Ghazali Shafie was born in 1922 in Kuala Lipis, Pahang. He was of Minangkabau descent from Rao, West Sumatra. He was a former Member of Parliament and held a number of ministerial posts, his last being Foreign Affairs Minister. He served as Home and Information Minister from 1973 to 1981 and was then appointed as Foreign Minister until 1984. He represented the Parliamentary seat of Lipis from 1974, before which he was a member of the Dewan Negara (upper house of parliament). As Foreign Minister, he was known for his role in ASEAN’s diplomacy in respect of conflict in Cambodia. Described as a “flamboyant politician”, his nickname was “King Ghaz”.

He was also a former Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Malaysia, a Fellow of the University of Wales, United Kingdom, a Fellow of the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), Malaysia, Honorary Fellow of Akademi Filem Malaysia (AFM) and former member of the International Advisory Committee of “Trends”, a monthly publication of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore. He was a Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore from 1984-1987. He is a member of the Policy Group of the Inter-Action Council, a consulting body composed of prominent former heads of governments. Ghazali Shafie has also attended the following elections in various capacities: South Africa – Commonwealth Observer; Sri Lanka – International Observer; Bangladesh – Chairman, Commonwealth Observer Group.

He died on 24 January 2010 at 7.45pm, at his home in Subang Jaya. His wife, Toh Puan Khatijah Abdul Majid, died in April 2008; he is survived by his two sons, Bachtiar and Sheriffudin. He was buried at Makam Pahlawan, Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.