The Most Famous

POLITICIANS from Malaysia

This page contains a list of the greatest Malaysian Politicians. The pantheon dataset contains 19,576 Politicians, 28 of which were born in Malaysia. This makes Malaysia the birth place of the 84th most number of Politicians behind Guatemala, and Somalia.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Malaysian Politicians of all time. This list of famous Malaysian Politicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Malaysian Politicians.

1. Mahathir Mohamad (b. 1925)

With an HPI of 71.73, Mahathir Mohamad is the most famous Malaysian Politician. His biography has been translated into 129 different languages on wikipedia.

Mahathir bin Mohamad (Jawi: محاضر بن محمد; IPA: [mahaðɪ(r) bɪn mohamad]; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and doctor who served as the fourth and seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020. With a cumulative tenure of 24 years, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Malaysian history. Before becoming premier, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and in other cabinet positions. He was a Member of Parliament for Langkawi from 2018 to 2022, Kubang Pasu from 1974 to 2004, and Kota Star Selatan from 1964 to 1969. His political career spanned more than 78 years, from joining protests opposing citizenship policies for non-Malays in the Malayan Union in the 1940s to forming the Gerakan Tanah Air coalition in 2022. He was granted the soubriquet Father of Modernisation (Bapa Pemodenan) for his pivotal role in transforming the country's economy and infrastructure. At the age of 99, he is currently the oldest living former Malaysian prime minister. Born and raised in Alor Setar, Kedah, Mahathir excelled in his studies and pursued a career in medicine, becoming a physician. His involvement in politics began when he joined the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysia's leading political party advocating Malay interests. His dedication to the party led him to enter the parliament of Malaysia in the 1964 general election, where he served one term before losing his seat. His relationship with the then-Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, deteriorated, leading to his expulsion from UMNO. During his time outside the party, Mahathir published his book The Malay Dilemma in 1970, a work that explored the socio-political and economic challenges facing the Malay community and drew significant attention for its bold views. After Tunku Abdul Rahman's resignation, Mahathir rejoined UMNO and regained his seat in parliament. His political ascent continued as he was appointed Minister of Education from 1974 to 1978. He subsequently became Minister of Trade and Industry from 1978 to 1981, promoting industrialization to strengthen the national economy. In 1976, he advanced to the position of deputy prime minister, and in 1981, he was sworn in as prime minister, embarking on a historic tenure that would span 22 years and transform Malaysia's political and economic landscape. During Mahathir's first tenure, Malaysia underwent modernisation and economic growth when his government initiated widespread industry privatisation and a series of bold infrastructure projects. Under his leadership, Malaysia transformed from being an agricultural country to a modern, industrial nation. Between 1988 and 1996, Malaysia experienced an 8 percent economic growth rate, during which Mahathir introduced an economic plan, known as The Way Forward or Vision 2020, aiming for the country to achieve fully developed nation status by 2020. Mahathir was a dominating political figure, winning five consecutive general elections and fending off rivals for UMNO's leadership. He continued pro-bumiputera policies, and oversaw Malaysia's relatively fast recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Critics argue that he centralized power by undermining judicial independence and supported a constitutional amendment to remove legal immunity for royalty. In 1987, he detained various activists and religious figures under Operation Lalang, and in 1998, had his deputy Anwar Ibrahim arrested. His record of authoritarianism and curtailment of civil liberties strained relationships with the West. As prime minister, he was an advocate of Asian values and development models, and was particularly prominent across the Muslim world. In 2002, Mahathir announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister, officially stepping down in 2003 after 22 years in office, but remained politically influential and was critical of his successors. Mahathir also served as the Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) from 2004 to 2016. He quit UMNO over the 1MDB corruption scandal in 2016, joining BERSATU and leading the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition to victory in the 2018 general election. During his second tenure, he pledged to investigate the 1MDB scandal, combat corruption, and cut spending on large infrastructure projects. He also secured the pardon and release of Anwar Ibrahim. Mahathir resigned in 2020 amidst a political crisis. Despite losing his parliamentary seat in the 2022 general election, he remained active in politics and shifted party affiliation several times. Mahathir's political views have shifted throughout his life, and are shaped by his Malay nationalism and Islamic religious beliefs. Initially, he was aligned with Third-Worldism in the 1980s and later advocated for "Asian values" and globalization. He has consistently maintained Islamic political views throughout his political career. He is revered in developing and Islamic nations for Malaysia's economic progress and support of liberal Muslim values. He also champions Malay nationalism, although he has evolved from supporting "Ketuanan Melayu" to advocating a "Bangsa Malaysia" that assimilates non-Malays into Malay culture, strictly rejecting multiculturalism. He criticizes neoliberalism and Western influence, controversially suggesting that the US government was involved in the 9/11 attacks and a group of international elites control every aspects of life with the aim of establishing global hegemony. He has also been accused of antisemitism for his comments, which include stereotypes about Jews' financial skills and media control. On environmental issues, he criticizes the Global North countries for "eco-imperialism" and defends Malaysia's palm oil industry as sustainable, despite international scrutiny linking it to deforestation.

2. Tunku Abdul Rahman (1903 - 1990)

With an HPI of 64.86, Tunku Abdul Rahman is the 2nd most famous Malaysian Politician. His biography has been translated into 48 different languages.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah (Jawi: ‏تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن المرحوم سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه; 8 February 1903 – 6 December 1990) was a Malaysian statesman and lawyer who served as the first prime minister of Malaysia and the head of government of its predecessor states from 1955 to 1970. He was the first chief minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955 to 1957. He supervised the independence process that culminated on 31 August 1957. As an independent Malaysia's first prime minister, he dominated the country's politics for the next 13 years. In 1963, he successfully incorporated the Federation of Malaya, British North Borneo (renamed Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore into the state of Malaysia. However, tensions between the Malay and Chinese communities resulted in Singapore's expulsion in 1965. His poor performance during race riots in Kuala Lumpur in 1969 led to his resignation in 1970. Commonly known simply as "Tunku" (a Malay royal title), Abdul Rahman is widely regarded, even by his critics, as Malaysia's "founding father", the architect of Malayan independence and of the formation of Malaysia. As such, he is often referred to as Father of Independence (Bapa Kemerdekaan) or Father of Malaysia (Bapa Malaysia).

3. Abdullah of Pahang (b. 1959)

With an HPI of 60.78, Abdullah of Pahang is the 3rd most famous Malaysian Politician. His biography has been translated into 44 different languages.

Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (Jawi: السلطان عبدﷲ رعاية الدين المصطفى بالله شاه ابن المرحوم سلطان حاج أحمد شاه; ; born 30 July 1959) is the Sultan of Pahang. Abdullah was born during the reign of his grandfather, Sultan Abu Bakar, and became heir apparent when his father, Sultan Ahmad Shah, acceded to the throne of Pahang in 1974. He was created Crown Prince of Pahang on 1 July 1975. He was educated at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and later pursued a Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy at Worcester College, Oxford and Queen Elizabeth College in 1980 until 1981. In 1986, he married Tunku Azizah Aminah. They had 10 children, notably Hassanal Ibrahim, Muhammad Iskandar and Puteri Iman Afzan, including one adopted son, Amir Nasser. Abdullah became Sultan of Pahang upon his father's abdication in January 2019 who later died in May 2019. On 31 January 2019, Abdullah was sworn in as the 16th King of Malaysia from 2019 to 2024. Abdullah played an unusually prominent role in domestic politics, particularly during the 2020–2022 Malaysian political crisis and the intricate negotiations that followed the 2022 general election, which resulted in a hung parliament. As a result of this, his reign saw the most prime ministers of any monarch in Malaysia.

4. Anwar Ibrahim (b. 1947)

With an HPI of 60.61, Anwar Ibrahim is the 4th most famous Malaysian Politician. His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Anwar bin Ibrahim (Jawi: انور بن ابراهيم‎, IPA: Malay pronunciation: [anwar ɪbrahɪm] ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has been the 10th and current Prime Minister of Malaysia since 2022. He served as the 12th and 16th Leader of the Opposition from 2008 to 2015, and again from 2020 to 2022. He has been the chairman of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition since 2020, the second President of the People's Justice Party (PKR) since 2018 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tambun since November 2022. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister and in many other Cabinet positions in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad from 1982 to his removal in 1998. A University of Malaya graduate, Anwar served as president of the National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students as well as Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) or Muslim Youth Union of Malaysia before joining the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) then the dominant party in the long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Anwar held several cabinet positions in successive governments in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the deputy prime minister as well as finance minister during the 1990s and was prominent in Malaysia's response to the 1997 Asian financial crisis. In 1998, he was removed from all posts by prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and went on to spearhead the Reformasi movement against the government. Anwar was jailed in April 1999 on charges of corruption and sodomy until his release in 2004 after his conviction was overturned. He made a comeback as leader of the opposition from 2008 to 2015. He merged opposition parties into the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, which unsuccessfully contested in the 2008 and 2013 general elections. He disputed the results of the 2013 elections and led a protest in response. In 2014, Anwar's attempt to become Selangor head of government in the 2014 Kajang Move led to a nine-month political crisis, which ended when he was sentenced to another five years in prison after a second sodomy conviction in 2015. While still in prison, Anwar re-joined Mahathir Mohamad in the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition in absentia, which went on to win the 2018 general election. Mahathir outlined a plan for Anwar to take over from himself as prime minister after an unspecified interim period. Anwar received a royal pardon from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Muhammad V and was released from prison in May 2018. He returned to parliament in the 2018 Port Dickson by-election while his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail served as the deputy prime Minister in the PH administration. The collapse of the coalition during the 2020–22 Malaysian political crisis led to the new Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition under Muhyiddin Yassin being sworn in and Anwar becoming leader of the opposition for the second time in May 2020. After leading Pakatan Harapan to win a plurality of seats at the 2022 Malaysian general election, Anwar was sworn in as the tenth Prime Minister of Malaysia on 24 November 2022. On 2 December 2022, Anwar appointed various members of parliament from Pakatan Harapan, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), and UMNO to serve as ministers in the cabinet of the newly formed unity government. Anwar named himself as the Finance Minister. During his tenure, he and his government faced criticism for implementing numerous conservative policies, as well as the discharge not amounting to acquittal of current Malaysian deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who faced corruption charges. Moreover, former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak also saw his prison sentence halved and fine reduced during Anwar's tenure, sparking further controversy. Anwar, referred to as a liberal reformer and intellectual, has advocated for Islamic democracy and has stated he hopes Malaysia will become an example of democratic practices in the Muslim world. He supports the Islamic concept of Ummah as a framework for democracy in Muslim countries and calls for judicial independence, good governance and rejection of authoritarianism. While he supported initially supported affirmative action policies for Malays due to concerns about the dominance of Malaysian Chinese in businesses as a youth activist in the 1960s, after leaving prison he considered "Ketuanan Melayu" a major problem and called for transitioning to "affirmative-action policies premised on need instead of race" and providing government support to those living in poverty. Many people and scholars have described him as a "uniting figure" for the opposition in Malaysia during his imprisonment and trials. As prime minister, he has emphasized implementing measures such as diesel subsidy cuts for fiscal responsibility.

5. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (b. 1939)

With an HPI of 60.47, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is the 5th most famous Malaysian Politician. His biography has been translated into 46 different languages.

Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi (Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي, Malay pronunciation: [abdullah]; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian retired politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2003 to 2009. He was also the sixth president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the largest political party (at the time) in Malaysia, and led the governing Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentary coalition. He is informally known as Pak Lah, Pak meaning 'Uncle' or 'Sir', while Lah is taken from his name 'Abdullah'. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kepala Batas for eight consecutive terms, from 1978 to 2013. During the later part of Abdullah's administration, his government faced criticism for economic policies and performance, including concerns about inflation and the rising cost of living.

6. Abdul Halim of Kedah (1927 - 2017)

With an HPI of 60.33, Abdul Halim of Kedah is the 6th most famous Malaysian Politician. His biography has been translated into 42 different languages.

Al-Mu’tassimu Billahi Muhibbuddin Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah (Jawi: المرحوم السلطان المعتصم بالله محب الدين توانکو الحاج عبدالحليم معظم شاه ابن المرحوم سلطان بدلي شاه; 28 November 1927 – 11 September 2017) was the 28th Sultan of Kedah from 1958 until his death in 2017, and served twice as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1970 to 1975 and from 2011 to 2016. He was the first and only ruler to reign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong twice, as well as the oldest elected to the office. Prior to his death, he was the second longest-reigning living monarch in the world after Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

7. Abdul Razak Hussein (1922 - 1976)

With an HPI of 58.64, Abdul Razak Hussein is the 7th most famous Malaysian Politician. His biography has been translated into 36 different languages.

Abdul Razak bin Dato' Haji Hussein (Jawi: عبد الرزاق بن حسين; 11 March 1922 – 14 January 1976) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the second prime minister of Malaysia from 1970 until his death in 1976. He also served as the first deputy prime minister of Malaysia from 1957 to 1970. He is referred to as the Father of Development (Bapa Pembangunan). During his term as prime minister, Abdul Razak launched the Malaysian New Economic Policy (NEP), a program aimed at reducing the socioeconomic disparity between ethnic communities, particulary those of the ethnic Malay and Chinese. He also oversaw a realignment of Malaysian foreign policy away from his predecessor's pro-West and anti-Communist attitude and towards neutrality, with the country becoming a member of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1970. Abdul Razak was also the figure responsible for setting up Barisan Nasional (BN), which held power uninterrupted from its inception in 1974 to 2018. His eldest son, Najib Razak, became the sixth prime minister in 2009; Najib is the first prime minister of Malaysia to be a descendant of a former prime minister.

8. Najib Razak (b. 1953)

With an HPI of 58.04, Najib Razak is the 8th most famous Malaysian Politician. His biography has been translated into 66 different languages.

Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak (Jawi: محمد نجيب بن عبد الرزاق, Malay: [muhammad nadʒɪb]; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018. In 2020, he was convicted of corruption in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, one of the largest money-laundering and embezzlement scandals in history. He is the son of former prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein. Najib Razak was the chairman of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition from April 2009 to May 2018 and the president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) from November 2008 to May 2018, which had maintained control of Malaysia's government with a parliamentary majority for more than sixty years until the coalition's defeat in the 2018 general election. Najib was elected to the Parliament of Malaysia in 1976, at the age of 23, replacing his deceased father in the Pahang-based seat of Pekan. In the same year, he was appointed the head of UMNO Youth's Pekan branch and became a member of the youth wing's Executive Council. In the early years of his political career, Najib took on a deputy minister role in 1976, and between 1982 and 1986, he was the Menteri Besar of Pahang. Thereafter, until 2009, he was rotated throughout the Cabinet of Malaysia, taking on various ministerial portfolios in defence, education, culture, youth and sports, and finally finance. Between 1993 and 2009, Najib was a vice-president of UMNO. During his tenure as Deputy Prime Minister, he was accused of being involved in the 2006 Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case, but he denied any involvement in the case. Najib's tenure as prime minister, between 2009 and 2018, was marked by economic liberalisation measures, such as cuts to government subsidies, loosening of restrictions on foreign investment, and reductions in preferential measures for ethnic Malays in business. After the 2013 election, his government pursued a number of its critics on sedition charges, the imprisonment of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim following a conviction for sodomy and the implementation of a Goods and Services Tax (GST). He was Prime Minister during the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disaster and a dispute with North Korea following the assassination of Kim Jong-nam. In 2015, Najib became implicated in a major corruption scandal involving state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) which led to rallies calling for his resignation, spearheaded by the grassroots movement Bersih. These protests culminated in the Malaysian Citizens' Declaration by Mahathir Mohamad, Pakatan Harapan and NGOs which sought to oust Najib. Najib's response to the corruption accusations was to tighten his grip on power by replacing then-deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, suspending two newspapers and pushing through parliament a controversial National Security Council Bill that provides the prime minister with unprecedented powers. Najib's various subsidy cuts have contributed to soaring living costs, while fluctuating oil prices and the fallout from the 1MDB scandal led to a depreciation of the Malaysian currency. These ended with BN's loss in the 2018 general elections. Najib then conceded defeat and promised to help facilitate a smooth transition of power. On 3 July 2018, Najib was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which investigated how RM42 million (US$10.6 million) went from SRC International, a company related to 1MDB, into Najib's bank account. In the process, the police seized a number of fashion accessories worth $273 million while searching through his properties. Najib was subsequently charged and convicted by the High Court on abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust, becoming the first Prime Minister of Malaysia to be convicted of corruption, and was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and fined RM210 million. At the same time, Najib was also simultaneously directed to settle RM1.69 billion in tax arrears owed to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB). The sentence was upheld by the Federal Court on 23 August 2022. He is currently serving his sentence in Kajang Prison.

9. Iskandar of Johor (1932 - 2010)

With an HPI of 57.70, Iskandar of Johor is the 9th most famous Malaysian Politician. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Sultan Iskandar ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail (Jawi: المتوكل على ﷲ سلطان إسكندر الحاج ابن المرحوم سلطان إسماعيل الخالدي; 8 April 1932 – 22 January 2010) was Sultan of Johor, succeeding his father Sultan Ismail upon the latter's death in 1981. He reigned as the eighth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutional monarch of Malaysia, from 1984 to 1989. Sultan Iskandar's reign as Sultan of Johor lasted almost 29 years until his death in 2010. His children are married into the different royal houses of Malaysia. His eldest daughter Tunku Kamariah married the Tengku Laksamana of Selangor, Tengku Sulaiman Shah. His successor and eldest son Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar married Raja Zarith Sofiah of the Perak Royal Family. His daughter Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah married the heir apparent of Pahang, now Sultan Abdullah. His younger son Tunku Abdul Majid married a member of the Kedah Royal Family, Tunku Teh Mazni. As was the case with his grandfather, Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan Iskandar's independent mindset resulted in strained relations with the Malaysian federal government on numerous occasions. This was most prevalent during his time as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as there were a number of notable public incidents involved Sultan Iskandar. Nevertheless, Sultan Iskandar was reputed to show great concern to his subjects, and was held in high esteem by many of his subjects–particularly the Malays and Orang Aslis. His time as the Sultan of Johor was marred by accusations of violence and brutality. Sultan Iskandar was notorious for his bad temper which often resulted in violent episodes of rage and brutality to members of his staff and the general public. The 1992 Gomez incident surrounding the Sultan eventually culminated in the removal of "legal immunity" for members of the royal family. Sultan Iskandar is reputed to have been a staunch disciplinarian, with willingness to occasionally voice personal opinions on governmental issues. On the personal side, subjects who approached the Sultan in his later years described him as a person with a warm and generous personality. However, past critics had also argued that Sultan Iskandar was a person with a turbulent temper. These claims were made by citing records of notorious incidents, which include an experience of being disinherited from being the Tunku Mahkota of Johor (or Crown Prince in English) by his father, in 1961, as well as a series of alleged criminal acts occurring between the 1970s and the 1990s which were published in the press and provoked widespread moral outrage within the Malaysian public. During his younger days as a prince, Iskandar was commonly known by his first name, "Mahmood" or his full name "Mahmood Iskandar". He largely discontinued the use of his first name after he became Sultan in 1981, although some people occasionally referred to him by his full name.

10. Hussein Onn (1922 - 1990)

With an HPI of 57.06, Hussein Onn is the 10th most famous Malaysian Politician. His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Hussein bin Dato' Onn (Jawi: حسين بن عون; 12 February 1922 – 29 May 1990) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the third Prime Minister of Malaysia from the death of his predecessor Abdul Razak Hussein in 1976 to his retirement in 1981. Moreover, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sri Gading from 1974 to 1981, representing Barisan Nasional (BN) and United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). He was granted the soubriquet Father of Unity (Bapa Perpaduan).

People

Pantheon has 31 people classified as Malaysian politicians born between 1895 and 1969. Of these 31, 13 (41.94%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Malaysian politicians include Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah of Pahang, and Anwar Ibrahim. The most famous deceased Malaysian politicians include Tunku Abdul Rahman, Abdul Halim of Kedah, and Abdul Razak Hussein. As of April 2024, 3 new Malaysian politicians have been added to Pantheon including Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, and Penny Wong.