Zainul Abidin (politician)
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{short description|Singaporean politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Zainul Abidin
| native_name = {{nobold|زین العابدین}}
| image =
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| office = Singapore Ambassador to the State of Kuwait
| term_start = 27 October 2011
| term_end = 18 February 2025
| president = Tony Tan
Halimah Yacob
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
| primeminister = Lee Hsien Loong
| predecessor = Wong Kwok Pun{{cite press release |author= |title=MFA Press Statement : Appointment of Singapore's Ambassador to The State of Israel, Singapore's Ambassador to The State of Kuwait and Singapore's Ambassador to The State of Qatar |url=http://www.mfa.net.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/press_room/pr/2005/200512/press_20051228_02.html |location=Singapore |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs |date=28 December 2005 |access-date=5 January 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
| successor = Abu Bakar Mohd Nor{{cite press release |author= |title=Letter of Credence Ceremony, 18 February 2025 |url=http://www.mfa.net.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/press_room/pr/2005/200512/press_20051228_02.html |location=Singapore |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs |date=18 February 2025 |access-date=6 March 2025 }}
| office1 = Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
| term_start1 = 30 May 2006
| term_end1 = 20 May 2011
| primeminister1 = Lee Hsien Loong
| predecessor1 = Position established
| successor1 = Masagos Zulkifli
| office2 = Mayor of North East District
| term_start2 = 24 November 2001
| term_end2 = 30 May 2009
| primeminister2 = Goh Chok Tong
Lee Hsien Loong
| predecessor2 = Position established
| successor2 = Teo Ser Luck
| constituency_MP3 = Aljunied GRC
(Eunos)
| parliament3 = Singapore
| term_start3 = 25 October 2001
| term_end3 = 18 April 2011
| majority3 = 16,225 (56.10%)
| predecessor3 = Sidek Saniff
| successor3 = Pritam Singh
| constituency_MP4 = Cheng San GRC
(Punggol East)
| parliament4 = Singapore
| term_start4 = 2 January 1997
| term_end4 = 18 October 2001
| majority4 = 9,421 (54.80%)
| predecessor4 = Constituency established
| successor4 = Constituency abolished
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1948|3|17}}
| birth_place = Colony of Singapore
| death_date =
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| nationality = Singaporean
| party = People's Action Party
| spouse =
| relations =
| children = 4
| alma_mater = National University of Singapore
| occupation = {{hlist|Diplomat|politician|journalist}}
| signature =
| signature_alt =
}}
{{Malay name|Zainul Abidin|Rasheed}}
Zainul Abidin bin Mohamed Rasheed (born 17 March 1948)[http://160.96.186.99/AboutUs/Org-MP-CV-ZainulAbidin.htm Curriculum Vitae.]{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} www.parliament.gov.sg, 1 June 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2011. is a Singaporean diplomat, former politician and journalist. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Eunos ward of Aljunied GRC between 2001 and 2011 and Cheng San GRC representing Punggol East ward from 1997 to 2001.{{Cite news |last=Chee |first=Kenny |date=13 May 2011 |title=Zainul's son may follow in his footsteps |work=My Paper |pages=A2}}
He previously served as Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs between 2006 and 2011 and the Mayor of North East District from 2001 to 2009. He has been serving as Singapore Ambassador to the State of Kuwait and Special Envoy to the Middle East.{{cite news |last1=Teo |first1=Wan Gek |date=10 September 2011 |title=Possible second advisers for Aljunied grassroots |work=The Straits Times |agency=Singapore Press Holdings}}
Education
Zainul attended Jalan Daud Primary School and Raffles Institution before graduating from the National University of Singapore where he majored in economics. He was also awarded the Gold Outstanding Young Singaporean Award in 1974.
Career
= Journalistic career =
Zainul Abidin was a journalist with Singapore Press Holdings between 1976 and 1996, working as an editor for the Asia News Bulletin, Berita Harian and The Sunday Times, and then Associate Editor of The Straits Times, before being seconded to the government sector.
= Political career =
Zainul Abidin first stood for the 1997 Singapore general elections under the People's Action Party (PAP) under Cheng San Group Representation Constituency (GRC), against the Workers' Party (WP), whose notable candidates were J. B. Jeyaratnam and Tang Liang Hong. The PAP won the constituency.
Zainul Abidin was appointed Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1998 – 2001.
Zainul Abidin later moved to Aljunied GRC for the 2001 general elections where there is a walkover. He was then appointed Minister of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2004.
He remained in Aljunied GRC for the 2006 general elections where the WP also contested in the ward. The PAP team won the elections with 56.09% of the votes. He was subsequently given a Senior Minister of State role in 2006 to 2011.{{Cite web |last=Choo |first=Evelyn |date=28 October 2011 |title=Former Senior Minister of State is new Ambassador to Kuwait |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/today20111028-1.2.40.10 |access-date=2022-11-22 |publisher=Today |page=34 |language=en-SG |via=NewspaperSG |archive-date=22 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122152806/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/today20111028-1.2.40.10 |url-status=live }}
He also held the post of Mayor of the Northeast Community Development Council from 2001 to 2008.
In the 2011 general elections, Zainul Abidin was part of the PAP team which lost Aljunied GRC to the WP consists of Low Thia Kiang, Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Chen Show Mao. In a post-election interview, he suggested that Lee Kuan Yew's remarks on Malays, Muslims and integration in his book, Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going, may have had some influence over the Malay votes, and "many were hurt by those remarks and remain so."{{Cite web|url=http://www.pressreader.com/singapore/today/20110513/281500747829716|title=Many remain hurt by MM Lee's remarks|date=13 May 2011|via=PressReader|access-date=18 September 2017|archive-date=18 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918154724/http://www.pressreader.com/singapore/today/20110513/281500747829716|url-status=live}}
Prior to the 2011 presidential election, Zainul declined to announce a candidacy on 29 May, but did not categorically rule out a run, declaring that he wished to take a break before making any decisions. He did not make any further statements on a possible campaign afterwards.
= Corporate and public service appointments =
Zainul Abidin was a member of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) from 1986 to 1988.{{Cite web |last=Fernandez |first=Warren |date=22 September 1990 |title=Berita Harian editor is new Mendaki chief |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/stoverseas19900922-1.2.6.1 |access-date=2022-11-22 |publisher=The Straits Times |page=2 |language=en-SG |via=NewspaperSG}} He then served in Mendaki from 1990 to 1993.
He has held various appointments, among them being:
- Member of the National University of Singapore Council,
- Member of the board of trustees, NTUC Healthcare Co-operative Ltd
- Member of the Board of directors of Mendaki Holdings
- Member of the RI Board of Governors
- Advisor of the Singapore Port Workers Union
- Ex-deputy Chairman of the Malay Heritage Foundation
- Member of the National Medical Ethics Committee
In September 2011, after the general elections, Zainul Abidin was appointed as the chairman SPH UnionWorks, owned by the Singapore Press Holdings,{{Cite news|url=http://www.asiaone.com/singapore/sph-acquires-ntucs-remaining-71-stake-sph-unionworks|title=SPH acquires NTUC's remaining 7.1% stake in SPH UnionWorks|work=AsiaOne|access-date=18 September 2017}} which operates two Singapore radio stations 91.3FM and 100.3FM.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=140061556&privcapId=30791113|title=Zainul Abidin Bin Mohamed Rasheed: Executive Profile & Biography – Bloomberg|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=18 September 2017|archive-date=18 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918154624/https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=140061556&privcapId=30791113|url-status=live}} He was also named as the consultant of the book publishing arm SPH's book publishing arm, Straits Times Press (STP).{{Cite web|url=http://sph.listedcompany.com/news.rev/id/277370|title=News – Singapore Press Holdings|website=sph.listedcompany.com|language=en|access-date=18 September 2017|archive-date=18 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918160701/http://sph.listedcompany.com/news.rev/id/277370|url-status=dead}}
Zainul Abidin also serves on the boards of various local and international companies including Chairman of Diamond Electric Pte Ltd, deputy chairman, lead independent director of Australian-listed OM Holdings, Director of Mediacorp, Board Member of National Volunteer Philanthropy Centre and Director of Temasek Cares.{{Cite web |title=Temasek Foundation Cares – Board of Directors & Management Team |url=http://www.temasekcares.org.sg/bod.html |access-date=18 September 2017 |website=www.temasekcares.org.sg |archive-date=18 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918155101/http://www.temasekcares.org.sg/bod.html |url-status=dead }} He also serves as a corporate adviser to Temasek International.{{Cite news |title=LCD Global Investments appoints Zainul Abidin Bin Mohamed Rasheed as director |work=Singapore Business Review |url=http://sbr.com.sg/hotels-tourism/people/lcd-global-investments-appoints-zainul-abidin-bin-mohamed-rasheed-director |access-date=18 September 2017 |archive-date=18 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918160326/http://sbr.com.sg/hotels-tourism/people/lcd-global-investments-appoints-zainul-abidin-bin-mohamed-rasheed-director |url-status=live }}
= Diplomatic career =
On 27 October 2011, Zainul Abidin was appointed non-resident Ambassador to Kuwait{{cite press release|title=MFA Press Statement: Appointment of Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to the State of Kuwait|date=27 October 2011|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs|location=Singapore|url=http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/press_room/pr/2011/201110/press_20111027_03.html|access-date=5 January 2016|author=|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051548/http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/press_room/pr/2011/201110/press_20111027_03.html|url-status=live}} and a special envoy of the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Middle East.{{cite press release|title=MFA Press Statement: Singapore's Representation at the Inauguration Ceremony Marking the Opening of the New Expanded Suez Canal, Egypt, 6 August 2015|date=6 August 2015|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs|location=Singapore|url=http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/press_room/pr/2015/201508/press_201508060.html|access-date=5 January 2016|author=|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185800/http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/press_room/pr/2015/201508/press_201508060.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/new-suez-canal-opens-for-business|title='New' Suez Canal opens for business|date=7 August 2015|work=The Straits Times|access-date=18 September 2017|language=en|archive-date=18 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918204758/http://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/new-suez-canal-opens-for-business|url-status=live}}
Personal life
Zainul Abidin is married and has 3 sons and a daughter.{{Cite web |title=Zainul's son may follow in his footsteps |url=https://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20110513-278593.html |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=www.asiaone.com |archive-date=26 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926034601/https://www.asiaone.com/singapore |url-status=live }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-dip}}
|-
{{s-vac|unknown|unknlast=Wong Kwok Pun}}
{{s-ttl|title= Singapore Ambassador to the State of Kuwait|years=27 October 2011 – 18 February 2025
(Non-resident)}}
{{s-aft|after=Abu Bakar Mohd Nor}}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-new|office}}
{{s-ttl|title=Mayor of North East District | years=24 November 2001 – 30 May 2009}}
{{s-aft|after=Teo Ser Luck}}
{{s-end}}
{{11th Parliament of Singapore}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zainul Abidin Bin Mohamed}}
Category:Singaporean politicians of Malay descent
Category:People's Action Party politicians
Category:Members of the Parliament of Singapore
Category:Raffles Institution alumni
Category:National University of Singapore alumni