Abdul Razak Hussein

Abdul Razak Hussein
عبد الرزاق حسين
Abdul Razak at Soestdijk Palace, 1968.
2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia
In office
22 September 1970 – 14 January 1976
Monarchs
Deputy
Preceded byTunku Abdul Rahman
Succeeded byHussein Onn
President of UMNO
In office
25 January 1971 – 14 January 1976
Preceded byTunku Abdul Rahman
Succeeded byHussein Onn
Ministerial portfolios
Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
In office
31 August 1957 – 22 September 1970
Monarchs
  • Abdul Rahman
  • Hisamuddin
  • Putra
  • Ismail Nasiruddin
  • Abdul Halim
Prime MinisterTunku Abdul Rahman
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byIsmail Abdul Rahman
Menteri Besar of Pahang
In office
1 February 1955 – 15 June 1955
MonarchAbu Bakar
Preceded byTengku Muhamad Sultan Ahmad
Succeeded byTengku Muhamad Sultan Ahmad
Minister
1955–1957Education
1957–1970Defence
1957–1970National and Rural Development
1967–1969Home Affairs
1970–1975Foreign Affairs
1974Finance
1974–1976Defence
Parliamentary offices
Member of Parliament
for Pekan
In office
11 September 1959 – 14 January 1976
Preceded byConstituency created
Succeeded byNajib Razak
Political positions
1950–1951Leader of UMNO Youth
1970–1973Leader of Alliance Party
1973–1976Chairman of Barisan Nasional
Personal details
BornAbdul Razak bin Hussein
(1922-03-11)11 March 1922
Pekan, Pahang, Federated Malay States
Died14 January 1976(1976-01-14) (aged 53)
London, England
Resting placeMakam Pahlawan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Party
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
(m. 1952)
Children5 (including Najib and Nazir)
Parents
EducationMalay College Kuala Kangsar
Alma mater
AwardsFull list
Military service
Branch/serviceAskar Wataniah Pahang
Years of service1941–1945
RankCaptain
UnitForce 136
Battles/warsWorld War II
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Abdul Razak bin Hussein (Jawi: عبد الرزاق بن حسين; 11 March 1922 – 14 January 1976) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the second prime minister of Malaysia from 1970 until his death in 1976. He also served as the first deputy prime minister of Malaysia from 1957 to 1970. He is referred to as the "Father of Development" ("Bapa Pembangunan") of Malaysia.

During his term as prime minister, Abdul Razak launched the Malaysian New Economic Policy (NEP), a program aimed at reducing the socioeconomic disparity between ethnic communities, particularly those of the ethnic Malay and Chinese. He also oversaw a realignment of Malaysia foreign policy away from his predecessor's pro-West and anti-Communist attitude and towards neutrality, with the country becoming a member of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1970. Abdul Razak was also the figure responsible for setting up Barisan Nasional (BN), a political coalition which held power uninterrupted from its inception in 1974 to 2018.

His eldest son, Najib Razak, became the sixth prime minister in 2009; however, later became infamous for his involvement in the 1MDB corruption scandal, which led to his conviction on multiple charges of corruption, abuse of power, and money laundering.