Tun Muhammad Ghazali Shafie (22 March 1922 – 24 January 2010) was a Malaysian politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

. He served as Foreign Minister

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Malaysia)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia is the Malaysian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Malaysia. The current ministry is based in Putrajaya with Datuk Seri Anifah Aman as Minister, Senator A...

 and Home Minister

Ministry of Home Affairs (Malaysia)

Ministry of Home Affairs in Malaysia is a Malaysian government ministry in charge of domestic affairs such as public safety, civil defence and immigration.- British colony :...

 during his career.

Ghazali was born in 1922 in Kuala Lipis

Kuala Lipis

Kuala Lipis is a big town in Pahang, Malaysia with a population of 200,000. It is located in the district of Lipis.-History:Kuala Lipis was a gold-mining center before the British arrived in 1887. In 1898 it became the capital of Pahang until 1953....

, Pahang

Pahang

Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...

. He was part of the clandestine resistance to the Japanese occupation of Malaya

Japanese occupation of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak

Throughout much of World War II, British Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak were under Japanese occupation.The Japanese Empire commenced the Pacific War with the invasion of Kota Bahru in Kelantan on 8 December 1941 at 00:25, about 90 minutes before the Attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii at 07:48 on 7...

 in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He then studied at the University of Wales

University of Wales

The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...

 and the London School of Economics

London School of Economics

The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...

.

After a career in the civil service, Ghazali entered politics. He served as Home and Information Minister from 1973 to 1981, and was then appointed as Foreign Minister until 1984. He represented the Parliamentary seat of Lipis

Lipis

Lipis is a district located in north-west of Pahang, Malaysia. The district covers an area of 5,198 km². Lipis district is bordered by Cameron Highlands and Perak on the west, Jerantut on the east, Kelantan and Raub on the north and south, respectively. Lipis has 10 mukim or subdistricts, the...

 from 1974, before which he was a member of the Dewan Negara

Dewan Negara

The Dewan Negara is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. The Dewan Negara consists of 70 members, of which 26 are indirectly elected by the states, with two senators for every state in the Federation, and the other 44 being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong .The Dewan Negara...

 (upper house of parliament). As Foreign Minister, he was known for his role in ASEAN's diplomacy in respect of conflict in Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

. Described as a "flamboyant politician", his nickname was "King Ghaz".

In 1982, Ghazali survived an aeroplane crash in which he was the pilot. His bodyguard and co-pilot were killed. There had been reports (for example in the New York Times) that Ghazali had been killed in the crash. A coroner later blamed the accident on what the coroner found to be Ghazali's negligence.

After leaving politics, he held a range of positions in the corporate sector and with international organisations.

Ghazali died on 24 January 2010 at 7.45pm, at his home in Subang Jaya

Subang Jaya

Subang Jaya is a suburban city in the Klang Valley, Selangor, Malaysia. It comprises the southern third of the district of Petaling, and is home to a third of the district population of 1.78 million. Subang Jaya comprises , Bandar Sunway, UEP Subang Jaya, Putra Heights and Batu Tiga...

. His wife, Toh Puan Khatijah Abdul Majid, died in April 2008; he is survived by his two sons, Bachtiar and Sheriffudin. He was buried at Makam Pahlawan

Makam Pahlawan

The Makam Pahlawan is the burial ground of several Malaysian leaders and politicians. It is located near the Malaysian national mosque, Masjid Negara in the national capital, Kuala Lumpur...

, Masjid Negara

Masjid Negara

The National Mosque of Malaysia is located in Kuala Lumpur. It has a capacity of 15,000 people and is situated among of beautiful gardens. The original structure was designed by a three-person team from the Public Works Department - UK architect Howard Ashley, and Malaysians Hisham Albakri and...

, Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...

.