Tun TUN or tun may refer to: Biology * Tun shells, large sea snails of the family ''Tonnidae'' * Tun, a tardigrade in its cryptobiotic state * Tun or Toon, common name for trees of the genus '' Toona'' Places * Tun, Sweden, a locality in Västra G ...

Datuk Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin. Origin The oldest ...

Abang

Haji Hajji ( ar, الحجّي; sometimes spelled Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. It is also often used to refer to an elder, since it ...

Openg bin Abang Sapiee ( ms, ابڠ حاج اوڤيڠ بن ابڠ شافعي, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 7 October 1905 – 28 March 1969) was a

Malaysian Malaysian may refer to: * Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia * Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia * Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who served as the first

Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak The Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, also known as the Governor of Sarawak, is the ceremonial head of state of Sarawak. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri is styled (). The official residence of the Governor is The Astana, located on the north bank of ...

from September 1963 to his death in March 1969. He assumed the newly established post following Sarawak's independence from the

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

and the formation of

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

in 1963.

Early life and career

Abang Openg was born on 7 October 1905 during the

White Rajahs The White Rajahs were a dynastic monarchy of the British Brooke family, who founded and ruled the Raj of Sarawak, located on the north west coast of the island of Borneo, from 1841 to 1946. The first ruler was Briton James Brooke. As a reward f ...

of Brooke dynasty's rule. He had his early education in

Kuching Kuching (), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River ...

before moving to

Sarikei Sarikei is a town, and the capital of Sarikei District (985 square kilometres) in Sarikei Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is located on the Rajang River, near where the river empties into the South China Sea. The district population (year 2010 ...

with his father Abang Sapiee. Abang Openg attended St. Anthony School in Sarikei before returning to Kuching to continue his education at St. Thomas School. As a 19-year-old man of the descendants of the elite with title ''Abang'', Abang Openg chose to enter the Brooke administration as a clerk in 1924. He was elevated to senior officer of native affairs in Sarikei after serving for eight years. He was appointed third-class magistrate in 1937. White Rajah

Charles Vyner Brooke Vyner, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG, full name Charles Vyner de Windt Brooke (26 September 1874 – 9 May 1963) was the third and last White Rajah of the Raj of Sarawak. Early life The son of Charles Brooke and his wife Margaret de Windt ( Ranee Ma ...

gave Abang Openg a special appointment, and he was afterwards appointed to a member of the state council. He was elevated to second-class magistrate and

Kuching Division Kuching Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. Formerly part of what was called the "First Division", it is the center and the starting point of modern Sarawak. Kuching Division has a total area of 4,559.5 ...

native affairs first officer in early 1941, just before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Abang Openg held the principle of choosing to be loyal to the Brooke rule until the Japanese surrender in September 1945. When Vyner decided to cede Sarawak to Britain, Abang Openg and several other Brooke officials opposed the decision.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

* : ** Grand Commander of the

Order of the Defender of the Realm The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace o ...

(SMN) – Tun (1964) *: ** MY-SAR Order of the Star of Sarawak - 2 ribbon PNBS -JBS-PBS-ABS-BBS

Knight Commander of the

Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak The ''Darjah Utama Yang Amat Mulia Bintang Sarawak'' (Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak) is the highest state order in the state of Sarawak. It is conferred to those who rendered excellent service towards the development of the state of S ...

(PNBS) – Dato' (1953)

Foreign honour

*: **

Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon

Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) (1962)

Namesakes

Several places were named after Abang Openg, including: * SMK Tun Abang Haji Openg, a secondary school in Kuching * Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg in Kuching * Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg in Sibu * Jalan Tun Openg in Tanjung Kidurong, Bintulu * Jalan Abang Haji Openg in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

References

Malaysian Muslims Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Recipients of the Order of the Star of Sarawak 1905 births Malaysian people of Malay descent 1969 deaths Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak People from Kuching {{Malaysia-politician-stub