Tunku Abdul Rahman
| Famous as | First Prime Minister of Malaysia |
| Born on | 08 February 1903 |
| Born in | Istana Pelamin, Kedah |
| Died on | 06 December 1990 |
| Nationality | Malaysia |
| Works & Achievements | Founding Father of independent 'Malaysia' |
Childhood & Early Life
Abdul Rahman was born on 8 February 1903 in Istana Pelamin, Alor
Star in Kedah to the 24th Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah
and his sixth wife Cik Menjalara. He was the fourteenth son and
twentieth child of his father. As a child Abdul Rahman was raised in
Isatan, the Palace, which was built by a Chinese contractor and had a
royal childhood with a number of servants around him. Prince Abdul was
sent to a Malay Primary School Jalan Baharu in 1909 and was later moved
to the Government English School in Alor Star, which eventually became
known as the Sultan Abdul Hamid College. In 1911, little prince Abdul
was sent to Debsirin School in Bangkok to study with his three brothers.
He returned to Malaya in 1915 and resumed his studies at Penang Free
School. After three years in 1918, he enrolled at St. Catharine’s
College in Cambridge University with the Kedah State Scholarship and
graduated with a bachelor degree in Arts in 1925. At that time, he drew
national attention and was praised as the first student to receive a
scholarship from Kedah State for studying in the United Kingdom.
Early Career
After finishing his graduation, Abdul Rahman served in the Kedah
public service and was made the District Officer of Kulim and Sungai
Petani. At that time, the colonial Malaya was totally dominated by the
British officers, with the only exception of Abdul Rahman who was a
Malaya and had concern for his fellow people of Malaya. The two could
never come to terms and he often had to pay for it by loosing promotion
to higher positions. However, the British Administration did not dare do
anything against him, as he was a son of the Sultan and a price of
Malaya. Few years later, Abdul went to England and stayed there briefly
before finally returning to Malaya following the eruption of the World
War II.
He continued his law studies at Inner Temple in 1947 and after
admitted to bar in 1949, he returned to Malaya where he was appointed at
the Legal Officer’s office in Alor Star in the same year. Further, he
was made a Deputy Public Prosecutor in Kaula Lampur and president of the
session’s court. Abdul Rahman was also a member of the United Malays
National Organization, an organization struggling against Britain’s
Malayan Union. In 1951, a conflict surfaced within the UMNO forcing its
president Datuk onn Jaafar to resign and the person replacing him was
Abdul Rahman, who eventually seized the position for the next twenty
years.
Independence of Malaya
Abdul Rahman began his campaign for Malaya’s independence in 1954.
His initial efforts failed to achieve anything as the British
Administration was averse to grant independence unless it was assured of
the racial harmony and equality in a new independent Malaya. As
President of the UMNO, Abdul Rahman consolidated a political alliance
with the Malaya Chinese Association to form the Alliance Party and later
the Indian community Malayan Indian Association joined them in 1955.
The coalition gained huge popularity among people though the UMNO
members were initially reluctant to open the party to Chinese and Indian
community. Abdul Rahman became the first Chief Minister of Malaya with
the Alliance Party winning the first federal general election held in
the same year. In 1955, he traveled to Japan, where he negotiated the
Malaya Independence and 31 August 1957 was finally decided for its
independence.
Premiership of Malaysia
Malaya became Malaysia with the emergence of Singapore, Sabah,
Sarawak and Brunei in 1963. In 1961, Abdul Rahman called upon these
states to form an amalgamation and was subsequently elected the first
Prime Minister of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. However Singapore’s
addition in the federal proved disastrous which increased the Chinese
influx in the country. Abdul Rahman fearing, that Lee Kuan Yew’s Party
could influence the voters in Malaya, started demanding Singapore’s
exclusion from Malaysia. After endless clashes between Abdul Rahman and
Lee Kuan, Singapore seceded and declared its Independence on 9 August
1965.
Abdul Rahman’s regime came to downfall in 1969, when the Alliance
Party lost most of its support in the general election that year. Abdul
Rahman lost its support from the people within UMNO who were highly
critical of his headship and eventually, an emergency committee captured
the country from Abdul Rahman and declared a state of emergency leaving
him with no power. On 22 November 1970 Abdul Rahman resigned from the
position of Prime Minister and subsequently from UMNO in 1971.
Other Activities
In 1960, when he was still the Chief Minister, Abdul Rahman
declared Islam the official religion of Malaysia and established the Islamic Welfare Organization
(PERKIM) as a guiding body for Muslim converts. He became the president
of PERKIM and served until a year before his death. As President of
PERKIM, he organized the first International Quran Recital Competition in 1961.
Abdul Rahman played a key role when the Organization of Islamic Conference was established in 1969 and served as its first Secretary-General. He was a co founder of the Islamic Development Bank and President of the Regional Islamic
Da’wah Council of South East Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP), serving
from 1982 till 1988. However he declared Islam the official religion of
Malaysia, he stuck to his idea of running Malaysia as a secular country
where people of different beliefs and religion lived and worked
together.
An enthusiastic sportsman himself, Abdul Rahman promoted many
sports events in Malaysia, viewing is a medium to bring people of
different race and religion together. He started an international
football tournament in 1957 and was elected as the first president of
Asian Football Confederation in the next year in 1958. He had a passion
for horse racing and was a member of the Selangor Turf Club.
Later Life & Death
In 1977, Abdul Rahman became the chairman of The Star, a newspaper
which was banned in 1987 by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad because of
its provoking columns that were harshly critical of the Malaysia’s
government. Following a rift with in UMNO, he unsuccessfully tried to
establish a new party UMNO Malaysia. In the general election of 1900,
Abdul Rahman actively participated and widely campaigned against
Mahathir Mohamad despite his worsening health. He died on 6 December
1990, aged eighty seven and his body was buried at the Langgar Royal Mausoleum in Alor Star.
Family & Children
Abdul Rahman is believed to have at least four marriages in which
only three are officially confirmed. His first wife was Meriam Ching, a
Chinese woman who gave birth to two children Tunku Khadijah and Tunku
Ahmad Nerang. After her death, Abdul married Violet Coulson, his former
landlady in England. He divorced her and married Sharifah Rodziah Syed
Alwi Barakbah and the couple adopted four children Sulaiman, Mariam,
Sharifah Hanizah and Faridah. His fourth marriage to a Chinese woman
Bibi Chong remained secret with whom; he had two daughters Tunku Noor
Hayati and Tunku Mastura.
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Timeline: | ||||
1903- Abdul Rahman was born on 8 February 1903.
1909- Abdul was sent to a Malay Primary School in 1909.
1911- Abdul was sent to Debsirin School in Bangkok.
1918- He enrolled at St. Catharine’s College in Cambridge University.
1925- He graduated with a bachelor degree in Arts in 1925.
1949- Abdul Rahman was admitted to bar in 1949.
1951- He was made the president of UMNO.
1954- Abdul Rahman began his campaign for Malaya’s independence in 1954.
1955- Abdul Rahman became the first Chief Minister of Malaya.
1957- Malaya was declared independent on 31 August.
1957- He started an international football tournament in 1957.
1958- He was elected as the first president of Asian Football Confederation.
1960- Abdul Rahman declared Islam the official religion of Malaysia.
1960- He established the Islamic Welfare Organization (PERKIM).
1963- Malaya became Malaysia in 1963.
1963- Abdul Rahman became the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.
1965- Singapore seceded and declared its Independence on 9 August 1965.
1970- Abdul Rahman resigned from the position of Prime Minister on 22 November.
1971- He resigned from the presidency of UMNO.
1977- Abdul Rahman became the chairman of The Star.
1982- He became the president of the Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of South East Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP).
1987- The Star was banned in 1987.
1990- Abdul Rahman died on 6 December 1990.
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