Hussein Onn

Hussein bin Onn (; 12 February 1922 – 29 May 1990) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who was the third prime minister of Malaysia from 1976 to 1981.

Early life, family and education Hussein Onn was born on 12 February 1922 in Johor Bahru to an aristocratic family. His father, Onn Jaafar (1895–1962) was a pioneer of early Malay nationalism and helped found the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), serving as its inaugural president. His mother was Halimah Hussein (1900–1988). Hussein's grandfather, Jaafar Haji Muhammad, was the first Menteri Besar of Johor, or Chief Minister, while his grandmother, Rogayah Hanim, is generally understood to have come from the Caucasus region of the Ottoman Empire. She was likely presented as a concubine (see Circassian beauties) by the Ottoman court to the Sultan of Johor, but her exact origins are unclear. (Though Hussein ordered an investigation into Rogayah's heritage, its findings have never been made public.) Hussein's brother Jaafar believes that she may have come from a region of the Caucasus such as Georgia or Circassia, or was perhaps a Russian Muslim. His sister Azizah has referred to Rogayah as a Turk, while the al-Attas family has claimed she had no Turkish heritage.

In 1948, Hussein married Suhailah Noah, a daughter of first Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat Mohamed Noah Omar. Abdul Razak Hussein was his brother-in-law by virtue of his marriage to another of Mohamed Noah's daughters, Rahah Noah.

Hussein received his early education at Telok Kurau Primary School, Singapore, and at English College Johore Bahru. Hussein's Grade 2 result in his Senior Cambridge exams rendered him ineligible for either Raffles College or the King Edward VII College of Medicine, which combined with the outbreak of World War II, led him to join the Johor Military Forces as a cadet in 1940. A year later, he was sent to the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, India. By the completion of his training, what was meant to be a two-year ordeal condensed into eight months, Malaya had been occupied by Japan and Hussein was commissioned into the 19th Hyderabad Regiment of the British Indian Army as a second lieutenant. Initially assigned to train new recruits in Agra, Hussein was later sent to the Middle Eastern theatre.

In early 1943, Hussein was called to New Delhi to serve as part of the military intelligence department of the British Military Headquarters in preparation for the British invasion of Malaya. He was later posted to Rawalpindi as an instructor at the Malayan Police Recruiting and Training Centre, where he instructed a police force that would enforce order upon British re-occupation. Hussein was part of the second wave of an invasion force heading towards Malaya when the Japanese surrendered, whereupon he was diverted to Yangon before arriving in Singapore in 1945. He left the service in 1949, opting to commit to politics. He also became President of the United Malays National Organisation, and by virtue of that position, Chairman of Barisan Nasional. particularly from former Selangor chief minister Harun Idris. Harun had been expelled from UMNO in 1976 before being charged with corruption, for which he was convicted. In 1978, Hussein was challenged by Sulaiman Palestine, a member of Harun's faction, for the party's presidency. Up until this point, it was tradition for the incumbent to go unchallenged during party polls. Harun later attempted to reclaim control of the party's youth wing in 1980, but failed.

His first cabinet was announced in April, nearly four months after he assumed the position of prime minister. Notably, Mahathir Mohamad, then a vice-president of the party, was chosen as deputy prime minister over Abdul Ghafar Baba, another party vice-president, and Ghazali Shafie, who was reported to be Hussein's preferred choice.

To prevent chief ministers from gaining too much influence and power, Hussein's administration pursued a policy of appointing younger individuals who would serve just one or two terms.

Implementation of the New Economic Policy (NEP), which began under Abdul Razak, continued under Hussein's government. Manufacturing made up 20.5% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) by 1980. Concurrently, the value added to the economy from agriculture stagnated while value added from mining declined. Though inflation rates remained low at the beginning of Hussein's administration, it began to rise by the end of his tenure.

Later life and death Choosing not to write a memoir upon his retirement, Hussein saidMy life is rather dull, and I cannot see why anyone would be interested in reading about it.

Following the dissolution of UMNO by court order in 1988, Hussein became involved in attempts to revive "Old UMNO" with members of Team B in opposition to the "New UMNO" that had been formed by Mahathir. Hussein later sought to mediate the conflict between the two sides and was involved in organising unsuccessful reunification talks.

Hussein died on 29 May 1990 of heart disease at Seton Medical Center in San Mateo, California, at the age of 68. He was laid to rest next to his predecessor, Abdul Razak, at Makam Pahlawan near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

Family Hussein and Suhaila had six children, including Roquaiya Hanim (1950–2006) and Hishammuddin Hussein (born 1961), a senior UMNO politician.

Election results

Awards and recognition Honours of Malaysia

Foreign honours

Namesake places Several places were named after him, including: Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, a township in Cheras, Hulu Langat, Selangor Bandar Tun Hussein Onn MRT station Desa Tun Hussein Onn, a Malaysian Armed Forces residential area near Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur Tun Hussein Onn Jamek Mosque, a mosque in Larkin, Johor, Johor Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia (UTHM) Batu Pahat, Johor Institut Pendidikan Tun Hussein Onn (IPTHO) Batu Pahat, Johor Kolej Tun Hussein Onn, a residential college at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor Kolej Tun Hussein Onn, a residential college at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor Kolej Tun Hussein Onn, a residential college at Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kuala Perlis, Perlis Kolej Tun Hussein Onn, a residential college at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Machang, Kelantan SMK Tun Hussein Onn (SMKTHO), a secondary school in Kluang, Johor SMK Tun Hussein Onn (SMKTHO), a secondary school in Seberang Jaya, Penang SK Tun Hussein Onn (SKTHO), a primary school in Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Tun Hussein Onn Highway, part of the Penang Bridge, Penang Jalan Tun Hussein Onn, a major road in Putrajaya Jalan Tun Hussein Onn, a road in Seberang Jaya, Penang

Jalan Tun Hussein, a road in Felda Ayer Tawar, Kota Tinggi, Johor Jalan Tun Hussein Onn, a road in Taman Tinggi, Sibu, Sarawak Tun Hussein Onn Hockey Cup Dewan Tun Hussein Onn, Putra World Trade Centre Tun Hussein Onn Memorial, a memorial in Kuala Lumpur SMK Desa Tun Hussein Onn (SMKDTHO), a secondary school in Desa Tun Hussein Onn, Kuala Lumpur SK Desa Tun Hussein Onn (SKDTHO), a primary school in Desa Tun Hussein Onn, Kuala Lumpur

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