# Sardon Jubir

Sardon bin Jubir (Jawi: سعدون بن زبير, Malay pronunciation:; 19 March 1917 – 14 December 1985) was a Malaysian politician who had served as the 4th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang from 1975 to 1981. Prior to his governorship, he had served as Minister of Health, Minister of Works and Communications and was the 3rd UMNO Youth Chief.

## Early life

Sardon was born in Rengit, Batu Pahat, Johor on 19 March 1917. His father, Haji Jubir bin Haji Mohd Amin was a plantation owner and a kathi in Singapore.
Sardon was educated at Victoria Bridge School and Raffles Institution in Singapore. At Raffles, he formed a Malay literary association with friends including Aziz Ishak, Abdul Hamid Jumat, and Ahmad Ibrahim and contributed articles on the Malays and their plight to Warta Malaya, a leading Malay newspaper in Singapore. This was done through Aziz's brother, Yusof Ishak who was already working as a journalist. Yusof later became the first President of Singapore.
After passing his Senior Cambridge examination, Tun Sardon pursued a career in law in London and qualified as a barrister from Lincoln's Inner Temple. He returned to Singapore in 1941 and had his practice in Singapore and later in Johor Bahru. He was called to the English Bar in 1938 at the same time as Tun Suffian Hashim who later retired as the Lord President of the Supreme Court.

## Political career

Tun Sardon held the post of Minister of Health until 1972. He retired from politics in 1974 and was made Ambassador to the United Nations – a post then normally associated with retired politicians. In 1975, he was appointed as Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang.

## Family

Sardon married Toh Puan Hajjah Saadiah Abdullah in 1944. They had three sons and two adopted daughters.

## Death

Sardon died on 14 December 1985 and was buried at Makam Pahlawan near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

## Legacy

With the support from business and community leaders from Penang, the Tun Sardon Foundation was incorporated on 13 June 1978 as a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital under the Companies Act 1965 to carry out charitable objects, including giving relief to the poor and needy, in particular the widows and orphans, victims of fire, floods, famine or other calamity and to those in need of moral or social rehabilitation or welfare.
Several projects and institutions were named after him, including:
* Taman Tun Sardon in Gelugor, Penang
* Jalan Tun Sardon a major road from Balik Pulau to Paya Terubong
* SMK Tun Sardon in Rengit, Johor
* Bilik Mesyuarat Tun Sardon Jubir, a conference room at Pos Malaysia National Mail Centre in Shah Alam, Selangor
* Laluan Makmal Sains Tun Sardon Jubir, a science laboratory hallway in a MARA institutional boarding school, MRSM Baling, Kedah

## Honours
### Honours of Penang

* As 4th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang (2 February 1975 – 30 April 1981)
** Knight Grand Commander (DUPN) with title Dato' Seri Utama
** Grand Master of the Order of the Defender of State

### Honours of Malaysia

* Malaya :
** Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN) – Tan Sri (1961)
* Malaysia :
** Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN) – Tun (1976)
** Recipient of the Malaysian Commemorative Medal (Gold) (PPM) (1965)
* Johor :
** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ) – Dato' (1972)
* Kelantan :
** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Kelantan (SPMK) – Dato' (1972)

### Foreign Honours

* Belgium
** Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II (1967)