|
Know Thy Leader Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia on the 31st October 2003, just before he attained the age 64. Born on 26th November 1939 in Kampung Perlis,Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, our illustrious Alumnus Received his early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Permatang Bertam. He later attended Bukit Mertajam High School - our Alma Mater, from where he graduated in 1957 obtaining his Cambridge Overseas School (GCE-O) Certificate. He then proceeded to Penang Methodist Boys' School for his HSC studies. He pursued his tertiary education at the University of Malaya where he graduated with B.A. (Hons) in Islamic Studies in 1964. |
 |
 |
Upon graduating, Abdullah joined the civil service in the same year, starting his career as Assistant-Secretary in the Public Services Department. Marriage to Che Endon bte Dato Mahmood took place in 1965 and the couple are blessed with two children, a son, Kamaluddin (married to Azrene) and a daughter, Nori (married to Khairy Jamaluddin). |
In 1969, Dato' Seri Abdullah moved to the National Operation Council (NOC) in the Prime Minister's Department, a body enacted to exercise the ruling powers for the country, after the May 1969 racial riots. In 1971 he was promoted to the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports, where he served as Director General (1971-1973) and Deputy Secretary General in 1974 till 1978. |
The Political Journey A loyal UMNO member since 1965, Abdullah resigned from Government service in 1978 to pursue a political career. Dato' Seri Abdullah won his first election for the Parliamentary seat of the Kepala Batas constituency in 1978 and proudly has retained his seat since then. As a party faithful with leadership qualities before long he was elected UMNO Supreme Council Member in 1981, and UMNO Vice President in 1984 and UMNO Deputy President in 1999. Being a leader with quality he easily entered into the administration of the Government of Malaysia, and in 1978 he was made the Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Territory Ministry. From then on it was one milestone after another... • 1980 - Deputy Minister in the same Ministry |
In the early days.... |
|
 |
Abdullah is the eldest of four children (siblings Aminah, Ibrahim and Mohd Tahir) to prominent religious and political leader Datuk Ahmad Badawi Abdullah Fahim and his wife Datuk Kailan Hassan. His paternal grandfather was an illustrious religious scholar or ulama Abdullah Fahim Ibrahim and Pak Lah is said to take after him in gait and speech mannerisms. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, had his early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Permatang Bertam until Standard Four and subsequently pursued his studies at a Special |
Malay School which was established by the British Government for Malay students who excelled in their primary school studies. |
|
|
His early years saw Abdullah often at the local religious school started by his family, which also doubled up as a madrasah for religious lessons and discourses. His parents, grandfather were highly respected leaders in the community and early in life inculcated in him Islamic scholarship, |
 |
honesty, restraint, tolerance, integrity and humility. In the early 1950 it is to the credit of Abdullah's parents that such values were prioritised, and they had the foresight to see their importance in social justice and harmony in a multi-cultural Malaysian society. |
|
 |
To the young Abdullah the full impact of these values came to the fore, when he was enrolled as a non-border in the Special Malay Class (SMC) at the “High School Bukit Mertajam”. The basic idea of the Education authorities in introducing this SMC scheme was to allow (Malay) students who had done their primary foundation studies in Malay to be able to read, write and speak the |
English language. With varying degree of adaptability most succeeded the transition into the English stream within a two-year period. Malay students, like Abdullah, found themselves learning, playing and competing with the children of different races - forging new friendships, new ideals and camaraderie. In the school environment English was the preferred spoken and written language those days, although Bahasa Melayu, Chinese and Tamil were also taught as vernacular languages. At our alma mater, HSBM, the young Abdullah's patience and mild manners endeared him to teachers and school mates. They also noticed determination and a sense of independence matched his keenness in teamwork and lessons in leadership. His command of oral and written English was said to be very good. Abdullah joined the school's Scout Movement and as a many before him learned what it was to be obedient, honest and trustworthy; humble and polite; hardworking, keen and observant! Scouting activities greatly interested young Abdullah and as a Scout, he rose to be a Patrol Leader and helped the School win and retain the Penang Scouts Field Challenge Trophy for three years 1954-1956. After school, back in the Kampong, the young Abdullah was very much in his element doing his bit in local activities. School books, homework and religious studies were very much part of Pak Lah's routine years and challenges as a teenage schoolboy. These experiences in and outside the classrooms have left an indelible mark on Pak Lah and he often extols these values in his many speeches to youth forums in and around the country. |
PAK LAH'S MATH CHALLENGE PAK LAH THE AVID READER PAK LAH & THE FEMININE GENDER PAK LAH THE PRANKSTER VICTIM PAK LAH THE CHEF PAK LAH THE ENTREPRENEUR PAK LAH & HIS FAVOURITE MAKAN |