Mohamed Azmin Ali
Encyclopedia
Mohamed Azmin bin Ali is a Malaysian politician and currently the Member of Parliament
for the Gombak
as well as assemblyman for Bukit Antarabangsa
in the Selangor State Assembly
. He is currently the deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat
(PKR) in the opposition Pakatan Rakyat
coalition.
but grew up and was educated in Kuala Lumpur
. After attending Gurney Road School (2), High School Setapak and Technical Institute, Jalan Cheras, he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Minnesota
in 1986. In 1987, he received his Master of Education
in Mathematics and Economics from the same university. Azmin successfully completed a two-month Executive Training Programme on Political Administration at St. Catherine's College
, Oxford University in 1997.
who was then Minister of Education. He was promoted as Anwar's private secretary in 1989, and continued when Anwar became Minister of Finance in and Deputy Prime Minister.
In 1998, after Anwar was convicted of sodomy and corruption
, Azmin became a founding member of Parti Keadilan Nasional
(National Justice Party). Keadilan entered the 1999 general elections
amidst voter anger over the Anwar scandal. Azmin was elected Selangor State Assembly
man for Hulu Kelang. However, he was barred from participating in the 2004 general elections
due to his conviction for lying in court during the trial against Anwar. The High Court
and Court of Appeal
have since acquitted him.
In November 2001, Azmin was elected as a vice president of the now-renamed Parti Keadilan Rakyat
. He returned to national politics in the 2008 general elections
, winning the Gombak
parliamentary seat and Bukit Antarabangsa
state seat in Selangor.
After a fractious and controversial party election which saw the departure of the deputy presidential hopeful Zaid Ibrahim
, Azmin took over from Syed Husin Ali as the deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat
on November 28, 2010. The party election was marred by serious allegations of fraud and electoral misconduct perpetrated in the PKR party elections in favour of candidates aligned to de facto Parti Keadilan Rakyat
leader, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim
, including Azmin.
|+ Parliament of Malaysia
: Gombak
!|Year
!
!|Opposition
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Barisan Nasional
!|Votes
!|Pct
|-
|2008
|
| | (PKR
)
| align="right" |40,334
| |53%
|
| |Said Anuar Said Ahmad (UMNO
)
| align="right" |33,467
| |44%
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ Selangor State Assembly
: Bukit Antarabangsa
!|Year
!
!|Opposition
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Barisan Nasional
!|Votes
!|Pct
|-
|2008
|
| | (PKR
)
| align="right" |11,731
| |52%
|
| |Haslinda Mohd Zerain (UMNO
)
| align="right" |10,350
| |46%
Dewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...
for the Gombak
Gombak
Gombak is a district located in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The district was created on February 1, 1974, the same day when Kuala Lumpur was declared a Federal Territory. Until 1997, Rawang was the district capital; the capital has been moved to Bandar Baru Selayang. Gombak borders Kuala...
as well as assemblyman for Bukit Antarabangsa
Bukit Antarabangsa
Bukit Antarabangsa is a hillside township and in Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia and one of the elite residential area in []...
in the Selangor State Assembly
Selangor State Assembly
The Selangor State Legislative Assembly is the unicameral state legislature of the Malaysian state of Selangor. The State Assembly is composed of 56 members representing constituencies throughout the state...
. He is currently the deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
(PKR) in the opposition Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan Rakyat or PR is an informal Malaysian political coalition. It currently controls four state governments while in opposition to the ruling Barisan Nasional at the federal level....
coalition.
Early years and education
Azmin Ali was born in SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
but grew up and was educated in 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...
. After attending Gurney Road School (2), High School Setapak and Technical Institute, Jalan Cheras, he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in 1986. In 1987, he received his Master of Education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
in Mathematics and Economics from the same university. Azmin successfully completed a two-month Executive Training Programme on Political Administration at St. Catherine's College
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
, Oxford University in 1997.
Political career
At age 23, Azmin was appointed as a special officer to Anwar IbrahimAnwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
who was then Minister of Education. He was promoted as Anwar's private secretary in 1989, and continued when Anwar became Minister of Finance in and Deputy Prime Minister.
In 1998, after Anwar was convicted of sodomy and corruption
Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trials
The Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trials are a source of considerable political controversy in Malaysia. The first trial was held in 1998, and resulted in former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim being convicted, and given a nine-year prison sentence. This verdict was overturned in 2004, resulting in...
, Azmin became a founding member of Parti Keadilan Nasional
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
(National Justice Party). Keadilan entered the 1999 general elections
Malaysian general election, 1999
The 1999 Malaysian General Election was held on 29 November 1999 as stipulated by the laws of Malaysia for general elections. As expected, the Barisan Nasional coalition maintained its majority in parliament, and thus, its grip on the post of Prime Minister....
amidst voter anger over the Anwar scandal. Azmin was elected Selangor State Assembly
Selangor State Assembly
The Selangor State Legislative Assembly is the unicameral state legislature of the Malaysian state of Selangor. The State Assembly is composed of 56 members representing constituencies throughout the state...
man for Hulu Kelang. However, he was barred from participating in the 2004 general elections
Malaysian general election, 2004
General elections were held in Malaysia on March 21, 2004. The incumbent National Front government of Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was re-elected with an increased majority.-Election results:...
due to his conviction for lying in court during the trial against Anwar. The High Court
High Courts of Malaysia
The High Courts in Malaysia are the third-highest courts in the hierarchy of courts, after the Federal Court and the Court of Appeal. Article 121 of the Constitution of Malaysia provides that there shall be two High Courts of coordinate jurisdiction—the High Court in Malaya and the High Court...
and Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of Malaysia
The Court of Appeal is an appellate court of the judiciary system in Malaysia. It is the second highest court in the hierarchy below the Federal Court. This court was created in 1994 as part of reforms made to the judiciary to create a second tier appellate court after the Privy Council appeals...
have since acquitted him.
In November 2001, Azmin was elected as a vice president of the now-renamed Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
. He returned to national politics in the 2008 general elections
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
, winning the Gombak
Gombak
Gombak is a district located in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The district was created on February 1, 1974, the same day when Kuala Lumpur was declared a Federal Territory. Until 1997, Rawang was the district capital; the capital has been moved to Bandar Baru Selayang. Gombak borders Kuala...
parliamentary seat and Bukit Antarabangsa
Bukit Antarabangsa
Bukit Antarabangsa is a hillside township and in Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia and one of the elite residential area in []...
state seat in Selangor.
After a fractious and controversial party election which saw the departure of the deputy presidential hopeful Zaid Ibrahim
Zaid Ibrahim
Dato' Mohd Zaid Ibrahim is a prominent Malaysian lawyer turned politician and is a former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of legal affairs and judicial reform...
, Azmin took over from Syed Husin Ali as the deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
on November 28, 2010. The party election was marred by serious allegations of fraud and electoral misconduct perpetrated in the PKR party elections in favour of candidates aligned to de facto Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
leader, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
, including Azmin.
Personal life
He is married to Shamshida Taharin, a finance graduate also from the University of Minnesota. The couple have six children.Election results
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"|+ Parliament of Malaysia
Dewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...
: Gombak
Gombak
Gombak is a district located in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The district was created on February 1, 1974, the same day when Kuala Lumpur was declared a Federal Territory. Until 1997, Rawang was the district capital; the capital has been moved to Bandar Baru Selayang. Gombak borders Kuala...
!|Year
!
!|Opposition
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Barisan Nasional
!|Votes
!|Pct
|-
|2008
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
|
| | (PKR
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
)
| align="right" |40,334
| |53%
|
| |Said Anuar Said Ahmad (UMNO
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
)
| align="right" |33,467
| |44%
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ Selangor State Assembly
Selangor State Assembly
The Selangor State Legislative Assembly is the unicameral state legislature of the Malaysian state of Selangor. The State Assembly is composed of 56 members representing constituencies throughout the state...
: Bukit Antarabangsa
Bukit Antarabangsa
Bukit Antarabangsa is a hillside township and in Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia and one of the elite residential area in []...
!|Year
!
!|Opposition
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Barisan Nasional
!|Votes
!|Pct
|-
|2008
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
|
| | (PKR
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
)
| align="right" |11,731
| |52%
|
| |Haslinda Mohd Zerain (UMNO
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
)
| align="right" |10,350
| |46%