From Tunku Abdul Rahman to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, this timeline presents the lives of the Prime Ministers of Malaysia.
Tunku was born on February 8, 1903 in Alor Setar, the capital of the State of Kedah. He was the seventh prince of Sultan Abdul Hamid Shah, the twenty fourth Sultan of Kedah, and Che Manjalara, the daughter of a Governor of a small province to the north of Bangkok. Conditions in Kedah during Tunku's childhood were said to be "apalling" with buildngs and roads in a state of disrepair. It was only in the mid-1920s that measures were taken to tackle the sanitary problems that beset the town. It also took years to control the spread of Malaria that inflicted many, including the Tunku himself (Of Political Bondage, Ranjit Gill).
Tunku Abdul Rahman received his early education at Sultan Abdul Hamid College, the only Malay elementary school in Alor Star. He excelled in football. In 1909, his headmaster was "Master" Mohamad Iskandar, father of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. "I was running wild with my classmates and used to swim in the river behind the palace which was infested with crocodiles. My mother was apalled and decided to send me to a Malay school instead," the Tunku admits. (Of Political Bondage, Ranjit Gill)
Tunku Abdul Rahman went to Bangkok with his eldest brother, Tunku Yusuf ibni Sultan Abdul Hamid, who served in the Royal Thai Military Forces. There, Tunku attended Debsirin High School. His two-years stay in Bangkok came to a tragic end when his brother died, killed by bandits. Tunku was twelve years old at the time.
Tunku Abdul Rahman returned from Bangkok and was sent to study at the Penang Free School. In addition to football, he learnt to shoot and joined the Scouts.
When he was sixteen, Tunku Abdul Rahman received the first state scholarship to further his studies at Cambridge University. To get into Cambridge, he spent a year in England being tutored for the entrance examination. Tunku gained admittance into St Catherine's College. At Cambridge, Tunku started out to study law but then switched to History. As he was an enthusiastic sportsman, Tunku joined the St. Catherine's College Football Team. They entered the final inter-college league. Tunku scored a goal in the finals, but they were defeated. Among the connections he made in Cambridge was Ivor Jennings, who later became a constitutional lawyer and part of the panel that drew up the Malayan Constitution (Of Political Bondage, Ranjit Gill).
Tun Hussein was born on 12 February 1922, in Johore Bahru. He was the eldest of 8 children born to Dato' Onn Jaafar and Datin Halimah Hussein. Tun Hussein was born into a family with a strong and long lineage of active politicians and Malay administrators, particularly in the state of Johor. His grandfather, Dato' Ja'afar was the Advisor and Secretary of Johor during the reign of Sultan Abu Bakar, and was also the first Menteri Besar of Johor. His father, Dato' Onn Ja'afar, was later best recognised as the founder of the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO).
Tun Abdul Razak was born on March 11, 1922 at Pulau Keladi, Pekan, Pahang. His father, Dato' Hussein Mohd Taib was a Pahang aristocrat known as Orang Kaya Indera Shahbandar Pahang. In 1920, Dato' Hussein Mohd Taib who was a Malay Officer, married Fatimah Haji Daud. She was a charming and simple kampung girl from a village near Pekan. Tun Abdul Razak was the couple's first child. Tun Abdul Razak was raised by his grandfather as his father was posted far away from home.
Even though Tun Abdul Razak was born into an aristocrat family, he was raised very humbly. His family home was by far the largest and most prominent house in the district so there was much to do at home. Like other village boys, he bathed by the river as during that time, there was still no electricity nor running water at home. He looked after and rode his grandfather's buffaloes to the rice fields, jungle, and 'attap' schools. All these facets of village life and poverty made lasting impressions on his mind, one that would help him envision rural development in the future. (Tun Abdul Razak: A Phenomenon in Malaysian Politics)
Tun Dr Mahathir was born on 10th July, 1925 (although officially, his birth date is recorded as 20th December 1925) at Kampung Seberang Perak, Alor Setar, Kedah, described by Tun himself as "the poorer quarters" of town. Tun Mahathir's parents were Mohamad bin Iskandar and Wan Tempawan binti Wan Hanafi and Tun was the youngest of nine siblings (six from the same mother and three from his father's previous marriage - Mohamad married Wan Tempawan after his first wife passed away). Tun's father was invited by the Kedah government in 1908 to start an English school in Alor Star. Among his students was Tunku Abdul Rahman, who would later become Malaya's first Prime Minister. Tun recalls that his father was a "strict disciplinarian" at school and at home. "..the sound of his cough when he came home was enough to send us scurrying back to our books and homework". Mohamad bin Iskandar was from Penang while Wan Tempawan was from Kedah. His father, Tun says, stressed on the importance of education and his mother taught him and his siblings Malay values, traditions and etiquette. (Source: A Doctor In The House, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad)
Tunku received his Bachelor of Arts in law and history from the University of Cambridge in December 1925. A firsthand experience in racial discrimination with the college's administration was said to have intensified his conviction in fighting for equality and ignited his desire to make his homeland an independent state, free from British colonialism. He returned to Alor Star but was quickly ordered to return to England to complete his law studies. During this next six-year stay in England, he engaged in discussions with fellow Malayans, including Tunku Abdul Rahman (who later became the first King of Malaya), Nik Ahmad Kamil (who later became Menteri Besar of Kelantan) and Syed Sheikh Barakbah. Unity among the Malays occupied most of his thoughts. Tunku and around thirty other Malay students formed the Malay Society of Great Britain, a group that met regularly to discuss political issues and other matters affecting Malaya.
In 1928, Tun Abdul Razak started his education. He was six. He would walk barefoot along the muddy path from his home to the attap-roofed school about four kilometers away. The school was an ordinary school for ordinary people; iTun Abdul Razak spent primary one to four at the school, with class starting at eight in the morning and finishing five hours later. During the early years of the British Protectorate, education for boys in Malay villages was provided by a 'Surau' that doubled as both prayer house and school, and was run by private teachers. The Surau's main focus was on Islamic education. It was indeed an important subject to learn as the Holy Quran provides comprehensive guide to every aspect of human behaviour from birth to death. Tun Razak learnt the Quran as well as other subjects. He went to school with one cent each day.
Tun Hussein's father, Dato' Onn Jaafar, took education very seriously. Tun Hussein Onn started his formal education at the Telok Kurau English school in Joo Chiat Place, Singapore, where one of his schoolmates was Lee Kuan Yew, the future Prime Minister of Singapore. He then received his secondary education closer to home at the English College, Johor Bahru which is now known as Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar. Tun Hussein played tennis, football and hockey in school. He was an average student but he was known for his jokes and good humor. He was a very private student who rarely confided in friends. Growing up, Tun Hussein Onn's favourite pastime was reading. He used to walk from one bookstore to another just to buy books. Much like many boys his age, Tun Hussein Onn was determined to pass his Senior Cambridge School Certificate, a tough examination that would determine one's future course in life. Unfortunately after finishing his Senior Cambridge School Certificate, Tun Hussein Onn was unable to further his studies due to the Second World War.
Tun Dr. Mahathir received his early education at Sekolah Melayu Seberang Perak, an all-boys school for two years. When he was 8 years old, his father enrolled him into the government English school which was believed to provide better education. This school would later be renamed Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid. After the Standard Four exams, in which Tun came in first, Tun Mahathir received a double promotion to Standard Six. His ideas on the importance of education were shaped from an early age, and from the time he was a teenager, Tun felt education should have been available to more people, especially Malay people. Tun also recalls how much of an Anglo-phile he was in his school days. "I grew up not minding being ruled by the British." As a student, Tun Dr. Mahathir was active in debates and was highly regarded with his English language skills. He was appointed the editor of the school magazine. His favourite sport was rugby and he was in the school rugby team. (Source: A Doctor In the House, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad)
In 1931, after failing to pass Part One of his law studies, Tunku returned to Malaya and served the Kedah Civil Service as a cadet in the Legal Advisor's Office. He was given a starting pay of RM300 per month and an increment every three years instead of annually, as he had not passed his law examinations. His postings included Kulim and Sungei Patani and later, malaria-infested Kuala Nerang. Prior to his Kuala Nerang appointment, Tunku married Meriam, who bore him two children, a daughter, Khatijah, and a son, Tunku Nerang. Thirty-three days after Tunku Nerang's birth, Meriam died from malaria. It was only after Meriam's death that the State Government provided the necessary money to clean the town and contain the spread of malaria.
Tun Abdul Razak was selected by the Resident of Pahang to attend the Malay College at Kuala Kangsar, Perak. Most of the students there were sons of Sultans and scions of chiefs. Tun Razak took this in his stride and worked in earnest to prove he was not just another village boy. He was a bright student and was given double promotions after the first year. In four and a half years he passed his School Certificate Examinations. IIn college, Tun Razak was a leader and an all-rounder. By 1938 he was not only Captain of his house, but he was also a prefect and later became Head Boy of the entire student body. He was also a talented versatile sportsman who had already gained school colours for hockey, tennis and squash, and house colours for cricket.
The English language was the medium of instruction in Malay College. Coming from the village school, Tun Razak's English proficiency was low, as he had only been taught simple English. Fortunately, the college offered students like Tun Razak the chance to receive additional instructions in English. Tun Abdul Razak managed to score seventy-one out of a hundred in English in the examinations held at the end of his first year at the College.
The Malay College's Library soon caught the attention of Tun Razak. He loved perusing the atlases of different states and countries and read books on politics, economics and history. The library also had the complete collection of Encyclopedia Britannica as well as English literature and magazines. Tun Razak borrowed and read as many books as he could from the Library.
A few months after Meriam's death, Tunku married an English lady, Violet Coulson, with whom he had established a friendship during his years in England. The marriage was frowned upon by senior officials in Alor Star and Tunku was transferred to Langkawi as District Officer. Unfortunately, the marriage to Violet did not last long and after Tunku was transferred to Sungai Patani as District Officer, they agreed to separate. Violet returned to England in 1937.
Tunku Abdul Rahman returned to London to continue his law studies. Tunku passed the Part One Examination in his first year. However, he was then recalled to Malaya as there was news of impending war.
Tunku Abdul Rahman married Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah, the sister of Syed Omar Barakbah, his classmate in England. They never had a child of their own. However, they adopted three children; Faridah, Sulaiman and Mariam.
Tun Abdul Razak was selected as a Student-Probationer in the Malay Administrative Service. Just like other Student-Probationers who were recruited from other secondary or high schools, Tun Razak received a year's training course at the Malay College, following a special syllabus that included English, Mathematics, History, Geography, and specialist subjects such as Elementary Law and Surveying.
Tun Abdullah was born on November 26, 1939 in Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang. He is affectionally known as Pak Lah, "Pak" meaning "Uncle" while "Lah" is taken from his name, Abdullah. He was named after his paternal grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah Fahim (Abdullah Ibrahim), an influential and respected 'ulama' (religious scholar) and astrologer. He is the eldest of four siblings born to parents Haji Ahmad Badawi Abdullah and Hajah Kailan Hassan. He comes from a history of religious politicians. His grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah Fahim was a well known Muslim scholar who was educated in Mecca. Sheikh Abdullah was also the Mufti of Pulau Pinang and the first member of UMNO in Seberang Perai. Tun Abdullah's father, Haji Badawi was the parliament member of Kepala Batas and also the Deputy of the UMNO Youth Chief. (Kenali Tun Abdullah Hj. Ahmad Badawi: Mencetus Hadhari, Memperkasa Modal Insan, 2010, p.2)
Tun Hussein obtained a Grade 2 at high school, not enough for the prestigious Raffles College nor the King Edward VII Medical College. World War 2 had broken out when he graduated from high school, and he elected to serve as a cadet in the Johor Military Forces (JMF). His decision to serve the military reflected the patriotism and spirit of young men at the time - there was the possibility of the war reaching Malaya and Tun Hussein and many others wanted to be able to defend his country. Tun Hussein, his close friend, Tun Ibrahim Ismail and his cousin, Ungku Ahmad Abdul Rahman, were chosen to continue military training at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun.
Tun Abdul Razak departed to Singapore to continue his studies under a scholarship at Raffles College. The scholarship entitled him to take a three-year course in Economics, Law and History. At Raffles, Tun Razak observed that of the 88 students there, only 15 were Malays. Studying in a multi-racial institution was a new experience for Tun Razak. However, he managed to get along well with others. Tun Razak was also an active student, as he was the Honorary Secretary of the History Association and was part of the football team. It was here that Tun Razak realized that privileged students from the Malay College were not showing promising results, as they were not independent and so had no compelling need to work hard in order to ensure success in future careers. This was a circumstance which in later years, when he got to be Minister of Education, Tun Abdul Razak had the capacity to correct through the democratization of university admission. Tun Abdul Razak successfully passed his first year papers. His studies were interrupted when the Japanese invaded Malaya in 1942.
News spread of the Japanese invasion of North Vietnam and their readiness to invade Europe’s colonies in South East Asia by the end of 1940. In July 1941, the Japanese triumphed over Cochin-China in South Vietnam, which was located only 500 km from Kota Bharu, Kelantan and 1,000 km from Singapore. The Japanese arrived at Pantai Pak Amat in Kota Bharu on 7 December 1941 in the morning, during which time the students in Malay College, including Tun Razak, were sitting for their final examination. The examination was cancelled and students were asked to return to their hometowns as the residential buildings would be used as a field hospital. However, Tun Razak refused. Together with Hamdan Tahir, he worked at the hospital as a member of Perkhidmatan Perubatan Tambahan. Tun Razak was impressed by the courage and bravery of Malay fighters such as Leftenan Adnan who fought for their beloved nation to the last breath. The British Defense could not withstand the Japanese onslaught in Malaya and Singapore. When British defeat seemed imminent, Tun Razak and some of his friends returned to their hometowns via the midnight freight train. A few days later, just as Tun Razak arrived in Bentong, the Japanese conquered Kuala Lumpur and were moving towards the south.
In June 1941, Tun Hussein Onn, Tun Ibrahim Ismail and Ungku Ahmad Abdul Rahman reported to the Military Academy of India in Dehradun. They were trained in various aspects of the military, security, and strategies in defending the nation. What was originally supposed to be a two-year training programme was compressed to eight months, and the boys had to compete with older and hardier Indian students who were graduates of military colleges (Legacy of Honour, Zainah Anwar). The training molded Tun Hussein's character. "It not only taught me military science, but what is more important, it had taught me the art and quality of leadership, loyalty to one's country and responsibility for the welfare and well-being of those who have given their trust in you." (Legacy of Honour, Zainah Anwar). The training ended in 1942, a year later. All three of them graduated and were commissioned to serve in the 19th Hyderabad Regiment in India. Tun Hussein and Tun Ibrahim were appointed second lieutenants in the British Indian Army. They were sent to Agra to train young recruits for the 19th Hyderabad Regiment. Subsequently, Tun Hussein was posted to Syria, Palestine and Iraq.
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941 and launched an incursion into Southeast Asia on the 8th, days after Tun sat for his Junior Cambridge Examination. Tun joined the Auxiliary Fire Service in Alor Star to help the British civil defence initiative. When the Japanese troops entered Alor Star, Tun's family evacuated to his sister's home in Jalan Kota Tanah. The Japanese invasion marked a turning point in Tun's views of the British. "It was a shock for me to see the Orang Putih being defeated, and by Asians at that." It also marked the start of his life-long abhorrence for war.
A Japanese squadron of medium-sized bombers attacked Sungai Patani Airbase, destroying several RAF planes and petrol dumps. The State government decided to move the Sultan to a safer location, ie: Penang. However, Tunku felt Penang would be the Japanese's next target. He intercepted his father's convoy as it travelled to Butterworth and "kidnapped" his father to the village of Siddim. Tunku was correct in his assessment of the Japanese attacks. There were devastating raids on airfields in Butterworth and soon the Japanese wrenched control of Penang. On 19 December, 1942, the Sultan returned to Kulim where he signed an agreement with the Japanese governor. Tunku reluctantly served as interpreter between the Japanese and the local government.
When the Japanese invaded Malaya, all English schools were closed, and Tun Dr. Mahathir's school years came to a stop. As there was no school, Tun continued his education by reading books belonging to his father and English-language business magazines people threw away. After some time, Tun attended the Japanese school, the Nippon Gakko, when he was 17. He attended only briefly and left to sell rice and curry at a government office canteen then later at Pekan Rabu where he sold ginger water, banana fritters and Malay cakes. Food and medicine became scarce during the Japanese occupation. Tun recalls feeling elated when the Japanese Occupation ended as it meant he could return to school. He also found out that he had passed his Junior Cambridge exams. (Source: A Doctor In The House, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad)
Tun Razak spent the remainder of 1942 in Jambu Langgar, Pekan, Pahang. He planted, cultivated rice and fished, activities which must have seemed tedious to a young and ambitious man. Later, he made his way to Bentong to ask his father for a job. However, his father could not help as the Japanese determined employment. So, with a capital of several hundred Ringgit borrowed from his father, Tun Razak and a few of his friends started a weekly newspaper called “Gegaran Masa” or “Alter the Present”. The project only lasted for a few weeks as the news, except for official edicts and pre-announcements, was heavily censored. The Japanese, too, were extremely suspicious of Tun Razak, as he was a son of Dato’ Hussein Mohd Taib, and in control of a branch of the media (Tun Abdul Razak: A phenomenon in Malaysian Politics, 1998).
Tunku and several friends including Datuk Senu Abdul Rahman and Tan Sri Mohamed Khir Johari set up a welfare group that collected money and food for the needy and especially the survivors of the notorious death railway from Thai to Burma. This group became "Saberkas" (Unity) that along with its welfare programmes, also secretly helped recruit soldiers for Force 136, part of the underground resistance sabotaging Japanese occupation of Malaya.
Koa Kunrensho was the name of two schools established to encourage the learning of the Japanese language and to improve administrative skills. Aside from learning the Japanese language; participants were exposed to Japanese culture. The graduates would then be appointed as administrative assistants and at the same time, would teach the Japanese language to others. Tun Razak applied for the course and with two other friends from Pahang, Hamzah Abu Samah and Ghazali, they managed to get places in Koa Kunrensho. Tun Razak was sent to Koa Kunrensho in Singapore. There, they underwent military training that included marching with the ceremonial Japanese ‘goose-step”. There were frequent marches of up to twenty miles in the tropical heat. After completing the course, Tun Razak was placed under the Japanese administration in Temerloh before becoming the Assistant District Officer in Raub.
In 1943, the Japanese formally handed Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu back to Siam (now: Thailand), purportedly to correct an "injustice" done by the British which had forced Siam to give up the Malay states. Tunku was made Superintendent of Education for Kedah.
In early 1943, Tun Hussein was called to serve in the Military Intelligence Department at the British Military Headquarters, New Delhi, to prepare for the recapture of Malaya. He was later posted to Rawalpindi, Pakistan, as an instructor at the Malayan Police Recruiting and Training Centre, to train a police force to restore order to Malaya once the British re-occupied it. He was by now promoted to Captain. Tun Hussein was with the second wave of an attack force heading to Malaya when news came of the Japanese surrender. The fleet diverted to Rangoon and Singapore and Tun Hussein only reached Malayan shores at the end of 1945.
In May 1943, Sultan Abdul Hamid passed away after sixty one years as the Ruler of Kedah. Tunku's brother, Sultan Tunku Badlishah, ascended the throne.
While working as a Japanase government official, Tun Razak was approached by the Anti-Japanese Malaya Resistance Movement, also known as ‘Wataniah”. He agreed to be take part in the movement. However, due to his position as a government official, Tun Razak was unable to contribute actively or undertake training in the jungle, as his absence would have raised suspicion and led to the discovery of the Movement. Tun Razak did feed the Movement information on Japanese military positions and police activities. He also served as a Captain in Force 136 of the Wataniah Movement. (Tun Abdul Razak: A Phenomenon in Malaysian Politics)
On the 2nd of September 1945, the Japanese Imperial government in Tokyo agreed to surrender after atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 6th and 9th of August respectively. Thus ended World War II.
After the Japanese surrender, Tun Dr. Mahathir resumed his education at Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid at Standard Nine. He became the Chairman of the Literary and Debating Society and Editor of the school magazine, The Darulaman. His first editorial was a commentary about the war and the Japanese. Mathematics was his favourite subject. "Mathematical skills are absolutely essential in life, especially in business," Tun Dr. Mahathir stated. Tun was also good in History and obtained an "A" for the subject in his Senior Cambridge Examination.
When the idea of Malayan Union was proposed by the British, Tun Dr. Mahathir started to get involved with politics by joining campaigns to oppose the plan. The Japanese occupation had sown the seeds of disillusionment against the British for they had failed to protect the Malay States and the Rulers. After the war, the British proposed a single colony, the Malayan Union. Even though he was still in school, Tun Mahathir and his schoolmates were interested in the political developments of the day, and Tun was convinced that the British had no right to impose the Malayan Union without consultation with the Malay people. Tun's group of students teamed up with religious school students of Ma'ahad Mahmood to protest against the Malayan Union. Tun wrote letters to the Press to state his opposition to the Malayan Union. Tun and his friends also mounted a poster campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of the Malayan Union. As he said, "I did not relish the idea of becoming dispossessed in my ancestral land, a land that was mine to begin with, or seeing my own people's land becoming everybody else's." According to Tun, before his generation, only Rulers were expected to participate in politics. (Source: A Doctor In The House, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad)
After the Japanese surrendered, the British sought to regain control over the Malay states. The Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. George Hall issued his policy on a 'Malayan Union' to further centralise British control over the Malay states.
Tun Hussein was appointed as the Commandant of the Police Depot in his hometown of Johor Bahru by the British Military Academy (BMA). His job was to establish a credible police force after the exit of the Japanese from Malaya. He held the position until the BMA ended in 1946, and civilian government rule returned.
Tun Abdullah's formal education started at Sekolah Melayu Permatang Bertam, Kepala Batas, a primary school he attended until Primary Four. Thereafter, he entered the SMC, the Special malay Class. After passing the SMC examination, he continued his studies at Sekolah Tinggi Bukit Mertajam and later Sekolah Lelaki Methodist Pulau Pinang. In secondary school, Tun Abdullah was appointed editor of the school magazine. He was also elected to head the Penang and Seberang Perai Malay Students' Association (Persatuan Pelajar Melayu Pulau Pinang dan Seberang Perai (PPMPPSP)). In the afternoon, Tun Abdullah attended the Madrasah Daeratul Maarifil Wataniah, a school founded by Tun Abdullah's grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah Fahim in 1926, for his religious classes. (A New Breeze in Malaysia's Politics - Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Paridah Abd Samad; Kenali Tun Abdullah Hj. Ahmah Badawi: Mencetus islam Hadhari, Memperkasa Modal Insan, 2010, p.4)
Representing the British government, Sir Harold Macmichael met with the Malayan Sultans and managed to obtain their agreement to the MacMichael Treaty. The treaty proposed a Malayan Union (comprising Malay states, Malacca and Penang) to replace British Malaya. There would be equal citizenship rights and the power of the Malay Sultans would be heavily curtailed, confined to religious affairs. The Macmichael Treaty resulted in the awakening of Malay political consciousness. Datuk Onn Jaafar formed a national movement to oppose the Malayan Union. On 1st March 1946, the first All-Malay Congress took place in Kuala Lumpur. The Congress gathered the 41 Malay associations represented into one organisation, the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO).
When the BMA ended, both Tun Hussein and Tun Ibrahim elected to leave the military when the British Army refused to grant Malay officers equal status. They were regarded as equals during the war but that changed when the war ended. British men of lower ranks did not have to salute Malay officers and Malay officers had to eat at separate messes. Tun Hussein elected to join the Malay Administrative Service and was appointed Assistant District Officer (ADO) in Kuala Selangor.
After UMNO was established, Tun Dr. Mahathir was among the first to register to become a member. Tun Dr. Mahathir supported the party's ideology in objecting to the Malayan Union.
After the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the British re-established its presence in Malaya. The British Military Government decided that Tun Abdul Razak was better suited to an administrative rather than military position. He was then transferred into the civil service as a Malay Officer on Probation; a position that he would have got sooner if it weren't for the Japanese invasion. However, Tun Abdul Razak had also applied to the Government of the Malayan Union for a scholarship to study law at the University of London. The application was approved by the Director of Education on 13th July 1946, and two days later by the Chief Secretary. His joy was short-lived however, as he did not possess any qualification in Latin which was necessary to enter the university; it resulted in his scholarship being postponed for a year. In May 1947, Tun Abdul Razak passed the London Matriculation Examination in Latin. Three months passed and when there was still no confirmation on his place in the university. Tun Razak signed an agreement to enter the Lincoln's Inn of Court to study for the bar, the same institution that Tun Hussein Onn went. He was excellent in terms of his studies, managing to get through most of his law syllabus in the first eighteen months. By April 1949 he had already passed the Final Examination. In 1950, Tun Razak qualified as an Utter Barrister from Lincoln's Inn. He was called to the Bar and started his career as a lawyer that same year.
When UMNO was formed in 1946 to protest against the Malayan Union, Tun Hussein was only 24 years old and was the commandant of the Police Depot in Johor. Following in his parents' footsteps, he joined UMNO. His mother was then in charge of the Women's committee. Tun Hussein was placed in charge of the Youth Committee. His task was to recruit as many young Malay men as possible to join UMNO. The Youth wing, Perikatan Pemuda UMNO was formally launched on 26th of August 1949. Tun Hussein Onn, who was already a full-time UMNO organiser, was elected as the first UMNO Youth Chief.
With the political landscape in Malaya shifting, Tunku at this time felt it was a good time for him to return to England and complete his law studies. He and the Sultan of Kedah had a cool relationship and he also opposed the new direction of Saberkas which condoned the use force to achieve their objectives. Tunku resigned from Saberkas in 1946. He left for England and committed to his law studies. "I made a point of getting to the new library at 10 o'clock in the morning and returned at 4 o'clock, from Mondays to Fridays," the Tunku said (quoted in "Of Political Bondage" by Ranjit Gill). During the weekends, Tunku socialised with many Malay students. Among them were Taib Andak (who later became the Chief Minister of Sarawak), Eusoff Abdoolcadeer and Tun Abdul Razak (who became his Deputy Prime Minister). Tun Razak was 25 at the time and was reading Law at Lincoln's Inn. Tunku and Tun Razak struck a friendship and discussed Malaya's Independence as well as the potential enmity between the Malays and the Chinese. Tunku sat for his final exams in September 1948. He had passed his Bar exams at the age of 46, twenty five years after he first started his journey as a student. "All the injustices from the past and the humiliation I experienced came to mind. I said to myself, 'now, at last I have vindicated myself'. Let those people who had condemned me eat their words. Immediately, I knelt down in prayer and thanked Allah for his mercy," Tunku was quoted to have said ("Of Political Bondage", Ranjit Gill). Tunku returned to Malaya in January 1949.
Tun Dr. Mahathir worked as a clerk at the office of the Custodian of Enemy Property to earn some money while he waited of news of his scholarship application. The job offered no prospects of promotion and paid only RM60 monthly.
Tun Abdul Razak's wartime experience and his stay in England opened his eyes to the nation's urgent need for leaders who were willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the country. He joined and eventually became the Secretary of the Malay Society of Great Britain which aimed to promote unity and political awareness among the Malays. It was through this society that he met Tunku Abdul Rahman who was the society's President at the time and also studying law. Tun Razak was later appointed the Vice President of the Society, while Taib Andak became the Secretary. Little did they know that their meeting was not only the start of a true friendship that lasted until Tun Razak's death, but also a partnership that would be the driving force of efforts to achieve Independence for Malaya.
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