Ghazali Shafie


Muhammad Ghazali bin Shafie was a Malaysian politician and diplomat. He served under the administrations of four Prime Ministers, most notably as Minister of Home and Foreign Affairs from 1973 to 1984.

Biography

Ghazali was born in 1922 in Kuala Lipis, Pahang. He was of Minangkabau descent from Rao, West Sumatra. He was part of the clandestine resistance to the Japanese occupation of Malaya in World War II. He then studied at the University of Wales and the London School of Economics.
During the Malayan Emergency, Ghazali fully supported British military attempts to crush a pro-independence uprising led by the Malayan National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Malayan Communist Party. Writing in The Times newspaper, Ghazali openly supported the killing and public display of the corpses of people suspected to have been members of the MNLA.
After a career in the civil service, Ghazali entered politics. He served as Home and Information Minister from 1973 to 1981, and was then appointed Foreign Minister until 1984. He represented the Parliamentary seat of Lipis from 1974, before which he was a member of the Dewan Negara. As Foreign Minister, he was known for his role in ASEAN's diplomacy in respect of conflict in Cambodia. Described as a "flamboyant politician", his nickname was "King Ghaz".
On 11 January 1982, Ghazali survived an aeroplane crash in which he was the pilot. His bodyguard and co-pilot were killed. There had been reports that Ghazali had been killed in the crash. A coroner later blamed the accident on what the coroner found to be Ghazali's negligence.
After leaving politics, he held a range of positions in the corporate sector and with international organisations.
Ghazali died on 24 January 2010 at 7.45pm, at his home in Subang Jaya. His wife, Toh Puan Khatijah Abdul Majid, died in April 2008. They are survived by his two sons, Bachtiar and Sheriffudin. He was buried at Makam Pahlawan, Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

Foreign Honours

Places named after him