From rural village life to the helm of Malaysian parliament and state governance
In short: Ramli Ngah Talib, a lawyer and long-serving politician, has navigated a multifaceted career spanning legal practice, education, and high-level governance. Beyond his political tenure as the longest-serving Menteri Besar of Perak, he is an accomplished author, an aviation enthusiast, and a dedicated leader in diverse fields like chess and football.
Born in 1941 in Pasir Salak, Perak, Ramli Ngah Talib traces his lineage to figures involved in the 1875 resistance against British Resident J. W. W. Birch. After pursuing legal studies at Queen's University Belfast and qualifying at Lincoln's Inn, he returned to Malaysia to teach law and serve as an in-house legal advisor. His legal background provided the foundation for his entry into politics, where he was first elected to the Perak State Assembly in 1978.
Ramli's political career is defined by his record-breaking 17-year tenure as Menteri Besar of Perak, ending in 1999. During this time, he championed significant regional development, including the construction of the Pasir Salak Historical Complex and the expansion of higher education institutions like Universiti Teknologi MARA and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris. His influence extended to the federal level, where he served as Deputy Minister of Transport and later as Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat from 2004 to 2008.
Beyond his public service, Ramli is a prolific author and active sportsman. He has written extensively on Malaysian history, rural life, and his parliamentary experiences, including his 530-page work, The Malays, Pathfinders and Trailblazers. His personal pursuits are equally varied; he holds pilot licenses, has led the Malaysia Chess Federation since 2007, and is an avid mountain trekker who has climbed peaks from Gunung Tahan to those in Nepal and Bhutan. In 2025, he assumed the role of the 9th Governor of Penang, continuing a lifetime of public engagement.
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