Who was Hussein Onn? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Died At Age: 68

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Suhaila Noah

father: Onn Jaafar

children: Hishammuddin Hussein

political ideology: Political party Independent (1987–1990), Other political affiliations - United Malays National Organisation (Before 1951; 1968–1987), Independence of Malaya Party (1951–1963) National Party (1963–1968)

Died on: May 29, 1990

place of death: South San Francisco

More Facts

education: Lincoln's Inn

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Childhood & Early Life

Hussein Onn was born on 12 February 1922 in Johor Bahru, British Malaya (now Malaysia) as the son of Dato' Onn Jaafar. His father was the founder of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the largest political party in Malaysia. Onn Jaafar was also a noted freedom fighter.

Hussein Onn attended the Telok Kurau Primary School, Singapore, and later went to the English College Johore Bahru.

He joined the Johor Military Forces as a cadet in 1940. After a year he was sent to the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, India.

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Career

Hussein Onn proved himself to be an able cadet and after the completion of his training he was absorbed into the Indian Army. Around this time the Second World War broke out and he was sent to serve in the Middle East. He was also with the British forces that in 1945 freed Malaya from Japanese occupation.

He was recruited by the British as an instructor at the Malayan Police Recruiting and Training Centre in Rawalpindi after his service in the Second World War.

In 1945, he returned to Malaysia and was immediately made the Commandant of the Johor Bahru Police Depot. The next year he helped his politician father Onn Bin Jaafar in forming the political party, United Malays National Organization (UMNO). The primary objective of founding the party was to provide a platform for furthering the Malay interests in the struggle for independence.

In 1946, he also ventured into the Malaya Civil Service as an assistant administrative officer in Segamat, Johor. Later on he became the Klang and Kuala Selangor's district officer in the state of Selangor.

He eventually became the first youth chief of the UMNO in 1949 and the next year he was elected as the UMNO Secretary General. However, some disagreements cropped up within the party and he quit.

After leaving UMNO, he again joined hands with his father to form the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP). The new party which was open to all races of Malaya, opposed the UMNO policy of Malay supremacy.

However the IMP was not much successful and thus Hussein Onn went to London to study law at Lincoln’s Inn. He qualified as a Barrsiter-at-Law and returned home as a certified lawyer.

He started a practice in Kuala Lumpur and eventually returned to politics. In 1968 he rejoined UMNO after being convinced by the then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak.

He won the general elections in 1969 and was appointed as the Education Minister, and a few years later he succeeded the late Tun Dr Ismail as the Deputy Prime Minister in 1973.

The Prime Minister Abdul Razak who was suffering from cancer died on 14 January 1976 while seeking medical treatment in London. Now the responsibility of leading the country fell upon Hussein Onn’s shoulders and he assumed office as the Prime Minister of Malaysia on 15 January 1976.

As the Prime Minister he stressed on rectifying the economic inequalities in Malaysia and implemented steps to form a strong unified Malaysian society. He launched the National Unit Trust Scheme and played an active role in curbing the drug menace.

He suffered from heart problems and underwent a coronary bypass in early 1981. He retired from active politics a few months later and was succeeded by Mahathir Mohamad as the Prime Minister.

Personal Life & Legacy

Hussein Onn married Tun Suhaila Noah, the daughter of Tan Sri Haji Mohamad Noah Omar, former Minister of Home Affairs and first Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, in 1948. The couple had six children.

After his retirement he played a key role in the establishment of the Tun Hussein Onn Eye Hospital, and was also actively involved with other welfare organizations.

He died on 29 May 1990 in Seton Medical Center at San Francisco, California, and was buried in Makam Pahlawan (Heroes Mausoleum) near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

Hussein Onn Biography