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Dato´ Saifuddin Abdullah

Minister of Foreign Affairs

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Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia, Member of Parliament for Indera Mahkota and Chief Secretary of Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope). Previously, he served as the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Member of UMNO Supreme Council, CEO of the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMM), and Director (Strategic and Social Development) of Institut Darul Ehsan.

Saifuddin is a progressive politician who advocates New Politics, youth empowerment and social entrepreneurship, also actively promoting debate and basketball. During his tenure as Deputy Minister of Higher Education, he restarted the Speakers Corner and amended the University and University College Act to allow student involvement in politics – both of which were restricted since 1975 and was openly critical of the Barisan Nasional Administration’s policies on freedom, human rights and racism.

Saifuddin has also served as the President of the Malaysian Youth Council, a Member of the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Youth Employment, a Consultant of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and Joint-Secretary of Bosnia Action Front. He was also a passionate student activist.

He has published eight books, the latest of which being New Politics 2.0: Multiracial and Moderate Malaysian Democracy (2017). He is also a columnist at Sinar Harian and The Edge Malaysia.

Born in 1961, Saifuddin studied at The Malay College Kuala Kangsar and received a BA (Hons) from Universiti Malaya. He is married to Norlin Shamsul Bahri and they have a daughter, Nur Madihah.