The importance of academic qualification is often debated in the country, with proponents saying that it is vital while its opponents argue that it is a waste of money and in no way helps employment prospects. The issue is even murkier when it comes to politically appointed employments that often do not necessarily require any form of formal education at all. In this article, we will take a look at the highest academic achievements of all of our previous Prime Ministers, the highest politically appointed position in the country.
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj
The first Prime Minister of Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman’s highest academic qualification is an honors degree in law from St Catharine’s College in the University of Cambridge. As accomplished as he was in his later years, Tunku did face some learning challenges during his younger days, for instance, he even faced difficulties in passing the English bar exam. He failed in his first attempt to pass the bar exam in 1930 as he didn’t complete a section of the test but he persevered and eventually passed in 1939.
In terms of working experience, he started his career as a cadet to the Kedah civil service and rose through the ranks to eventually become an assistant district officer in Kulim. By 1949, he was named deputy public prosecutor in the Malayan Federal Legal Department, a position he left in 1951 to participate in active politics. By the time he become the first Chief Minister of Malaya, he was 52 years old.
Tun Haji Abdul Razak bin Dato’ Hussein
The second Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Haji Abdul Razak’s highest academic qualification is also an honors degree in law similar to the first Prime Minister. Tun Abdul Razak pursued his law degree at the Lincoln’s Inn of Courts in 1947 and by 1950 he was admitted to the bar. He did enroll at the London School of Economics for a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics but unfortunately, his studies were abruptly cut short due to his father’s passing.
In terms of working experience, Tun Abdul Razak’s experience was unique as he started his career as a spy for the Pahang Reserve Force in 1941. As an agent, he infiltrated the Japanese-controlled Malaya Public Service to gather information on the Japanese. He then continued his service until the end of the Japanese occupation and eventually entered the civil service in 1950. By the time he become Prime Minister, he was 48 years old.
Tun Hussein bin Dato’ Onn
Similar to all of his predecessors, the Third Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Hussein bin Dato’ Onn’s highest academic qualification is also an honors degree in law. His alma mater is the same as the second Prime Minister, he pursued a law degree at the Lincoln’s Inn of Court and was admitted to the bar in 1958.
In terms of working experience, Tun Hussein Onn first served in the Indian Army with the British Forces in the Middle East during World War II. After the war, he was appointed Commandant of the Johor Bahru Police Depot and subsequently entered the civil service as an administrative officer. He rose through the rank and eventually became Klang and Kuala Selangor’s district officer. Upon being admitted to the bar, he begins practicing law until he quits in 1968 to participate in politics. By the time he become Prime Minister, he was 54 years old.
Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad
Unlike his predecessors, the fourth and seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Mahathir Mohamad did not have a legal background nor did he garner his education in England. His highest academic qualification is a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore.
Upon graduation, he worked as a medical officer in Kedah and Perlis before setting up his own practice in 1957. In total his medical career was only 11 years long before quitting to actively participate in politics. By the time he become Prime Minister for the first time, he was 54 years old. After resigning 22 years later, he came back into the scene as Prime Minister again at the ripe age of 93 years old.
Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi
The fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi highest academic qualification is a Bachelor of Arts degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Malaya. The choice of study is unsurprising if one is aware of his family background. His grandfather was a prominent religious leader, who is well-known for advising Tunku Abdul Rahman on the nation’s independence date and being one of the founding members of Hizbul Muslimin.
Upon graduating from Universiti of Malaya, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi joined the civil service, where he started his career as Assistant Secretary in the Public Services Department in 1964. After which, he served as Director of Youth at the Ministry of Youth and Sport as well as secretary of the National Operations Council (MAGERAN). In 1978, he resigned from government service to pursue a political career. By the time he become Prime Minister, he was 64 years old.
Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak
The fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Najib Razak’s highest academic qualification is a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Economics from the University of Nottingham. Albeit there were persistent rumors that he had not completed his studies at Nottingham, it was subsequently denied by the university, and he was even awarded an Honorary Degree from the university in 2004.
Dato’ Sri Najib Razak began his professional career working at Petronas in 1974 as a public affairs manager but he didn’t stay in the position for long. The death of his father in 1976 pushed him into the political sphere as he contested unopposed for his father’s parliamentary seat and subsequently became the youngest Member of Parliament in the country at the age of 23 years old. By the time he become Prime Minister, he was 56 years old.
Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Mahiaddin bin Md. Yasin
The seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia Tan Sri Mahiaddin Yassin highest academic qualification is a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Malay Studies from the University of Malaya. He received his degree the same year he joined active politics as an ordinary member in UMNO’s Pagoh division.
Upon graduating from Universiti of Malaya, Mahiaddin Yasin joined the civil service as an assistant secretary in the Johor state government before becoming the assistant district officer for Muar. His service however ended just 4 years later when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Pagoh. By the time he become Prime Minister, he was 73 years old.
Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob
The current Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Ismail Sabri’s highest academic qualification is a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Malaya. The title of his undergraduate thesis is on the treatment of political detainees in Malaysia.
He began his career as a lawyer in 1985 and he eventually made his move into politics after he was appointed Member of Temerloh District Council in 1987, and Political Secretary to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Tourism in 1995. Before being appointed as a Member of Parliament in 2004, he served in the Board of Directors of the Pahang Tenggara Board (DARA) and the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board. By the time he become Prime Minister, he was 61 years old.
To date, all Malaysian Prime Ministers have at least a Bachelor’s degree to their name before stepping into the highest political office in the country. Half of them have served as legal professionals and almost all of them have had experience working in the civil service before joining politics except for Dato’ Seri Najib Razak as the sole exception.
Interestingly, the youngest Prime Minister the country has ever had was Tun Hussein Onn who stepped into the office when he was 54 years old, followed closely by Dato’ Seri Najib Razak who stepped into the same office at 56 years old. The average age of Malaysian Prime Ministers is currently 61 years old with Mahathir Mohamad counted twice to include his second stint in office after coming out of retirement.
In conclusion, all of the people that have served as Prime Minister of Malaysia have quite reputable education qualifications and some working experience outside of politics before holding office. With the trend of more and more young people entering politics fresh out of universities, the average age of Malaysian Prime Ministers is expected to decrease gradually in the years to come. Only time will tell whether this prediction will hold.