KUALA LUMPUR: Thirteen years to the day he took his oath as Malaysia's fifth prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today launched his authorised biography.
Penned by Datuk Wong Sulong, "Being Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - The Authorised Biography" traces the evolving public perception of Tun Abdullah and his humble and remarkable journey in life and politics.
The launch was attended by a veritable "who's who" of high society including the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah, Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Sultan Nazrin in his speech at the event, highlighted the need for a leadership with integrity, and equated Tun Abdullah's reign as prime minister for five and-a-half years as one that received resounding support from Malaysians for his efforts in calling for the practice of integrity in the country.
"In modern society, where cynicism abounds, the most difficult thing, we will find as we read this book, is how Tun Abdullah sought to instill integrity within the system and how he tried to navigate the minefields while dealing with little Napoleons within the civil service and enforcement agencies and meeting resistance to change within the ranks in his own party.
"Tun Abdullah's dilemma is not peculiar only to political leadership. The same cynicism exists at all levels, whether is it about the monarchy, a sports organisation or a business empire, and it happens more frequently than we would like to admit," he said before launching the book.
Sultan Nazrin added that the root cause of why a community or nation succeeded or failed, always came down to one issue, that is integrity or the lack of it.
"A nation's survival, and its success, therefore, depends on integrity on all levels and most crucially, at its leadership and that is what Tun Abdullah sought to achieve when he came into office.
"It is an issue which we will always have to face as can be seen by what is happening in countries far more advanced and developed than ours such as the United States. We will continue to do well as long as there are more people of integrity amongst us than those without."
Also present at the event was Tun Jeanne Abdullah, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, Minister in Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Johari Baharum, and Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican.