ABOVE: May 2018: Wan Azizah addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Kuala Lumpur.
A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE
Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Medicine 1978), began her medical career in Malaysia as an eye surgeon. But life was to take her on a very different path, leading her into politics and ultimately to her appointment as Malaysia’s first female Deputy Prime Minister
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hen Wan Azizah Wan Ismail graduated from RCSI in 1978 at the age of 25, she seemed destined to enjoy a long medical career in her home country of Malaysia. A quite brilliant student, she had won a Gold Medal for obstetrics and gynaecology, and passed her exams with ease. Born in Singapore but brought up in Malaysia, in the RCSI Yearbook of 1978 she is described as being “well-known on the Dublin buses as the gentle Chinese nun who wouldn’t cross herself going past churches ...” In an article in The Irish Times, in 1998, she was reminded of this. She laughed at the memory of being taken for a religious sister and said it was easier to murmur “Bless you, my son,” to those who greeted her as a nun, rather than correct them. “I loved Ireland,” she says, “although the weather wasn’t too accommodating, I have plenty of good memories from my time there: Professor Rooney, who taught anatomy, and Professor PG Collins who had a great sense of humour. I made many friends there too: Dr Olayinka Lambo, from Nigeria, Dr John Burke, from England, Dr Knut Hegbom from Norway, among others.” Quick-witted, warm and self-effacing, little did Dr Wan Azizah know, while studying at RCSI, that ahead of her lay an extraordinary political life as leader of the Parti Keadilan
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Nasional party (National Justice Party) and Malaysia’s first female Deputy Prime Minister, and an inspirational figure to all Malaysian women. On her return to Malaysia from Dublin in 1978, Dr Azizah got a job as a hospital eye surgeon. In 1980, she married Anwar Ibrahim, a firebrand reforming politician, and continued to work for another twelve years, while raising their young family. “Ours was a young country and we needed more professionals, and while I had more children than many other doctors, I wanted to serve. Balancing being a doctor, a wife and a mother was challenging, but I had help. Extended families living together was the norm then. If I was busy, there was always an aunt, uncle or grandparent around to help with the children.” Meanwhile, the young radical politician Anwar threw his lot in with the majority party, though not in favour of their policies which favoured the fortunes of a small political and business elite. His plan was to reform from within, advocating for a fairer society. In 1993, Anwar was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, and Dr Azizah decided to opt for early retirement from her post as a surgeon. “I was the wife of the Deputy Prime Minister and I had many official duties to perform which I could not do while being a surgeon.” She was appointed to honorary posts in various organisations, but much of her time was spent entertaining guests from around the world, who came to see her husband.
