Perdana Leadership Foundation
A Malaysian nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving, researching, digitising and sharing the intellectual and policy legacies of the country's former prime ministers.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Perdana Leadership Foundation, also known in Malay as Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana, is a Malaysian tax-exempt, nonprofit institution focused on the study and preservation of the country's political and intellectual leadership heritage. Its central subject is the work of Malaysia's past prime ministers: their speeches, policies, strategies, writings, public activities and contributions to national social, economic and political development. The foundation presents this material not only as historical documentation but also as a possible source of ideas for future national development and international comparative research. The idea for the foundation was proposed in the early 2000s by Mathias Chang, who was then a political secretary to the prime minister. The proposal received support from government and private-sector figures, leading to the creation of a special trust committee. The committee was largely composed of private-sector representatives and was headed by Tan Sri Datuk Seri Azizan Zainul Abidin, who was associated with Putrajaya Corporation and Petronas. The foundation was formally launched on 10 May 2005 by then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. An important institutional predecessor, the Perdana Library, had been launched by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad on 29 April 2004. The foundation's stated objectives include researching, documenting, publicising and disseminating the intellectual legacies of former Malaysian prime ministers; explaining their roles in the country's development; increasing public awareness of Malaysia's national development process; and maintaining a resource centre on the policies, strategies and initiatives adopted by different administrations. It also aims to provide a platform for scholars, thinkers and leaders to exchange ideas, debate public issues and examine the experience of Malaysian stewardship. In this sense, it combines the functions of an archive, research library, educational institution and discussion forum. Its principal public-facing resource is the Perdana Library, a physical and digital collection based at the foundation's Putrajaya complex. The library collects and organises books, photographs, speeches, news clippings, journal materials, audio recordings, video materials and other sources connected with Malaysia's national leaders and major events associated with them. The foundation has described its physical holdings as including close to 10,000 items, while its digital collections contain more than 330,000 records. Access varies by resource: some materials are available freely online, while other services or collections may require membership or controlled access. Digitisation is a major part of the foundation's work. Its preservation programme covers speeches, books, press materials, magazine articles, audiovisual recordings and parliamentary documents, including Hansards. The foundation has collaborated with Malaysia's National Archives and National Library to digitise relevant holdings while returning copies to the originating institutions. It has also invested in scanning, optical character recognition and search technologies to make historical sources more discoverable. The reported digitised corpus exceeds 330,000 documents and represents more than eight million pages, although collection totals can change as preservation work continues. The foundation operates from a purpose-built facility in Precinct 8, Putrajaya. The building includes the Perdana Library, an auditorium, meeting rooms, administrative offices and a banquet hall, allowing it to support exhibitions, research access, seminars, lectures and institutional events. Its honorary president is Mahathir Mohamad, who served as Malaysia's fourth and seventh prime minister. The foundation's governance includes a board of trustees chaired by Tan Sri Dato' Azman Hashim, while day-to-day administration has been led by Tan Sri Datuk Nik Mohamed Nik Yaacob, formerly associated with the leadership of Sime Darby Berhad. The foundation's positioning is archival and educational rather than commercial. It seeks to make Malaysia's leadership history available as a national resource and to encourage reflection on how public policy, political choices and development strategies shaped the country. Its work is particularly relevant to historians, researchers, students, journalists, policymakers and members of the public seeking primary and secondary material on Malaysia's modern political history.
History
The origins of Perdana Leadership Foundation lie in a proposal developed in the early 2000s by Mathias Chang, then a political secretary to Malaysia's prime minister. The proposal called for an institution that could preserve and interpret the country's leadership heritage, particularly the records and ideas associated with former prime ministers. Government and private-sector actors supported the concept, and a special trust committee was formed to turn it into an operating organisation. The committee consisted largely of private-sector figures and was chaired by Tan Sri Datuk Seri Azizan Zainul Abidin, who held senior positions connected with Putrajaya Corporation and Petronas. The foundation's library function became visible before the organisation's formal launch. On 29 April 2004, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad launched the Perdana Library. The library was intended to provide a concentrated source of material on Malaysia's national leaders, including their speeches, policies, activities and the historical circumstances surrounding their administrations. It subsequently became the foundation's principal archival and research platform. Perdana Leadership Foundation was formally launched on 10 May 2005 by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. It was established as a tax-exempt, nonprofit foundation with a mission extending beyond the preservation of memorabilia. Its stated programme covers research, documentation, publication, public education and the dissemination of information concerning former prime ministers and their intellectual legacies. The foundation also seeks to explain how different administrations contributed to Malaysian social, economic and political development and to make policy experience available for future study. Over time, the institution developed both a physical facility and a digital preservation programme. Its Putrajaya building contains the Perdana Library, an auditorium, meeting rooms, offices and a banquet hall. These facilities support collection access, administration, conferences, lectures and other forms of public discussion. The foundation describes itself as a potential centre for research into national stewardship and as a place where scholars and public figures can reflect on leadership, governance and development. Digitisation has become one of its most significant activities. The foundation collects and processes speeches, books, news clippings, magazine articles, audio recordings, videos and parliamentary records. It has collaborated with Malaysia's National Archives and National Library, digitising materials held by those institutions and returning copies to the source organisations. Scanning hardware, optical character recognition software and an improved search engine have been used to make large bodies of historical material more accessible and searchable. The resulting collections include close to 10,000 physical items, including photographic and audiovisual material, and more than 330,000 digital records according to descriptions of the foundation's holdings. The digital corpus has been reported as exceeding eight million pages. Some online resources are available without charge, while access to other materials is subject to membership or other library conditions. Institutionally, Mahathir Mohamad is identified as honorary president, reflecting his role as Malaysia's fourth and seventh prime minister and his connection with the library's early development. The board of trustees is chaired by Tan Sri Dato' Azman Hashim and includes figures from sectors such as banking, education and property. Day-to-day management has been associated with Tan Sri Datuk Nik Mohamed Nik Yaacob, formerly chief executive of Sime Darby Berhad. The foundation's continuing purpose is to treat political history as a practical intellectual resource. By collecting records from successive prime-ministerial administrations and presenting them through research, library access and digital tools, it aims to encourage informed discussion of Malaysia's development and to support comparative learning by researchers in Malaysia and abroad.
- 2005
Foundation formally launched
[1]Abdullah Ahmad Badawi formally launched Perdana Leadership Foundation on 10 May.
- 2004
Perdana Library is launched
[1]Mahathir Mohamad launched the Perdana Library on 29 April, establishing the core library and archival function later associated with the foundation.
- 2003
Foundation concept and trust committee
[1]Mathias Chang proposed the foundation, and a special trust committee was formed with substantial private-sector participation to develop the institution.
Digital preservation programme expands
[1]The foundation developed a large digital collection of leadership-related documents and audiovisual records, including more than 330,000 reported records and over eight million pages.
Products and positioning
A national leadership-history archive, research library and public knowledge institution focused on the legacies of Malaysia's former prime ministers.
Research library and archive · 2004
Perdana Library
The Perdana Library is the foundation's principal physical and digital research resource. It collects, organises, preserves and provides access to material concerning Malaysia's former prime ministers, national development and major events connected with their administrations. Holdings include books, photographs, speeches, press clippings, journal articles, audio recordings, videos and parliamentary records. Some resources are available online to the public, while other materials may be subject to membership or access conditions.
Digital archive
Digital leadership-history collections
The foundation's digital collections provide searchable and digitised access to documents and media related to Malaysia's national leaders. The preservation programme includes speeches, books, news clippings, magazine articles, videos, audio tapes and Parliamentary Hansards. The foundation has used book-scanning equipment, optical character recognition and an upgraded search engine, and has collaborated with national archival and library bodies.
Brand decisions
2004
Establish the Perdana Library as the foundation's research platformStrategyBackground
The proposed foundation required a practical centre for collecting and sharing records on Malaysia's former prime ministers and national development.
Action taken
The Perdana Library was launched before the foundation's formal inauguration and became its principal physical and digital information resource.
Aftermath
The library provided the institutional basis for subsequent archival, research, digitisation and public-access activities.
- Scale up digital preservation and discoveryStrategy
Background
A large portion of Malaysia's leadership history exists in dispersed print, audiovisual and institutional collections that require preservation and improved discoverability.
Action taken
The foundation digitised extensive collections, collaborated with the National Archives and National Library, and adopted scanning, optical character recognition and search technologies.
Aftermath
The programme produced a reported digital corpus of more than 330,000 records and over eight million pages, expanding access for researchers and the public.
Recent events
- 2005
Perdana Leadership Foundation is formally launched[1]
Other
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched the foundation on 10 May 2005 as an institution for preserving and disseminating the legacies of Malaysia's former prime ministers.
- 2004
Perdana Library opens ahead of the foundation[1]
Other
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad launched the Perdana Library on 29 April 2004, establishing the library function that became central to the foundation's research and preservation mission.
Foundation expands digitisation of Malaysian leadership records[1]
Other
The foundation has digitised more than 330,000 documents, representing over eight million pages, including speeches, press materials, journal articles and parliamentary Hansards, and has worked with national archival and library institutions.
Sources2 sources
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