Hussein Onn (Jawi: حسين بن عون; 12 February 1922 – 29 May 1990) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the third Prime Minister of Malaysia in 1976 to 1981.

Family

Hussein Onn was born on 12 February 1922 in Johor Bahru to Onn Jaafar and Halimah Hussein. His father was a Malaysian independence fighter and co-founder of UMNO.[1] His grandfather, Jaafar Haji Muhammad, was Johor’s first Menteri Besar. His grandmother, Rogayah Hanim, was from the Caucasus region of the Ottoman Empire.[2]

Hussein was the brother-in-law of Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein through his marriage to Suhailah Noah, daughter of Mohamed Noah Omar, in 1948.[3] They had six children, including Hishammuddin Hussein, a senior UMNO politician.[3] Their eldest daughter, Datin Roquaiya Hanim, died in 2006 from breast cancer.[3]

Education and early career

Hussein studied at Telok Kurau Primary School in Singapore and English College Johore Bahru. He joined the Johor Military Forces in 1940 and trained at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, later serving in the Indian Army during World War II.[1] He later worked as an instructor in Rawalpindi and returned to Malaya in 1945 as Commandant of the Johor Bahru Police Depot. In 1946, he joined the Malaya Civil Service, serving in Segamat and later Selangor.

Political career

Hussein entered politics in 1949 as the first youth chief of UMNO and became its secretary-general in 1950. He left UMNO in 1951 to join his father in forming the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP).[1] After IMP declined, he studied law in London and was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn, later practicing in Kuala Lumpur.

He rejoined UMNO in 1968,[1] won a parliamentary seat in 1969, and was appointed Education Minister. In 1973, he became Deputy Prime Minister.

Hussein served as Malaysia’s third Prime Minister from 15 January 1976 to 16 July 1981.[1]

Death

Hussein died on 29 May 1990 from heart disease in San Mateo, California, at age 68.[1] He was buried at Makam Pahlawan near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.[4]

Election results

Parliament of Malaysia
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
1969 P100 Johore Bahru Timor, Johore Hussein Onn (UMNO) 12,565 63.59% Lee Ah Meng (DAP) 7,193 36.41% 20,767 5,372 72.29%
1974 P109 Sri Gading, Johore Hussein Onn (UMNO) Unopposed
1978 Hussein Onn (UMNO) 19,761 89.06% Hassan Hussein (PAS) 2,427 10.94% 17,334

Awards and recognitions

Honours of Malaysia

Places named after him

Several places were named after him, including:

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Tun Hussein Onn". Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  2. ^ Mehmet Ozay; Ekrem Saltık (June 2015). "The Myth and Reality of Rukiye Hanim in the Context of Turkish Malay Relations (1864–1904)". İnsan & Toplum Dergisi (The Journal of Human & Society). 5 (9): 55–74. doi:10.12658/human.society.5.9.M0116.
  3. ^ a b c "Tun Suhailah, widow of 3rd PM Tun Hussein Onn, dies at 82". The Malaysian Insider. 4 October 2014. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  4. ^ Zainah Anwar (2011). Legacy of honour. Kuala Lumpur: Yayasan Mohamed Noah. p. 275. ISBN 978-967-10382-0-8. OCLC 816815135.
  5. ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1981" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Anugerah Tun untuk Hussein kerana jasanya pada negara" (PDF). Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). Perdana Leadership Foundation. 17 July 1981. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  7. ^ Ministers head Sultan's awards list. New Straits Times. 16 November 1972.
  8. ^ A Royal call to live in peace. New Straits Times. 29 October 1975.
  9. ^ "Hussein orang pertama terima darjah Seri Paduka Negeri Sembilan" (PDF). Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). Perdana Leadership Foundation. 26 February 1980. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  10. ^ Pahang ruler birthday message. New Straits Times. 24 October 1975.
  11. ^ "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. p. 6.
  12. ^ "SPCM 1976". pingat.perak.gov.my. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  13. ^ Hussein and Rahah get top Sabah awards. New Straits Times. 14 September 1974. p. 1.
  14. ^ "DK II 1977". awards.selangor.gov.my. Retrieved 23 January 2022.


Political offices
Preceded by Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
1973–1976
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Malaysia
1976–1981
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Chairperson of ASEAN
1977
Succeeded by
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