Marina Mahathir

Marina binti Mahathir was born in 11 May 1957. She is a Malaysian socio-political activist and writer. She is the daughter and eldest child of the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Mahathir Mohammad and Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali. 

            Marina was born in Alor Setar, Kedah.  Her early education from kindergarten to Form 3 was at St. Nicholas’ Convent, Alor Setar and subsequently she did her Form 4 and Form 5 at Tunku Kurshiah College in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan before proceeding to study for her A-Levels in the United Kingdom. She also studied briefly at her father's alma mater, Sultan Abdul Hamid College, Alor Setar while waiting to go to the UK. She obtained her degree in International Relations from the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK (1979).

            Marina is a writer, women’s rights and HIV/AIDS activist and TV producer. She was President of the Malaysian AIDS Council for 12 years from 1993-2005. She has also served on many regional and international HIV/AIDS bodies including the AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific (ASAP), UNAIDS and the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum on HIV and Development (APLF). Among her achievements are chairing the 5th International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific in 1999 which directly led to the availability of free first-line antiretroviral treatments to all Malaysians living with HIV.

            Marina has authored three books, In Liberal Doses (1997), 50 Days: Rantings by MM (2009), and Telling It Straight (2012). In 2010, Marina was named the UN Person of the Year by the United Nations in Malaysia and in 2011 was one of only two Malaysians named by WomenDeliver.org to their list of the 100 Most Inspiring Persons Working for Women and Girls.

            Marina currently sits on the Board of Sisters in Islam, an advocacy group that works for justice and equality for Muslim women; is on the International Advisory Group of Musawah, the global movement for justice and equality in the Muslim family; and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Additionally she sits on the boards of the Maybank Foundation, the Dewan Philharmonic Petronas and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

            In 1997, she was conferred the Datuk Paduka Mahkota Selangor award by the Sultan of Selangor, which carries the title ‘Datin Paduka’.To be a Malaysian, we should be proud of her.

Written by: Yee Ke Qing