Abang Openg bin Abang Sapiee (; 7 October 1905 – 28 March 1969) was a Malaysian

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who served as the first

Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak The Governor of Sarawak, officially Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak (''Malay: Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak'') is the ceremonial head of state of Sarawak, Malaysia. The is styled (). The official residence of the governor is The Astana, loc ...

from September 1963 to his death in March 1969. He assumed the newly established post following Sarawak's independence from

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

and the formation of

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

in 1963. He is the father to

Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Abang Openg (born 4 August 1950), also known as Abang Johari or Abang Jo, is a Malaysian politician who has served as the sixth and current Premier of Sarawak since 2017. A member of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersat ...

, the current

Premier of Sarawak The premier of Sarawak () is the head of government of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Sarawak. The premier leads the Government of Sarawak, the Executive (government), executive branch of the state government, ...

Early life and education

Abang Openg was born on 7 October 1905 in Kampung Bandarsah,

Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...

Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...

, during the

White Rajahs The White Rajahs of Sarawak were a hereditary monarchy of the Brooke family, who founded and ruled the Raj of Sarawak as a sovereign state, located on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo in Maritime Southeast Asia, from 1841 to 1946. Of ...

of Brooke dynasty's rule. He came from a Malay family with historical involvement in local leadership. His ancestry includes

Datu Patinggi Ali Datu Patinggi Abang Ali bin Abang Amir (commonly known as Datu Patinggi Ali) was a key figure in the Sarawak Malays' resistance against the Brunei Empire, which occurred throughout Pengiran Indera Mahkota and Raja Muda Hashim's reign in the 18 ...

and Datu Patinggi Abdul Ghafur, who held leadership positions during the Brooke administration in Sarawak.. Growing up in an era when educational opportunities for Bumiputeras were scarce, Abang Openg faced the challenge of limited formal schooling. Despite these obstacles, he attended the Government Malay School in Kuching. At that time,

formal education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education also fol ...

opportunities for Bumiputera were limited.

Early career

At the age of 19, in 1924, Abang Openg started his career in public service as a government clerk. He was later transferred to the Office of Native Affairs, a department responsible for the administration and welfare of indigenous communities. He subsequently received a promotion. In 1932, Abang Openg was appointed as a government officer in Sarikei. While working in there, he attended night classes at St. Anthony's School, taking Junior Cambridge lessons to further his education. By 1940, Abang Openg held the position of Native Officer, which included the powers of a Class III Magistrate with legal authority in local governance. In 1941,

Charles Vyner Brooke Charles Vyner Brooke, (full name Charles Vyner de Windt Brooke, 26 September 1874 – 9 May 1963) was the third and last White Rajah of the Raj of Sarawak. Early life Charles Vyner Brooke was the son of Charles Brooke and Margaret de Windt ( ...

appointed him as a member of the Council Negeri (State Council), the legislative body of Sarawak. He served in this role until 1963. Abang Openg chose to be loyal to the Brooke rule until the Japanese surrender in September 1945. When Vyner decided to cede Sarawak to Britain, Abang Openg and several other Brooke officials opposed the decision.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

* : ** Grand Commander of the

Order of the Defender of the Realm The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm () is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace of God-Defender of the Realm). The o ...

(SMN) – Tun (1964) *: ** MY-SAR Order of the Star of Sarawak - 2 ribbon PNBS -JBS-PBS-ABS-BBS

Knight Commander of the

Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak The ''Darjah Utama Yang Amat Mulia Bintang Sarawak'' (Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak) is the highest state order in the state of Sarawak. It is conferred to those who rendered excellent service towards the development of the state of ...

(PNBS) – Dato,' now Dato Sri (1954)

Foreign honour

*: ** Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) (1962)

Namesakes

Several places were named after Abang Openg, including: * Tun Abang Haji Openg Digital Centre (TAHODC) in UNIMAS Samarahan, the main centre for information and communication technology (ICT) in the university * SMK Tun Abang Haji Openg, a secondary school in Kuching * Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg in Kuching * Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg in Sibu * Jalan Tun Openg in Tanjung Kidurong, Bintulu * Jalan Abang Haji Openg in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

References

{{Authority control Malaysian Muslims Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Recipients of the Order of the Star of Sarawak 1905 births Malaysian politicians of Malay descent 1969 deaths Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak People from Kuching