Panglima Bukit Gantang

Tan Sri Dato' Seri Haji Abdul Wahab bin Toh Muda Abdul Aziz (4 May 1905 – 15 April 1959), also known by his title Dato' Panglima Bukit Gantang, was a Malaysian nationalist politician and barrister who became the 1st Menteri Besar of Perak from 1 February 1948 to 1 August 1957 and the first Secretary General of UMNO from 1946 to 1947. He was granted the title of , indicating that he was descended from monarchy and aristocracy in Perak. Notably, when he was admitted to the English Bar in 1930, he became the first Malay lawyer in the United Kingdom.

Early life and education On 4 May 1905, Abdul Wahab was born in Sayong, Kuala Kangsar District. Teh Halimah, his mother, is the sole child of Dato Setia Bijaya Jeragan Abdul Syukor by virtue of his first wife. Toh Muda Abdul Aziz, his father, and Haji Mahmud Taib, his grandfather, were both titled . Of his fourteen brothers and sisters, Abdul Wahab is the second child. He had lived in Ipoh with his grandfather since he was a young boy.

Abdul Wahab received his early education at the Pekan Baru Malay School in Ipoh from 1912 to 1913. He continued his education at SMK Anderson from 1915 to 1925. He studied English language and literature and completed his Cambridge IGCSE in May 1925. He opted to pursue law while studying abroad at the University of London's Inner Temple, where he was very involved in student societies from 1925 to 1930. becoming the first Malay lawyer in the United Kingdom. and he led move of the organisation's headquarters to Ipoh, Perak. Perak served as the administrative hub of UMNO until 1949, when Malays all over the Peninsula began to embrace the organisation. He later held other Executive positions, such as Secretary of Legal Affairs. He also led the demonstration against the Malayan Union. To honour him, a reference was conducted in the Supreme Court in Ipoh the next day.

Namesakes Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab is a major route that runs across the western part of Ipoh, Perak. It links Jalan Kuala Kangsar in the south with Bulatan Bahagia. Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Panglima Bukit Gantang is a middle school in Parit Buntar.

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