The First Prime Minister of Malaysia

Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah   (In office - 31 August 1957 – 22 September 1970)

Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah (February 8, 1903 – December 6, 1990) was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the federation in 1963 to form Malaysia. He is widely known simply as "Tunku" (a princely title in Malaysia) and also called Bapa Kemerdekaan (Father of Independence) or Bapa Malaysia (Father of Malaysia),

 

EARLY LIFE

Tunku Abdul Rahman was born on February 8, 1903, in Alor Setar, Kedah. Tunku was the twentieth child of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, the twenty-fifth ruler of Kedah, and Che Manjalara, the Sultan's fourth wife.

In 1919, at age 16, Tunku was awarded a scholarship to Cambridge University. He completed his undergraduate studies there in 1922, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Law and History. In 1926, Tunku returned to London and continued his study of law at the Inner Temple as a regular student. In May of 1930, Tunku attempted the London bar exam, but did not pass, and in January 1931 he returned to Penang and joined the Kedah Civil Service. He soon transferred to Kulim, taking the position of Assistant District Officer. In Kulim, Tunku devoted much of his time to touring the district and getting to know the problems of the peasants who made up most of the population. In 1933, Tunku married Chong Ah Mei, a friend's daughter who converted to Islam and became Lady Meriam.

 

POLITICAL CAREER

1. PADANG TERAP

In 1934, Tunku became District Officer of Padang Terap. Kuala Nerang, the capital city, was in the midst of a malaria epidemic. Tunku gave orders for a survey to be made of the swamps which bordered the town to obtain an estimate for draining them and applied to the State Secretariat for the necessary funds.

Shortly after giving birth to Ahmad Nerang in 1935, Meriam contracted malaria and died due to an accidental injection of undiluted quinine. After her death, Tunku wrote again to the State Secretariat, asking that funds be made available to drain the swamps and to rid Kuala Nerang of the primary breeding place of the mosquitos carrying malaria. This time the money was provided and the work was carried out under Tunku's authority.

 

2. LANGKAWI

Tunku later married Violet Coulson, an old college friend, in the Malay mosque in Arab Street according to Muslim rites. Tunku then arranged for Violet to live in Penang for there was a law in Kedah which forbade members of the royal family to marry non-Malays without the prior approval of the Ruler or Regent. Tunku Ibrahim, the Regent, was known to be strongly opposed to mixed marriages, but the Regent died unexpectedly in 1934 and was succeeded as Regent by Tunku Mahmud, the Sultan's younger brother, who was more broad-minded and gave consent to the marriage. This enabled Violet to move to Kuala Nerang, But the Secretary to the Government showed his disapproval by transferring Tunku to the isolated post of District Officer Langkawi. The district consisted of a group of islands, thinly populated, sparsely cultivated and without roads. And it was the object of a legendary curse on a term of seven generations which had not yet expired. When Tunku applied for government funds to develop Langkawi, his application was rejected. But Tunku's genius is winning co-operation from members of the public of all communities led to the construction of a much-needed jetty and later to the opening several earth roads using money and material which he had collected. Tunku also gathered information on the old legends which still haunted Langkawi and pieced together the tragic story of the beautiful Mahsuri who had been unjustly sentenced to a cruel death, and who had cursed the islands as she died. Tunku caused a search to be made for her grave and when it was found, totally neglected he collected donations to meet the cost of providing a white marble covering and an inscribed headstone. New life returned to Langkawi, and Tunku declared that the period of Mahsuri's curse had expired. S.W. Jones M.C.S who was acting British Advisor, Kedah visited Langkawi and was so impressed by the initiative shown by Tunku that he persuaded the Council of State to transfer Tunku and to promote him to the post of District Officer Sungei Petani, the second most important district in Kedah. Langkawi had been a kind of Shangri-La for Violet. But Sungei Petani was a busy town and the centre of a large district, in Which Tunku's every moment was occupied. Violet was no longer happy and Tunku had little time to spare to search for remedy. Tunku soon became the most popular District Officer Sungei Patani had ever known. As District Officer, Tunku received instruction from the State Secretariat to implement official decisions. Sometimes Tunku disagreed with the instructions and wrote to the Secretary to the Government expressing his views, although, as he anticipated, they were ignored. After some time, Tunku was summoned to an interview in Alor Setar and he was threatened with disciplinary action if he continued to oppose decisions taken by the state government. The warning only served to stiffen Tunku's resolve. Not long later , all district officers were ordered to enforce a new scheme involving taxi drivers. Tunku received complaints from taxi drivers in Sungei Patani who protested against the new scheme. Tunku then advised them to continue to operate their taxis, and to reject the new scheme. When some of the taxi drivers were brought to the Magistrates' Court, where Tunku was on the bench, he cautioned and discharge them in spite of vigorous protest from the Officer-in-Charge of the Police District. The commissioner of Police Kedah then called on the Secretary to the Government to complain about Tunku. This caused Tunku to be transferred with 24 hours' noticed to Kulim as District Officer.

The next morning, a convoy of about 40 taxis escorted Tunku to Kulim, which was about 40 miles away from Sungei Patani. In Kulim Tunku's predecessor had already enforced the government order and there was nothing Tunku could do to help. Sensing that his prospects for advancement were quite limited. Tunku applied for long leave and left England together with Violet. In London Tunku and Violet decided on an amicable divorce. Violet then resumed the management of her restaurant in London. She later married an American who served in the USAF as Judge Advocate in England. In London, Tunku sat once more for the Bar Examinations. He planned to leave the Civil Service and to enter private practice as soon as he had qualified as an advocated and solicitor. In his first year in London in 1939, Tunku succeeded in passing the Part one Examination. At the same time in Europe, Hitler invaded Poland and Britain declared war on Germany. Tunku was recalled to Malaya and ordered to resume duty as District Officer in Kulim, where he remained for the next three years. Tunku's mother renewed her appeals to him to get married and with her blessings he married Sharifah Rodziah Alwi Barakbah, the daughter of Syed Alwi Barakhbar of Alor Setar. With the war brewing in Europe, Civil Defence schemes were prepared and implemented by district officers. Tunku was appointed Deputy Director of Air Raid Precautions for South Kedah. Tunku recognised the need to prepare for the evacuation of civilians in the event of invasion and in 1941, he gave orders for the construction of six "Long Houses" made of round timber and with attap roofs on a low hill about two miles away from the town. Funds for this work had been refused by the State Secretariat and Tunku thereforce invited donations from local town dwellers who would benefit if evacuation became necessary. Japanese intelligence agents, posing as photographers and hairdressers had been a feature of every sizable town in the peninsular for the past three years. In Kedah they moved about freely on second-hand bicycles and sent their photos and sketch maps of local area to the good Japanese Consuls for onward transmission to Tokyo.

By October 1941 British troops had prepared defensive positions in North Kedah. Air fields at Sungei Patani and Butterworth were alive with fighters and bombers. The war would be between Titans-Great Britain and Japan. On the morning of December 9, 1941, Tunku received a telephone call in his house in Kulim. It was from a friend in Sungei Patani. The invasion by the Japanese army had begun. The attack was quickly followed by the advance of General Yamashita's army which had landed unopposed on beaches near Songkla the previous night. A second assault force came ashore, unopposed, on the coast of Patani and advanced towards Betong and Kroh. A third but smaller force landed close to Kota Bharu in Kelantan despite vigorous opposition. Unaware of the extent of the Japanese attack, Tunku went to his office and ordered a general alert for his air wardens. Later that morning, he met the leading shopkeepers and advised them to evacuate their families to the "Long House." Apart from these precautions, life in Kulim was business as usual. But in Alor Setar, work came to a standstill. Shops and office were closed and town dwellers hurried to nearby village. The Regent, the British Advisor and a few senior officials met immediately in the Balai Besar for urgent discussions. Tunku's eldest surviving brother, Tunku Badlishah, had succeeded Tunku Mahmud as Regent in 1937 when the latter died. He was now in control, since Sultan Abdul Hamid, although still alive, was a total invalid. At about 9 o'clock on the night of the invasion, Syed Omar telephoned Tunku and told him that the Regent had decided to evacuate the 77 year-old Sultan to Penang, and thence to Singapore. Strangely, three nights earlier, Tunku had a dream where he saw his father sitting in his room and calling out to him. Disagreeing with the decision to evacuate the Sultan, Tunku telephoned the Regent and urged him to cancel the order. Tunku argued that the Sultan should remain with his people though not necessarily in Alor Setar. His brother replied curtly that the decision had been taken and could not be altered. Frustrated but defiant, Tunku thought about the whole situation. A plan began to form in his mind, and half an hour later he telephoned Syed Omar. He then got into his car and drove rapidly to a little village called Sidim, 20 miles away. On Arrival, he met and told the Penghulu to prepare to receive the Sultan the very next day. On his return to Kulim, he contacted his friend, a District Health Inspector, and asked him to come to his house immediately. Tunku then explained what he intended to do and asked for his friend's assistance. Very early in the next morning, Syed Omar called Tunku to inform him about the latest developments. The main road south from Alor Setar ran through limitless acres of paddy land, before reaching Butterworth and the Penang ferry. Fifty miles from capital there was a junction where a road led east to Kulim, 12 miles away. With his friend Tunku drove to the junction soon after seven o'clock in the morning, and parked his car along the road to Kulim. They then stood just inside and empty hut at the road junction and waited. Before long, two police jeeps drove past. They were the head of the convoy. Luckily for Tunku, all vehicles in the convoy had been directed to space out two-minute intervals to avoid attracting the attention of Japanese war planes, armed with machine guns, which were patrolling the sky over North Kedah. Without his directive, Tunku's plan might not succeeded. The next car appeared were occupied by senior civil servants. The Regent followed two minutes later. His car just disappeared down the road to Butterworth when the Rolls-Royce came into view. Tunku walked quickly to the centre of the road held up his right hand like a traffic constable, and stopped the yellow Rolls-Royce. Opening the door nearest to the Sultan, Tunku removed his helmet and made himself known to his father. He then told the Sultan that there had been a sudden charge or plans and that the Sultan was to come to Kulim. Tunku then told Syed Abu Bakar to drive ahead to Kulim while he accompanied his father in the Rolls-Royce. Just as the yellow car turned into the road leading to Kulim the next vehicle in the extended column appeared in the distance , and drove straight on to Penang. When the rest of the convoy reached the Butterworth ferry, they discovered that the Sultan was not with them. Japanese plans were not far away and it was decided that they would proceed at once to Penang. Meanwhile, Tunku took his father to his house and made him comfortable in a large armchair. He then confessed that he had abducted his father so that he could remain with his people. Tunku said that he believed this would be Sultan's own wish to which his father nodded. Soon afterward, the Regent telephoned the Kulim Police Station from Penang. He then telephoned Tunku and ordered him to bring the Sultan to Penang immediately. But Tunku refused. The Regent was very angry and he threatened to arrest Tunku. It was midday. Tunku said nothing of the conversation with the Regent to his father or his wife. His wife served lunch and immediately after the meal Tunku look his father to Sidim. Penghulu Manap of Sidim had assembled all the young men of the neighbourhood and they were waiting outside his house when two cars drove up. All the men carried spears, keris or long parang. One or two had brought single barreled shotguns. Tunku then helped his father to step down from the car and to enter the house where a bed, screened by a curtain had been prepared. Tunku then told the villagers that the Japanese army had invaded Kedah and had occupied Alor Setar. Tunku then returned to Kulim, but he left Tunku Yahaya at Sidim to keep his father company. Meanwhile, news of the Regent's order for Tunku to be arrested by the police had spread through the town. A crowd of Tunku's friend has surrounded his office and made it known that they would only allow Tunku in, and no one else . When TUnku returned to his house, he was greeted by his latest news. Asking his friend, Syed abu Bakar, to stay with his wife, Tunku then drove to his office. There, he was greeted by a group of his friends. Tunku then explained the situation briefly to those present. After that, he went into his office and sat down alone, By then it was half past-three. At a quarter to four, the telephone on his desk rang.

The Regent spoke again, but this time his voice had changed. He told Tunku that the Japanese Army is bombing Penang. After the air raid has ceased, The Regent and his family will come to Kulim. The Regent told the Police Officer to cancel his previous order. His family will require accommodation somewhere in Kulim tonight. Tunku was relieved . The Japanese had perpetrated indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Penang. It was repeated with greater destruction and loss of lives the following day Later that evening, the Regent and his family arrived, visibly shaken. They were given accommodation in Tunku's house. The next morning, Tunku took the Regent and his family to Sidim where they were given accommodation in other small houses. They were all in Sidim when the second and more severe bombing of Penang town took place on December 11, 1941, which caused hundreds of civilians to be killed. Tunku's kidnapping operation turned out to be a very wise move indeed. Upon returning to Kulim later, Tunku found out all the police had taken off their uniforms and were no longer on duty. Tunku's first concern to prevent looting and he called all members of the disbanded Kedah Volunteer Force in Kulim to come to his assistance. These men formed a vigilante corps and Tunku arranged for them to patrol the town at night. When night fell, Kulim was in total darkness. In the course of his tour of the town, Tunku discovered that the rice stocks in the sops were very low. The next morning, Tunku sent a lorry to the Government Rice Mill at Bagan Serai in Perak to bring back a full load of rice. To add to Tunku's responsibilities, officials in State Secretariat had withdrawn from Alot Setar just before the Japanese army entered the town, and they come to Kulim to seek temporary accommodation. Fierce fighting took place between the British and the Japanese and by December 16, 1941, the Japanese army had occupied the west coast of Kedah, including all the main towns. The Japanese Military Governor of Kedah on assuming office appointed another of Tunku's brothers, Tunku Mohamed Jewa, to be temporary Regent until the Sultan returned to Alor Setar. On December 14, 1941. a Japanese Intelligence Officer met Tunku and began to make arrangements for the Sultan's return to Alor Setar. Tunku took Lt. Nakamiai to Sidim the next day and the situation was explained to the Sultan.

On December 17 the Sultan the Regent and his family and senior officers of the State Government set off for Alor Setar with a military escort. They drove along roads which had been shelled and bombed and over bridges which were still wrecked continued for 11 hours, and the old Sultan was completely exhausted when he finally arrived at his palace at Anak Bukit in Kulim, Tunku reluctantly remained as District Officer for another year as a servant of the Japanese Military Administration. Friction between Tunku and the Japanese officials were frequent. When Tunku heard that the bungalows of several British rubber planters had been looted he ordered his volunteers to collect all the looted articles and bring them to his house. There, they were carefully listed and sent in a light lorry to the appropriate Japanese official in Alor Setar. The next day, Tunku was told to come to Alor Setar, but instead of receiving congratulations for his devotion to duty the Japanese Custodian of Enemy Property accused Tunku of stealing nine knives which appeared in the list but could not be found when the lorry arrived in alor Setar. Tunku had never been called a thief, and it required exceptional self-control to resist the temptation to tell the Japanese official that only a fool would make such an accusation. Early in 1943, a senior Japanese official in Alor Setar sent orders to have all trees on a rubber estate felled and to have the land planted with cotton, using forced labout. Tunku informed the official that cotton would not grow on the soil and furthermore he refused to force people in his district to work without pay on a project that could not possibly succeed. Tunku's blunt refusal brought speedy and vicious retribution. He was ordered to vacate his District Officer post and to proceed to report to work in Alor Setar the next day. In Alor Setar, Tunku was not given any position at the State Audit office. He was not given any government quarters to stay in his house in Alor Setar had been taken over by the Japanese military. Finally, TUnku and his wife managed to stay with a friend who occupied a very small house. For more than a month, Tunku put up with the humiliation and discomfort under the Japanese administration. Then suddenly, the responsibility of the civil administration of Kedah was transferred to the Siamese. Among the Siamese officials who were sent to Kedah was Tunku's boyhood friend. Travil. Soon after the takeover by the Siamese, Tunku was appointed the Superintendent of Education. With his appointment, Tunku's status was restored together with his house. During the Japanese occupation, all the English schools were closed while the Malay medium schools were without textbooks. Tunku decided to fill part of this vacuum by preparing a manual on good manners. Together with a friend, Senu Abdul Rahman, Tunku prepared the manual and distributed it to schools in the state.

In May 1943 while Tunku was still in Kulim, the old sultan appeared in Tunku's dream, saying "Putra, I am Ill". Tunku collected all the petrol he could buy in the black market and drove to Alor Setar the next day. He met his father who was able to recognise him. A few days later, The Sultan passed away. In 1942 the Japanese transported thousands of young male Malaysians, the majority of them Malays, to work on the construction of a railway from North Siam to Burma. The railway was to provide the Japanese with land access to South Burma where they were fighting the British. The mortality rate among these Malaysian labourers, due to disease and malnutrition, was very high. Cholera was common and lethal. In early 1943 after months of increasing mortality and brutality, some Malay labourers escaped from construction camps in North Siam and began to make their way, painfully and slowly, southwards. If they were captured by the Japanese, they were executed. Late in 1943, the first few living skeletons arrived in Alor Setar. Their bodies, and in particular legs, they were covered with ulcers which gave out a repulsive stench. In Alor Setar, there was an open sided marked building where villagers came to sell their fruits and vegetables. It was sometime knows as Pasar Yaacob because Tunku Yaacob, elder half-brother of Tunku, had founded before the war. Other People called it Pasar Rabu. The refugees strayed into his market to beg for food. Since the marked also provided them with shelter, the refugees were relucant to leave. But men with skin disease were not welcome even for a single night. Marker officials applied to the State Secretariat. the District Officer the Medical Department for help, but no one was willing to take any official notice of the problem. When Tunku, who was famous for his sympathy for the distressed heard about this problem he visited the marked, talked to some of the refugees and called a meeting at his house. His "Young Men" came and agreed to help. The first priority was to locate a shelter where the refugees could be housed, isolated from them. Tunku located a vacant space near a house beloging to the Religious Affairs department and commissioned a carpenter to erect a shed with long sleeping platforms and could accommodate a hundred persons. Tunku paid for the building with his own money and called it "Rumah Miskin"- Poor Man's House. This building provided a place for refugees to healp and recuperate so they could continue their journey home while others took their place. A regular supply of food was the next priority. Rice was always plentiful in Kedah. Vegetables and coconut oil could be purchased cheaply in the market. Fish, fresh or dried, was always available but funds where nevertheless needed. Tunku and his "Young Men" managed to get some donations of goods and money but from the beginning the major cost of the undertaking was borne by Tunku. The food was cooked in Tunku's house, under the supervision of Tunku's wife and delivered to the refugees by rickshaw. Being in close contact with the refugees, Tunku and his helpers all contracted the highly contagious disease on their hands. Refugees continue to arrive early in 1945 but it became increasingly difficult to obtain donations to support them. To raise funds, Tunku and his "Young Men" deicded to stage two plays. There was a company of professional ators and actresses who performed Bangasawan-style entertainment several times a week in an amusement park in Alor Setar. Tunku's two plays were staged on nights when there was no Bangasawan performance. Tunku and his entire cast even travelled to Perlis by a lorry for a repeat performance.

 

CAREER

Upon his return home, Abdul Rahman worked in the Kedah public service and was appointed as District Officer of Kulim and Sungai Petani. In colonial Malaya, almost all the District Officers were British. Abdul Rahman, who was the only Malay District Officer at that time, had the people's interest at heart. This made him cross swords with the British Administration many times.

However, the British Administration in Kedah could not do anything as he was a prince and the son of the Sultan. However, him angering the colonial administration cost him many chances of promotion to higher offices.

Some time later, he returned to England to complete his law studies at the Inner Temple but was forced to stop in 1938. At the outbreak of World War II, he returned to Malaya.

During the Japanese Occupation of Kedah, the Tunku was responsible for saving many lives, both Malay and Chinese. He being of royal blood was highly revered by the Japanese and could not be touched by them, and he used this to his advantage. Many people from Kulim today lay claim to owing their lives to the Tunku.

He resumed his studies at the Inner Temple in 1947. And in 1949, he qualified for the Bar. During this period, Abdul Rahman met Abdul Razak Hussein (later known as Datuk and Tun). He was elected president of the Malay Society of Great Britain, and Abdul Razak, then twenty-six, was his secretary.

 

POLITICS

After his return to Malaya in 1949, Abdul Rahman was first posted at the Legal Officer's office in Alor Star. He later asked to be transferred to Kuala Lumpur, where he became a Deputy Public Prosecutor. He was later appointed as president of the Sessions Court.

During this period, nationalism was running high among the Malays, with Datuk Onn Jaafar leading the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in the struggle against Britain's Malayan Union (see History of Malaysia). Abdul Rahman joined UMNO and became active in Malayan nationalist politics. He was popular and later became head of the Kedah branch of UMNO.

In August 1951 an internal crisis in UMNO forced Datuk Onn Jaafar to resign as party president. Abdul Rahman was elected as the new president, eventually holding the post for 20 years.

ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE

In 1954, Abdul Rahman led a delegation to London to seek independence for Malaya, but the trip proved to be unfruitful. The British were reluctant to grant independence, using the excuse that there needed to be evidence that the different races in Malaya were able to work together and cooperate before independence could be obtained.

Race relations was the cause of Onn Jaafar stepping down. He wanted UMNO to be open to the Chinese and Indians but UMNO members were not ready to accept this. His successor, Abdul Rahman saw a way around this by forming a political alliance with the Malayan Chinese Association called the Alliance Party. The coalition proved to be popular among the people. The Alliance was later joined by the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC) in 1955, representing the Indian community.

In the same year, the first federal general election was held, and the Alliance Party (Perikatan) won fifty-one out of the fifty-two seats contested. Abdul Rahman was selected as Malaya's first Chief Minister.

Tunku Abdul Rahman proclaiming Malayan independence.

Later in 1955 Abdul Rahman, along with Tun Sir Tan Cheng Lock and Tun V. T. Sambanthan, made a trip to London to negotiate Malayan independence, and 31 August 1957 was decided as the date for independence. When the British flag was lowered in Kuala Lumpur on independence day, Abdul Rahman led the crowd in announcing "Merdeka!" (independence). Photographs of Abdul Rahman raising his hand, and recordings of his emotional but determined voice leading the cheers, have become familiar icons of Malaysian independence.

 

PREMIERSHIP

Abdul Rahman dominated the politics of independent Malaya (which became Malaysia in 1963), and led the Alliance to landslide wins in the 1959, and 1964 general elections.

The formation of Malaysia was one of Abdul Rahman's greatest achievements. In 1961 he made a speech at the Foreign Correspondents Association of Southeast Asia in Singapore, proposing a federation Malaya, Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei. On 16 September 1963, with the federation of all these states except Brunei, Abdul Rahman was formally restyled Prime Minister of Malaysia.

However, the racial factor was worsened with the inclusion of Singapore, which increased the Chinese proportion to more than 40%. Both UMNO and the MCA were nervous about the possible appeal of Lee Kuan Yew's People's Action Party (PAP, then seen as a radical socialist party) to voters in Malaya, and tried to organise a party in Singapore to challenge Lee's position there. Lee in turn threatened to run PAP candidates in Malaya at the 1964 federal elections, despite an earlier agreement that he would not do so (see PAP-UMNO relations). This provoked Abdul Rahman to demand that Singapore withdraw from Malaysia.

On 7 August 1965, Abdul Rahman announced to the Parliament of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur that it should vote yes on the resolution to have Singapore leave the Federation, choosing to "sever all ties with a State Government that showed no measure of loyalty to its Central Government" as opposed to the undesirable method of repressing the PAP for its actions. Singapore's secession and independence became official on 9 August 1965.

At the 1969 general election, the Alliance's majority was greatly reduced. Demonstrations following the elections sparked the May 13 racial riots in Kuala Lumpur. Some UMNO leaders led by Tun Abdul Razak were critical of Abdul Rahman's leadership during these events, and an emergency committee MAGERAN took power and declared a state of emergency.

Abdul Rahman's powers as Prime Minister were severely curtailed, and on 22 September 1970, he was forced to resign as Prime Minister in favor of Abdul Razak. He subsequently resigned as UMNO President in June 1971, in the midst of severe opposition of the 'Young Turks' comprising party rebels such as Mahathir Mohammad and Musa Hitam. The duo later became Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia respectively.

 

INVOLVEMENTS IN ISLAM

After making Islam the official religion in 1960, Abdul Rahman established the Islamic Welfare Organization (PERKIM), an organization to help Muslim converts adjust to new lives as Muslims. He was President of PERKIM until a year before his death. In 1961 Malaysia hosted the first International Qur'an Recital Competition, an event that developed from Abdul Rahman's idea when he organized the first state-level competition in Kedah in 1951.

On the occasion of his 80th birthday, Abdul Rahman stated in the 9 February 1983 edition of the newspaper The Star that the "country has a multi-racial population with various beliefs. Malaysia must continue as a secular State with Islam as the official religion." In the same issue of The Star, Abdul Rahman was supported by the third Malaysian Prime Minister, Hussein Onn, who stated that the "nation can still be functional as a secular state with Islam as the official religion.

 

SPORTS INVOLVEMENT

Being an avid sportsman, Tunku Abdul Rahman was a firm believer that sports can be a good catalyst in bringing about greater social unity among Malaysians of various races and religions. Therefore he supported and initiated many sports events. These included an international football tournament, the Pestabola Merdeka (Independence Football Festival) in 1957. The following year, he was elected as the first president of Asian Football Confederation (AFC), a post he held until 1976.

Tunku also loved horse racing and was a regular at the Selangor Turf Club. He claimed that his lucky number was 13, and that he would win horse races that were held on the 13th of the month, especially on Friday the 13th for him.

 

LATER LIFE

In 1977, having acquired substantial shares in The Star, a Penang-based newspaper, Abdul Rahman became the newspaper's Chairman. His columns, "Looking Back" and "As I See It", were critical of the government, and in 1987 Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad banned the newspaper. This led to a split in UMNO, with Abdul Rahman and another former Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn, setting up a new party called UMNO Malaysia, but its registration was quashed by Mahathir Mohamad, who set up his own UMNO Baru ("New UMNO"). Abdul Rahman later supported Semangat 46, a splinter group of UMNO led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. He campaigned actively for the latter in the General election of 1990, but was already in very poor health. The well-educated, visionary Tunku clashes with Mahathir's brand of nationalism that was meant to help the economically and socially stunted Malays of Malaysia (allegedly due to the effect of colonial British 'divide and rule' system).

 

DEATH

Tunku Abdul Rahman died on 6 December 1990 at the age of eighty-seven, and was laid to rest at the Langgar Royal Mausoleum in Alor Star.

FAMILY

Abdul Rahman married at least four times. By his first wife, a Thai Chinese woman named Meriam Chong, he had Tunku Khadijah and Tunku Ahmad Nerang. On Meriam's death, he married his former landlady in England, Violet Coulson. He was ordered to divorce her by the Regent of Kedah.

He then married Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah, with whom he adopted four children, Sulaiman, Mariam, Sharifah Hanizah (granddaughter) and Faridah.

Wanting to have more children of his own, he secretly married another Chinese lady named Bibi Chong who converted upon marriage. He had two daughters with her, Tunku Noor Hayati and Tunku Mastura.

 

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Tunku Abdul Rahman was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1961.

He was appointed an honorary Companion of the Order of Australia in 1987

Tunku Abdul Rahman Stamp Issues: In 1991, he adorned part of the collection of Past Prime Ministers of Malaysia stamps issue. In 2003, stamps of Tunku Abdul Rahman were issued to commemorate his 100th birthday anniversary and to pay tribute to him as he was the first prime minister of Malaysia since Malaysia became an independent nation in 1957.