Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018. He is the former President of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the leading party in Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which maintained control of Malaysia’s government as a parliamentary majority for more than sixty years until the coalition’s defeat in the 2018 General Election.

Dato’ Sri Najib was born on 23rd July 1953 at the Pahang State Secretary official residence in Bukit Bius, Kuala Lipis, Pahang, he is the eldest son out of five sons of Malaysia’s second Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, and he is the nephew of Malaysia’s third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn. Dato’ Sri Najib is also one of the Four Noblemen of the Pahang Darul Makmur (Royal Court) by virtue of his inherited title as the Orang Kaya Indera Shahbandar. He received his primary and secondary education at St. John’s Institution, Kuala Lumpur. He later attended Malvern College in Worcestershire, England, and subsequently went to the University of Nottingham, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Economics in 1974. Dato’  Sri Najib Razak returned to Malaysia after graduation, and entered the business world, serving briefly in Bank Negara Malaysia and later with Petronas as a public affairs manager.

In 1976, Dato’ Sri Najib married to Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskandar (‘Kui Yie’) with whom he has three children: Mohd Nizar Najib, Puteri Norlisa Najib and Mohd Nazifuddin Najib. In 1987, he divorced Kui Yie and married to his current wife, Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor with whom he has two children: Nooryana Najwa Najib and Mohd Norashman Najib. His daughter,  Nooryana Najib is married to the nephew of Kazakhstani President, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Dato’ Sri Najib was elected to the Parliament of Malaysia in 1976 replacing his deceased father in the Pahang-based seat of Pekan. The national outpouring of grief following Tun Razak’s death and the respect for his father helped Dato’ Sri Najib won the election unopposed as Member of Parliament at the very young age of 23. In 1986, he won re-election to the same seat.

From 1982 to 1986, he was the Chief Minister of Pahang, before holding various cabinet posts throughout the remainder of the 1980s and 1990s, including Minister of  Defence and Minister of Education. In 2004, he became Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and replaced Tun Abdullah’s in 2009. Under his leadership, Barisan Nasional won the 2013 elections, although for the first time in Malaysian history, it lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Dato’ Sri Najib joined the Malaysian Cabinet at the age of 25 when he was appointed Deputy Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Post in 1978, becoming the youngest deputy minister in the country. He served as the Chief Minister of Pahang between 1982 and 1986, becoming the youngest Chief Minister in the state to enter office when he was sworn in at the age of 29. In 1986, he was appointed as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in the Cabinet of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He focused on improving Malaysian sports and introduced the National Sports Policy in 1988. In 1989, Malaysia achieved its best-ever performance at the South East Asia (SEA) Games, held in Kuala Lumpur

Dato’ Sri Najib was appointed head of UMNO Youth’s Pekan branch and became a member of UMNO Youth’s Executive Council (Exco) in 1976. In 1981, he was selected as a member of UMNO’s Supreme Council, before winning the post of Vice-President of UMNO Youth in 1982. In 1987, he was selected as the acting head of UMNO Youth by Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim after Dato’ Seri Anwar was asked to contest the post of UMNO Vice-President. Following the complete reorganisation of UMNO by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the aftermath of the 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis, Dato’ Sri Najib was appointed President of UMNO Youth in 1988. By 1993, he was elected as one of six vice-presidents of UMNO in response to Dato’ Seri Anwar’s decision to contest for the post of deputy president. Dato’ Sri Najib continued to defend his post in party elections held in 1993, 1996, and 2004.

As Prime Minister, Dato’ Sri Najib overturned a rule that required 30% Malay ownership in corporations, and worked to improve relations with neighbouring Singapore. He devised an ambitious stimulus plan, known as the New Economic Model, to double Malaysia’s per capita income by 2020, and controversially hinted at plans to shift some of the country’s pro-Malay affirmative action policies to a needs-based approach.

On May 12, 2018, following the loss – for the first time ever in Malaysian history – of the Barisan Nasional (BN) political front to the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the nation’s 14th General Elections, Dato’ Sri Najib resigned as President of UMNO and Chairman of Barisan Nasional (BN) and was replaced by UMNO vice-president, Dato’ Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

*This biography was compiled from material from Al-Jazeera, Wikipedia, and other online biographies including Britannica.com and thefamouspeople.com

1953: Born in Kuala Lipis, Pahang on 23rd July.

1974: Graduated with Bachelors Degree in Industrial Economics in University Of Nottingham. He returned to Malaysia after graduation and entered the business world.

1976: Appointed as Head of UMNO Youth in Pekan, Pahang and Member of UMNO Youth EXCO.

1977-1979: Appointed as Chairman of the Livestock Development Board (Majuternak)

1978-1980: Deputy Minister of Energy, Telecom and Post

1980-1981: Deputy Minister of Education

1981: Become a Member of the Supreme Council of UMNO

1981-1982: Deputy Minister of Finance

1982-1986: Became Chief Minister of Pahang

1986-1987: Appointed as the Minister of Culture, Youth & Sports 

1990-1995: Appointed as the Minister of Defence

1995-1999: Appointed as the Minister of Education

2004: Appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister

2008: Won the General Election, and became the 6th Malaysia Prime Minister

2018: Dato’ Sri Najib resigned as UMNO President and BN Chairman immediately after Barisan Nasional’s defeat in the 14th general election and was replaced by UMNO Deputy President (who carried out the duties of the President), Dato’ Sri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Statement by Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak at the General Debate of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly New York, 1st October 2015
“Five years ago I stood before this assembly and called for a Global Movement – of Moderates of all religions, of all countries – to marginalise extremists, reclaim the centre, and shape the agenda towards peace and pragmatism. We in Malaysia have followed up, both with practical action and by building intellectual capacity.

Central to this effort is reaffirming Islam’s true nature, as we must acknowledge that we are not winning the propaganda war against the so-called Islamic State. Their twisted narrative is not being adequately countered to prevent many misguided people from joining or supporting from afar.

 So it is more important than ever that we spread awareness of authentic Islam. Most especially when conflicts persist and people lose hope. For it is there that extremism finds fertile soil. And those who fight for extremism – for a perversion of true Islam – are one of the main drivers of the current migration crisis from the Middle East.” 

Dato’ Sri Najib Razak’s speech during Malaysia’s Day celebration at the Miri City Fan Complex in September 2015.

“There is no turning back. Together as the people of Malaysia, regardless if we are Sarawakians or Sabahans, there will be no turning back for us all.

“We will continue to defend the sovereignty of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia. And as a responsible prime minister, it is my duty to protect the nation from those who threaten our security and sovereignty.

“We will take action against this unscrupulous lot because we live in a nation that loves harmony,”

Dato’ Sri Najib Razak’s speech at the opening ceremony of the 26th Asean Summit 2015 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

“We need to find ways for ASEAN to become – and to be seen to become ­ more politically cohesive. Global investors have long been drawn to India and China. But ASEAN can and should position itself as the “third force” in the region, and more visible unity will help us to do so. One proposal would be if we adopted a common time zone throughout ASEAN. This would be a good symbol of ASEAN unity, and good for business. Our potential, after all, is huge. We already have the third largest workforce in the world. We have a largely youthful, talented and increasingly skilled population of over 600 million people. Our burgeoning middle class makes us one of the most potent and dynamic of regions – leading one publication to ask last week if ASEAN was Asia’s “hottest investment”.

Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak’s speech at the launch of the 2014 GTP and ETP reports.

“Based on these successes, we can definitely be relieved to say that Malaysia has moved into the right track, with the various certifications from international bodies, with each passing day, becoming a better nation, from yesterday. 

Even so, as I have often reminded, we have never neglected nor forgotten that, there are still areas for improvement and advancement. 

In fact, the idea of a nation based on the philosophy, Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan (People First, Performance Now), as a Sabahan would say, will always be the main axis in all Malaysia’s planning for advancement.  Thus, in presenting the 2015 budget, I had stressed on the balance between capital economy and people economy, with the theme “Economy for People” or EKR which forms the basis, as well as guidelines in putting the interests of the people first”.

• Prime Minister Najib Razak’s speech at UN General Assembly (full text) | Astro Awani
• ‘Defend sovereignty at all costs’ | New Straits Times | Malaysia General Business Sports and Lifestyle News (nst.com.my)
• Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s speech at the opening ceremony of the 26th Asean Summit 2015 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre | Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya
• Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s speech at the opening ceremony of the 26th Asean Summit 2015 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre | Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya
• GTP/ETP report: PM Najib’s full speech | The Star
• Biodata Mohd Najib bin Abdul Razak | Denaihati
• PROFILE RINGKAS DATO SERI NAJIB BIN TUN ABDUL RAZAK,PERDANA MENTERI MALAYSIA KE 6 – AZLAN RUMADI