Tajuddin Kahar | |
|---|---|
| تاجو الدين كهار | |
| Secretary General of Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front | |
| Secretary General of Parti Rakyat Malaysia | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Tajuddin Kahar 23 September 1923 |
| Died | 2005 (aged 81–82) |
| Party | Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) (1961–2005) |
| Other political affiliations | Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front (SF) (1961–1964) |
| Occupation | Politician,journalist |
Tajuddin Kahar (1923-2005) was a socialist politician as secretary general of the Malayan Peoples' Socialist Front and political detainee in Malaysia. [1]
Kahar was born in Batu Gajah,Perak on 23,September,1923 and was a left-wing journalist in the early Utusan Melayu where he rose to be a news editor. [2]
When the newspaper was taken over by the country's dominant political party Umno in 1961,Tajuddin was also active in defending workers' rights and press freedom. He was a leader of strike action,alongside Said Zahari and Usman Awang to protest the takeover. [3]
Upon his sacking from Utusan,he joined the Parti Rakyat Malaysia and soon became secretary-general of both PRM and the Socialist Front. [4]
In 1964 he contested the Setapak parliamentary seat losing to Alliance/MCA candidate Chan Seong Yoon. He also lost in the Selangor state polls in Kajang,where he was defeated by Mohamed Nazir Abdul Jalil of the Alliance Party by 3,591 votes. [5]
In 1965 Tajuddin and other key Socialist Front leaders,such as chairman Hasnul Abdul Hadi and assistant secretary-general Tan Kai Hee were arrested to foil a demonstration called for 13 February to commemorate the second anniversary of PRM leader Ahmad Boestamam’s internment. [6]
He was eventually released after four years of detention without trial on March 12,1969. [7]
Tajuddin was described by former PRM leader Syed Husin Ali as soft-spoken,disciplined and a quiet organiser who spent a lot of time building the party. [2]
He died in 2005 aged 82. [2]
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | P070 Setapak,Selangor | Tajuddin Kahar (Socialist Front) | 7,888 | 32.34% | Chan Seong Yoon (MCA) | 12,292 | 50.39% | 24,394 | 4,404 | 68.22% | ||
| K. V. Thaver (PAP) | 4,214 | 17.27% | ||||||||||
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Kajang | Tajuddin Kahar (Socialist Front) | 7,888 | 32.34% | Dato Mohd Nazir Bin Abdul Jalil (UMNO) | 6,036 | 71.17% | 8,481 | 3,591 | 79.37% | ||