Rafidah Aziz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato' Seri Rafidah Aziz PMN SPMP SPMT PNBS DGSM DPMS AMN
رفيدة بنت عزيز‎
Rafidah Aziz in 2002
Minister of International Trade and Industry
In office 27 October 1990 – 18 March 2008
Monarch	Azlan Shah Ja'afar Salahuddin Sirajuddin Mizan Zainal Abidin
Prime Minister	Mahathir Mohamad Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Deputy	Chua Jui Meng (1990–1995) Kerk Choo Ting (1995–2004) Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah (2004–2008) Mah Siew Keong (2004–2006) Ng Lip Yong (2006–2008)
Preceded by	Herself as Minister of Trade and Industry
Succeeded by	Muhyiddin Yassin
Constituency	Kuala Kangsar
Minister of Trade and Industry
In office 20 May 1987 – 26 October 1990
Monarch	Iskandar Azlan Shah
Prime Minister	Mahathir Mohamad
Deputy	Kok Wee Kiat
Preceded by	Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah
Succeeded by	Herself (International Trade and Industry) Sulaiman Daud (Domestic Trade)
Constituency	Kuala Kangsar
Minister of Public Enterprises
In office 29 July 1980 – 20 May 1987
Monarch	Ahmad Shah Iskandar
Prime Minister	Mahathir Mohamad
Deputy	Daud Taha (1986–1987)
Preceded by	Abdul Manan Othman
Succeeded by	Napsiah Omar
Constituency	Selayang Kuala Kangsar
Women Chief of United Malay National Organisation
In office 16 January 2000 – 26 March 2009
President	Mahathir Mohamad Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Preceded by	Siti Zaharah Sulaiman
Succeeded by	Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
In office 24 April 1987 – 9 October 1996
President	Mahathir Mohamad
Preceded by	Aishah Ghani
Succeeded by	Siti Zaharah Sulaiman
Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Kuala Kangsar
In office 22 April 1982 – 5 May 2013
Preceded by	Yong Fatimah Mohd. Razali (UMNO–BN)
Succeeded by	Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad (UMNO–BN)
Majority	8,556 (1982) 9,598 (1986) 7,994 (1990) 10,649 (1995) 2,774 (1999) 6,191 (2004) 1,458 (2008)
Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Selayang
In office 22 July 1978 – 21 April 1982
Preceded by	Rosemary Chow Poh Kheng (MCA–BN)
Succeeded by	Rahmah Othman (UMNO–BN)
Majority	21,270 (1978)
Personal details
Born	Rafidah binti Aziz (1943-11-04) 4 November 1943 (age 81) Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Japanese occupation of Malaya (now Malaysia)
Political party	United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) (until 2018) Independent (since 2018)
Other political affiliations	Barisan Nasional (BN) (until 2018)
Alma mater	University of Malaya
Occupation	Politician

Rafidah binti Aziz (Jawi: رفيدة بنت عزيز‎; born 4 November 1943) is a Malaysian politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for the Selayang from 1978 to 1982 and Kuala Kangsar constituency from 1982 to 2013. Born in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Rafidah was Minister of International Trade and Industry from 1987 to 2008. As minister, she was the chairman of MATRADE beginning in 1991. She was a veteran politician from United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) of Barisan Nasional (BN) until 2018.

Early career

Rafidah graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1966 and a master's degree in Economics in 1970 from the University of Malaya. She then began her career as a tutor and lecturer in the Faculty of Economics, University of Malaya from 1966 to 1976.

Political career

Rafidah was an active member in the Malaysian political scene, having previously been appointed as a Member of the Malaysian Parliament. She was appointed as Senator in 1974 and resigned to contest in the General Elections in 1978. She served as Member of Parliament in the Selayang Constituency (from 1978 to 1982) and Kuala Kangsar Constituency (from 1982 to 2013). She served in the UMNO Supreme Council for 38 years since winning a seat in the council in 1975. She is Malaysia's longest-serving Trade Minister, having served in that capacity from 1987 to 2008. Previously, she also hold the portfolio of Minister of Public Enterprises from 1980 to 1987 and Deputy Minister of Finance from 1977 to 1980. In 1976, she was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Public Enterprises. Rafidah was the head of United Malays National Organisation's Woman Wing (Wanita UMNO in Malay) from 1999 to 2009, before losing out in the 2009 UMNO General Assembly election to Shahrizat Abdul Jalil after seeking re-election for another term. She is holding the title of the longest serving woman MP in Malaysia from 1978 to 2013 for 35 years.

In 2006, Rafidah was accused of corruption related to the issuance of Approved Permits (AP) for importing foreign vehicles by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in his series of criticisms against the Government of Malaysia. Mahathir had also criticised then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's handling of the Approved Permits (AP) issue, expressing his surprise that Rafidah was still retained as a Cabinet member although two people on the list of persons issued with highest number of APs were linked to her.

In March 2008, following the general election held in that month, Rafidah was dropped from cabinet, despite winning her parliamentary seat when other ministers had lost theirs. After thirty-two years in government service, and twenty years as a minister, she described herself as being "blessed and content." When asked if she was saddened, she said that she wished Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had told her earlier on not to contest the election.

In 2018, she was fired from UMNO ahead of the 2018 general election which saw the failure of the party and BN to maintain the power as a ruling government for the first time in history.

Post political career

Rafidah currently serves as the Non-Executive Independent Chairman and Director of AirAsia X since March 3, 2011. She was also the Chairman of Supermax Corporation Berhad from June 16, 2015 until her resignation on April 16, 2018.

On 5 May 2018, UMNO had announced it had fired three party veterans including Rafidah with Daim Zainuddin and Rais Yatim for supporting the opposition, Pakatan Harapan then. However she claimed she had ceased being a member of UMNO since almost a decade ago.

Rafidah was appointed one of the members Economic Action Council (EAC) by the new PH government on 11 February 2019.

Election results

Awards and recognitions

Rafidah was the main recipient of the Nona Superwoman Award in 2018.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

•  Malaysia :
  • Member of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (AMN) (1973)
  • Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN) – Tan Sri (2008)
•  Selangor :
  • Knight Commander of the Order of the Crown of Selangor (DPMS) – Datin Paduka (1979)
•  Perak :
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Perak State Crown (SPMP) – Dato' Seri (1989)
•  Terengganu :
  • Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Terengganu (SPMT) – Dato' (1998)
•  Sarawak :
  • Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak (PNBS) – Dato Sri (2003)
•  Malacca :
  • Grand Commander of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DGSM) – Datuk Seri (2007)