[2] After Tambunan was replaced by governor Kaharuddin Nasution, Abdul was appointed assistant for people's welfare for a year.

Governor Raja Inal Siregar then promoted him to become the regional secretary, the highest bureaucratic post in the province.

[4] In the midst of his term as vice governor, Abdul was chosen as the chairman of the North Sumatra branch of the Golkar party.

[5] Abdul was replaced by tycoon Rudolf Pardede as vice governor on 16 June 2003[6] and retired from the civil service shortly after.

He ran as a candidate for the People's Representative Council from the North Sumatra constituency and managed to obtain a seat.

Abdul's age made him the oldest serving member in the parliament, and automatically, the temporary speaker of the People's Representative Council.