM's religious adviser Education University of Kent, Al-Azhar University, Islamic University of Madinah People also search for Abdul Razak Hussein, Zainal Abidin Ahmad, Hamzah Abdullah | ||
Political party UMNO–Barisan Nasional | ||
Tan Sri Dato' Seri Prof. Dr. Abdullah Md Zin (born 2 August 1946) was the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Besut constituency in Terengganu from 2004 to 2013, sitting as a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
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Early life and career
Abdullah was born on 2 August 1946 in Alor Selinsing, Jerteh, Terengganu. He studied at the Islamic University of Madinah, graduating in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies.
In 1973, he obtained a master's degree in Syariah from Al-Azhar University, Egypt, before receiving a Diploma in Education from Ain Shams University. He was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy from Kent University, England, in 1986.
Abdullah became a lecturer in 1976, first at the Kolej Islam Klang and then at the National University of Malaysia (UKM). In 1998, he was appointed as the dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies and in 1999 he became a Professor. In 2000 he was appointed as the Deputy Rector (Academic and Research) at the Kolej Universiti Islam Malaysia (KUIM).
Politics
Abdullah resigned from KUIM to be the Barisan Nasional candidate for the federal parliamentary seat of Besut, Terengganu in the 2004 election. The seat had been held by the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). Abdullah won the seat, defeating PAS's Nasharudin Mat Isa.
Abdullah became a member of UMNO's Supreme Council and a Minister in the Department of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. After the 2008 election he was dropped from the ministry, and in the 2009 UMNO elections, he failed to retain a position on the party's Supreme Council.
When Najib Tun Razak became Prime Minister in 2009, Abdullah became his religious affairs adviser. Abdullah did not recontest his parliamentary seat in the 2013 election, although he remained as Najib's religious adviser.