Who is Azmin Ali? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Mohamed Azmin bin Ali

Age: 59 Years, 59 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Shamsida Taharin

father: Ustaz Ali

mother: Che Tom Yahaya

Political Leaders Malaysian Men

political ideology: Political party - PKR – Pakatan Rakyat

More Facts

education: University Of Minnesota

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Childhood & Early Life

He was born on August 25, 1964 in Singapore (which was then a state of Malaysia) to Ali and Che Tom Yahaya.

While he was born in Singapore, he grew up and received his education in Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

He attended Gurney Road School in Kuala Lumpur. He then attended High School Stepak and Technical Institute, Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lampur.

He traveled to the United States in 1982 to receive higher education at the University of Minnesota. He received a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Mathematics from the University of Minnesota.

He went on to complete his Master in Education and Economics from the University of Minnesota in 1987, teaching modern and additional mathematics while studying.

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Career

Soon after returning to Malaysia from the U.S., Azmin Ali began his political career around 1987 on the advice of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad.

He was appointed a Special Officer to the Minister of Education, Anwar Ibrahim. He served in this position from October 1, 1987 to April 1989.

He was promoted to Private Secretary to the Minister of Education in 1989 and served in this role for three years.

Azmin remained Anwar's Private Secretary as the Minister of Finance and later as the Deputy Prime Minister until 1998.

In 1997, he completed an Executive Training Program on Political Administration at Oxford University, receiving training from the Director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, among others.

Despite Anwar’s sacking and ouster, he remained close to him, and the two founded the opposition Keadilan party in 1998, which became the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

In 1999, the Keadilan party contested the general elections. Azmin was elected Selangor State Assemblyman for the Hulu Kelang district of Selangor.

He was barred from participating in the general elections in 2004 due to a conviction for lying in court, for which he was later acquitted.

He won the Gombak parliamentary seat in the 2008 general elections along with the Bukit Antarabangsa state seat.

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In 2010, he won an election in the PKR party and became the deputy president of the party, succeeding Syed Husin.

He retained both the Gombak parliamentary seat and Bukit Antarabangsa state seat in the 2010 election.

On September 23, 2014, he became the Chief Minister of Selangor after the PKR incumbent resigned.

Major Works

He co-founded the Keadilan ('Justice') political party with Anwar Ibrahim following Anwar's dismissal from his position as Deputy Prime Minister.

He is the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Selangor, one of thirteen states of Malaysia. The state has the largest economy and population in the country.

Awards & Achievements

He was named as a Companion of the Order of the Crown of Selangor. The order was founded as a means of rewarding people who provided services to the state of Selangor.

Personal Life & Legacy

Azmin Ali is married to Shamshida Taharin, who also graduated from the University of Minnesota. His wife holds a degree in finance.

He has three sons and three daughters. The family lives in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. His children are Farah Shazliyana (born 1990), Mohamed Ameer Shazrin (1992), Farah Amira (1993), Farah Afifah (1995), Mohamed Basheer Noor Alhaq (2000), and Mohamed Yusuf Al Sadiq (2002).

Trivia

Azmin Ali remains an outspoken supporter of Anwar Ibrahim, who was removed from his post and jailed for sodomy and corruption. Anwar is currently serving a five-year sentence in prison, and Azmin has lent support to the 'Free Anwar' movement.

Six years after he was convicted of lying in a corruption trial against Anwar Ibrahim, the Court of Appeal ruled the prosecution had no case, and he was formally acquitted.

In addition to his role in politics, he is the president of the Football Association of Selangor (FAS), the most successful club in the country in terms of overall title wins.

Azmin Ali Biography