Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi (Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian retired politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2003 to 2009. He was also the sixth president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the largest political party (at the time) in Malaysia, and led the governing Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentary coalition. He is informally known as Pak Lah, Pak meaning 'Uncle' or 'Sir', while Lah is taken from his name 'Abdullah'. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kepala Batas for eight consecutive terms, from 1978 to 2013. During the later part of Abdullah's administration, his government faced criticism for economic policies and performance, including concerns about inflation and the rising cost of living. Background, early life and education Abdullah was born in Bayan Lepas, Penang to a prominent religious family. Badawi's paternal grandfather, Syeikh Abdullah Badawi Fahim, was of Hadrami descent. Syeikh Abdullah was a well-respected religious leader and nationalist, was one of the founding members of Hizbul Muslimin, later known as PAS. After independence, Syeikh Abdullah became the first mufti of Penang after Independence. His father, Ahmad Badawi, was a prominent religious figure and UMNO member. His mother, Kailan Haji Hassan died in Kuala Lumpur at the age of 80 on 2 February 2004. His maternal grandfather, Ha Su-chiang (also known as Hassan Salleh), was an Utsul Muslim who came from Sanya in Hainan. Abdullah is a former student of Bukit Mertajam High School. He studied at MBS (Methodist Boys' School) Penang for his 6th form. Abdullah obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Malaya in 1964. Political career After graduating from the University of Malaya, he joined the Malaysian Administrative and Diplomatic Corps (the formal term for civil service). He served as Director of Youth at the Ministry of Youth and Sport as well as Secretary of the National Operations Council (MAGERAN). He resigned in 1978 to become a member of parliament for his constituency of Kepala Batas in northern Seberang Perai (which had also been represented by his father).