Malaysia’s fifth prime minister Badawi passes away at 85
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was fondly known as Pak Lah among locals, is synonymous with Malaysian politics, having served as the nation’s fifth prime minister between 2003 and 2009. Sadly, the former leader passed away at 85 years old on 14th April 2025. We take a look back at some key points from his long and eventful life.
Table of Contents
1. He was born in Penang
Image credit: Perdana
Born on 26th November 1939 in Penang’s Bayan Lepas, Abdullah Badawi hailed from a notable religious family. His paternal grandfather was Syeikh Abdullah Badawi Fahim, the first mufti of Penang and a founding member of an early form of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), while his father, Ahmad Badawi, was a United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) member.
Image credit: Galeri Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi via Facebook
His maternal grandfather, on the other hand, was Hassan Salleh – or Hah Su Chiang – from China’s Hainan Island, who came to Malaya in the 19th century.
2. He had four children
Image credit: Galeri Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi via Facebook
Abdullah Badawi was married twice. He was first wedded to Endon Mahmood in 1965 until her unfortunate demise to breast cancer in 2005. Endon was well-known for advocating for the arts, pushing traditional fabrics like batik and songket to the forefront of the regional fashion scene.
Badawi and Endon had two children together: a son, Kamaluddin Abdullah, and a daughter, Nori Abdullah, who is married to politician Khairy Jamaluddin. The couple had four grandchildren in total.
Image credit: Utusan
On 9th June 2007, Badawi married Jeanne Abdullah at the official home of Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Seri Perdana, where she worked as a manager. From this marriage, he gained two daughters, Nadiah Kimie and Nadene Kimie, from his new wife’s previous marriage to the younger brother of the late Endon. Jeanne would notably serve as the patron of the Malaysian Paralympic Council. They remained happily married until his death.
3. He published a poetry book in 2008
Abdullah Badawi’s academic path was impressive. He first attended Sekolah Kebangsaan Permatang Bertam and later Bukit Mertajam High School and Penang Methodist Boys’ School. He also enrolled at Daeratul Maarif al-Wataniah, a school founded by his paternal grandfather, where he would further his Islamic and Arabic studies.
In 1964, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Malaya.
In 2008, he published a book containing his poem titled Ku Cari Damai Abadi, or I Seek Eternal Peace in English, which was translated into 80 languages.
4. He served multiple roles in Malaysian politics
Before stepping into the prime ministerial role, Abdullah Badawi’s career was marked by several pivotal roles in the Cabinet of Malaysia. His career commenced in civil servant – he started as an Assistant Secretary in the Public Services Department in 1964, and later worked under the National Operation Council (NOC) in 1969. It was during this tenure, when the May 13 race riots incident occured, which he cited as a moment that shaped his political thinking and push for Malaysian unity.
He held several notable roles in Malaysian politics over the years, including a Member of Parliament for Kepala Batas (1978), Deputy Minister of Federal Territory Minister (1980), Minister of Education (1984), Minister of Defence (1986-1987), and Minister of Foreign Affairs (1991-1999). In 1999, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Home Affairs under Mahathir Mohamad’s administration.
5. He was Malaysia’s prime minister for six years
Badawi being sworn in as Prime Minister.
Image credit: Perdana Leadership Foundation via Facebook
Abdullah Badawi took office on 31st October 2003, succeeding Mahathir Mohamad and his 22-year tenure. As the country’s fifth prime minister, Badawi focused on making Malaysia an ethical society, tackling corruption, and advocating for Muslims to be progressive under the Islam Hadhari principle.
He would concurrently take on the roles of finance minister and internal security minister and notably set up the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Pasukan Petugas Khas Pemudahcara Perniagaan (PEMUDAH) to combat corruption.
With a calm demeanor and a preference for dialogue, Abdullah distanced himself from the confrontational style of his predecessors. His focus on human capital development won him the accolade “Father of Human Capital Development”, or Bapa Pembangunan Modal Insan.
Image credit: Perdana Leadership Foundation via Facebook
On 2nd April 2009, he stepped down as Malaysia’s Prime Minister and was succeeded by Datuk Najib Razak. He was subsequently honoured with the prestigious ‘Tun’ title for his national contributions and remained as Kepala Batas’s MP until 2013.
6. He was called ‘Pak Lah’
While serving as prime minister, Abdullah Badawi would come to earn a nickname among Malaysians: Pak Lah. ‘Pak’ is a common Malay term meaning “uncle” or “father”, while ‘Lah’ is taken from Abdullah, his first name. Known for his calm demeanor and moderate leadership style, the nickname would come to symbolise the respect and warmth his followers had for him.
7. His hobbies include fishing & collecting walking sticks
Image credit: @kalimullah via Instagram
Abdullah Badawi was known to enjoy fishing. When he was young, he would fish at paddy fields with makeshift rods. He would continue this hobby in adulthood, making trips to Australia to carry out deep-sea fishing. He was also known to collect walking sticks, or tongkat, and horse figurines.
In 2005, his daughter Nori would list out some of her father’s favourite items with the local newspaper The Star, which included Pangkor Island as his ideal holiday spot, Japan as his go-to overseas destination, rice porridge as his beloved food, and My Fair Lady as his most-liked film.
In an interview with The Edge Malaysia in 2011, he revealed that he enjoys golfing and that his favourite number is 13. He also collects cars, with many bearing the number 13 in their number plates.
8. He suffered from dementia
Image credit: Friends of BN – Barisan Nasional via Facebook
Abdullah Badawi passed away at 7.10pm on 14th April 2025 at the age of 85. His death was confirmed by his son-in-law Khairy on his Instagram and by medical authorities at the National Heart Institute in KL. Badawi was admitted a day earlier due to breathing difficulties and placed under intensive care following a long battle with his health after being diagnosed with spontaneous pneumothorax in 2024.
In 2022, Khairy also revealed that he had dementia and had difficulties speaking and recognising his family.
The long and eventful life of Abdullah Badawi
The life and times of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi radiate his tenacity for public service and aspiration for a balanced, corruption-averse society. As the nation reminisces, his impact remains pivotal, influencing Malaysia’s political and social fabric.
We send our condolences to his loved ones.
Cover image adapted from: Perdana Leadership Foundation via Facebook