Cover image via The StarYesterday, 14 January, marked the 40th anniversary of former prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein's untimely death at the age of 54 in 1976.
The second prime minister of Malaysia is known to be the powerful leader who brought the nation back from the dark depths of the May 13 riots with his new economy policies
Tun Razak was elected as the second prime minister of Malaysia in September 1970, a little over a year after the 13 May 1969 racial riots.
He went on to set up the ruling coalition party, Barisan Nasional as a replacement to the Alliance Party that was established on 30 October 1957.
Well known for launching the Malaysian New Economic Policy (MNEP) in 1971, one of Tun Razak's main focus as the prime minister was eradicating poverty and reviving the economy to eliminate the social disparity that fueled racial issues in the country.
Tun Razak passed away on 14 January 1976 after battling leukemia for almost a decade.
Image via Free Malaysia Today
Prominent politicians, family and friends of the former prime minister have come forward, sharing their stories about the exemplary leader and his visionary ways
Tun Rahah and Tun Razak with their sons, Najib (second right) and Ahmad Johari
Image via The Star/Photo from Tun Razak: Profile Of A Patriot by Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin
Looking back at the olden days, former inspector-general of police Tun Hanif Omar, that served as Tun Razak's aid, spoke about his humble ways and how careful he was with spending government funds
"When someone brought him to a real diamond shop, he refused to go in and told the person I can't buy real diamonds because I am not as rich as you and walked out of the house," added Hanif, while reminiscing about the former PM's thriftiness.
Tun Razak and Tun Rahah cruising on a motorbike while on holiday in Bali in 1974
Image via The Star/Photo from Tun Razak: Profile Of A Patriot by Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin
In a recent interview with RTM about Tun Razak, his son, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, said that his father led a very simple life, dedicating his life to eradicating poverty in Malaysia
Image via The Star
When asked about his father's values and visions as a leader, Najib stressed that it is crucial for Malaysians to keep working on withholding the golden principles of former leaders on unity, peace and freedom
Noting that the nation has come a long way since, Razak's youngest son, CIMB Group Chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak said that his father would have been very proud of the country's economic development and strong global connections
However, the ardent critic of the political situation in Malaysia, mentioned that Razak would have also been highly disappointed with how race and religion is still an ongoing issue in the country
Mahani Mohamad, a curator of Tun Razak Memorial, revealed that Razak was an avid gardener who grew vegetables and reared fowls as a form of relaxation
Speaking about the questionable state of Malaysia's education system, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said that Razak gave a lot of importance to the English language without ever forsaking Bahasa Malaysia
40 years down the road, we are a developing country with world class infrastructure, a booming economy and recognised as a travel haven
Image via Business Circle
Unfortunately, we are also riddled with international corruption scandals, deteriorating democracy, human rights and political instability
PM Najib Razak has been receiving a lot of flak from the rakyat for the messy situation the country is in now
Image via Telegraph UK
PM Najib Razak has been accused of overspending government funds on unnecessary affairs and infringing on the democratic system in the country
Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansur too has been accused of spending the government's funds for her personal affairs
Image via The Star
Our political scandals have even gained international attention, with the American justice department and the Swiss authorities running criminal investigations on Najib and the infamous 1MDB scandals
American president Barack Obama expressed concerned on the state of Malaysia's democracy
Image via The Malaysian Insider
The eruption of these financial scandals have led to a rocky political scene in the country, with many politicians turning against the PM and his policies
Ex-PM Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has been speaking against Najib's administration and calling for his resignation
Image via The Wall Street Journal
