Azalina Othman Said

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Yang Berhormat Dato' Sri
Azalina Othman Said
SSAP SPMP DGMK DPMS PGDK MP
أزلينا عثمان سعيد‎
Azalina Othman 2023.jpg
Azalina in 2023
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 December 2022
Occupation
  • Lawyer
  • politician

Azalina binti Othman Said [a] (born 31 December 1963) is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who has served as the Member of Parliament for Pengerang since 2004 and as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department since 2022.

Contents

Azalina was born on 31 December 1963 in Johor Bahru, grew up in Penang and comes from a mixed Buginese and Hadrami Arab heritage. She pursued legal and public administration studies, earning degrees from Universiti Teknologi MARA, the University of Malaya, International Islamic University Malaysia, and the London School of Economics. Azalina began her legal career as a legal assistant at Messrs Raja Darryl & Loh in 1988, was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 1989, and joined UMNO in 1990. She specialised in women's affairs, civil claims, and corporate banking, becoming a partner at Azalina Chan & Chia in 1994 and later at Messrs Skine and Zaid Ibrahim & Co., including its Singapore branch. In 2000, she was elected to the UMNO Supreme Council, becoming the youngest woman to hold the position.

Azalina served as founding head of Puteri UMNO from 2001 to 2004, focusing on recruiting young professional Malay women. In 2004, she won the Pengerang parliamentary seat unopposed and was appointed Malaysia's first female Minister of Youth and Sports, serving until 2008, before becoming Minister of Tourism in 2008–2009. Despite a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigation in 2009 and being dropped from the cabinet under Najib Razak, she continued her political career, defending her parliamentary seat in subsequent elections and holding roles such as chairperson of the Parliamentary Women's Caucus, chairman of National Film Development Corporation Malaysia, and non-executive director of Chemical Company of Malaysia.

Azalina returned to the cabinet in 2015 as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, overseeing legal affairs, and publicly supported Najib during the 1MDB scandal, attracting debate. Azalina later served as the first female Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat from 2020 to 2021 and as Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Law and Human Rights from 2021 to 2022. In the 2022 general election, she retained her Pengerang seat and was appointed Minister of Law and Institutional Reform, pledging to modernise outdated laws, and in 2024 became the first Malaysian president of the International Anti-Corruption Academy's Assembly of Parties.

Early life and education

Azalina was born on 31 December 1963 in Johor Bahru. [1] She spent her early years in Penang, where she received her elementary education at Convent Green Lane, a Catholic school. [2] Her father is of Buginese descent, with ancestors from South Sulawesi who settled in Johor. Her mother is of Hadrami Arab descent from Yemen. Her maternal uncle is Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad, a Malaysian-French singer. [3] [4]

She obtained a Diploma in Public Administration at Universiti Teknologi MARA [5] and later completed a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at the University of Malaya in 1988. She also obtained a Diploma in Syariah Law from the International Islamic University Malaysia. In 1990, she earned a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom. [1] [6]

Azalina began her career in law as a legal assistant in Messrs Raja Darryl & Loh between 1988 and 1989. [7] She was admitted to the Malaysian Bar Council in 1989. She became a member of UMNO in 1990, when she was 27 years old. [6] She returned to Messrs Raja Darryl & Loh between 1991 and 1994. She specialised in women's affairs as a special advisor to the government, as well as civil claims and corporate and commercial banking. She became a partner of law firm Azalina Chan & Chia in 1994 and held this position until 2001. [7] During this period in 2000, she was elected to the UMNO Supreme Council and became the youngest woman to ever hold this position. [b] [6] She shifted from Azalina Chan & Chia to Messrs Skine between 2001 and 2002. She has been a partner at Messrs Zaid Ibrahim & Co. since 2002, and starting in 2003, she was a partner at Zaid Ibrahim & Co. LLP in Singapore. [1]

Political career

Early career (2001–2015)

During her time practicing law, Azalina also influenced her political career. On 1 April 2001, she was appointed the founding head of Puteri UMNO, a youth wing for young women, and later the first approved head of Puteri UMNO, serving from 1 November 2002 to 2004. [9] As the head of Puteri UMNO, she automatically became one of the six vice presidents of UMNO. [6] Under her leadership, the wing focused on recruiting female members under 35, targeting younger, professional Malay women by leveraging a highly visible figure from the entertainment industry, which led to the selection of singer, actor, and model Erra Fazira. [10] In 2002, rumours emerged accusing Azalina of having a lesbian relationship and abusing her power; these online accusations reflected homophobic and moralistic attitudes aimed at her strong, unconventional, and 'unfeminine' image. [11] Despite these unproven claims, she did not face the same harsh treatment or legal consequences that Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim endured. [12]

In the 2004 general election, Azalina won the Pengerang parliamentary seat unopposed. Following her successes, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi appointed her on 31 March 2004 as Malaysia's first-ever female Minister of Youth and Sports. [6] [1] Later that year, on 14 May, she remarked that many youths sought career shortcuts, a point reflected in differing media headlines emphasising the link between career and success. [13] She completed her tenure as Minister of Youth and Sports on 7 March 2008. [1] After the 2008 general election, when Barisan Nasional (BN) suffered significant electoral losses, [14] Abdullah reshuffled the cabinet, moving her to a different portfolio. [15]

Azalina Othman was appointed Minister of Tourism on 18 March 2008. [1] In 2009, she emphasised that all Malaysians should recognise Malaysia as a "tourist star" and share equal responsibility in maintaining the country's tourism products and facilities, positioning citizens as ambassadors of a commoditised Malaysia while leaving broader social and cultural issues tied to national branding unaddressed. [16] That same year, she was a candidate for the UMNO supreme council and was subject to a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission raid after her political secretary was found with RM75,000 suspected to be linked to vote buying. [17] Azalina was dropped from the cabinet when Najib Razak became prime minister in April 2009, signalling a generational change in his administration, [18] and she completed her tenure on 9 April. [1]

In the 2013 general election, Azalina defended her Pengerang seat with 26,992 votes out of 37,999 eligible voters, [19] defeating Tunku Intan Tunku Abdul Hamid  [ ms ]. [20] That same year, she managed parliamentary affairs while serving as chairperson of the Parliamentary Women's Caucus. [6] She became a non-independent, non-executive director of the Chemical Company of Malaysia (CCM) on 13 November 2013. [21] Shortly after taking office as chairman of the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) on 1 June 2015, Azalina urged regional filmmakers to incorporate national issues into their works, regardless of genre. [22]

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (2015–2018)

Following a cabinet reshuffle in July 2015, Azalina resigned as chairman of CCM on 28 July [21] [23] and rejoined the cabinet the next day as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, [21] marking her return to ministerial office after a six-year absence. [24] [25] She also announced her resignation as chairman of FINAS after her reappointment. [21] Azalina revealed that she learned about her new ministerial appointment through a radio broadcast while in her constituency. [26]

In March 2016, during public concern over the 1MDB scandal, Azalina expressed support for then-Prime Minister Najib Razak by tweeting, "I am from #Johor, and I #RespectMyPM," along with her state flag. This statement led to online debate, with many Malaysians criticising Najib's leadership and disagreeing with her position. The hashtag #RespectMyPM became a top trend on Twitter, reflecting the divide between Najib's supporters and opponents. [27] On 28 June 2016, Azalina was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department responsible for Legal Affairs, [28] taking over from Nancy Shukri. [29] In the 2018 general election, she successfully defended her Pengerang seat, winning 21,829 votes against her closest rival from Bersatu, Norliza Ngadiran, who received 10,412 votes. [19]

Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (2020–2021)

On 13 July 2020, Azalina was appointed as the first woman Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat following a motion by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. [30] She resigned from the position on 23 August 2021, [31] citing ethical, personal, and political reasons, including a conflict between her role in the ruling coalition and her membership in the UMNO Supreme Council. She also expressed concern that the lack of collective decision-making in the Dewan Rakyat affected her ability to perform her duties impartially and effectively. [32]

Special Advisor on Law and Human Rights (2021–2022)

On 2 October 2021, Azalina was appointed Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Law and Human Rights by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. [33] On 27 August 2022, she criticised the prime minister for not appointing a new Attorney General (AG), arguing that the AG should align with the prime minister due to the position’s significant powers. She also questioned the Federal Court's rejection of Najib's request to delay his trial and suggested that more UMNO leaders could face prosecution under the current AG. [34] Her remarks, made during an UMNO meeting, led to calls for her resignation from Pakatan Harapan 's Ngeh Koo Ham, who said her comments undermined the rule of law. [35] Azalina resigned as the prime minister’s special adviser on law and human rights, submitting her resignation on 29 August 2022 with a one-month notice period, during which she was on leave and did not work at the Prime Minister's Department. [36] In the 2022 general election, Azalina retained her Pengerang seat under Barisan National, securing 21,738 votes. [19]

Minister of Law and Institutional Reform (2022–present)

Azalina speaking during a session in the Dewan Rakyat, 2022 Azalina Othman Said 2022.png
Azalina speaking during a session in the Dewan Rakyat, 2022

On 3 December 2022, Azalina, as the newly appointed Minister of Law and Institutional Reform, pledged to review and amend outdated laws to ensure they remain relevant. [37] On 30 October 2024, she was appointed president of the 13th session of the Assembly of Parties of the International Anti-Corruption Academy, marking the first time Malaysia has held this position. [38] [39]

Personal life

Azalina has an interest in taekwondo and holds a black belt. [1]

Electoral history

Parliament of Malaysia [40] [41]
YearConstituencyCandidateVotesPctOpponent(s)VotesPctBallots castMajorityTurnout
2004 P157 Pengerang Azalina Othman Said (UMNO)Unopposed
2008 Azalina Othman Said (UMNO)Unopposed
2013 Azalina Othman Said (UMNO)26,99283.64% Tengku Intan Tengku Abd Hamid (PKR) [42] 4,48413.89%33,06722,50887.02%
Mohd Azaman Johari (IND)7952.46%
2018 Azalina Othman Said (UMNO)21,82967.71%Norliza Ngadiran (BERSATU)10,41232.29%33,58011,41782.96%
2022 Azalina Othman Said (UMNO)21,73851.96%Fairulnizar Rahmat (BERSATU)16,72839.98%41,8405,01075.64%
Che Zakaria Mohd Salleh (AMANAH)3,3748.06%

Awards and honours

Awards

Azalina has received several awards and recognitions throughout her career. In 2003, she was named a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum. [5] In 2008, she received the Women and Sport Award from the International Olympic Committee. [43] From 2016 to 2018, she served as the Mentor Minister for UM, and she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Southern Queensland. [6] In 2024, she received the Global Islamic Finance Awards Special Award for her leadership in legislative and institutional reforms related to Islamic finance, particularly in arbitration reform. [44]

Honours

Notes

  1. ↑ Jawi: ازلينا بنت عثمان سعيد
  2. ↑ Azalina's work as a lawyer and a talk show host who addressed controversial subjects with a straightforward interviewing manner initially brought her to the attention of UMNO leaders. [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Azalina Othman Said". Sinar Harian (in Malay). Archived from the original on 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  2. ↑ Ding, Jo-Ann (11 October 2010). "An Umno that thinks beyond race". The Nut Graph. Archived from the original on 17 May 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  3. ↑ Jafwan Jaafar (11 March 2016). "Indo-pendence: 20 top M'sian politicians of Indonesian descent". Free Malaysia Today . Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  4. ↑ "Azalina Meets Uncle Shake In Paris". The Rakyat Post . 19 May 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  5. 1 2 Jafwan Jaafar (1 March 2016). "Class acts: The academic backgrounds of 15 M'sian leaders". Free Malaysia Today. Archived from the original on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Azalina first woman to hold Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker's post". Bernama . 13 July 2020. Archived from the original on 25 February 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  7. 1 2 Hakim Hassan (13 July 2020). "Meet The New Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker, Azalina Othman". The Rakyat Post. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  8. ↑ Gee, John (22 July 2009). "Young Women's Leader of Malaysia's Dominant Party Under Fire". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs . Archived from the original on 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  9. ↑ "Pak Lah's Calm Demeanour Was His Greatest Strength - Azalina". Bernama. 15 April 2025. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  10. ↑ Khoo 2006, p. 184–185.
  11. ↑ Khoo 2006, p. 186.
  12. ↑ Maznah Mohamad; Ng, Cecilia; Hui, Tan Beng (2006). Feminism and the Women's Movement in Malaysia: An Unsung (R)evolution. Routledge. p. 196. ISBN   978-1-134-18883-3.
  13. ↑ Leong, T. F. (2018). Our Reason for Hope: An Exposition of the Old Testament on the Meaning of History. T. F. Leong. p. 206. ISBN   978-1-9874-2044-9.
  14. ↑ Parkaran, K. (10 October 2023). "How Pak Lah prevented turmoil after BN's disastrous 2008 outing". Free Malaysia Today. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  15. ↑ "Malaysian PM brings fresh faces to post-election cabinet". ABC News . 18 March 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  16. ↑ Hall, Michael C., ed. (2013). Medical Tourism: The Ethics, Regulation, and Marketing of Health Mobility. Routledge. p. 193. ISBN   978-0-415-66575-9.
  17. ↑ Ooi, Kee Beng (2010). Between UMNO and a Hard Place: The Najib Razak Era Begins. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 25–26. ISBN   978-981-4311-28-1.
  18. ↑ Saravanamuttu, Johan (2010). Malaysia's Foreign Policy: The First Fifty Years : Alignment, Neutralism, Islamism. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 320. ISBN   978-981-4279-79-6.
  19. 1 2 3 "Pengerang". undi.info. Archived from the original on 4 May 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  20. ↑ Niezam Abdullah (22 April 2013). "Dayangku Intan Tidak Gentar 'Lawan' Azalina Othman". mStar (in Malay). Archived from the original on 24 October 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Yong, Yimie (30 July 2015). "New minister Azalina quits as CCM chairman". The Edge . Archived from the original on 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  22. ↑ "New Finas chief Azalina wants 'national' elements in local films". Malay Mail . 11 June 2015. Archived from the original on 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  23. ↑ Aref Omar (31 July 2015). "Azalina to step down as Finas chairman". New Straits Times . Archived from the original on 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  24. ↑ "Crossroads of integrity — Transparency International-Malaysia". Malay Mail. 30 July 2015. Archived from the original on 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  25. ↑ Ahmad Fairuz Othman (28 July 2015). "Azalina prepared for return to Cabinet". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  26. ↑ "Back in Cabinet, Azalina says only found out about new post from radio". Malay Mail. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  27. ↑ "#RespectMyPM: Online war breaks out in Malaysia". BBC News . 7 March 2016. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  28. ↑ "Azalina is the new 'law minister'". Malaysiakini . 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  29. ↑ "Cabinet reshuffle: Azalina takes over law portfolio from Nancy who replaces Mah". Malay Mail. 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  30. ↑ "Who is Azalina Othman Said, the first woman to hold Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker's post?". Bernama. 13 July 2020. Archived from the original on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025– via Malay Mail.
  31. ↑ Loheswar, R. (23 August 2021). "Azalina says quit as deputy speaker to make room for reform". Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  32. ↑ "Azalina resigns as deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker". Free Malaysia Today. 23 August 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  33. ↑ "Azalina appointed special advisor to Prime Minister". Bernama. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2025– via Astro Awani.
  34. ↑ Radzi Razak (27 August 2022). "Azalina chides Ismail Sabri for not appointing new AG after becoming PM". Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  35. ↑ "DAP MP who campaigned for Azalina now says she's unfit as PM's legal adviser". MalaysiaNow. 29 August 2022. Archived from the original on 17 June 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  36. ↑ "Azalina resigns as PM's special adviser". MalaysiaNow. 1 September 2022. Archived from the original on 13 February 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  37. ↑ "Azalina vows to address and amend outdated laws to be relevant with current times". Bernama. 12 March 2022. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  38. ↑ "Appointment As IACA President Proof Of Govt's Commitment To Fighting Corruption - Azalina". Bernama. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  39. ↑ "Azalina elected International Anti-Corruption Academy president". Free Malaysia Today. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  40. ↑ "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2010. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
  41. ↑ "Malaysia GE15 / PRU15 & 6 States Elections - Johor". The Star. Archived from the original on 1 October 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  42. ↑ NIEZAM ABDULLAH (22 April 2013). "Dayangku Intan Tidak Gentar 'Lawan' Azalina Othman" (in Malay). mStar . Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  43. ↑ "IOC honours first female and youngest Sports Minister in Malaysia". International Olympic Committee. 7 January 2022. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  44. ↑ "Azalina Receives GIFA Special Award For Contribution To Arbitration Reform". Bernama. 18 September 2024. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  45. ↑ "Abdullah conferred Kedah's highest award". The Star . 22 January 2006. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  46. ↑ Roslina Mohamad (19 July 2018). "Two ministers made Datuk Seris". The Star. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  47. ↑ "Sultan of Perak's Birthday Honours List 2007". The Star. 23 April 2007. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  48. ↑ "Khalil heads Sabah awards list". The Star. 16 September 2003. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  49. ↑ "Khir: Developed status should spur others on". The Star. 12 December 2005. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2025.

Sources

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