Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg bin Abang Sapiee ( ms, ابڠ حاج اوڤيڠ بن ابڠ شافعي, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 7 October 1905 – 28 March 1969) was a

Malaysian Malaysian may refer to: * Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia * Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia * Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regar ...

politician who served as the first Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak from September 1963 to his death in March 1969. He assumed the newly established post following Sarawak's independence from the Great Britain and the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

Early life and career

Abang Openg was born on 7 October 1905 during the White Rajahs of Brooke dynasty's rule. He had his early education in

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 River ...

before moving to Sarikei with his father Abang Sapiee. Abang Openg attended St. Anthony School in Sarikei before returning to Kuching to continue his education at St. Thomas School. As a 19-year-old man of the descendants of the elite with title ''Abang'', Abang Openg chose to enter the Brooke administration as a clerk in 1924. He was elevated to senior officer of native affairs in Sarikei after serving for eight years. He was appointed third-class magistrate in 1937. White Rajah

Charles Vyner Brooke Vyner, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG, 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 The son of Charles Brooke and his wife Margaret de Windt ( Ranee Ma ...

gave Abang Openg a special appointment, and he was afterwards appointed to a member of the state council. He was elevated to second-class magistrate and Kuching Division native affairs first officer in early 1941, just before World War II. Abang Openg held the principle of choosing 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 (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 (PNBS) – Dato' (1953)

Foreign honour

*: **

Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1962)

Namesakes

Several places were named after Abang Openg, including: * 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

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 people of Malay descent 1969 deaths Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak People from Kuching {{Malaysia-politician-stub