Hussein bin Onn (; 12 February 1922 – 29 May 1990) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the third

Prime Minister of Malaysia The prime minister of Malaysia (; ) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the Government of Malaysia, federal government. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the prime minister who is a membe ...

from 1976 to 1981.

Early life, family and education

Hussein Onn was born on 12 February 1922 in

Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...

to Onn Jaafar (1895–1962) and Halimah Hussein (1900–1988). His father was a fighter for Malaysian independence and co-founder of the

United Malays National Organisation The United Malays National Organisation (Abbreviation, abbrev: UMNO; , PEKEMBAR) is a Conservatism, conservative, Nationalism, Malay nationalist political party in Malaysia. As the oldest national political party in the country (since its ince ...

(UMNO). Hussein's grandfather, Jaafar Haji Muhammad, was the first

Menteri Besar of Johor The Menteri Besar of Johor or Chief Minister of Johor is the head of government in the Malaysian state of Johor. According to convention, the Menteri Besar is the leader of the majority party or largest coalition party of the Johor State Legisla ...

while his grandmother, Rogayah Hanim, came from the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

region of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. She was likely presented as a concubine (see Circassian beauties) by the Ottoman court to the

Sultan of Johor The Sultan of Johor (Malay language, Malay: ''Sultan Johor''; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a hereditary seat and the sovereign ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor. In the past, the sultan held absolute power over the state and was advised by a '' ...

. Additionally, Hussein was the brother-in-law of

Abdul Razak Hussein Abdul Razak bin Dato’ Hussein (; 11 March 1922 – 14 January 1976) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the second prime minister of Malaysia from 1970 until his death in 1976. He also served as the first Deputy Prime Minis ...

, his predecessor as prime minister, for whom Hussein wed Suhailah Noah, a daughter of first

Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat The Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (, Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the highest-ranking presiding officer of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia, Parliament of Malaysia. They are responsible for convening sessions of the Dewan ...

Mohamed Noah Omar, in 1948. Abdul Razak was also concurrently married to another of Mohamed Noah's daughter, Rahah Noah. Hussein received his early education at Telok Kurau Primary School, Singapore, and at the

English College Johore Bahru The English College Johore Bahru, also known as Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, abbreviated as English College, EC, MSAB, The college, and sometimes dubbed "The Pride Of Johore", is an old premier secondary school in Malaysia. It is an all-boys school ...

. After leaving school, he joined the Johor Military Forces as a cadet in 1940 and was sent a year later to the

Indian Military Academy The Indian Military Academy (IMA) is one of the oldest military academies in India, and trains officers for the Indian Army. Located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, it was established in 1932 following a recommendation by a military committee set up ...

Dehradun Dehradun (), also known as Dehra Doon, is the winter capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, d ...

, India. Upon completion of his training, he was absorbed into the Indian Army and served in the Middle East when the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

broke out. His vast experience prompted the British to employ him as an instructor at the Malayan Police Recruiting and Training Centre in

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

Early career

Hussein came back to Malaya in 1945 and was appointed Commandant of the Johor Bahru Police Depot. The following year, he joined the Malaya Civil Service as an assistant administrative officer in

Segamat The Segamat District () or simply Segamat is a List of districts in Malaysia, district in the Malaysian states of Malaysia, state of Johor. Segamat (town), Segamat is also the name of the district's primary town. Segamat district is one of the t ...

Johor Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore ...

. He was later posted to the state of

Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...

, becoming Klang and

Kuala Selangor Kuala Selangor is a town in northwestern Selangor, Malaysia. It is the largest town and administrative centre of the coterminous Kuala Selangor District. Etymology The name ''Kuala Selangor'' means Estuary of the Selangor River. History ...

's district officer.

Political career

Hussein, who came from a family with a deep nationalistic spirit and political roots, resigned from the civil service to go into politics. In 1949, he became the first youth chief of

UMNO The United Malays National Organisation ( abbrev: UMNO; , PEKEMBAR) is a conservative, Malay nationalist political party in Malaysia. As the oldest national political party in the country (since its inception in 1946), UMNO has been known as ...

, a party his father helped establish. In 1950, he was elected UMNO secretary general. Hussein, however, left UMNO in 1951 to join his father in forming the

Independence of Malaya Party The Independence of Malaya Party () was a political party in British-ruled Malaya that stood for political independence. Founded by Onn Ja'afar after he left UMNO in 1951, it opposed the UMNO policy of Malay supremacy History The party wer ...

(IMP). With IMP losing momentum, Hussein went to London to study law and was

called to the Bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

and admitted as a member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, qualifying as a Barrister-at-Law. He came back as a certified

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

and practised in

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

. Hussein returned to politics by rejoining UMNO in 1968. He stood and won the general elections in 1969 and was appointed as the

Education Minister An education minister (sometimes minister of education) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters. Where known, the government department, ministry, or agency that develops policy and deli ...

. On 13 August 1973, he took over as Deputy Prime Minister.

Prime Minister (1976–1981)

On 15 January 1976, Hussein, who was the Deputy Prime Minister, was appointed as Prime Minister after the death of his predecessor, Abdul Razak. Hussein underwent a coronary bypass in early 1981. His deputy,

Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad (; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author and doctor who was respectively the fourth and seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia, prime minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020. He was the ...

become acting prime minister. On 17 July, the same year, Hussein retired from active politics and resigned from the office of prime minister due to health concerns. He was succeeded by Mahathir.

Personal life

Hussein and Suhaila had six children, including their fourth child, Hishammuddin Hussein, who is a senior

politician since the 1990s. Their eldest daughter, Datin Roquaiya Hanim (born 1950), died on 17 September 2006 from

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

Death

Hussein died on 29 May 1990 of

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...

Seton Medical Center Seton Medical Center (originally Mary's Help Hospital) is a 398-bed hospital owned by AHMC Healthcare. Founded in San Francisco, the current facility is located in Daly City, California, United States.

in San Mateo,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, at the age of 68. He was buried next to his predecessor, Abdul Razak, at Makam Pahlawan near

Masjid Negara The National Mosque of Malaysia (; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has a capacity for 15,000 people and is situated among of gardens. Its key features are a minaret and a 16-pointed star concrete main roof. ...

, Kuala Lumpur.

Controversy

Hussein Onn era took the easy way out by putting opposition leaders into detention without trial, banning public rallies and controlling all the media.

Election results

Awards and recognitions

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 (1981) * : ** Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Johor - ribbon bar

Grand Commander of the Royal Family Order of Johor (DK I) (1976) ** Order of the Crown of Johor ribbon bar

Knight Grand Commander of the

Order of the Crown of Johor The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Johor ( Malay: ''Darjah Mahkota Johor Yang Amat Mulia'') is an Order of chivalry awarded by the Sultan of Johor. It was first instituted on July 31, 1886. It is awarded in three classes: *Knight Grand Co ...

(SPMJ) – Dato' (1972) ** MY-JOH Order of Loyalty of Sultan Ismail of Johor ribbon bar

Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Loyalty of Sultan Ismail of Johor (SSIJ) – Dato' (1975) ** Sultan Ibrahim Coronation Medal ribbon

First Class of the Sultan Ibrahim Medal (PIS I) * : ** MY-KEL Royal Family Order - Star of Yunus - DK

Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Kelantan (DK) * : ** MY-NEG Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan (SPNS) – Dato' Seri Utama (1980) * : ** MY-PAH Order of the Crown of Pahang - Grand Knight - SIMP

Grand Knight of the

Order of the Crown of Pahang The Esteemed Order of the Crown of Pahang ( Malay: '' Darjah Kebesaran Mahkota Pahang Yang Amat Mulia'') is a knighthood order of the Sultanate of Pahang. History The order was founded by Sultan Abu Bakar on 27 December 1968. It is awarded ...

(SIMP) – formerly ''Dato, now Dato' Indera (1975) * : ** MY-PEN Order of the Defender of State - Knight Grand Commander - DUPN

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DUPN) – Dato' Seri Utama (1977) * : ** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of Cura Si Manja Kini (SPCM) – Dato' Seri (1976) * : ** MY-SAB Order of Kinabalu - SPDK

Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) – Datuk Seri Panglima (1974) * : ** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DP) – Datuk Patinggi * : ** Second Class Member of the

Royal Family Order of Selangor The Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Selangor (Malay language, Malay: ''Darjah Kerabat Selangor Yang Amat Dihormati'') is an Order (distinction), order awarded by Sultan of Selangor to members of the Selangor and other Royal families, and to h ...

(DK II) (1977) * : ** MY-TER Family Order of Terengganu 1st class - DK I

Member First Class of the Family Order of Terengganu (DK I) (1977)

Places named after him

Several places were named after him, including: * Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, a township in Cheras, Hulu Langat,

** Bandar Tun Hussein Onn MRT station * Desa Tun Hussein Onn, a

Malaysian Armed Forces The Malaysian Armed Forces (: MAF; ; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), are the armed forces of Malaysia, consists of three branches; the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The number of MAF active personnel is 113,000 ...

residential area near Setiawangsa,

* Tun Hussein Onn Jamek Mosque, a mosque in Larkin, Johor,

* Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia (UTHM) Batu Pahat,

* Institut Pendidikan Tun Hussein Onn (IPTHO) Batu Pahat,

* Kolej Tun Hussein Onn, a residential college at

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia The National University of Malaysia (, abbreviated as UKM) is a public research university located in Bandar Baru Bangi, Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Its teaching hospital, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC), ...

, 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 The MARA Technological University ( Malay: ''Universiti Teknologi MARA''; Jawi: اونيۏرسيتي تيكنولوڬي مارا; abbr. UiTM) is a public university in Malaysia, based primarily in Shah Alam, Selangor. It was established to ...

, Machang, Kelantan * SMK Tun Hussein Onn (SMKTHO), a secondary school in Kluang,

* SMK Tun Hussein Onn (SMKTHO), a secondary school in Seberang Jaya,

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

* SK Tun Hussein Onn (SKTHO), a primary school in

Kampung Pandan Kampung Pandan is a village/settlement located in the Titiwangsa constituency in eastern Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, surrounded by Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Ampang, Maluri, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, Pudu and Bukit Bintang. Once a small settlement, Kampung Pan ...

* Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital,

Petaling Jaya Petaling Jaya (), colloquially referred to as "PJ", is a city in Petaling District, in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Originally developed as a Satellite city, satellite township for Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, it is part of the G ...

* Tun Hussein Onn Highway, part of the Penang Bridge,

* Jalan Tun Hussein Onn, a major road in

Putrajaya Putrajaya (), officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya (), is the administrative centre of Malaysia. The Seat of government, seat of the Government of Malaysia, federal government of Malaysia was moved in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajay ...

* Jalan Tun Hussein Onn, a road in Seberang Jaya, Penang * * Jalan Tun Hussein, a road in

Felda Felda may refer to: * Felda (Ohm), a river of Hesse, Germany * Felda (Werra), a river of Thuringia, Germany * Felda, Florida, an unincorporated community in Hendry County, Florida * Felda United F.C., a Malaysian football club * Federal Land D ...

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,

* SK Desa Tun Hussein Onn (SKDTHO), a primary school in Desa Tun Hussein Onn,

Notes and references

{{Authority control Government ministers of Malaysia Prime ministers of Malaysia 1922 births 1990 deaths Deputy prime ministers of Malaysia 20th-century Malaysian lawyers Members of Lincoln's Inn Malaysian military personnel Malaysian Muslims Malaysian people of Circassian descent Malaysian people of Malay descent Malaysian people of Turkish descent

Hussein Onn Hussein bin Onn (; 12 February 1922 – 29 May 1990) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the third Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1976 to 1981. Early life, family and education Hussein Onn was born on 12 February 1922 in Jo ...

Presidents of United Malays National Organisation Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm First Classes of the Royal Family Order of Johor First Classes of the Family Order of Terengganu Second Classes of Royal Family Order of Selangor Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State of Penang Grand Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak Ministers of defence of Malaysia Ministers of education of Malaysia Ministers of finance of Malaysia Malaysian MPs 1971–1974 Malaysian MPs 1974–1978 Malaysian MPs 1978–1982