FIFTH Prime Minister, the late Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi @ Pak Lah will be honoured at the Malaysia Day celebrations on Tuesday, which is held for the first time in Penang – Pak Lah’s home state.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would grace the celebrations together with Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Ramli Ngah Talib and Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, and Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg are also expected to be present.
There are a number of civil servants from Sabah and Sarawak in Penang while many are also employed in the manufacturing and healthcare sectors.
National Archives Department's statesmen archives division director Hanizah Jonoh said the tribute programme, "Remembering Statesman: Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi: Father of Human Capital Development will take place in the parliamentary constituency, he represented for three decades - Bertam, Kepala Batas.
It will feature a series of programmes in the town area about the mild-mannered leader.
Hanizah described Pak Lah as a statesman whose leadership was driven by the principles of unity, education, and compassion.
“The programme aims to foster moral, social, and community values by reflecting on Tun Abdullah’s character and leadership style in human capital development. It also seeks to record and preserve accounts of his contributions to the nation through the policies and initiatives of his administration, as a reference and for research,” she said.
The Malaysia Day celebrations which marks the formation of Malaysia in 1963 with the inclusion of Sabah and Sarawak into the Federation, would be held for the first time at the Butterworth (Penang) International Conference Centre (PICC) in Sungai Dua.
The tribute to Pak Lah event would begin at 9am in Bertam, Kepala Batas where among those attending a discussion about his legacy would be Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, considered the "political godson of Pak Lah," and the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia deputy chairman, Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohd Yusof Othman.
Pak Lah's son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin, who is the former health minister, is also expected to be in attendance.
Another session will be on a tribute of Pak Lah as a father, which will be presented by his daughter, Nori Abdullah.
Hanizah said that the department under the National Unity Ministry will continue to preserve Pak Lah's documents, speeches, policies, and legacy, keeping his contributions alive in the nation’s history and in the hearts of the people.
Material at the National Archives are available to researchers and the public, either in person at the research halls at the headquarters or state offices, or online through the 24/7 Online Finding Aid (OFA) system, accessible anytime and anywhere.
Besides preserving archival items, the National Archives is responsible for maintaining and restoring the birthplaces, buildings, and collections linked to national leaders.
Pak Lah died at the age of 85 at the National Heart Institute (IJN) on April 14.
Born on Nov 26, 1939, in Bayan Lepas, Penang, he served as the Kepala Batas MP from 1978 to 2013 and as Malaysia’s Prime Minister from Oct 31, 2003, to April 3, 2009.
Malaysia Day 2025, themed “Malaysia Madani: Rakyat Disantuni”, will take place on Sept 16 with a variety of exciting activities planned.
Meanwhile, state exco for tourism, Wong Hon Wai said Penang anticipates a huge crowd to attend the celebrations, while domestic tourism is also expected to flourish on the mainland (Butterworth) part of the state.
Wong said that there are adequate hotels to meet the surge in demand, and the state advised road users to be patient in navigating the traffic flow here. - September 14, 2025.
