10 Things About Selangor's New MB, Azmin Ali
Azmin Ali has been appointed by the Sultan of Selangor to replace Khalid Ibrahim as Selangor Menteri Besar, effective 23 September 2014. Here are some basic things to know about Azmin Ali.
By Judith Yeoh — 22 Sep 2014, 07:39 PM — Updated about 10 years ago
1. Azmin Ali is deputy president of PKR and the MP of Gombak and assemblyman for Bukit Antarabangsa
2. He is 50 this year and married to Shamshida Taharin, and a father to three sons and three daughters
Azmin Ali was born in Singapore on 5 August 1964 to parents; Ali and Che Tom Yahaya. Although born in Singapore, he grew up and was educated in Kuala Lumpur. His father worked for the British Army.
3. He studied in the University of Minnesota where he received a Bachelor of Economics and Mathematics and a Master's in Education
From his earlier days he was very much interested in politics. When he was in America, he often met and discussed with then, prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad. His leadership quality was shown when he gathered and led over 2,000 dissatisfied Malaysian students in Malaysia to have a dialogue with Mahathir.
4. He used to be Anwar Ibrahim's private secretary
In 1987, based on Mahathir's advice, after completing his master's, he worked with then, deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, and became his personal secretary.
He was promoted as Anwar's private secretary in 1989, and continued to serve in that capacity when Anwar became Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister.
5. In 1998, Azmin Ali became a founding member of Parti Keadilan Nasional (National Justice Party)
Building on the momentum of the Reformasi, a political movement Social Justice Movement (Pergerakan Keadilan Sosial) (Adil) was formed and led by Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, wife of Anwar Ibrahim. But facing difficulties in registering Adil as a political party, the reformasi movement took over a small party Ikatan Masyarakat Islam Malaysia and launched as National Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Nasional) on 4 April 1999, just in time to face the 1999 general elections.
6. He was elected Selangor State Assemblyman for Hulu Kelang in the 1999 general elections
Anwar’s wife, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah, who had officially launched Parti Keadilan Nasional in April, joined forces with DAP, PAS and Parti Rakyat Malaysia, to form Barisan Alternatif. Although they drew large crowds at ceramahs, the opposition parties, which criticised the short campaign time, failed to stop Dr Mahathir from marching Barisan Nasional to victory again.
thestar.com.my7. Azmin was barred from the 2004 general elections due to his conviction of lying in court at Anwar's sodomy trial but was acquitted
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.
8. In 2008 and 2013, Azmin Ali won and retained his Gombak parliamentary seat and Bukit Antarabangsa state seat in Selangor
9. In 2012, photos of an Azmin Ali lookalike committing a sexual act with an unknown woman in a toilet, circulated on the Internet
There were pictures of a man resembling Azmin Ali, committing a sexual act in a toilet with an unknown woman, circulated on the internet. Leaders and supporters from Azmin's political party PKR, defended Azmin by saying that it was an attempt to frame him.
10. Azmin Ali supports the usage of the word "Allah" among Christians in Malaysia
Pakatan is sticking to its decision that non-Muslims are allowed to use the word ‘Allah’, the party’s vice president Azmin Ali said today, despite the PAS Syura Council stating otherwise. “The issue of Allah is resolved and has not changed. Recently, the PAS president reaffirmed the position of PAS in the meeting of the Pakatan presidential council on Jan 8, and it was the same as in 2010… “We are bound by the Pakatan Rakyat policies that were discussed during the meeting. And because we are bound to those policies, we will stick to that decision. The Syura Council is not related to it."
On 22 September, Azmin Ali was appointed as Selangor's new Menteri Besar, taking over Khalid Ibrahim effective 23 September 2014
