Tan Sri
The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore.
Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, few provinces in the Philippines and several provinces in Indonesia ...
Tunku Abdullah ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman (2 May 1925 – 20 August 2008) was a notable Malaysian businessman and a founder of the
Melewar Group Berhad of companies.
Early life
Tunku Abdullah was born on 2 May 1925 at
Kuala Pilah
Kuala Pilah (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Kolo Pilah''), or simply Pilah, is a town in Kuala Pilah District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is 36 km from the state capital Seremban and 101 km from Kuala Lumpur.
Townscape
Kuala Pilah is stuat ...
, Negeri Sembilan. His father was
Tuanku Abdul Rahman
'' Tuanku'' Sir Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad ( Jawi: ; 24 August 1895 – 1 April 1960) was the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan from 1933, and the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Federation of Malaya from 1957, unt ...
(1895–1960), the Ruler of Negeri Sembilan state (1933–1960) and later appointed at the first King of Malaya (1957–1960). His mother was ''Che Engku'' Maimuna ''née'' Dulcibella (Dulcie) Campbell, a nurse at the Government Hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Tunku Abdullah was appointed to the state royal-rank of ''Tunku Panglima Besar'' in 1963. He was fondly known as "Charlie", as he was a fan of pianist
Charlie Kunz
Charles Leonard Kunz (August 18, 1896 – March 16, 1958) was an American-born pianist and band leader who worked in Great Britain during the British dance band era, eventually becoming a well-known solo pianist.
Life and career
Kunz was born ...
.
Education
* Malay College, Kuala Kangsar (Apr 1936)
* Kokusai Gaku Yukai, Tokyo (Jun - Dec 1943)
* Miyazaki Koto Norin Gakko (Dec 1943 - Feb 1945)
* Fukuoka Koto Gakko (Feb - Aug 1945)
*
Raffles College
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University.
The university offers degree program ...
, Singapore - Economics Dept (Nov 1946)
*
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
, Scotland - Diploma in Public Administration (Oct 1948 - May 1951)
During the
World War II
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 ...
Japanese occupation of Malaya
Malaya, then under British administration,, was gradually occupied by Japanese forces between 8 December 1941 and the Allied surrender at Singapore on 15 February 1942. The Japanese remained in occupation until their surrender to the Allie ...
, each of the Malay royal families were required to send an heir to Japan for training to become part of the empire. Tunku Abdullah was 18 years of age when he arrived in Japan in a group with the other Malay royal heirs. When he was 20 years old, he witnessed the flash of light in the sky from the Hiroshima atomic bomb. With the surrender of Japan in September 1945, Tunku Abdullah became Public Relations Officer for U.S. Sixth Army HQ in Kyoto. On 15 December 1945, he returned by ship to Singapore.
He had completed his graduation from the
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
and held a diploma in agriculture from
Miyazaki University
is a national university primarily in the Kibana neighborhood of southern Miyazaki city, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The name is sometimes shortened to the abbreviation "UoM" or the portmanteau "Miyadai." The predecessor of the school was founde ...
in Japan. Tunku was in the civil service and served for 10 years before getting into politics.
Public Service career
Civil Service
Tunku Abdullah joined the civil service in many capacities: As Malay Officer to Kuala Lumpur Land & District Office (1955); as Assistant District Officer II in Kuala Selangor (1956); as Deputy Superintendent of Census (1956) for the Federal Secretariat; as Assistant State Secretary (1958) in Kuantan, later as District Officer (1960); as District Officer to Ulu Selangor (1961); as Assistant Secretary (1962) to Ministry of Works, Post and Telecommunications; leaving in 1963.
Youth Movement
Encouraged by
Mubin Sheppard
Abdul Mubin Sheppard , born Mervyn Cecil ffrank Sheppard, pen name M. C. '' ff'' Sheppard, (21 June 1905 – 11 September 1994) was a Malaysian World War II veteran and prisoner of war, as well as a renowned historian and academic.
Life
Early ...
, Tunku Abdullah also joined the Malayan Association of Youth Clubs (MAYC) in 1954 as Honorary Secretary and later became President
956-1971 culminating in the completion of Wisma Belia building (on Jalan Syed Putra). He was also President of the Malaysian Youth Council (MYC)
966-1972& President of the Asian Youth Council (AYC)
972-1976 Under the
World Assembly of Youth
The World Assembly of Youth (WAY; French: ''Assemblée Mondiale de la Jeunesse''; Spanish: ''Asamblea Mundial de la Juventud'') is the international coordinating body of national youth councils and national youth organisations. The full members ...
(WAY), he was a frequent delegate
964-1972 For the youth movement, he led many international delegations, missions & seminars: To Japan (1959, 66 & 77); New Delhi (1961); Cairo (1962); Amherst, USA (1964); New Zealand (1965); Netherlands (1967); Vienna (1968); Liege, Belgium (1969); Brussels (1970 & 71); Manchester (1972); and Colombo (1976). In April 1958, Tunku Abdullah arrived in Hawaii as a guest of the State Department of the United States. During this visit, he became good friends with
Fuad Donald Stephens of North Borneo .
Politics
Tunku Abdullah was elected as the Member of the
Parliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia (; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives, Literal translation, lit. "People's As ...
(MP) for the
Rawang constituency from 1964 to 1974. During this time, he began his long friendship with the MP seated beside him, Dr
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 ...
. He is the subject of the books ''Tunku Abdullah – A Passion for Life''
and the 20th anniversary version, ''A Prince Called "Charlie"''.
Business career
Tunku Abdullah consolidated his business ventures into a conglomerate under the name of "Melewar" Group or Corporation.
In his book ''Melewar Turns Silver 1963-1988'',
the Melewar companies mentioned are; Binaan Nasional S/B
963, construction Duncan, Gilbey & Matheson
964, drink industry Pacific World Travel
964, travel & tours Mitra Malaysia
970, travel agency Melewar Trading
974, defence equipment Pacific Asia Leasing
974, finance lease & hire purchase Melewar Clarkson
975, insurance brokers Melewar Transport
975, transport & logistics M&C Saatchi Malaysia S/B
976, advertising Melewar Corporation
981, investment company Kompusat
982, computer retail Accent Technology
982, computer assembly Nishio Lease
982, equipment leasing Daniel J Edelman
984, public relations Vita Tenggara Fruits Industries
984, fruit farm Central Market S/B
985, shopping centre Great Value Holidays S/B
985, travel & tours Malaysian Assurance Alliance
985, insurance Trace Management Services S/B
985, company secretarial Academia S/B
987, education-&- Prai Malaysia Wood & Rattan Industries
987, wood manufacture Non-Melewar companies of mention are; MBf Finance Berhad
968, financial services-&- Granite Industries Berhad
987, mining & manufacture as well as others : Central Market Japan Co., Ltd.
Beyond 1988, other Melewar companies and foundations include: MasterConsult,
MetroVision, Royal Langkawi Yacht Club,
Melewar Industrial Group,
Mycron Steel,
Budimas Charitable Foundation, as well as MAA Medicare Charitable Foundation.
Tunku Abdullah also served as Chairman to several companies which include: MBf Holdings, Malayan Cement Berhad, Aokam Tin Berhad, Georgetown Holdings Berhad, Taisho Marine & Fire Insurance (M) S/B, MBf Capital Berhad, PWE Industries Berhad, Nusantara Steel S/B, Toshiba Electronics Malaysia S/B, Gentali Malaysia S/B.
Tunku Abdullah's involvement with the MBf Group was due to his close friendship with ''Tan Sri'' Loy Hean Heong.
MasterConsult marketed defence equipment to the government and was sales agent for companies like
Rosoboronexport
JSC Rosoboronexport (ROE; , ''Rosoboroneksport'') is the sole state intermediary agency for Russia's exports/imports of defense-related and dual use products, technologies and services. The Rosoboronexport Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSU ...
,
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas Corporation was a major American Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own ...
,
ASMAR
The Astilleros y Maestranzas de la Armada ''(English: Navy Shipyards and Armories)'', better known by the acronym ASMAR, is a Chilean state-owned shipbuilding company with autonomous administration, which provides services to the Chilean Navy, mai ...
,
Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation SA () is a French Aerospace manufacturer, manufacturer of military aircraft and business jets. It was founded in 1929 by Marcel Dassault, Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch (Marcel Bloch Aircraft Company). After ...
,
Aermacchi
Aermacchi was an Italian aircraft manufacturer. Formerly known as Aeronautica Macchi, the company was founded in 1912 by Giulio Macchi at Varese in north-western Lombardy as Nieuport-Macchi, to build Nieuport monoplanes under licence for the It ...
,
Engesa
Engesa (Engenheiros Especializados S.A.) was a Brazilian automotive and defense company headquartered in the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo. Founded in 1958 by engineer José Luiz Whitaker Ribeiro, it produced jeeps, trucks, off-road ve ...
and
Dornier Flugzeugwerke
Dornier Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer founded in Friedrichshafen in 1914 by Claude Dornier. Over the course of its long lifespan, the company produced many designs for both the civil and military markets.
History
Originall ...
.
Tunku Abdullah was particularly well known for the successful urban re-development of
Central Market, Kuala Lumpur
Central Market Kuala Lumpur is a market in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Background
Central Market Kuala Lumpur is situated at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Foch Avenue) and the pedestrian-only section of Jalan Hang Kasturi (Rodger Street), just a fe ...
, preserving the heritage building . Other heritage buildings refurbished include Wisma Melewar . He is also known for the development of Royal Langkawi Yacht Club
and marina in Kuah, Langkawi.
Family life
He was married six times.
* Tunku Zaharah binti Tunku Zakaria : She was his cousin, an eminent royal person - married 1946 Apr 22, divorced 1959 Mar. They had 3 children:
**
Tunku ''Dato' Seri'' Iskandar - b. 1947
**
Tunku ''Datin'' Marinah Ashraf - b. 1952
**
Tunku ''Dato Kamil Ikram - b. 1954
* Yuzin Ho : A respected health official attached to the Kemaman Medical and Health Office in Terengganu - married 1959 Aug 6, divorced 1966 Mar 30. They had 3 sons:
**
Tunku ''Dato Yaacob Khyra - b. 1960
**
Tunku Yahaya - b. 1962
**
Tunku Halim - b. 1964
* Kathryn Heather Barbara Martin : A debutante from New Zealand - married 1966 Mar 30, divorced 1972 Feb 20. They had 1 daughter:
**
Tunku Soraya Dakhlah - b. 1967
*
Chesterina Sim-Zecha : An Indonesian-born ballerina, a scion of
Lauw-Sim-Zecha family
The Lauw-Sim-Zecha family is an Indonesian people, Indonesian family of the 'Cabang Atas' or the Chinese gentry of the Dutch East Indies (colonial Indonesia). They came to prominence at the start of the nineteenth century as ''Pacht, Pachters'' ...
(part of the '
Cabang Atas
The Cabang Atas (''Van Ophuijsen Spelling System'': Tjabang Atas)—literally 'upper branch' in Indonesian language, Indonesian—was the traditional Chinese establishment or gentry of Dutch East Indies, colonial Indonesia. They were the families ...
') - married 1973 Apr 24, divorced 1991 Jan 12.
* Yuko Oshima : A notable Japanese businesswoman - married 1991 Aug 10, divorced 1996 Nov 4.
* Rozeeta Ahmad Baharuddin : A celebrated Malaysian socialite - married 1997 Apr 25. They had a pair of twins:
**
Tunku Intan Kurshiah - b. 2000
**
Tunku Muhammad Shah
The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore.
Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, few provinces in the Philippines and several provinces in Indonesia ...
- b. 2000
Death
Tunku Tan Sri Abdullah died on 20 August 2008 at the
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport is the main international airport serving Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of downtown Kuala Lumpur and serves the Greater Kuala L ...
(KLIA) clinic.
He was 83 years old. He was buried at the
Seri Menanti Royal Mausoleum
The Seri Menanti Royal Mausoleum (, Jawi: ), is a royal mausoleum of the Negeri Sembilan royal family located in the royal town of Seri Menanti, Kuala Pilah District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. This mausoleum is located next to the Tuanku ...
in
Seri Menanti
Seri Menanti (Negeri Sembilan Malay: or ) is a town, a mukim, and a state assembly constituency in Kuala Pilah District, central Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, located 33 km (20.5 m) east of the state capital city of Seremban and 14&nbs ...
, Negeri Sembilan.
Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr
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 ...
posted an online obituary for Tunku Abdullah, ''"Today is a sad day for me. Today I lost a very good friend. Tunku Abdullah was a member of Parliament in 1964 when I first met him. He was a gregarious person and it was easy to become his friend even after knowing him only a short while. He was a very loyal friend too. When I was expelled from UMNO in 1969 he did not stay away from me as many people did. When I came to Kuala Lumpur three days after race riots broke out, he was at the Railway Station waiting for me with his car, despite rumors I was going to be arrested. The police were there in full force. But I was not arrested. I went off to Tunku’s house. I rejoined UMNO through his division in Rawang. But that route was not acceptable to UMNO. He was a man of the people and got on well with his constituency people. At the same time he was close to Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Prime Minister and to Tun Razak. He lived life fully. I do not think we will find people like him any more. I feel much saddened by his passing. I have lost a good and loyal friend. May Allah s.w.t shower his blessing on his soul."''
Honours

* :
**

Commander of the
Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia () is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted on 15 April 1966 and gazetted on 30 June 1966 ...
(PSM) – Tan Sri (1999)
* :
**

Distinguished Conduct Medal (PPT) (1963)
** Recipient of the
Royal Family Order of Yam Tuan Radin Sunnah
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family or royalty
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, ...
(DKYR) (1979)
* :
**

Grand Cross of the
Order of Bernardo O'Higgins
The Order of Bernardo O'Higgins () is an award issued by Chile. It is the highest civilian honor awarded to non-Chilean citizens. This award was established in 1965 and named after one of the founders of the Chilean state, the independentist gener ...
of Chile (1994)
* :
**
Order of Friendship
The Order of Friendship (, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds and efforts have been aimed at ...
of Russian Federation (2005)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdullah, Tunku
1925 births
2008 deaths
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
Malaysian people of Malay descent
Malaysian Muslims
Malaysian people of Minangkabau descent
Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
Lauw-Sim-Zecha family
Cabang Atas
20th-century Malaysian businesspeople
Sons of monarchs
Malaysian MPs 1964–1969
Malaysian MPs 1971–1974