Tunku Abdul Rahman (Jawi: تونكو عبد الرحمن; 8 February 1903 – 6 December 1990), widely known simply as Tunku, was a Malaysian statesman who served as the first prime minister of Malaysia from 1957 until 1970. He was also the only chief minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955 to 1957, president of UMNO from 1951 to 1971, and leader of the Alliance Party from 1952 to 1971. As the leading advocate for self-governance, Tunku was central to the Malayan Declaration of Independence and the creation of Malaysia in 1963. He is widely recognised as the country's founding father and remains its second longest-serving prime minister.
A prince of the Kedah Sultanate, Tunku studied in Malaya and later graduated from St Catharine's College, Cambridge. Upon returning, he joined the colonial civil service, serving as district officer before becoming a public prosecutor in 1949. He entered politics by winning the UMNO leadership election in 1951 and formed the Alliance Party with the Malaysian Chinese Association and Malaysian Indian Congress the following year. Alliance won a landslide victory in the 1955 general election, after which Tunku became chief minister. He unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate an end to the Malayan Emergency through the Baling Talks, but successfully secured independence for Malaya through the Treaty of London in 1956. He proclaimed independence in 1957 and won a fresh mandate in the 1959 general election, before overseeing the formation of Malaysia in 1963, which included Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. He led the Alliance to another victory in 1964 but was increasingly troubled by ethnic tensions, particularly due to the worsening relationship with Singapore.
In 1965, following mutual provocations between UMNO and the People's Action Party (PAP) led by Lee Kuan Yew, he resolved to expel Singapore from the federation, formalised through the Independence of Singapore Agreement 1965, with full separation taking effect on 9 August 1965. He won a fourth term in the 1969 general election, but the Alliance’s reduced majority was followed by violent unrest during the 13 May incident, prompting a national emergency. Tunku stepped down as prime minister in 1970 and was succeeded by Abdul Razak Hussein. In retirement, he remained active in sports and international Islamic affairs, serving as president of the Asian Football Confederation and as the first secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. He died in Kuala Lumpur on 6 December 1990, aged 87.
Tunku Abdul Rahman was born on 8 February 1903 in Alor Setar, Kedah, the seventh son and one of 45 children of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, the 26th ruler of the Kedah Sultanate. His mother, Cik Menyelara (Nueang Nandanagara), was of Thai descent and the sixth consort of the Sultan. She was the daughter of Luang Naraborirak (Kleb Nandanagara), a district officer in Thailand. Kedah at the time was afflicted by outbreaks of cholera and malaria, and several of Tunku’s siblings succumbed to illness. He himself suffered frequent bouts of malaria until his departure for England in 1920.
Tunku began his education at the Alor Setar Malay Primary School before enrolling in the English-language Sultan Abdul Hamid College. He and his siblings were later sent to Debsirin School in Bangkok, reflecting the family's close ties to Thailand. In 1915, he returned to Malaya and resumed his studies at the Penang Free School, one of the oldest English-language schools in the region. At the age of 17, he was awarded a Kedah State Government scholarship to pursue higher education in England, and he sailed for the United Kingdom shortly thereafter.
Initially struggling with his studies, Tunku met with his guardian at the offices of the Crown Agents, who arranged for him to transfer to Cambridge and study under Basil Atkinson, a respected private tutor. Under Atkinson’s guidance, he was prepared for the university entrance examination, known as the "Little Go", in which he achieved high marks across all papers and passed overall. He was admitted to St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge, where he read law and history, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1925. Five years after his initial departure from Malaya, he returned home at the age of 23. Although he arrived with academic credentials, his elder brother and the Regent of Kedah, Tunku Ibrahim, was dissatisfied with his choice of study and instructed him to return to England to qualify for the English Bar. During this period, Tunku helped found the Malay Society of Great Britain, appointing Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan (later the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong) as president, while serving as its honorary secretary and principal organiser.
In January 1931, Tunku was appointed a Cadet in the Kedah Civil Service. Later, he was transferred to Kulim as Assistant District Officer. In Kulim, he devoted much of his time touring the district and getting to know the problems of the peasants who made up 90% of the population. He also devoted some of his time to prepare for the Cadet's Law exam to qualify for the promotion. He took the exams and passed them on his first attempt.
About a year later, he was promoted to District Officer of Padang Terap. The post was unpopular because Kuala Nerang was rife with malaria. As soon as he took over the district, he gave orders for a survey to be made of the swamps which bordered the town, obtained an estimate for draining them, and applied to the State Secretariat for the necessary funds. However, his plea for funds was rejected. He wrote again to the State Secretariat, asking that funds be made available to drain the swamps and to rid Kuala Nerang of the main breeding place malaria carriers. This time the money came and the work was carried out under his supervision.
Because Tunku Ibrahim, the Regent, was known to be strongly opposed to mixed marriages and since there was a law in Kedah which forbade members of the royal family to marry non-Malays without the prior approval of the Ruler or Regent, the Tunku Abdul Rahman married Violet Coulson who lived in Penang. In 1934, the regent died unexpectedly and was succeeded as regent by Tunku Mahmud, the sultan's younger brother, who was more broad-minded and gave consent to the marriage. This enabled Violet to move to Kuala Nerang, but the Secretary to the Government showed his disapproval by transferring Tunku Abdul Rahman to the isolated post of District Officer at Langkawi.
The district consisted of a group of islands, thinly populated, sparsely cultivated, and without roads. When the Tunku applied for government funds to develop Langkawi his application was rejected. Ever-resourceful, his way in winning co-operation from members of the public of all communities led to the construction of a jetty and later to the opening of several earth roads using money and material which he collected.
World War II and the Japanese occupation
While in London, he sat once more for the Bar Examinations, as he planned to leave the Civil Service, and to enter private practice as soon as he had qualified as an advocate and solicitor. He succeeded in passing the Part One Examination, in 1939. However, with the advent of World War II, he was recalled to Malaya and ordered to resume duty as District Officer in Kulim, where he remained for the next three years.
He was responsible for the Civil Defence preparations implemented by district officers. He was appointed Deputy Director of Air Raid Precautions for South Kedah. He recognised the need to prepare for the evacuation of civilians in the event of an invasion and in 1941 he gave orders for the construction of six "Long Houses" made of round timber and with attap roofs on a low hill about two miles away from the town. Funds for this work had been refused by the State Secretariat and he, therefore, invited donations from local town dwellers who would benefit if evacuations became necessary.
By October 1941, British troops had prepared defensive positions in North Kedah. On the morning of 8 December 1941, the Invasion by the Japanese army began. The attack was quickly followed by the advance of General Yamashita's army which had landed unopposed on beaches near Songkla the previous night. A second assault force came ashore, unopposed, on the coast of Petani and advanced towards Betong and Kroh. A third but smaller force landed close to Kota Bahru in Kelantan despite vigorous opposition.