Ex-PM Abdullah Badawi dies at 85
His son-in-law, Khairy Jamaludin, announced the passing of the nation’s fifth prime minister...
Former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has passed away at the National Heart Institute this evening. He was 85.
His son-in-law, Khairy Jamaludin, announced the passing of the nation’s fifth prime minister.
Abdullah was in office from Oct 31, 2003, to April 2, 2009.
He is survived by his wife, Jeanne Abdullah, two children - Kamaluddin and Nori Abdullah - as well as four grandchildren.
Abdullah, fondly known as Pak Lah, was born on Nov 26, 1939, in Bayan Lepas, Penang.
He started his career as a civil servant and rose through the ranks from a deputy minister, full minister, deputy prime minister, and served one-term as prime minister.
As the fifth prime minister, Abdullah led BN to win 198 out of 220 federal seats in the 2004 general election. He was also known for introducing the “Islam Hadhari” concept.
In politics, Abdullah served eight terms as Kepala Batas MP from 1978 to 2013.
He also held various positions in Umno before leading the party as its president, succeeding former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
