Zuraida Kamaruddin
Datuk Zuraida binti Kamaruddin (Jawi: زريدة بنت قمرالدين; born 14 March 1958) is a Malaysian politician who has served as Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob since August 2021. She served as the Minister of Housing and Local Government twice in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin from March 2020 to August 2021 and the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad from May 2018 to the collapse of the PH administration in February 2020. She has also  served the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ampang since March 2008. She has been a member of Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), a component party of the ruling PN since February 2020 after her resignation from her previous political party, People's Justice Party (PKR) with her key political ally, then-Deputy President of the PKR and the then-Minister of Economic Affairs Mohamed Azmin Ali and several MPs aligned with Azmin in the same month. Zuraida was elected to Parliament in the 2008 Malaysian general election, gaining the seat of Ampang from the then-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition . She was reelected in the 2013 and in the 2018 Malaysian general election. Non-political career. She started working in the private sector in 1980 at Frank Small & Associates, Australia. She held the position of Qualitative Study Manager before progressing to Chuo Senko Advertising (Japan) as Marketing Research and Account Planning Manager. In addition, she has worked with American International Assurance (AIA), Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, AVON (M) Berhad and Flaireborne (M) Sdn Bhd. In 1998, she became a training and motivational consultant to advise organizations such as Petronas, Municipal Council, Oriflame, Nutrimetics, Shinetsu, Texas and marketing, advertising and merchandise research  companies. Other posts include being a member of the Board of Directors of Maahad Tahfiz Az-Zahra, Adviser of ALQAS Education & Charity Home, GEMMA Humanitarian Relief Advisor and Malaysian Student Association in Yemen. She is also a founder and chairwoman of WIRDA having members locally and overseas. WIRDA is a Community Service Center that handles counseling and protection to the needy groups including single mothers, travelers, converts and teens. Political career. Zuraida won her Ampang seat in the 2008 general election representing PKR, defeating her predecessor Rozaidah Talib with a majority of 3,676 votes. She successfully defended the seat in  both the 2013 and 2018 general elections with increased majorities. She also served as the Women's Chief for PKR before being succeeded by Haniza Talha. She was elected to become vice-president of PKR and concurrently served as Women's Chief for Pakatan Harapan until 24 February 2020 (see Expulsion from PKR) She is also the Chairwoman of the Selangor Women's Institute of IWB (IWB). The IWB is a Selangor State Government think tank acting as a policy framework to ensure women's development will take priority in the state. On 25 January 2022, the Supreme Council of  BERSATU has discussed the issue to expel Zuraida from the party due to alleges of involvement in Parti Bangsa Malaysia, but no actions have been made. However, on 2 February 2022, the general-secretary of PBM, Nor Hizwan Ahmad has clarified that Zuraida is not a member of PBM. On 22 March 2022, Supreme Council member of BERSATU, had criticised Zuraida that she did not helped in the 2022 Johor state election and stated that this is a subtle betrayal to the party. He also asked the party to take serious action against her. Expulsion from PKR. On 24 February  2020, PKR general-secretary Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced in a press conference that the Minister of Economic Affairs, Azmin Ali who was also the Deputy President, and Zuraida had been expelled from the party for their actions on 23 October 2019 which went against the party's stance regarding the position of the Prime Minister. In reaction to Azmin and Zuraida's expulsion, eight MPs from PKR aligned towards Azmin subsequently left the party to form an "independent bloc". On 28 February 2020, Zuraida along with the rest of the "independent bloc" joined Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU), a component  party of Pakatan Harapan until pulling out of the coalition on 24 February. Controversies. In 5 January 2022, Zuraida's spirited defence of palm oil in Malaysia, including her assertion that they were not harming the orangutan population and the primates were more likely to kill humans than the other way round, has gained social media attention. Zuraida's office has clarified that her controversial comments about human-harming orangutans had been uttered in “jest”.