Hussein Onn Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun
Hussein Onn
Order:3rd
Office:Prime Minister of Malaysia
Deputy:Mahathir Mohamad
Term Start:15 January 1976
Term End:16 July 1981
Predecessor:Abdul Razak Hussein
Successor:Mahathir Mohamad
Order1:3rd
Office1:Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
Primeminister1:Abdul Razak Hussein
Term Start1:13 August 1973
Term End1:15 January 1976
Predecessor1:Ismail Abdul Rahman
Successor1:Mahathir Mohamad
Office2:4th President of the United Malays National Organisation
Term Start2:15 September 1978
Term End2:28 June 1981
Predecessor2:Abdul Razak Hussein
Successor2:Mahathir Mohamad
Office3:1st Youth Chief of the United Malays National Organisation
President3:Onn Jaafar
Term Start3:1949
Term End3:1951
Predecessor3:Position established
Successor3:Abdul Razak Hussein
Office4:Minister of Defence
Monarch4:Ahmad Shah
Primeminister4:Hussein Onn
Term Start4:1979
Term End4:1981
Predecessor4:Abdul Taib Mahmud
Successor4:Mahathir Mohamad
Monarch5:Ahmad Shah
Primeminister5:Hussein Onn
Term Start5:1976
Term End5:1978
Predecessor5:Abdul Razak Hussein
Successor5:Abdul Taib Mahmud
Office6:Minister of Federal Territories
Primeminister6:Hussein Onn
Term Start6:1978
Term End6:1980
Predecessor6:Hassan Adli Arshad
Successor6:Abdul Taib Mahmud
Office7:Minister of Finance
Primeminister7:Abdul Razak Hussein
Term Start7:1974
Term End7:1976
Predecessor7:Tan Siew Sin
Successor7:Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah
Office8:Minister of Trade and Industry
Monarch8:Abdul Halim
Primeminister8:Abdul Razak Hussein
Term Start8:13 August 1973
Term End8:14 September 1974
Predecessor8:Ismail Abdul Rahman
Successor8:Hamzah Abu Samah
Office9:Minister of Education
Monarch9:Abdul Halim
Primeminister9:Abdul Razak Hussein
Term Start9:1970
Term End9:1973
Predecessor9:Abdul Rahman Ya'kub
Successor9:Mohamed Yaacob
Office10:1st President of the International Islamic University Malaysia
Chancellor10:Ahmad Shah
Term Start10:1983
Term End10:1987
Predecessor10:Position established
Successor10:Anwar Ibrahim
Constituency Mp12:Sri Gading
Parliament12:Malaysian
Predecessor12:Constituency established
Successor12:Mustaffa Mohammad
Term Start12:4 November 1974
Term End12:16 July 1981
Constituency Mp13:Johore Bahru Timor
Parliament13:Malaysian
Predecessor13:Fatimah Abdul Majid
Successor13:Constituency abolished
Term Start13:20 February 1971
Term End13:31 July 1974
Birth Name:Hussein bin Onn
Birth Date:1922 2, df=y
Birth Place:Johor Bahru, Johor, Unfederated Malay States (now Malaysia)
Death Place:Seton Medical Center, Daly City, California, U.S.
Resting Place:Makam Pahlawan, Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Party:Independent (1987–1990)
Otherparty:United Malays National Organisation (Before 1951; 1968–1988)
Independence of Malaya Party (1951–1963)
National Party (1963–1968)
Children:6 (including Hishammuddin Hussein)
Father:Onn Jaafar
Mother:Halimah Hussein
Education:English College Johore Bahru
Indian Military Academy
Alma Mater:Lincoln's Inn (LLB)
Profession:Lawyer
Branch:British Indian Army
Rank:Captain
Serviceyears:1940–1945

Tun Hussein bin Dato' Onn (Malay: حسين بن عون|label=[[Jawi script|Jawi]]|script=arab|italic=unset; 12 February 1922 – 29 May 1990) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the third Prime Minister of Malaysia from the death of his predecessor Abdul Razak Hussein in 1976 to his retirement in 1981. Moreover, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for from 1974 to 1981, representing Barisan Nasional (BN) and United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). He was granted the soubriquet Father of Unity (Bapa Perpaduan).

Family

Hussein bin Onn was born on 12 February 1922 in Johor Bahru to Onn Jaafar (1895–1962) and Halimah Hussein (1900–1988). His father was a fighter for Malaysian independence and co-founder of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).[1] Hussein's grandfather, Jaafar Haji Muhammad, was the first Menteri Besar of Johor while his grandmother, Rogayah Hanim, came from the Caucasus region of Ottoman Empire. She was likely presented as a concubine (see Circassian beauties) by the Ottoman court to the Sultan of Johor.[2]

Additionally, Hussein was the brother-in-law of Abdul Razak Hussein, his predecessor as prime minister, for whom Hussein wed Suhailah Noah, a daughter of first Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat Mohamed Noah Omar, in 1948. Abdul Razak was also concurrently married to another of Mohamed Noah's daughter, Rahah Noah.[3]

Hussein and Suhaila had six children, including their fourth child, Hishammuddin Hussein, who is a senior UMNO politician since the 1990s.[3] Their eldest daughter, Datin Roquaiya Hanim (born 1950), died on 17 September 2006 from breast cancer.[3]

Early education and career

Hussein received his early education at Telok Kurau Primary School, Singapore, and at the English College Johore Bahru. After leaving school, he joined the Johor Military Forces as a cadet in 1940 and was sent a year later to the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, India. Upon completion of his training, he was absorbed into the Indian Army and served in the Middle East when the Second World War broke out.[1] His vast experience prompted the British to employ him as an instructor at the Malayan Police Recruiting and Training Centre in Rawalpindi.[1]

Hussein came back to Malaya in 1945 and was appointed Commandant of the Johor Bahru Police Depot. The following year, he joined the Malaya Civil Service as an assistant administrative officer in Segamat, Johor. He was later posted to the state of Selangor, becoming Klang and Kuala Selangor's district officer.

Entering politics

Hussein, who came from a family with a deep nationalistic spirit and political roots,[1] resigned from the civil service to go into politics. In 1949, he became the first youth chief of UMNO, a party his father helped establish. In 1950, he was elected UMNO secretary general. Hussein, however, left UMNO in 1951 to join his father in forming the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP).[1]

With IMP losing momentum, Hussein went to London to study law and was called to the Bar and admitted as a member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, qualifying as a Barrister-at-Law. He came back as a certified lawyer and practised in Kuala Lumpur.[1]

Rise to prominence

Hussein returned to politics by rejoining UMNO in 1968, persuaded to do so by then-Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein.[1] He stood and won the general elections in 1969 and was appointed as the Education Minister. Hussein's meteoric rise continued on 13 August 1973, when he took over as Deputy Prime Minister, succeeding Ismail Abdul Rahman, who died in office due to a heart attack.

Prime Minister (1976-1981)

On 15 January 1976, Hussein, who was the Deputy Prime Minister, was appointed as Prime Minister after the death of his predecessor, Abdul Razak.[4]

Hussein underwent a coronary bypass in early 1981. His deputy, Mahathir Mohamad become acting prime minister. On 17 July, the same year, Hussein retired from active politics and resigned from the office of prime minister due to health concerns.[1] He was succeeded by Mahathir.

Death

Hussein died on 29 May 1990 of heart disease at Seton Medical Center in South San Francisco, California, at the age of 68.[1] He was buried next to his predecessor, Abdul Razak, at Makam Pahlawan near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.[5]

Controversy

Hussein Onn era took the easy way out by putting opposition leaders into detention without trial, banning public rallies and controlling all the media.[6]

Election results

Year!
ConstituencyCandidateVotesPctOpponent(s)VotesPctBallots castMajorityTurnout
1969P100 Johore Bahru Timor, JohoreHussein Onn (UMNO)12,56563.59%Lee Ah Meng (DAP)7,19336.41%20,7675,37272.29%
1974P109 Sri Gading, JohoreHussein Onn (UMNO)Unopposed
1978Hussein Onn (UMNO)19,76189.06%Hassan Hussein (PAS)2,42710.94%17,334

Awards and recognitions

Honours of Malaysia

Places named after him

Several places were named after him, including:

Notes and references

  1. Web site: Tun Hussein Onn. 1 June 2012.
  2. Mehmet Ozay . Ekrem Saltık . The Myth and Reality of Rukiye Hanim in the Context of Turkish Malay Relations (1864–1904) . Insan & Toplum – Journal of Humanity and Society . June 2015 . 5 . 9 . 55–74 . 10.12658/human.society.5.9.M0116. free .
  3. News: Tun Suhailah, widow of 3rd PM Tun Hussein Onn, dies at 82 . . 4 October 2014 . 22 October 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141023023912/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/tun-suhailah-widow-of-3rd-pm-tun-hussein-onn-dies-at-82 . 23 October 2014 . dmy-all .
  4. Tan, Chee Khoon & Vasil, Raj (ed., 1984). Without Fear or Favour, p. 38. Eastern Universities Press. .
  5. Book: Zainah Anwar. Legacy of honour. Yayasan Mohamed Noah. 2011. 978-967-10382-0-8. Kuala Lumpur. 275. 816815135.
  6. Book: Tong, Liew Chin. 2021. Lim Kit Siang: Patriot, Leader, Fighter. 71.
  7. Web site: Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1981..
  8. Web site: 17 July 1981. Anugerah Tun untuk Hussein kerana jasanya pada negara. ms. 2 February 2021. Utusan Malaysia. Perdana Leadership Foundation.
  9. Book: Ministers head Sultan's awards list. New Straits Times. 16 November 1972.
  10. Book: A Royal call to live in peace. New Straits Times. 29 October 1975.
  11. Web site: DK II 1977. awards.selangor.gov.my. 23 January 2022.
  12. Web site: SPCM 1976. pingat.perak.gov.my. 23 January 2022.
  13. Web site: 26 February 1980. Hussein orang pertama terima darjah Seri Paduka Negeri Sembilan. ms. 24 January 2022. Utusan Malaysia. Perdana Leadership Foundation.
  14. Book: Pahang ruler birthday message. New Straits Times. 24 October 1975.
  15. Book: Hussein and Rahah get top Sabah awards . 1 . 14 September 1974 . New Straits Times.
  16. News: 梹州元首庆六十华诞 三百五十六官民 受封赐各级勳衔. Yang-Dipertua Negeri Penang celebrate 60th birthday 356 individuals conferred over awards. 星洲日報. 16 July 1977. 6.