PETALING JAYA: The late Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi always prioritised the people above himself and was a driving force behind support programmes for the masses, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin.
Khaled served in two of his Cabinets, first as the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister in 2004 and later as the Higher Education Minister in 2008.
He shared these reflections with The Star in conjunction with a commemorative event by the National Archives of Malaysia to honour the late fifth Prime Minister, marking Malaysia Day celebrations in Kepala Batas, Pak Lah's eight-term parliamentary constituency on Tuesday (September 16).
"His main interest was always the well-being of the people, and he strongly supported the many support programmes organised by the ministry, especially those on human capital and entrepreneurship, as these benefited the grassroots.
He was also a good listener and a fatherly figure to me, whether on party or government matters. He listened to what you had to say.
Above all, he was a man who always put the people, country, and party above himself. The people were always first for him, no matter what," said Khaled when contacted.
In Kepala Batas, the commemorative programme, 'Mengenang Negarawan Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi: Bapa Pembangunan Modal Insan'
(Remembering Statesman Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi: Father of Human Capital Development), will take place in Bertam, featuring a range of activities.
