Wan Azizah Wan Ismail

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In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Wan Ismail is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Azizah. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Dr
Wan Azizah
MP MLA DPPN
Leader of the Opposition
Assumed office
18 May 2015
Prime MinisterNajib Razak
Preceded byAnwar Ibrahim
In office
9 March 2008 – 28 August 2008
Prime MinisterAbdullah Ahmad Badawi
Preceded byLim Kit Siang
Succeeded byAnwar Ibrahim
President of the People's Justice Party
Assumed office
4 April 1999
Preceded byPosition established
Leader of the People's Pact
In office
1 April 2008 – 28 August 2008
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byAnwar Ibrahim
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Permatang Pauh
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byAnwar Ibrahim
Majority8,841 (2015)
In office
29 November 1999 – 28 August 2008
Preceded byAnwar Ibrahim
Succeeded byAnwar Ibrahim
Majority9,077 (1999)
590 (2004)
13,388 (2008)
Member of the Selangor State Assembly
for Kajang
Assumed office
7 April 2014
Preceded byLee Chin Cheh
Majority5,379 (2014)
Personal details
Born
Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail

(1952-12-03) 3 December 1952 (age 71)
Singapore
Political partyPeople's Justice Party
Other political
affiliations		Pakatan Rakyat (2006–2015)
Pakatan Harapan (2015–present)
SpouseAnwar Ibrahim
Children6, including Nurul
Alma materRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail (born 3 December 1952) is a Malaysian politician. She is currently serving as the Leader of the Opposition in Dewan Rakyat after elected as the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh from 2015. She is also the president of People's Justice Party (Parti KeADILan Rakyat) and elected Selangor state legislative assembly member for Kajang.

She was previously also elected as the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh from 1999 to 2008 and was the Leader of Opposition in Dewan Rakyat from March 2008 until 31 July 2008, before she vacated both the positions to expedite her husband Anwar Ibrahim's return to political office.

Early life

Born in 1952 in Singapore,[1] Wan Azizah received her early education in St. Nicholas Convent School, Alor Setar. She continued her education at Tunku Kurshiah College[2] in Seremban before she went on to study medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland where she was awarded a gold medal in obstetrics and gynaecology and she later graduated as a qualified ophthalmologist.

Wan Azizah served as a government doctor for 14 years before deciding to focus on volunteering work, when her husband, Anwar Ibrahim was appointed the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia in 1993. As part of her voluntary pursuits, she became a patron of MAKNA (Majlis Kanser Nasional or National Cancer Council) in that period [3][4] and became the second woman to lead a political party in Malaysia's history (Ganga Nayar founded and became the first president of the Malaysian Workers' Party in 1978 [5]).

Wan Azizah has said that she has a Peranakan (Straits Chinese) grandfather but identifies as a Malay Muslim.[6] [by whom?]

Political career

Party founder

Following the dismissal and arrest of her husband on 20 September 1998, Dr. Wan Azizah earned the respect and admiration of many Malaysians as the leader of the fledgling Reformasi movement. She first led the Social Justice Movement (ADIL), a civil rights NGO, before helping to establish the Parti Keadilan Nasional on 4 April 1999. The establishment of the party saw Dr. Wan Azizah being elected as the first party president.[7]

On 3 August 2003, she brought the party into a merger with the older Malaysian People's Party (or Parti Rakyat Malaysia) which saw the establishment of the People's Justice Party and was elected as the president of the newly merged party.

Member of Parliament

In the first elections competed by the party in 1999, she led the party to win 5 seats in the Parliament and was herself elected as the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh; the seat formerly held by Anwar Ibrahim; with a majority of 9,077 votes. She successfully retained the seat in the 2004 elections after five recounts with a reduced majority.[8]

As a political party leader and also a parliamentary representative, Dr. Wan Azizah is involved in many programs and activities domestically and internationally. She has spoken at UN-sponsored programs, and the local and international media. She is also the Vice-Chair of the Malaysian Parliamentary Caucus for Democracy in Myanmar and a member of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus.[9]

March 2008 general elections

Wan Azizah won her parliamentary seat of Permatang Pauh in the 12th Malaysian general election with a majority of 13,388.[10] She was supported by all the component parties of Pakatan Rakyat to lead the opposition in the lower house of parliament, House of Representatives.

With the public announcement by Anwar Ibrahim regarding his intention to return to active politics despite being legally barred from doing so,[11] Dr Wan Azizah has indicated her readiness to vacate the position of party president if he was elected.[12] Nonetheless, she has also indicated that she intends to defend her parliamentary seat for Permatang Pauh.[13] She resigned her parliamentary seat for Permatang Pauh on 31 July 2008, to make way for her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who won the subsequent by-election on 26 August 2008 with a large majority.

Honorary title

Wan Azizah was honoured on the occasion of the official birthday of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri (State Governor) of Penang on 12 July 2008 when she was awarded the Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri (Order of the Defender of the State), a chivalric order of the second rank in the state. The award carries the non-hereditary title of Datuk Seri.[14][15]

2014 Kajang by-election

Main article: Kajang Move

On 9 March 2014, PKR announced party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as its new candidate for the Kajang by-election.[16] This is following Anwar Ibrahim sentencing to five years in prison after Malaysia's court of appeal overturns sodomy acquittal causing Anwar to be unable to run in the by-election.[17]

On 23 March 2014, Wan Azizah was elected as the Selangor state legislative assembly member for Kajang.[18]

2015 Permatang Pauh by-election

Main article: Permatang Pauh by-election, 2015

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia
Year Constituency Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
1999 Permatang Pauh Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (KeADILan) 23,820 61.77% Ibrahim Saad (UMNO) 14,743 38.23% 39,210 9,077 78.95%
2004 Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR) 21,737 50.47% Pirdaus Ismail (UMNO) 21,147 49.1% 43,734 590 80.93%
2008 Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR) 30,338 64.1% Pirdaus Ismail (UMNO) 16,950 35.81% 47,442 13,388 81.17%
2015 Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR) 30,316 57.09% Suhaimi Sabudin (UMNO) 21,475 40.44% 53,102 8,841 74.53%
Selangor State Legislative Assembly
Year Constituency Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
2014 Kajang Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR) 16,741 59.6% Chew Mei Fun (MCA) 11,362 40.4% 28,314 5,379 72%

See also

References

  1. ^ Habibu, Sira; Rahim, Rahimy (3 September 2014). "Party lists PKR president and deputy for Selangor MB post". The Star. Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  2. ^ P Ramakrishnan (8 May 1999). "In Desperate Straits". Aliran.com.
  3. ^ Parti Keadilan Rakyat: Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
  4. ^ Asiaweek : A Woman of Grace
  5. ^ Bernama Library & Infolink Service: Ganga Nayar Profile
  6. ^ Healy, Tim; Oorjitham, Santha (30 November 2000). "Readying for Elections?". Asiaweek. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  7. ^ Parti Keadilan Rakyat: Background & History
  8. ^ Malaysian General Election 2004 : Results for Permatang Pauh
  9. ^ ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus
  10. ^ Malaysian General Election 2008 : Results for Permatang Pauh
  11. ^ Radio Australia: MALAYSIA: Anwar Ibrahim to make political comeback
  12. ^ Daily Express: Wan Azizah agrees to make way for Anwar
  13. ^ Malaysiakini : She's ready to make way for hubby
  14. ^ "CJ and Dr Wan Azizah top Penang awards list". The Star. Star Publications (M) Bhd. 10 July 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2008.
  15. ^ "Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri". Penang State Government Portal. Government of the State of Penang, Malaysia. Retrieved 12 July 2008.
  16. ^ Wan Azizah to replace Anwar in Kajang
  17. ^ "Anwar Ibrahim sentenced to five years' prison after Malaysia's court of appeal overturns sodomy acquittal". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 March 2014.
  18. ^ Eileen Ng (23 March 2014). "Barisan claims to regain Chinese support despite losing Kajang by-election". The Malaysian Insider.

External links

Party political offices
Preceded by
Position established
 President of the People's Justice Party
1999–present 		Incumbent
Leader of the People's Pact
2008 		Succeeded by
Parliament of Malaysia
Preceded by Member of the Dewan Rakyat
for Permatang Pauh
1999–2008 		Succeeded by
Member of the Dewan Rakyat
for Permatang Pauh
2015–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition
2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition
2015–present 		Incumbent
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