Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
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| Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 31 October 2003 |
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| Monarch | Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Mizan Zainal Abidin |
| Deputy | Najib Tun Razak |
| Preceded by | Mahathir bin Mohamad |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1978 |
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| In office 31 October 2003 – 15 September 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Mahathir bin Mohamad |
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President of the United Malays National Organisation
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office September 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Mahathir bin Mohamad |
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| Born | 26 November 1939 Kepala Batas, Malaya |
| Political party | Barisan Nasional-United Malays National Organisation |
| Spouse | Endon Mahmood Ambak (deceased) Jeanne Danker |
| Religion | Islam |
Dato' Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi (born November 26, 1939) is a Malaysian politician who has served as Prime Minister since 2003. He is also the President of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the largest political party in Malaysia, and leads the governing Barisan Nasional parliamentary coalition. He is informally known as Pak Lah, 'Pak' meaning father while 'Lah' is taken from his name Abdullah.
After Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad. sacked Anwar Ibrahim, he appointed Abdullah as Deputy Prime Minister. Abdullah went on to succeed Mahathir as Prime Minister in 2003.
In the 2004 general election, Abdullah scored a significant victory. In the 2008 general election, the Barisan Nasional won a reduced majority of seats, enabling Abdullah to remain as Prime Minister.
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Early life
Abdullah Badawi was born in Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang to a prominent religious family. His father, Ahmad Badawi, was a prominent religious figure and UMNO member. Badawi's paternal grandfather is Syeikh Abdullah Badawi Fahim whose one of the key person started Hizbul Muslimin later known as PAS, a famous nationalist and first mufti of Penang after Independence.[1] His maternal grandfather, Ha Su-chiang (also known as Hassan), was a Chinese Muslim who came from Sanya in Hainan.[2]
Abdullah Badawi is a former student of Bukit Mertajam High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies from the University of Malaya in 1964. After graduation, he joined the Malaysian Administrative and Diplomatic Corps (the formal term for the civil service). He served as Director of Youth at the Ministry of Youth and Sport as well as secretary of the National Emergency Council (MAGERAN). He resigned in 1978 to become the member of parliament for his constituency of Kepala Batas in northern Seberang Perai (which had also been represented by his late father), which he still represents today.
Early political career
Abdullah Badawi was born to a prominent religious family. His father, Ahmad Badawi, was a prominent religious figure and UMNO member.
Abdullah Badawi is a former student of Bukit Mertajam High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies from the University of Malaya in 1964.
After graduation, he joined the Malaysian Administrative and Diplomatic Corps (the formal term for the civil service). He served as Director of Youth at the Ministry of Youth and Sport as well as secretary of the National Emergency Council (MAGERAN). He resigned in 1978 to become the member of parliament for his constituency of Kepala Batas in northern Seberang Perai (which had also been represented by his late father), which he still represents today.
Early during Mahathir's tenure as prime minister, a bitter dispute erupted within the ruling UMNO party and it was divided into two camps, which were colloquially known as 'Team A' comprising Mahathir loyalists, and 'Team B', which supported former Minister of Finance Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and former Deputy Prime Minister Musa Hitam. Mahathir prevailed, leading to the exclusion of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah from the newly-established UMNO (Baru) or New UMNO. Abdullah Badawi was a close supporter of his political mentor Musa Hitam in Team B and as a result, he was sacked from his post of Minister of Defence in the cabinet. He did not join Semangat 46 (Spirit 46) party which was set up by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Semangat 46 is now defunct.
He was readmitted in 1993 after winning the UMNO Vice Presidency and was given the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Prior to 1998, he had also served as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Minister of Youth and Sports, Minister of Defence and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was appointed deputy prime minister and Minister for Home Affairs following the dismissal of Anwar Ibrahim.
Political career
Early during Mahathir's tenure as prime minister, a bitter dispute erupted within the ruling UMNO party and it was divided into two camps, which were colloquially known as 'Team A' comprising Mahathir loyalists, and 'Team B', which supported former Minister of Finance Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and former Deputy Prime Minister Musa Hitam. Due to this matter, old UMNO party has been declared void by Judge. Mahathir prevailed, leading to the exclusion of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah from the newly-established UMNO (Baru) or New UMNO. Abdullah Badawi was a close supporter of his political mentor Musa Hitam in Team B and subsequently won the April 1987 Vice Presidential race in UMNO elections. However, because of his alliance to 'Team B', he was sacked from his position as Minister of Defence. Yet, he did not join Semangat 46 (Spirit 46) party which was set up by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Semangat 46 is now defunct.
When UMNO (Baru) was formed in Feb 1988, the then UMNO President and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad brought Abdullah Badawi into the protem committee of UMNO (Baru) as the Vice President. In 1990, Abdullah Badawi retained his seat as Vice President. During the Cabinet reshuffle in 1991, Mahathir brought Abdullah Badawi Ahmad back into the Cabinet as Foreign Minister. He held this post until November 1999 when Syed Hamid Albar succeeded. Even though Abdullah Badawi lost his Vice Presidency in the 1993 UMNO elections, he remained in the Cabinet and was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. Prior to 1998, he had also served as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Minister of Education, Minister of Defence, and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He completed his probation when he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Home Affairs following the dismissal of Anwar Ibrahim.
Premiership
First term
Since coming into power as prime minister, Abdullah Badawi has promised to clamp down on corruption, thus empowering corruption agencies and providing more avenues for the public to expose corrupt practices. He has also arrested several public figures from the Mahathir era for corruption, a move which was widely applauded by the public. He has advocated an interpretation of Islam known as Islam Hadhari, which advocates the intercompatibility between Islam and economic and technological development. His administration has also been emphasising a revival of the Malaysian agricultural sector.
In the 2004 general election, Abdullah Badawi's first as prime minister, he delivered a landslide victory for his party's coalition Barisan Nasional (of which UMNO is the dominant party) by winning 198 out of 220 seats in parliament and wrested control of the Terengganu state government from the Islamist opposition Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS), as well as coming close to capturing the traditional PAS stronghold of Kelantan. The victory was widely regarded as an approval of his vision of moderate Islam over religious fundamentalism as well as support for his anti-corruption policies.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, upon his release from prison in September 2004, publicly credited Abdullah Badawi for not interfering with the court's overturning of his sodomy conviction.
On September 10, 2004, Abdullah Badawi, as Finance Minister, presented his maiden budget that is seen by many as maintenance-oriented as opposed to the growth policies emphasised by Mahathir.
Abdullah Badawi is also known for focusing on Malaysia's internal security after the increase in corruptive practices, such as bribery, in the Law enforcement in Malaysia.Since coming into power as prime minister, Abdullah Badawi has clamped down on corruption, giving more power to anti-corruption agencies and making it easier for the public to reveal corrupt practices to the authorities. He has also arrested several Mahathir-era cronies on charges of corruption, a move which is widely applauded by the public. He has advocated an interpretation of Islam known as Islam Hadhari, which maintains that Islam and economic and technological development are not incompatible.
Abdullah Badawi is unofficially known as Pak Lah (Malay diminutive for "Uncle Abdullah Badawi"). The Malaysian government has issued a statement that the prime minister should not be referred to by this nickname in official articles and in newsprint; however, the nickname is still used informally. In fact, Abdullah Badawi often uses that nickname to refer to himself during public gatherings.
Abdullah Badawi continues to be heavily involved in foreign policy making. He is the chairman of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference since his premiership in 2003. As of 2005, he is the chairman of the ASEAN. He also served as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement from October 2003 until September 2006.
Economic policies
Abdullah Badawi declared an end to the economic legacy and grandiose projects of his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, during the 57th UMNO General Assembly. He told delegates that he would not pursue the economic strategies adopted two decades ago by Mahathir.
He said that in the past, wealth was generated not by innovation and creativity, but by foreign investment, government contracts, and privatization.
Agriculture and biotechnology are some of the highlighted issues in 9MP that the government believes such sectors are still able to generate wealth for many Malaysians, especially those in rural areas.
Under the Abdullah Badawi administration, the country is moving down to a value chain economy by developing its inherent strengths in agriculture without losing its existing manufacturing base.[3] However, Abdullah has been criticized as to his handling of the sudden hikes in the price of petrol and electricity through the restructuring of government subsidies, especially as it is detrimental to Malaysia's position as a traditional exporter.
50 years of nationhood
On August 31, 2007, Abdullah Badawi shouted 'Merdeka!' meaning 'Independence' during the midnight celebrations of Malaysia's 50 years of nationhood. The celebrations were held at Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur, where thousands of people had congregated. This was a symbolic gesture which emulated the actions of Malaysia's first Prime Minister, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, when the latter declared independence from the British in 1957.[4]
Second term
Abdullah Badawi won a second term as Prime Minister by winning the 12th General Election, held in March 2008, with a simple majority. The election was unprecedented as it is the first time since 1969 that the ruling party failed to garner a two-third majority vote (140 out of 222 seats) in Parliament. He also lost four additional states to the opposition (Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor). Although his party, Barisan Nasional, suffered a major setback, Abdullah Badawi vowed to fulfill the promises in his manifesto amid calls from Mahathir, the opposition and even among UMNO members for him to resign. However, his deputy, Najib Razak, and others in his party voiced unreserved support for his leadership.[5] It took a while before open dissent started brewing at grassroots levels, with petition and campaigns being launched to ask for his resignation.[6]
He was sworn in for a second term as Prime Minister on March 10, 2008.[7]Badawi unveiled a streamlined 68-member Cabinet March 18, 2008, dropping half the ministers in his previous administration and keeping the crucial finance portfolio for himself.[8]
Abdullah is currently facing a political crisis not only from the onslaught of the Opposition who has gained much ground by taking the richest and most important states (Selangor and Penang, which incidentally is the hometown of Abdullah Badawi). He is also facing growing discontent from within his own ranks in the UMNO party. The son of the former premier, Mukhriz Mahathir, has openly called for him to step down. The UMNO Youth chief, Hishammudin has not taken any action against Mukhriz and dismissed it as a personal opinion.
Abdullah is currently under heavy pressure to step down after many within his UMNO party including former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammad have openly asked him to take full responsibility on the dismal performance during the 12th general election in March 2008. In response to Mahathir's comment, Abdullah Badawi pointed out that when the BN won a landslide victory in 2004, Mahathir then complained that the government was too powerful and needed a stronger opposition voice.
He has initiated two significant changes in the system after the general election by declaring the Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) to be fully independent and initiated judicial reform proceedings in the aftermath of the V.K. Lingam Royal Commission of Inquiry.
Regarding the live telecast in Dewan Rakyat (the first time since after the 12th General Election)[9], Abdullah said he was ashamed at what had transpired in the Dewan Rakyat on April 30, 2008 (Wednesday) and agreed that live telecast of the proceedings should be scrapped. He said what happened was just “too much.”
"I felt ashamed if people watched television and saw what was happening in our Dewan. In my heart, I also felt that all this happened because there was a live broadcast at that time." said the Prime Minister.
There was many ideas from the government MPs and opposition MPs. Some MPs suggested that the live telecast should not be scrapped to let the people know what was really happening in the Dewan Rakyat and judge the MPs in conducting the people's voice in the parliament. Lastly, the live telecast of the proceedings is to be continue to show that there is transparency and to let the people know what the MPs are behaving and debating.
On May 19, 2008, the dispute between Dr Mahathir and Abdullah reached a "shocking" stage when Dr Mahathir, who had served as UMNO President for 22 years, announced that he was quitting the party after having lost confidence in Abdullah Badawi's leadership, and that he would only rejoin the party after Abdullah had stepped down as UMNO President and Prime Minister.
On July 10, 2008, Abdullah announced he would step down as UMNO President and Prime Minister in June 2010. He announced that he would transfer power to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, a move aimed at reducing the level of political uncertainty in the country.[10]
No-Confidence Motion
On July 10, 2008, Opposition and PR leader Datin Wan Azizah Wan Ismail submitted an urgent motion of "no-confidence" in Abdullah, on behalf of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs. The reasons she cited were the narrow victory of Barisan Nasional in the March general election, the sudden fuel price hike, the marginalisation of PR-led states and the alleged oppression of BN MPs to voice up, had led to the confidence crisis against the prime minister. [11] On 14 July, 2008 before the no-confidence motion could be enacted, roads leading to parliament which are important entry points to the capital Kuala Lumpur, were closed down by heavily armed police causing massive traffic jams that left motorists fuming over the move. As expected, the parliament's speaker rejected the motion triggering a walkout of lawmakers from the Pakatan Rakyat alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim.[12]
Family
On October 20, 2005, Abdullah Badawi's late wife, Endon Mahmood, died of breast cancer. Endon discovered the disease in 2003 while her twin sister Noraini, who had earlier been diagnosed with the same illness, died in January 2003. She received treatment in the United States and returned to Malaysia 18 days before her death. She is buried at a Muslim cemetery, at Taman Selatan, Precinct 20, Putrajaya.
On June 6, 2007, the Prime Minister's office announced Abdullah Badawi's marriage to Jeanne Abdullah. On June 9, a private ceremony was conducted at the Prime Minister's residence, Seri Perdana and attended by close relatives. Jeanne was formerly married to the younger brother of Abdullah Badawi's late wife. She was also a manager at the Seri Perdana residential complex and has two children from her previous marriage.[13] However, earlier in March that year, the premier dismissed rumours about his plans to remarry even though the rumours have been circulating more than a year.
Controversies
After moves to charge prominent figures such as Eric Chia and Isa Abdul Samad with corruption, Abdullah Badawi's administration's efforts to combat corruption allegedly became less transparent. It was noted by the Economist that little progress has been made on curbing corruption.[14]
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has been criticized for allowing his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, to become unduly influential in UMNO politics. [15]
In the ongoing trial of the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu on October 19, 2006 there were implications that link the Prime Minister with interfering with the trial. With his sedition trial due in October 2008, blogger activist Raja Petra Kamaruddin alleged in his statutory declaration in which he said that the Prime Minister had been made aware of a full report by military intelligence on the involvement of his deputy premier’s family. Abdullah gave the intelligence report to his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, for safekeeping, according to Raja Petra’s statement. [16]
One of the names given by the Independent Inquiry Committee into The United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme was Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Malaysia is the fourth highest purchaser of oil under the programme. The report names Mastek Sdn Bhd as one of the companies that paid bribes to Iraqi officials amounting to US$10 million. The people involved in running the company are Noor Asiah Dato' Mahmood (Abdullah Badawi's sister-in-law), Faek Ahmad Shareef (Noor Asiah's ex-husband) and Jaya Sudhir (businessman). During one phase of the programme, Malaysia's oil allocation rosed from 7.5 million barrels to 39.5 million. This coincided with the time when Abdullah Badawi cemented his position as the Deputy Prime Minister, after the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim. Abdullah Badawi's role in the scandal skirts dangerously close to the definition of corruption. [17] [18]
Disputes concerning Mahathir Mohamad
In 2005, it was alleged that under Abdullah Badawi's administration, there had been a significant increase in cases of cronyism regarding the distribution of import permits for foreign-manufactured vehicles. Then Prime Minister Mahathir had called for an investigation of the issue. Later, Mahathir Mohamad criticized Abdullah for cancelling a number of development projects that the former had started, such as the construction of a bridge to replace the causeway linking Malaysia and Singapore.[19] Mahathir also alleged that Abdullah Badawi had originally offered to permit the Republic of Singapore Air Force to fly over Malaysian territory and sell sand to Singapore in exchange for an agreement on constructing the bridge. Mahathir construed this as an instance of "selling" Malaysian sovereignty.[citation needed]
In 2006, Mahathir stepped up his criticism against Abdullah Badawi, alleging that freedom of the press under Abdullah Badawi had actually decreased. Mahathir also added that the media refused to publish Mahathir's comments. He had accused Abdullah Badawi of reneging on promises he made to Mahathir related to government policies, and in his strongest criticism thus far, said in June 2006 that Abdullah Badawi had betrayed his trust. Mahathir expressed regret in picking Abdullah Badawi as his successor and said that he had originally intended for Abdullah Badawi's deputy, Najib Tun Razak, to succeed him. Najib, who was on a state visit to India, immediately expressed unreserved support for Abdullah Badawi.
Mahathir announced his resignation from UMNO on 19th May 2008 before 1,000 Kedah UMNO members in Alor Star and urged other members to follow suit as a way of pressuring Abdullah Badawi to step down. However, he resists to join any other party and would only rejoin UMNO after Abdullah Badawi steps down. His departure raises the possibility of large-scale desertions by loyalists, which could split the party and bring down the government.[20]
References
- ^ Case of three Abdullah Badawi's at launching of Institute, The Star, February 13, 2008
- ^ Chinese-native intermarriage in the Malay world
- ^ Govt to adopt new economic strategies
- ^ BBC NEWS, Malaysia marks 50 years as nation
- ^ Annie Freeda Cruez and V. Vasudevannews. "PM gets backing from BN, Umno supreme councils", New Straits Times.
- ^ AFP. "M'sian PM defiant despite fading prospects", AsiaOne News.
- ^ "Malaysian prime minister sworn in for second term", Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), March 10, 2008.
- ^ "Malaysia PM announces new Cabinet", (CNN), March 18, 2008.
- ^ Live Telecast of Parliament Malaysia, (Youtube), April 30, 2008.
- ^ "Pak Lah to quit in June 2010 ", (Malaysian Insider), July 10, 2008.
- ^ Wan Azizah files emergency motion of "no confidence" in PM; Speaker to decide on Monday
- ^ Malaysian opposition says parliament under siege
- ^ "Prime Minister To Wed Jeanne Abdullah Badawi Saturday", Bernama (2007-06-06).
- ^ Malaysia | Cleaning up? Economist.com
- ^ Goh, Melissa (November 18, 2006). Khairy says he does not influence government decisions. Channel News Asia.
- ^ "Malaysian Deputy Premier’s Wife Linked to Murder", Asian Sentinel (2008-06-23).
- ^ "Iraq will sue oil-for-food suspects", Malaysia Today (2008-07-01).
- ^ "The Oil-for-Food scandal revisited", Malaysia Today (2008-07-01).
- ^ The velvet gloves come off Malaysia Today
- ^ "Malaysia's Mahathir quits ruling party", Yahoo (2008-05-19).
External links
- Official Website of the Government of Malaysia
- Profile: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
- The loyal Abdullah wins his rival Anwar's job
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mahathir bin Mohamad |
Prime Minister of Malaysia 2003 – present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Anwar Ibrahim |
Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia 1999 – 2003 |
Succeeded by Najib Tun Razak |
| Preceded by Mahathir bin Mohamad |
Secretary General of Non-Aligned Movement 2003 – 2006 |
Succeeded by Fidel Castro |
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