Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail ( Jawi: وان عزيزة بنت وان إسماعيل; born 3 December 1952) is a

Malaysian Malaysian may refer to: * Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia * Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia * Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who is the spouse of

Anwar Ibrahim Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...

, the current Prime Minister of Malaysia. She also served as the 12th

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

and Minister of Women, Family and Community Development in the

Pakatan Harapan The Alliance of Hope ( ms, Pakatan Harapan; abbrev: PH; stylized as HARAPAN) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been the r ...

(PH) administration under former Prime Minister

Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...

from May 2018 to the collapse of the PH administration during a

political crisis Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...

in February 2020. She was the first female

, the first female

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

and the highest ever female political officeholder in the

history of Malaysia Malaysia is located on a strategic sea lane that exposes it to global trade and various cultures. The name "Malaysia" is a modern concept, created in the second half of the 20th century. However, contemporary Malaysia regards the entire history ...

. She has served as the

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP) for Pandan since May 2018 as well as

Permatang Pauh Permatang Pauh is a town in Central Seberang Perai District, Penang, Malaysia. There are two institutions of higher learning located in Permatang Pauh, namely a campus of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Politeknik Seberang Perai at Bandar P ...

, on behalf of her husband

, from November 1999 to March 2008 and again from May 2015 to May 2018. She also served as 1st President of the

People's Justice Party The People's Justice Party ( ms, Parti Keadilan Rakyat , often known simply as KEADILAN or PKR) is a reformist political party in Malaysia, formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party. The ...

(PKR), a component party of the PH opposition coalition, also on behalf of Anwar, the ''de facto'' party leader whose trials and prison sentences had prevented him from holding the office himself. She served in the position from the party formation in April 1999 to officially handing over the party leadership to Anwar November 2018 after his release from prison. In addition, she served as the 11th and 13th

, on behalf of Anwar again from March 2008 to August 2008 and again from May 2015 to the victory of PH against BN in the 2018 general election in May 2018 and Member of the

Selangor State Legislative Assembly The Selangor State Legislative Assembly ( ms, Dewan Negeri Selangor) is the unicameral state legislature of the Malaysian state of Selangor. The State Assembly is composed of 56 members representing single-member constituencies throughout the sta ...

(MLA) for

Kajang Kajang is a town in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Kajang, along with much of Hulu Langat District, is governed by the Kajang Municipal Council. Kajang town is located on the eastern banks of the Langat River. It is surrounded by ...

from April 2014 to May 2018.

Early life

Wan Azizah was born in 1952 at

KK Women's and Children's Hospital KK Women's and Children's Hospital (abbreviation: KKH) is the largest public hospital specialising in healthcare for women and children in Singapore, located at 100 Bukit Timah Road. From its humble beginnings as a small general hospital in 18 ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

. She has a

Peranakan The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, th ...

grandfather and was raised Malay Muslim. She received her early education in St. Nicholas Convent School,

Alor Setar Alor Setar ( Jawi: الور ستار, Kedahan: ''Loqstaq'') is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia ...

and continued her education at

Tunku Kurshiah College Kolej Tunku Kurshiah ( en, Tunku Kurshiah College; abbreviated TKC; formerly known as ''Malay Girls College; abbreviated MGC''), is a premier boarding school located in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. TKC is one of the best all-girls residential s ...

Seremban Seremban (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Soghomban'', ''Somban''; Jawi: ) is a city in the Seremban District and the capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia. The city's administration is run by the Seremban City Council. Sere ...

. She went on to study medicine at the

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a medical professional and educational institution, which is also known as RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland's first private university. It was established in 1784 ...

where she was awarded a gold medal in

obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

and

gynaecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined are ...

and she later graduated as a qualified

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...

. Wan Azizah served as a government doctor for 14 years before deciding to focus on

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

ing work, when her husband,

was appointed the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia in 1993. As part of her voluntary pursuits, she became a

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

of MAKNA (''Majlis Kanser Nasional'' or ''National Cancer Council'') in that period.

Political career

Party founder

Following the dismissal and arrest of her husband on 20 September 1998, Wan Azizah became leader of the fledgling Reformasi movement. She first led the Social Justice Movement (ADIL), a

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

, before helping to establish the

Parti Keadilan Nasional The People's Justice Party ( ms, Parti Keadilan Rakyat , often known simply as KEADILAN or PKR) is a reformist political party in Malaysia, formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party. The ...

on 4 April 1999. The establishment of the party saw Wan Azizah elected as the first party president, a position she was re-elected to in

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

. The position made her the second woman to lead a political party in Malaysia's history; after Ganga Nayar as the founder and first president of the

Malaysian Workers' Party The National Trust Party (AMANAH; ms, Parti Amanah Negara), is a registered political party in Malaysia advocating a reformist strand of political Islam. The party was founded as the Malaysia Workers' Party before being handed over in Augu ...

in 1978. On 3 August 2003, Wan Azizah brought the party into a merger with the older

Malaysian People's Party The Malaysian People's Party (abbreviation: PRM; Malay language, Malay: ''Parti Rakyat Malaysia'') is a political party in Malaysia. Founded on 11 November 1955 as Partai Ra'ayat, it is one of the older political parties in Malaysia and traces ...

(or ''Parti Rakyat Malaysia'') which saw the establishment of the

and was elected as the president of the newly merged party.

Member of Parliament

In the first

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...

competed by the party in 1999, Wan Azizah led the party to win five seats in the

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

and was herself elected as the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh; the seat formerly held by Anwar Ibrahim; with a majority of 9,077 votes. She successfully retained the seat in the

2004 elections 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

, after five recounts, with a reduced majority. As a political party leader and also a parliamentary representative, Wan Azizah has spoken at UN-sponsored programs, and the local and international media. She is also the Vice-Chair of the Malaysian Parliamentary Caucus for Democracy in Myanmar and a member of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus.

March 2008 general election

Wan Azizah won her parliamentary seat of

in the 12th Malaysian general election with a majority of 13,388. She was supported by all the component parties of

Pakatan Rakyat The People's Alliance ( ms, Pakatan Rakyat; abbrev: PR) was an informal Malaysian political coalition and successor to Barisan Alternatif (BA). The political coalition was formed by the People's Justice Party (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP ...

to lead the opposition in the lower house of parliament,

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

. With the public announcement by Anwar Ibrahim regarding his intention to return to active politics despite being legally barred from doing so, Wan Azizah indicated her readiness to vacate the position of party president if he was elected. Nonetheless, she has also indicated that she intends to defend her parliamentary seat for Permatang Pauh. She resigned her parliamentary seat for Permatang Pauh on 31 July 2008, to make way for her husband, who won the subsequent

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

on 26 August 2008 with a large majority.

2014 Kajang by-election

On 9 March 2014, PKR announced Wan Azizah as its new candidate for the Kajang by-election. This was following Anwar Ibrahim's sentencing to five years in prison after Malaysia's court of appeal overturned his

sodomy Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sodo ...

acquittal, causing Anwar to be unable to run in the by-election. On 23 March 2014, Wan Azizah was elected as the

Selangor state legislative assembly The Selangor State Legislative Assembly ( ms, Dewan Negeri Selangor) is the unicameral state legislature of the Malaysian state of Selangor. The State Assembly is composed of 56 members representing single-member constituencies throughout the sta ...

member for

2015 Permatang Pauh by-election

A by-election was held for the

Dewan Rakyat The Dewan Rakyat (English: 'House of Representatives'; ) is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament, the federal legislature of Malaysia. The chamber and its powers are established by Article 44 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The Dewan Ra ...

seat of

on 7 May 2015, after Wan Azizah's husband

was disqualified from holding the seat after being found guilty of sodomy in a controversial trial. Wan Azizah contested the seat against three other candidates, retaining it for PKR with a majority of 8,841 votes.

2018 general election

On 7 January 2018, the opposition alliance

announced

as their candidate for Prime Minister in the 2018 election, with Wan Azizah as Deputy. It was announced as part of a deal for Mahathir to serve as interim if elected, seeking a pardon for Anwar and making way for him to take over. Others have speculated, however, that it would be Wan Azizah who would make way for her husband.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

Wan Azizah was honoured on the occasion of the official birthday of the

Yang di-Pertua Negeri In Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri ( in Malay) is a constitutional title given to the head of state in states without a Ruler, namely: Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. This is in constrast to a Ruler () which is a constitutional title give ...

(State Governor) of

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

on 12 July 2008 when she was awarded the Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri (Order of the Defender of the State), a

chivalric order An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and paired with medieval concep ...

of the second rank in the state which carries the title Dato' Seri. * : ** MY-PEN Order of the Defender of State - Knight Commander - DPPN

Knight Commander of the

Order of the Defender of State Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

(DPPN) - Dato' Seri (2008)

Election results

References

External links

Asia Week: A Woman of Grace

Result of Malaysian General Election 2008 for Permatang Pauh
, - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wan Azizah, Wan Ismail Living people 1952 births People from Singapore People who lost Singaporean citizenship Singaporean emigrants to Malaysia Citizens of Malaysia through descent Malaysian people of Malay descent Peranakan people in Malaysia Malaysian Muslims Malaysian obstetricians Malaysian gynaecologists Malaysian ophthalmologists Women ophthalmologists Malaysian civil rights activists Malaysian democracy activists Malaysian political party founders Leaders of political parties in Malaysia People's Justice Party (Malaysia) politicians Deputy Prime Ministers of Malaysia Spouses of prime ministers of Malaysia Spouses of Deputy Prime Ministers of Malaysia Government ministers of Malaysia Women's ministers of Malaysia Women government ministers of Malaysia Members of the Dewan Rakyat Malaysian Leaders of the Opposition Women opposition leaders Women members of the Dewan Rakyat Members of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly Women MLAs in Selangor Women in Penang politics Alumni of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland 21st-century Malaysian politicians 21st-century Malaysian women politicians