A member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), he has served as its leader and the Chairman of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition since May 2018.

[4][5] On 1 October 2011, his mother, Tuminah Abdul Jalil, died of a stroke and heart complication in her hometown Sungai Nipah Darat, Bagan Datoh.

[6] He was raised by a Chinese foster-father, Chen Jin Ting and sold ice cream together for six years with his foster family when he was in elementary school.

Chen was not highly educated and would cycle from his house at Simpang Tiga, Hilir Perak to about three kilometers away selling ice cream.

In the 1995 general election, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi became a Member of Parliament after winning the Bagan Datok parliamentary seat in Perak.

While being a Deputy Minister, he pursued a Doctor of Philosophy degree from UPM, thesis entitled Barisan Nasional Manifesto As Agenda for Malay Language Newspaper During the General Election Campaign.

In the political tsunami of 2008, Zahid again retained his Bagan Datok parliamentary seat at a time when many BN party heavyweights were trounced.

He was appointed Minister of Home Affairs in 2013, replacing Hishammuddin Hussein, who took Zahid's previous position at the Ministry of Defence.

[25][26][27] Ahmad Zahid had been sued by businessman Amir Bazli Abdullah for allegedly punching him in the face on 16 January 2006 at the Country Heights recreational club in Kajang, Selangor, causing the latter to suffer a nasal bone fracture and a swollen left eye.

[30] The statement was made after a series of street demonstrations led by opposition parties that has refused to accept the results of the 13th Malaysian General election.

[31] During a speech in Malacca, Zahid was recorded endorsing the police policy of "shoot to kill" when arresting dangerous criminals,[32] including backing a certain group of gangsters.

[43][44][45] On 24 January 2022, Zahid has been ordered to enter his defence against all 47 criminal breach of trust (CBT), corruption and money laundering charges involving funds.

[46][47][48][49][50] On 17 February 2022, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has divulged more details regarding his claims that Ahmad Zahid sought his intervention in court cases.

He said he refused to interfere in Zahid and Najib Razak's court cases, which incited their anger and resulted in attempts to destabilise the government.