# Hasan Arifin

Hasan bin Arifin (born 28 April 1953) is a Malaysian politician and corporate member who served as Chairman of the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) from October 2021 to his resignation in January 2023, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) from October 2015 to April 2018, Deputy Menteri Besar of Pahang and Member of the Pahang State Executive Council (EXCO) from April 1995 to December 1999, Member of Parliament (MP) for Rompin from May 2015 to November 2022, Member of the Pahang State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Bukit Ibam from October 1990 to March 2004, Tioman from August 1986 to October 1990 and Rompin from April 1982 to August 1986. He also served in various other positions in politics and corporate sector, namely the Chairman of the Special Select Committee from 2021 to 2022, Chairman of the Pengurusan Aset Air Sdn Bhd from 2020 to 2021, Member of the Board of the UDA Holdings from 2010 to 2015, Chairman of the Southeast Pahang Regional Development Board (DARA) from 1995 to 1998, Member of the Board of the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) from 1991 to 1995 as well as Chairman of the Pahang State Agricultural Development Board from 1990 to 1999. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. His tenure as the Chairman of PAC has been controversial for the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

## Political career
### Chairman of Public Accounts Committee

Hasan was nominated by Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak to helm the post of chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and appointed by Speaker of the House of Representatives Pandikar Amin Mulia on 19 October 2015. He took over from Nur Jazlan Mohamed who resigned from the PAC after being appointed Deputy Minister of Home Affairs by Najib.

## Controversies

During his PAC Chairman tenure, Hasan was accused of tampering with the investigation into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal involving then-Prime Minister Najib by Petaling Jaya Utara MP and fellow PAC member Tony Pua. He was accused to have, among many others, refusing to call additional witnesses before the PAC, deleting evidence from PAC's 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) report and ignoring evidence crucial to the investigation. Following his appointment, requests to reopen the investigation was rejected and it was later revealed that he had made attempts to shield Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, the man who was central to the 1MDB scandal, by editing out portions involving Low in the PAC report. Earlier, he had also overturned his predecessor's decision to summon Low to the PAC for questioning.
According to ex-1MDB chief executive officer (CEO) Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi's court testimony in the High Court, the PAC hearings on the 1MDB fiasco in 2010 and 2015 was nothing short of a farce where Hassan as PAC Chairman together with PAC member Abdul Rahman Dahlan along with fugitive businessman Jho Low had conspired to plot the outcome of the hearings. Hassan and Abdul Rahman who are both MP from BN, were exposed by Shahrol to be in conflict of interests since they were part of the PAC members who coached him on what to say during the PAC hearings.

## Election results

Pahang State Legislative Assembly :
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout |
| 1982 | N28 Rompin | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | | | | | | | | |
| 1986 | N33 Tioman | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | 4,641 | 81.48% | Abd Rauof Abd Majid (PAS) | 1,055 | 18.52% | 6,048 | 3,586 | 62.87% |
| 1990 | N32 Bukit Ibam | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | 9,289 | 70.40% | Othman Bakar (PAS) | 3,906 | 29.60% | 13,629 | 5,383 | 79.98% |
| 1995 | N36 Bukit Ibam | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | 6,762 | 73.42% | Ismail Mat Tahar (PAS) | 2,448 | 26.58% | 9,475 | 4,314 | 80.22% |
| 1999 | N36 Bukit Ibam | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | 6,035 | 63.44% | Ustaz Haji Sukri (PAS) | 3,478 | 36.56% | 9,908 | 2,557 | 79.85% |
Parliament of Malaysia :
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout |
| 2015 | P091 Rompin | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | 23,796 | 61.49% | Nazri Ahmad (PAS) | 14,901 | 38.51% | 39,352 | 8,895 | 73.84% |
| 2018 | P091 Rompin | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | 26,628 | 53.54% | M Shahrul Nizam Abdul Haliff (PAS) | 15,233 | 30.63% | 50,905 | 11,395 | 82.21% |
| 2018 | P091 Rompin | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | 26,628 | 53.54% | Sitarunisah Ab Kadir (PKR) | 7,876 | 15.84% | 50,905 | 11,395 | 82.21% |
| 2022 | P091 Rompin | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | 30,151 | 45.05% | Abdul Khalib Abdullah (BERSATU) | 31,589 | 47.20% | 66,927 | 1,438 | 75.09% |
| 2022 | P091 Rompin | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | 30,151 | 45.05% | Erman Shah Jaios (PKR) | 4,779 | 7.14% | 66,927 | 1,438 | 75.09% |
| 2022 | P091 Rompin | Hasan Arifin (UMNO) | 30,151 | 45.05% | Harmizi Hussain (IND) | 408 | 0.61% | 66,927 | 1,438 | 75.09% |

## Honours

* Pahang :
** Knight Companion of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (DSAP) – Dato'
** Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – Dato' Sri (2015)