1 day Ago By New Straits Times
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has died at the age of 85.The news was confirmed by his son-in-law and former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin in an Instagram Story."Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia's fifth prime minister, passed away at 7.
10pm at the National Heart Institute (IJN)," he wrote."May Allah SWT bless his soul and place him among the righteous. Al-Fatihah.
"Abdullah, who succeeded Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister on Oct 31, 2003, served until April 2, 2009. He was succeeded by then-deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.He was the sixth president of Umno and was conferred the title "Tun" by then-King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin for his service to the nation.
Abdullah is survived by his wife, Tun Jeanne Abdullah, and two children—Kamaluddin and Nori.Born on Nov 26, 1939 in Kampung Perlis, Bayan Lepas, Penang, he received his early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pematang Bertam before continuing at Bukit Mertajam High School, Penang Methodist Boys' School, and a religious school established by his family.He later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Islamic Studies from Universiti Malaya in 1964.
Abdullah joined Umno in 1965 and resigned from government service in 1978 to pursue full-time politics. He was elected to the Umno Supreme Council in 1981 and served multiple terms as vice-president before becoming deputy president in 2000.His political career spanned over four decades, marked by his image as a moderate, reform-minded leader and a strong advocate for civilisational Islam and anti-corruption reforms.
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