Tun Sir Raja Uda Al-Haj bin Raja Muhammad (1894 – 17 October 1976) was a
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 ...
n statesman during the country's struggle for independence and its early years of nationhood. He was a civil servant under the
British colonial administration, and eventually rose to important administrative positions within the government. Upon the independence of
Malaya
Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia:
Political entities
* British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
in 1957, he became the first
Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
, one of the four states in Malaysia without a hereditary ruler.
Raja Uda was also the grandfather of Malaysian political blogger
Raja Petra Kamaruddin.
Biography
Raja Uda was a member of the
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
royal family
A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...
, being a distant cousin of
Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah and a direct descendant of the first
Sultan of Selangor
Sultan of Selangor (سلطان سلاڠور) is the title of the constitutional ruler of Selangor, Malaysia who is the head of state and head of the Islamic religion in Selangor. The current monarch, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah ascended the t ...
. He married Sultan Hisamuddin's sister, Tengku Badariah binti Sultan Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah.
Educated at the
Malay College Kuala Kangsar. Raja Uda joined the colonial government service in 1910 at age 16. In 1939, he was appointed as secretary to the British Resident of Selangor. He was
Menteri Besar of Selangor
The Menteri Besar of Selangor, also referred to as the Chief Minister of Selangor, is the head of government in the Malaysian state of Selangor. According to convention, the Menteri Besar is the leader of the majority party or largest coalition p ...
twice, from 1949 to 1953, and again from 1954 to 1955. In between, Raja Uda served as Malayan High Commissioner in the United Kingdom. He was involved in negotiations with the British to establish the
Member System
The Member System, modeled on the cabinet system, was created by British authorities in Malaysia to provide self-governance. Like the Communities Liaison Committee, it drew on members of different communities, and was later described as setting a ...
in the 1950s.
In 1951, Raja Uda was appointed a CMG and appointed an Honorary
in 1953,. Following the
first ever general election in 1955, Raja Uda was appointed Speaker of the
Federal Legislative Council.
On August 30, 1957, the day before independence, Raja Uda was appointed the first
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of the state of
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
and served for ten years.
Raja Tun Uda died on October 17, 1976 and he was buried at the Selangor royal mausoleum near
Sultan Sulaiman Mosque in
Klang,
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
.
Legacy
Several projects and institutions were named after him, including:
* The neighbourhood of ''Kampung Raja Uda'',
Port Klang
Port Klang ( ms, Pelabuhan Klang) is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham ( ms, Pelabuhan Swettenham) but renamed Port Klang in July 1972, it is the largest port in the country. It is l ...
,
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
**
Kampung Raja Uda Komuter station
, type = Commuter rail station
, logo =
, logo_size =
, image = File:Kampung Raja Uda KTM Station signboard (220711).jpg
, image_size =
, image_caption =
, address = Kampung Raja Uda, Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.
, line = (KTM Komute ...
*
Raja Uda MRT station
The Raja Uda MRT station, or Raja Uda–UTM station due to sponsorship reasons, is a mass rapid transit (MRT) station that serves the neighborhood of Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is one of the stations under the MRT Putrajaya Line. ...
*
Perpustakaan Raja Tun Uda or
Raja Tun Uda Library
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested fr ...
in
Shah Alam
Shah Alam () is a city and the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia and situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor in ...
,
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
.
*The Weld Quay in
George Town,
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
was renamed Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda.
*
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Raja Tun Uda (SMKRTU) in
Bayan Lepas
Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History
Bayan Lep ...
,
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
*
Masjid Jamek Raja Tun Uda
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers (sujud) are performed, in ...
, the first mosque built in
Shah Alam
Shah Alam () is a city and the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia and situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor in ...
,
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
located at Section 16.
Streets
*Jalan Raja Uda in
Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
,
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
Honours
Honour of Penang
* As 1st
Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang
The governor of Penang ( ms, Yang di-Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang) is the head of state of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. The role of governor is largely ceremonial with the power vested in the executi ...
( – )
**
Grand Master and Knight Grand Commander of the
Order of the Defender of State
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
( – )
* :
** Grand Commander of the
Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN) – Tun (1958)
* :
**
Recipient of the
Malaysian Commemorative Medal (Gold) (PPM) (1965)
Foreign Honours
* :
**
King George VI Coronation Medal
The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Issue
This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir of King George VI's coronation. It was awarded to th ...
(1937)
**
Commander 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 ...
(CBE) (1947)
**
Companion of the
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III.
...
(CMG) (1951)
**
Honorary Knight Commander 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 ...
(KBE) - Sir (1953)
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raja Uda Raja Muhammad
Royal House of Selangor
People from Selangor
Malaysian people of Malay descent
Malaysian Muslims
Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang
1894 births
1976 deaths
Chief Ministers of Selangor
Selangor state executive councillors
High Commissioners of Malaysia to the United Kingdom
Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Honorary Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Honorary Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George