Datuk
Seri Zulhasnan Rafique is a Malaysian
politician and the former Malaysian
Minister of the Federal Territories. He is also the Member
of Parliament for Setiawangsa in
Kuala
Lumpur
and a supreme council member in the United Malay National
Organisation, the main component party in the ruling coalition
Barisan Nasional.
On
27 March 2004,
following a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Federal
Territory and
Klang Valley Planning and
Development Division was upgraded to a full-fledged ministry.
Its
responsibility expanded to include jurisdiction over the
territories of Labuan
and Putrajaya
. Zulhasnan was the first deputy minister to
be appointed to the ministry.
Tan Sri Isa bin Hj Abdul Samad was the first minister to be
appointed. However, Isa was dismissed from office after found
guilty of corruption charges related to money politics during the
UMNO General Assembly Election of 2005.
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (then
the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development) assumed
the responsibilities of acting minister until a replacement could
be found.
On
16 February 2006,
Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique was appointed the Federal Territories
Minister. Under the leadership of Zulhasnan, a strategic plan that
focused on development plans for all three Federal Territories was
created.