COMMENT | The passing of Malaysia’s fifth prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi marks a moment to recognise his contributions to making Malaysia a stronger, more resilient country.

In the book “Awakening: The Abdullah Badawi Years in Malaysia” which I co-edited with James Chin and included over 31 contributors in 2013, one of the main themes of the collection was that Abdullah left Malaysia transformed for the better; he facilitated conditions that empowered Malaysians and decentralised power.