In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Othman Said is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Azalina. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Azalina was born in Johor Bahru on 31 December 1963 to a father of Buginese ancestry and a mother of Arab lineage. She spent her early years in Penang where she received her elementary education at a Catholic school, Convent Green Lane.[3] Azalina started her tertiary education in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) (or Institut Teknologi Mara (ITM) as it was known then) by taking her Diploma in Public Administration (DPA). Upon graduating with ITM, she read laws in Universiti Malaya and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours.) or LL.B Hons. After graduating in 1988, she went on to further her studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom and graduated with a Master of Laws (LLM) in 1990.
She first started her career in Malaysia as a legal assistant at Messr Raja Darryl & Loh law firm (1988–1989, 1991–1994). After gaining experience, she became an associate partner of Azalina Chan & Chia law firm (1994–2001) and with Messrs Skine (2001–2002).
In 2002, she formed a partnership with Messrs Zaid Ibrahim & Co [2002–2004], which is the largest law firm in Malaysia and later on with Zaid Ibrahim & Co. LLP, Singapore in 2003. Coincidentally, Zaid Ibrahim was also her cabinet colleague, having been appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in-charge of Legal Affairs at the same time as her appointment as Tourism Minister.
Before getting involved in politics, she was the host of various television talk shows, mainly discussing about political, economic, and social issues, such as Dateline Malaysia and Lidah Pengarang on ntv7.
Political career
Minister of Youth and Sports Malaysia (31 March 2004 – 7 March 2008)
Minister of Tourism Malaysia (18 March 2008 – 9 April 2009)
Minister in the Primer Minister's Department (29 July 2015 – 9 May 2018)
Controversy
On 27 August 2022, Azalina said whoever became prime minister would usually appoint “one of their own” to become the AG, a post which came with wide-ranging powers.[4] Her comments drew criticisms from Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan leaders.[5][6]
Malaysia-Sulu Case
Azalina has been a leading critic of the claims made by the alleged heirs of the Sulu Sultan in the Malaysia-Sulu Dispute. The Japan Times called her a figure at the "forefront of several large and international headline-grabbing developments — including the scrapping of the country’s mandatory death penalty and a June victory in a protracted legal battle that has come to be known as the “Sulu case".[7] Azalina has called the arbitration case as well the arbitrator in the case, Gonzalo Stampa, a sham. "We knew that the arbitration award was a sham, it's a rogue arbitrator, it's a sham award," the Japan Times reported her as saying.[7]
Azalina also called on the Sulu claimants to take their claims to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if they had valid proof of their ancestry, saying the case was not commercial in nature but "one of sovereignty".[8]
In June 2023, Azalina demanded the Sulu claimants to pay Malaysia the cost of litigation, in response to a claim made by one of the lawyers of the purported Sulu heirs, Paul Cohen.[9] Cohen had earlier announced that he would file another claim at another European court after the arbitration award by Stampa was struck down.
“The guarantee of this government is that we will fight to the end. But while fighting, I want the costs to be paid first. You talk like a hero but pay the cost first. You tell him (Cohen) if you want to fight, then fight fairly. Don’t jump from jurisdiction to jurisdiction,” she said at a press conference.[9]
On May 17, 2024 the Madrid Court of Appeal upheld the contempt of court conviction and sentence against Stampa, upholding his six-month prison sentence, and a one-year ban from practicing as an arbitrator.[10] Commenting on the decision, Azalina said, “In its judgment, the Madrid Court of Appeal confirms that Stampa knowingly and wilfully disobeyed the clear rulings and orders of the Madrid High Court of Justice resulting from the nullification of his appointment as arbitrator.” [10]
On 6 September 2024, the Dutch Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the Sulus to enforce the US$15 billion arbitration award against Malaysia.[11] Azalina celebrated the ruling, which came as a continuation of previous decisions in Malaysia’s favor, such as those by the Hague Court of Appeal upholding Malaysia’s challenge against the award, and the Paris Court of Appeal annulling an attempt by the Sulu group to mortgage a Malaysian diplomatic building in Paris.[12]
On November 7, 2024, the French Court of Cassation—the highest court in the French judicial system—annulled a $15 billion arbitration ruling against Malaysia.[13] This decision marked a significant legal victory for Malaysia and reinforced its sovereignty in a dispute with the self-proclaimed Sulu heirs.[13] The ruling highlighted irregularities in the arbitration process led by Gonzalo Stampa and raised concerns about practices such as forum shopping and unregulated litigation funding in European courts.[14][15]
The French court’s decision was deemed a significant “win” for Malaysia that effectively marked the end of the Sulu case by several publications, including Law.com and Law360.[16][17] Keith Ellison, former vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee and Minnesota attorney general, pointed out that the case highlighted the enormous scope for “corruption,” irresponsible profiteering, and foreign influence operations to subvert arbitration proceedings”.[18]
Following Malaysia's legal victory in the French Court, Paul Cohen argued that the ruling allows the Sulu heirs to lease Sabah to other nations, such as China and the Philippines. Cohen also suggested that accepting the French court's decision implies recognition of the Sulu Sultanate descendants' sovereignty over Sabah, which Malaysia disputes.[19] In response, Azalina Said dismissed Cohen's statements as baseless and reaffirmed Sabah’s status as part of Malaysia, citing historical and legal foundations such as the Cobbold Commission and the 1963 referendum.[20]
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