Hussein Onn

Hussein Onn was a Malaysian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1976 to 1981. He was the son of Onn Jaafar, the founder of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the largest political party in Malaysia. He was also the father of Hishammuddin Hussein, a former Minister of Defence and Foreign Affairs. Hussein Onn joined the Indian Army during World War II and fought in the Middle East. After the war, he returned to Malaysia and joined the Malaya Civil Service as an assistant administrative officer. He later studied law at Lincoln's Inn in London and became a barrister in 1960. He rejoined UMNO in 1968 and was elected to Parliament in 1969. He held various ministerial positions, such as Education, Trade and Industry, and Finance. He became the Deputy Prime Minister in 1973, under Abdul Razak Hussein, his cousin and the second Prime Minister of Malaysia. He succeeded Abdul Razak as the Prime Minister in 1976, after the latter's death. He led a multiracial coalition government that faced challenges such as racial tensions, communist insurgency, and economic downturn. He also opposed the influx of Vietnamese refugees to Malaysia and advocated for a greater role of Malaysia in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He also initiated the formation of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 1983. He resigned as the Prime Minister in 1981 due to health problems and appointed Mahathir Mohamad, his deputy, as his successor. He remained active in politics until 1987, when he left UMNO and became an independent. He died in 1990 in California, U.S., due to heart disease. He was buried at Makam Pahlawan near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur. Hussein Onn was widely respected as a principled and moderate leader who promoted unity among the various communities in Malaysia. He was known as "Bapa Perpaduan" (Father of Unity) and was conferred the title of "Tun" by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the highest honour in Malaysia.