First Rahman cabinet

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First Rahman cabinet
Flag of Malaya.svg
1st Cabinet of Malaya
Tunku abd rahman.jpg
People and organisations
Head of state Tuanku Abdul Rahman
Head of government Tunku Abdul Rahman
Deputy head of government Abdul Razak Hussein
Member parties
Status in legislature Coalition government
53 / 98
Opposition party Pan-Malayan Islamic Party
History
Election(s) 1955 Malayan general election
Outgoing election 1959 Malayan general election
Successor Second Rahman cabinet

Tunku Abdul Rahman formed the first Rahman cabinet after being invited to begin a new government following the 27 July 1955 general election in Malaysia. Upon receiving the assent of the Rulers of the Malay States, the composition of the cabinet was announced by the High Commissioner of the Federation of Malaya, Donald MacGillivray, from King's House on 4 August 1955. The cabinet was sworn on 9 August 1955, by the Chief Justice of Malaya, Prethaser. It was the first cabinet of Malaysia formed since independence.

Contents

The swearing in of this cabinet marked the first time the majority of the Executive were members directly elected by Malayans and this was also the last cabinet to hold office under the British protectorate. Only four portfolios, the Chief Secretary to the Government, Secretary of Finance, Attorney General and the Secretary of State, remained directly appointed by High Commissioner and were helmed by British officials. [1]

The tenure of the cabinet extended beyond the independence of Malaya on 31 August 1957, although it was reshuffled with the addition of new portfolios following independence and was only dissolved with the first post-independence general elections was called on 19 August 1959.

This is a list of the members of the first cabinet of the first Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya (then Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya), Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Composition

Members of the Cabinet of the Federation of Malaya, 1955: Sitting from the left: C.J. Thomas (Secretary of Finance), H. S. Lee (Minister of Transport), Tunku Abdul Rahman (Chief Minister and Minister of Home Affairs), Donald MacGillivray (High Commissioner), D.J. Watherson (Chief Secretary), J.P. Hogan (Attorney General), and Dr. Ismail Abdul Rahman (Minister of Natural Resources). Standing from the left: Bahaman Samsuddin (Deputy Minister of Home Affairs), Abdul Razak Hussein (Minister of Education), O.J. Spencer (Secretary of Economy), Abdul Aziz Ishak (Minister of Agriculture), A.H.P. Humphrey (Secretary of Defence), Suleiman Abdul Rahman (Minister of Local Government, Housing and Town Planning), V. T. Sambanthan (Minister of Labour), Sardon Jubir (Minister of Works), Leong Yew Koh (Minister of Health), Ong Yoke Lin (Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Posts), A.S.H. Kemp (Secretary of State), and Too Joon Hing (Deputy Minister of Education). Cabinet of Malaya, 1955.jpg
Members of the Cabinet of the Federation of Malaya, 1955: Sitting from the left: C.J. Thomas (Secretary of Finance), H. S. Lee (Minister of Transport), Tunku Abdul Rahman (Chief Minister and Minister of Home Affairs), Donald MacGillivray (High Commissioner), D.J. Watherson (Chief Secretary), J.P. Hogan (Attorney General), and Dr. Ismail Abdul Rahman (Minister of Natural Resources). Standing from the left: Bahaman Samsuddin (Deputy Minister of Home Affairs), Abdul Razak Hussein (Minister of Education), O.J. Spencer (Secretary of Economy), Abdul Aziz Ishak (Minister of Agriculture), A.H.P. Humphrey (Secretary of Defence), Suleiman Abdul Rahman (Minister of Local Government, Housing and Town Planning), V. T. Sambanthan (Minister of Labour), Sardon Jubir (Minister of Works), Leong Yew Koh (Minister of Health), Ong Yoke Lin (Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Posts), A.S.H. Kemp (Secretary of State), and Too Joon Hing (Deputy Minister of Education).

Full members

The federal cabinet consisted of the following ministers: [2] [3]

PortfolioOffice BearerPartyConstituencyTerm StartTerm End
Chief Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman UMNO Sungei Muda 19551957
Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman UMNO Sungei Muda 19571959
Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein UMNO Semantan 19571959
Minister of Home Affairs Tunku Abdul Rahman UMNO Sungei Muda 19551957
Minister of Foreign Affairs Tunku Abdul Rahman UMNO Sungei Muda 19571959
Minister of Education Abdul Razak Hussein UMNO Semantan 19551957
Mohd Khir Johari UMNO Kedah Tengah 19571959
Minister of Defence Abdul Razak Hussein UMNO Semantan 19571959
Minister of Interior and Justice Suleiman Abdul Rahman UMNO Johor Bahru 19571959
Minister of Finance H. S. Lee MCANominated19571959
Minister of Natural Resources Ismail Abdul Rahman UMNO Johore Timor 19551957
Bahaman Samsudin UMNO Telok Anson 19571959
Minister of Transport H. S. Lee MCANominated19551957
Abdul Rahman Talib UMNO Pahang Timor 19571959
Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives Abdul Aziz Ishak UMNO Selangor Barat 19551959
Minister of Health Leong Yew Koh MCA Ipoh-Menglembu 19551957
V. T. Sambanthan MIC Kinta Utara 19571959
Minister of Works Sardon Jubir UMNO Segamat 19551957
Minister of Works, Posts and Telecommunications Sardon Jubir UMNO Segamat 19571959
Minister of Labour V. T. Sambanthan MIC Kinta Utara 19551957
Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Ong Yoke Lin MCA Kuala Lumpur Barat 19571959
Minister of Local Government, Housing and Town Planning Suleiman Abdul Rahman UMNO Johor Bahru 19551957
Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Posts Ong Yoke Lin MCA Kuala Lumpur Barat 19551957
Minister of Trade and Industry Tan Siew Sin MCA Malacca Central 19571959

Deputy and assistant ministers

PortfolioOffice BearerPartyConstituencyTerm StartTerm End
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bahaman Samsuddin UMNO Telok Anson 19551957
Deputy Minister of Education Too Joon Hing MCA Kinta Selatan 19551957
Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives Mohd Khir Johari UMNO Kedah Tengah 19551957
Assistant Minister of Health Abdul Rahman Talib UMNO Pahang Timor 19551957
Assistant Minister of Works Abdul Khalid Awang Osman UMNO Kelantan Selatan 19551957

See also

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References

  1. Arkib Negara: Pembentukan Kabinet Pertama Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (in Malay)
  2. Malaysia, National Archives of. (n.d.). 1955 Cabinet Archived 29 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Malay)
  3. Arkib Negara: Mesyuarat Kali Pertama Kabinet Merdeka (in Malay)