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Essay On Tun Hussein Bin Dato
Essay On Tun Hussein Bin Dato
He was born on
12 February 1922 in Johor Bahru. Tun Hussein Onn attended the Telok Kurau Primary
School, Singapore, and later went to the English College Johore Bahru.He served as Prime
Minister from 1976 to 1981. A much beloved and respected politician, he was fondly called
"Bapa Perpaduan" (Father of Unity). He was a gentle and calm person who always
emphasized on the welfare of his country and well-being of the citizenry.
Thoughtful and soft-spoken, he might not have been a fiery orator, but nonetheless
was an efficient communicator who put across his views calmly yet confidently. Born as the
son of Dato' Onn Jaafar, the founder of UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) and a
Malayan freedom fighter, patriotism was in his blood and he was totally dedicated towards his
nation from a young age. Passionate about serving his country, he joined the military force
soon after leaving school and also served in the Middle East when the Second World War
broke out. Intelligent, brave and competent, he was appointed an instructor at the Malayan
Police Recruiting and Training Centre in Rawalpindi after the war. Eventually he returned to
Malaysia and joined the Malaya Civil Service as an assistant administrative officer.
Over the next few years he entered politics and established himself as a principled
politician who genuinely cared for the citizens. After The Prime Minister Abdul Razak died on
14 January 1976, the responsibility of leading the country fell upon Tun Hussein Onn’s
shoulders and he assumed office as the Prime Minister of Malaysia on 15 January 1976. He
played a significant role in promoting unity among the various communities in Malaysia. 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. Tun 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.