Abdul Razak Hussein | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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عبد الرزاق حسين | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Abdul Razak atSoestdijk Palace, 1968. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2ndPrime Minister of Malaysia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 22 September 1970 – 14 January 1976 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Preceded by | Tunku Abdul Rahman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Hussein Onn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of UMNO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 25 January 1971 – 14 January 1976 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Tunku Abdul Rahman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Hussein Onn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Abdul Razak bin Hussein (1922-03-11)11 March 1922 Pekan, Pahang, Federated Malay States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 14 January 1976(1976-01-14) (aged 53) London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resting place | Makam Pahlawan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 5 (includingNajib andNazir) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Education | Malay College Kuala Kangsar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater |
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| Awards | Full list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch/service | Askar Wataniah Pahang | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1941–1945 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Captain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unit | Force 136 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battles/wars | World War II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Abdul Razak bin Hussein (Jawi:عبد الرزاق بن حسين; 11 March 1922 – 14 January 1976) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the secondprime minister of Malaysia from 1970 until his death in 1976. He also served as the firstdeputy prime minister of Malaysia from 1957 to 1970. He is referred to as the "Father of Development" ("Bapa Pembangunan") of Malaysia.
During his term as prime minister, Abdul Razak launched theMalaysian New Economic Policy (NEP), a program aimed at reducing the socioeconomic disparity between ethnic communities, particularly those of the ethnicMalay andChinese.[1] He also oversaw a realignment of Malaysia foreign policy away from his predecessor's pro-West and anti-Communist attitude and towards neutrality, with the country becoming a member of theNon-Aligned Movement in 1970. Abdul Razak was also the figure responsible for setting upBarisan Nasional (BN), a political coalition which held power uninterrupted from its inception in 1974 to 2018.[2]
His eldest son,Najib Razak, became the sixth prime minister in 2009; however, later became infamous for his involvement in the1MDB corruption scandal, which led to his conviction on multiple charges of corruption, abuse of power, and money laundering.
Born in Kampung Pulau Keladi, a village located northwest of Pekan, Pahang on 11 March 1922,[3] Abdul Razak is the first of two children toHussein Awang bin Mohd Taib (1898–1950) and Fatimah binti Daud (1906–1968). An aristocratic descendant holding the titleOrang Kaya Indera Shahbandar, Abdul Razak studied at theMalay College Kuala Kangsar.
After joining the Malay Administrative Service in 1938, he was awarded a scholarship to study atRaffles College in Singapore in 1940. His studies at the college ceased with the onset of theSecond World War. During the war he helped organise theWataniah resistance movement inPahang.[4]
AfterWorld War II, Abdul Razak left for Britain in 1948 to study law. In 1950, he received a law degree and qualified as a barrister atLincoln's Inn in London. During his student days in England, Abdul Razak was a member of theBritish Labour Party and a prominent student leader of the Malay Association of Great Britain, and formed the student associationMalayan Forum.
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After his studies were interrupted in 1942 because ofWorld War II, Abdul Razak returned toKuantan, Pahang. There, he met his former colleague from the Malay Administrative Service,Yeop Mahidin, and expressed his interest in joining the Malay Regiment (nowRoyal Malay Regiment). Mahidin, who was also the founder ofAskar Wataniah Pahang ('Pahang State Territorial Army'; precursor of theRejimen Askar Wataniah), recruited Razak into his newguerrilla force. Upon the completion of his training, Razak was instructed to join the Japanese Malayan Civil Service as an agent andinformant.
Razak, as an aristocrat and son of a respected Malay leader in Pahang, was posted to his home state of Pahang as an assistant to District Officer and at the same time as a bridge for the Japanese to gain the trust of local Malays. Using his privileges as an aristocrat, Razak started networking with theImperial Japanese Forces while maintaining his connection with Yeop Mahidin. His role as an informant inside the Japanese Administration was only known to a few. Because of this, Razak was labelled as a traitor by the rest of theWataniah Pahang.
As the Malay population received preferential treatment compared to other ethnic groups, it was not fully trusted by the British to oppose theJapanese occupation. Nevertheless, theAskar Wataniah Pahang with its 200 members were absorbed into theSpecial Operations Executive (SOE) and organised underForce 136.
Force 136 Pahang's missions' continuous success made the Japanese Administration begin to suspect that there were informants inside their administration. Force 136 Pahang quickly set up an extraction mission to recover their agent, Razak, who was still unknown to many of its members.
Upon his return from the United Kingdom, in 1950, Tun Razak joined theMalayan Civil Service.[3] Owing to his political calibre, he became the youth chief forUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO). Two years later, he worked as the Assistant State Secretary ofPahang and in February 1955, at just 33 years of age, becamePahang's Chief Minister.[5]
Razak stood in and won a seat in Malaya's first general elections in July 1955 and was appointed as theEducation Minister. He was instrumental in the drafting of theRazak Report which formed the basis of theMalayan education system. Tun Razak was also a key member of the February 1956 mission to London to seek the independence ofMalaya from the British.[3]
He was appointedDeputy Prime Minister andMinister of Defence in 1957 and, after the1959 general election, also held theMinistry of National and Rural Development portfolio. His ideas concerning rural development and agriculture were collected into the Red Book (Buku Merah) and Green Book (Buku Hijau) respectively and served as the basis for government policy during his time in power.[6]
In 1965 Razak was closely involved in the negotiations with Singaporean leaders for theIndependence of Singapore Agreement.[7]
| Abdul Razak Hussein 22 September 1970 – 14 January 1976 | |
| Monarchs | Abdul Halim Yahya Petra |
|---|---|
Abdul Razak Hussein | |
| Cabinet | |
| Party | Alliance–UMNO (1970–1973) BN–UMNO (1973–1976) |
| Election | 1974 |
| Seat | Seri Taman |
In the aftermath of the ethnic riot of 1969, known as the13 May incident, incumbent prime ministerTunku Abdul Rahman was subjected to criticism from Malay nationalists within UMNO, among them supporters of Abdul Razak, for his pluralist and accommodating attitude towards the country's non-Malay population. During the state of emergency that lasted from 1969 to 1971, Tunku's power as prime minister was eroded by Abdul Razak, who led theNational Operations Council that ruled in lieu of the elected government, culminating in his resignation in 1970. The official narrative of the 13 May incident and the circumstances under which Abdul Razak became prime minister are still contested by some.[8]
The government excisedKuala Lumpur from the state ofSelangor in 1974, which served to detach five opposition parliamentary seats from the Selangor legislative council, helping prevent the state from falling into the hands of opposition parties. It also kept to the previous government's decision to suspend local government elections and through a parliamentary act allowed state governments to take over local authorities and appoint members to relevant bodies.
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Abdul Razak also took up theMinistry of Foreign Affairs portfolio upon becoming prime minister and oversaw a realignment of the country's foreign policy away from theWest and anti-Communism towards neutrality and non-alignment in international conflicts,[9] as well as an increased focus on regional affairs through theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Malaysia joined theNon-Aligned Movement in 1970, while theAnglo-Malayan military alliance was replaced with theFive Power Defence Arrangements in 1971.[9] It also became a signatory of theZone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality Declaration (ZOPFAN) in 1971 as part of ASEAN.[10]
Bilateral relations with thePeople's Republic of China were inaugurated with Abdul Razak's state visit and Malaysia's adoption of theOne China Policy in 1974.[11][12]
Abdul Razak was diagnosed withleukemia in 1969 and given two years to live, but kept the diagnosis secret from his friends and family.[13]
Abdul Razak died in office on 14 January 1976[3][14] while seeking medical treatment in London. He was posthumously granted the soubriquetBapa Pembangunan ('Father of Development'). He was laid to rest inHeroes Mausoleum (Malay:Makam Pahlawan) nearMasjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.[15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Link(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | The Red Book | Himself | Tun Abdul Razak makes his debut in the film to explain the policy of rural economic development.[16] The film was produced byMalayan Film Unit (currentlyFINAS). |
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| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | P062Pekan | Abdul Razak Hussein (UMNO) | 8,811 | 77.26% | Mohamed Ariff Abas (PMIP) | 2,593 | 22.74% | 11,508 | 6,218 | 74.52% | ||
| 1964 | Abdul Razak Hussein (UMNO) | 11,858 | 87.39% | Abdul Hamid Awang Hitam (PMIP) | 1,711 | 12.61% | 14,165 | 10,147 | 76.63% | |||
| 1969 | Abdul Razak Hussein (UMNO) | 12,641 | 77.28% | Yazid Jaafar (PMIP) | 3,716 | 22.72% | 16,845 | 8,925 | 71.24% | |||
| 1974 | P071Pekan | Abdul Razak Hussein (UMNO) | Unopposed | |||||||||
Malaysia
Pahang
Malaya_-_SMN.svg)
Grand Commander of theOrder of the Defender of the Realm (SMN) –Tun (1959)[17]Malaysia
Recipient of theMalaysian Commemorative Medal (Gold) (PPM) (1965)_-_DMN.svg)
Recipient of theOrder of the Crown of the Realm (DMN) (1976)[18]Pahang
Member 1st class of theFamily Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang (DK I) (1973)[19]
Grand Knight of theOrder of the Crown of Pahang (SIMP) – formerlyDato', nowDato' Indera (1967)[20]
Kelantan
Recipient of theRoyal Family Order (DK)
Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Crown of Kelantan (SPMK) –Dato'
Kedah.svg)
Member of theKedah Supreme Order of Merit (DUK)
Penang
Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Defender of State (DUPN) –Dato' Seri Utama (1975)[21]
Sabah
Grand Commander of theOrder of Kinabalu (SPDK) –Datuk Seri Panglima (1971)[22]
Perlis
Knight Grand Commander ofthe Order of the Crown of Perlis (SPMP) –Dato' Seri (1965)[23]
Selangor
Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Crown of Selangor (SPMS) –Dato' Seri (1965)[24]
Johor
Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ) –Dato' (1961)[25]
Terengganu
Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Crown of Terengganu (SPMT) –Dato' (1964)[26]
Perak.svg)
Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of Cura Si Manja Kini (SPCM) –Dato' Seri (1974)[27][28].svg)
Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Perak State Crown (SPMP) –Dato' Seri (1964)[29]
Sarawak_-_1._Knight_Grand_Commander_(DP).svg)
Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DP) –Datuk Patinggi
Belgium
Grand Cross of theOrder of the Crown of Belgium (1967)[30]
Brunei.svg)
First Class of theOrder of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei (SPMB) –Dato Seri Paduka (1959)[31].svg)
Second Class of theOrder of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei (DPMB) –Dato Paduka (1958)[32]
Cambodia
Grand Officer of theRoyal Order of Sahametrei (1962)[33]
Philippines
Grand Collar of theOrder of Lakandula (2017)[34]
United Kingdom
Honorary Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of St Michael and St George (GCMG) --Sir (1972)[35]_ribbon_-vector.svg)
Associate Knight of theOrder of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (1967)[36]
Several things were named after him, including:
Motion picture & television
Stage/Theatre
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| New office | Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia 1957–1970 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Malaysia 1970–1976 | Succeeded by |
First Rahman cabinet (1955–1959) | ||
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Prime Minister:Tunku Abdul Rahman | ||
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Second Rahman cabinet (1959–1964) | ||
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Prime Minister:Tunku Abdul Rahman | ||
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Fourth Rahman cabinet (1969–1970) | ||
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Prime Minister:Tunku Abdul Rahman | ||
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| Grand Collar (Supremo) | |
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| Grand Cross (Bayani) |
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| Grand Officer (Marangal na Pinuno) | |
| Commander (Komandante) | |
| Officer (Pinuno) | |
| Champion for Life (Kampeon Habang Buhay) | |
