# Hussein Onn

Hussein Onn (Jawi: حسين بن عون; 12 February 1922 – 29 May 1990) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the third prime minister of Malaysia in 1976 to 1981.

## Family

Hussein Onn was born on 12 February 1922 in Johor Bahru to Onn Jaafar and Halimah Hussein. His father was a Malaysian independence fighter and co-founder of UMNO. His grandfather, Jaafar Haji Muhammad, was Johor’s first Menteri Besar. His grandmother, Rogayah Hanim, was from the Caucasus region of the Ottoman Empire.
Hussein was the brother-in-law of Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein through his marriage to Suhailah Noah, daughter of Mohamed Noah Omar, in 1948. They had six children, including Hishammuddin Hussein, a senior UMNO politician. Their eldest daughter, Datin Roquaiya Hanim, died in 2006 from breast cancer.

## Education and early career

Hussein studied at Telok Kurau Primary School in Singapore and English College Johore Bahru. He joined the Johor Military Forces in 1940, trained at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, and later served in the Indian Army during World War II. He worked as an instructor in Rawalpindi and returned to Malaya in 1945 as Commandant of the Johor Bahru Police Depot. In 1946, he joined the Malaya Civil Service, serving in Segamat and later Selangor.

## Political career

Hussein entered politics in 1949 as the first youth chief of UMNO and later became its secretary-general. In 1951, he left UMNO to join the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP). After IMP declined, he studied law in London and was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn, later practicing in Kuala Lumpur.
He rejoined UMNO in 1968, won a parliamentary seat in 1969, and was appointed Education Minister. In 1973, he became Deputy Prime Minister.
Hussein served as Malaysia’s third Prime Minister from 15 January 1976 to 16 July 1981.

## Death

Hussein died on 29 May 1990 from heart disease in San Mateo, California, at age 68. He was buried at Makam Pahlawan near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

## Election results

Parliament of Malaysia :
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout |
| 1969 | P100 Johore Bahru Timor, Johore | Hussein Onn (UMNO) | 12,565 | 63.59% | | Lee Ah Meng (DAP) | 7,193 | 36.41% | 20,767 | 5,372 | 72.29% |
| 1974 | P109 Sri Gading, Johore | Hussein Onn (UMNO) | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| 1978 | P109 Sri Gading, Johore | Hussein Onn (UMNO) | 19,761 | 89.06% | | Hassan Hussein (PAS) | 2,427 | 10.94% | | 17,334 | |

## Awards and recognitions
### Honours of Malaysia

* Malaysia :
** Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN) – Tun (1981)
* Johor :
** Grand Commander of the Royal Family Order of Johor (DK I) (1976)
** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ) – Dato' (1972)
** Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Loyalty of Sultan Ismail of Johor (SSIJ) – Dato' (1975)
** First Class of the Sultan Ibrahim Medal (PIS I)
* Kelantan :
** Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Kelantan (DK)
* Negeri Sembilan :
** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan (SPNS) – Dato' Seri Utama (1980)
* Pahang :
** Grand Knight of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (SIMP) – formerly Dato', now Dato' Indera (1975)
* Penang :
** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DUPN) – Dato' Seri Utama (1977)
* Perak :
** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of Cura Si Manja Kini (SPCM) – Dato' Seri (1976)
* Sabah :
** Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) – Datuk Seri Panglima (1974)
* Sarawak :
** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DP) – Datuk Patinggi
* Selangor :
** Second Class Member of the Royal Family Order of Selangor (DK II) (1977)
* Terengganu :
** Member First Class of the Family Order of Terengganu (DK I) (1977)

### Places named after him

Several places were named after him, including:
* Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, a township in Cheras, Hulu Langat, Selangor
** KG29 Bandar Tun Hussein Onn MRT station
* Desa Tun Hussein Onn, a Malaysian Armed Forces residential area near Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur
* Tun Hussein Onn Jamek Mosque, a mosque in Larkin, Johor, Johor
* Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia (UTHM) Batu Pahat, Johor
* Institut Pendidikan Tun Hussein Onn (IPTHO) Batu Pahat, Johor
* Kolej Tun Hussein Onn, a residential college at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor
* Kolej Tun Hussein Onn, a residential college at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor
* Kolej Tun Hussein Onn, a residential college at Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kuala Perlis, Perlis
* Kolej Tun Hussein Onn, a residential college at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Machang, Kelantan
* SMK Tun Hussein Onn (SMKTHO), a secondary school in Kluang, Johor
* SMK Tun Hussein Onn (SMKTHO), a secondary school in Seberang Jaya, Penang
* SK Tun Hussein Onn (SKTHO), a primary school in Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur
* Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
* Tun Hussein Onn Highway, part of the Penang Bridge, Penang
* Jalan Tun Hussein Onn, a major road in Putrajaya
* Jalan Tun Hussein Onn, a road in Seberang Jaya, Penang
* Jalan Tun Hussein, a road in Felda Ayer Tawar, Kota Tinggi, Johor
* Jalan Tun Hussein Onn, a road in Taman Tinggi, Sibu, Sarawak
* Tun Hussein Onn Hockey Cup
* Dewan Tun Hussein Onn, Putra World Trade Centre
* Tun Hussein Onn Memorial, a memorial in Kuala Lumpur
* SMK Desa Tun Hussein Onn (SMKDTHO), a secondary school in Desa Tun Hussein Onn, Kuala Lumpur
* SK Desa Tun Hussein Onn (SKDTHO), a primary school in Desa Tun Hussein Onn, Kuala Lumpur