Monday 19 November 2012

The 5th Prime Minister Of Malaysia

TUN ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI

 Leadership is and activity of leading a group of people or organization or the ability to lead. Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi captures my heart as a leader. Tun Abdullah bin was elected as our 5th Prime Minister on the 31 October 2003. He served as our Prime Minister from 2003 until 2009. He is informally known as Pak Lah, 'Pak' meaning 'Uncle' while 'Lah' is taken from his name 'Abdullah'. After Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad sacked Anwar Ibrahim, he appointed Abdullah as Deputy Prime Minister. Abdullah went on to succeed Mahathir as Prime Minister in 2003.

 Background


Let’s start with a brief history of the great leader himself. He was born on 26 November 1939 in Kampung Perlis, Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, . Badawi's paternal grandfather, Syeikh Abdullah Badawi Fahim, was of Arab descent. Syeikh Abdullah was a well-respected religious leader and nationalist, was one of the founding members of Hizbul Muslimin, later known as PAS. After independence, Syeikh Abdullah became the first mufti of Penang after Independence. His father, Ahmad Badawi, was a prominent religious figure and UMNO member. His maternal grandfather, Ha Su-chiang (also known as Hassan), was a Utsul Muslim who came from Sanya in Hainan. Tun Abdullah received his early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pematang Bertam. He later attended Bukit Mertajam High School, Penang Methodist Boys’ School and a religious school started by his family. Tun Abdullah pursued his tertiary education at the University of Malaya where he graduated with B.A.(Hons) in Islamic studies in 1964.


Upon graduating, Tun Abdullah joined the civil service, where he started his career as Assistant Secretary in the Public Services Department in 1964. In 1969, Tun Abdullah  moved to the National Operation Council (NOC) or Majlis Gerakan Negara (MAGERAN), a body responsible to exercise the ruling powers for the country after the May 1969 racial riots. Tun Abdullah was later promoted to the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports as Director General (1971-1973) and Deputy Secretary General in 1974.

Tun Abdullah resigned from Government service in 1978 to pursue a political career. A loyal UMNO member since 1965, he was elected UMNO Supreme Council Member in 1981, and UMNO Vice President in 1984, 1987, 1990 and 1996. Tun Abdullah became UMNO Deputy President in 2000.

Tun Abdullah won his first election for the Parliamentary seat of the Kepala Batas constituency in 1978, (a seat he has retained since). In the same year, Tun Abdullah  was appointed to his first post in the administration of the Government of Malaysia, as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Territory Ministry. Tun Abduulah was then promoted to Deputy Minister in the same Ministry in 1980. Tun Abdullah later held the post of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department from 1981 to 1984; and Minister of Education from 1984 to 1986; Minister of Defence from 1986 to 1987; and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 15 March 1991 to 1999. In January 1999, Tun Abdullah was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs. Tun Abdullah is also the Minister of Defence.

Tun Abdullah married the late Datin Seri Endon Dato' Mahmood in 1965 and after 40 years of marriage, lost her after a prolonged battle with cancer on 20 October 2005. They have 2 children and 5 grandchildren. Tun Abdullah married Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah on 9 June 2007. Datin Seri Jeanne has two daughters.

Upon coming into power as prime minister, Abdullah Badawi promised to clamp down on corruption, thus empowering anti-corruption agencies and providing more avenues for the public to expose corrupt practices. He also arrested several public figures from the Mahathir era for corruption, a move which was widely applauded by the public. He advocated an interpretation of Islam known as Islam Hadhari, which advocates the intercompatibility between Islam and economic and technological development. His administration emphasized a revival of the Malaysian agricultural sector.

On 10 September 2004, Tun Abdullah Badawi, as Finance Minister, presented his maiden budget, which was seen by many as maintenance-oriented as opposed to the growth policies emphasised by Mahathir.

Tun Abdullah Badawi also focused on Malaysia's internal security after the increase in corrupt practices, such as bribery, in the Law enforcement in Malaysia. Upon coming into power as prime minister, Tun Abdullah Badawi clamped down on corruption, giving more power to anti-corruption agencies and making it easier for the public to reveal corrupt practices to the authorities. He has also arrested several Mahathir-era cronies on charges of corruption, a move which was widely applauded by the public. He advocated an interpretation of Islam known as Islam Hadhari, which maintains that Islam and economic and technological development are not incompatible.

Tun Abdullah Badawi was heavily involved in foreign policy making. He was the chairman of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference since the start of his premiership in 2003. As of 2005, he was the chairman of the ASEAN. He also served as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement from October 2003 until September 2006.

Economic policies


Tun Abdullah Badawi declared an end to the economic legacy and grandiose projects of his predecessor, Tun Mahathir Mohamad, during the 57th UMNO General Assembly. He told delegates that he would not pursue the economic strategies adopted two decades ago by his predecessor.

.He said that in the past, wealth was generated not by innovation and creativity, but by foreign investment, government contracts, and privatization.

Agriculture and biotechnology are some of the highlighted issues in 9MP that the government believes such sectors are still able to generate wealth for many Malaysians, especially those in rural areas.

In late 2005, Tun Abdulla Badawi successfully led Malaysia into a historic free trade agreement with Japan enabling the two countries to scrap tariffs on essentially all industrial goods and most agricultural, forestry and fishery products within a decade.

Under the Tun Abdullah Badawi administration, the country is moving down to a value chain economy by developing its inherent strengths in agriculture without losing its existing manufacturing base. However, Tun Abdullah Badawi has been criticized as to his handling of the sudden hikes in the price of petrol and electricity through the restructuring of government subsidies, especially as it is detrimental to Malaysia's position as a traditional exporter.

Tun Abdullah Badawi won a second term as Prime Minister by winning the 12th General Election, held in March 2008, with a reduced majority. He also lost four additional states to the opposition (Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor). Although his party, Barisan Nasional, suffered a major setback,Tun Abdullah Badawi vowed to fulfill the promises in his manifesto amid calls from Mahathir, the opposition and even among UMNO members for him to resign. However, his deputy, Dato’ Seri Najib Razak, and others in his party voiced unreserved support for his leadership. It took a while before open dissent started brewing at grassroots levels, with petition and campaigns being launched to ask for his resignation.

He was sworn in for a second term as Prime Minister on 10 March 2008.Tun Abdullah Badawi unveiled a streamlined 68-member Cabinet 18 March 2008, dropping half the ministers in his previous administration and keeping the crucial finance portfolio for himself.

On 10 July 2008, Tun Abdullah Badawi announced he would step down as UMNO President and Prime Minister in June 2009. Tun Abdullah Badawi handed his resignation letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 2 April 2009. The Deputy Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Najib Abdul Razak, was officially sworn in as the Prime Minister the following day. Abdullah was then conferred with a "Tun" title by the Agong. Nevertheless, shortly before he resigned, Najib gave promises to Abdullah that his constituency in Kepala Batas would continue to receive development funds, where he would continue to serve as its Member of Parliament.

As a leader Tun Abdullah has a big impact on me as he rise up from a small village to a leader of our country. He also served as as PTD before resigned and move up the political ladder.

As a leader maybe some of his mistakes are:

1.Friendly

He is seem too friendly to others making his not as strong has his predecessor Tun Mahathir. He sometimes have to make tough decisions regarding people in his team, as some people will be tempted to take advantage of his friendlyness

2.Not walking the walk

He promised to fight corruption, nepotisme, cronisme but he still did it sometimes. He still favours his son in law in making decision and his business partner. This brings to his low of support after the 12th General Election.

3. Not defining goals

He also was described as the opposition as a flip flop leader. Making a decision on one day and changing it the other way around the other day. This was portrayed as weak leadership by others especially bt the supporters.

As a young officer working in a government sector and to emulate Tun Abdullah, we need to start taking up responsibilities in order to learn more. Leaders are made not born. We should start train ourselves starting today in making us a better leader.

As a leader, you already know how to identify each of your team member’s strongest skills and assets. Because you don’t expect each person on the team to excel in every area, you also know that it’s important to create a diverse group of people who balance and complement one another. Similarly, leaders have their own unique skills and specializations. Effective leaders often possess the following ten traits.

1. Focused
To lead a team to success, leaders must possess an extraordinary amount of focus. It’s important to eliminate distractions from the work area and to hone in on the key issues at hand. While leaders are often pulled in numerous directions simultaneously, they must be able to retain clear minds and focus on the things that matter.

2. Passionate
It’s possible to teach someone to be a leader, but truly effective leaders are already passionate about what they do. Your enthusiasm and level of commitment can inspire your team members and motivate them to do better work. Modeling the attitude you want each person to have is one of the most effective ways to lead your team toward a successful destination.

3. Assertive
As a leader, you have requirements for your team and goals that must be fulfilled. When team members aren’t meeting expectations, a leader must feel comfortable being assertive. Assertive leaders are firm and bold, unafraid to go after what they want. Such a level of certainty and confidence will serve both you and your team well as you tackle larger challenges and go after new goals.

4. Decisive
Leaders are often called on to make big decisions, so it’s also important for you to be decisive. Of course, a decisive leader should never be confused with an impulsive one. A decisive leader carefully weighs the potential effects of each option and chooses the opportunity that works best for his or her team. To be decisive, you must also feel comfortable taking responsibility for the results of your choice.

5. Empowering
Supporting your team is one of the best ways to encourage members to perform well. Empower each individual by making it clear that you trust his or her judgment. Give people the authority they need to do their jobs well and show them an appropriate level of respect.

6. Confident
Successful leaders are confident in their own abilities and decisions. If you want other people to believe in your capability as a leader, you must first believe in yourself. While you should make sure your confidence isn’t perceived as arrogance, there’s nothing wrong with feeling a strong sense of certainty about your choices.

7. Communicative
Always keep your team informed about what’s going on. All too often, leaders leave their team members out of important discussions and meetings. A lack of communication promotes the spread of false information and resentment among your team members.

8. Self-Aware
It can be tough to retain a strong sense of yourself and the way you appear to others, but focus on being self-aware. Consider your strengths and weaknesses as objectively as possible and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on your performance.

9. Humble
Effective leaders are down-to-earth and easy to relate with. People feel more comfortable connecting with a leader who is humble and compassionate. Strive to understand where other people are coming from and keep a healthy, grounded perspective on your own achievements.

10. Honest
Finally, effective leaders are honest. Be upfront with your team members and trust them enough to communicate openly and authentically together. It’s important to build a level of mutual trust within your team so that each person feels comfortable addressing his or her concerns with you.

All people in positions of authority might be able to call themselves leaders, but effective leaders are those individuals who seek to emulate these ten essential traits. If you’re looking to improve the quality of your leadership style, choose a few key traits to focus on initially and watch as your impact shifts with time. Your team will achieve new levels of success as your leadership style evolves and becomes more well-defined.

 

 

 

 

References

1.    Mistakes Leaders Make, John Craft, 2012

2.    The Book on Leadership, John MacArthur, 2004

3.    Tun Abdullah Badawi: A revivalist of Intellectual Tradition, Ali Tawfik Al-Attas 2005

4.    Abdullah Ahmad Badawi: Jalan ke Puncak, Sivamurugan Pandian, 2005

5.    Inspire: What Great leaders Do, Lance Secretan, 2004

6.    http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_61.htm

7.    http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/leadership-mistakes.htm

8.    http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html

9.    http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/leadership.html

10. http://www.arkib.gov.my/tun_abdullah

A.Z.P
Sidang C
DPA 1/2012 

 

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