Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah
Encyclopedia
Tan Sri
Malay titles
The Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which are still used extensively in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders....

 Tengku Razaleigh bin Tengku Mohd Hamzah (born 1937) is a major Malaysian political figure from the state of Kelantan
Kelantan
Kelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....

, and a former Finance Minister. He is an uncle of the current Raja Perempuan
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...

 (queen) of Kelantan. Tengku is a Malay hereditary title usually translated as prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...

. He is fondly known as Ku Li, derived from the last syllables of Tengku Razaleigh: this is a common kind of contraction in the dialect of Kelantan.

He was also the Malaysian Finance Minister (1976-1984), the Trade and Industry minister (1984-1987), the former chairman of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...

, former chairman of Asian Development Bank
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia...

, former chairman of Islamic Development Bank
Islamic Development Bank
The Islamic Development Bank is a multilateral development financing institution located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was founded by the first conference of Finance Ministers of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference , convened 23 Dhu'l Qa'dah 1393 AH.The bank officially began its activities on...

 and the founder and former chairman of Malaysian oil company, Petronas
Petronas
PETRONAS, short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, is a Malaysian oil and gas company that was founded on August 17, 1974. Wholly owned by the Government of Malaysia, the corporation is vested with the entire oil and gas resources in Malaysia and is entrusted with the responsibility of developing and...

. He is now the longest-serving member of parliament in Malaysia followed by Abdul Taib Mahmud
Abdul Taib Mahmud
Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib bin Mahmud is the fourth and current Chief Minister of Sarawak. He is also the state Financial Minister and Planning and Resource Management Minister. Taib is the President of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu , which is part of the Barisan Nasional coalition...

.

Early life and education

Razaleigh was born in Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu is a city in Malaysia, is the state capital and Royal City of Kelantan. It is also the name of the territory in which Kota Bharu City is situated. The name means 'new city' or 'new castle/fort' in Malay. Kota Bharu is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia, and lies...

 to Tengku Mohd Hamzah Ibni Almarhum Raja Muda Long Zainal Abidin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Muhammad III, who was the last appointed Menteri Besar of Kelantan. Razaleigh attended Sultan Ismail College before moving on to the Malay College Kuala Kangsar
Malay College Kuala Kangsar
The Malay College Kuala Kangsar is a residential school in Malaysia. It is an all-boys and all-Malay school located in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Perak...

 (MCKK). However, he could not bear life in a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...

, and transferred to Anderson School in Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....

, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...

. He received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

 from the Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...

 in 1959 and later continued his studies at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...

. However, upon his father's death, he was forced to return, and never continued his studies.

Razaleigh took over the family business, and then joined the United Malays National Organisation
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....

 (UMNO), a major Malay political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

.

Involvement in Malaysia's Economic Development

Starting from the mid 1960s, with the support of the then Prime Ministers Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...

 and Tun Abdul Razak, several initiatives launched to increase and expand Malaysia's economic growth. Several of these initiatives were led by Razaleigh. These initiatives were major corporate takeovers of foreign congomelerates and major industries which was previously owned by foreign shareholders respectively.

New Straits Times Press
New Straits Times Press
The New Straits Times Press is a Malaysian conglomerate of publishing companies, owned by Media Prima. The NSTP publishes several newspapers, including the New Straits Times, The Malay Mail, Berita Harian and Harian Metro.-Origin:...

The New Straits Times Press
New Straits Times Press
The New Straits Times Press is a Malaysian conglomerate of publishing companies, owned by Media Prima. The NSTP publishes several newspapers, including the New Straits Times, The Malay Mail, Berita Harian and Harian Metro.-Origin:...

 (initially News Straits Times Press Sdn Bhd) was formed by the directors of the Directors of the Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad, in a desire to meet the reasonable aspirations of Malaysians to have a majority shareholding in the company which produced the largest mass-circulation organ in the territories of East and West Malaysia.

The Malaysia operations of the Straits Times, the Sunday Times, the Malay Mail, the Sunday Mail, Berita Harian and Berita Minggu were transferred to this new company. An agreement was reached in 1972 between the directors of the Straits Times group and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the disposal of 80 per cent of the stock of the News Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. for the Malaysian interest.

Pernas

PERNAS (Perbadanan Nasional Berhad or National Corporation) was setup in November 1969 as a wholly owned government company to carry out the resolutions at the Second Bumiputera Economic Congress. Among the major shareholders included were Malaysia's Ministry of Finance, Bank Negara Malaysia
Bank Negara Malaysia
Bank Negara Malaysia is the Malaysian central bank. Established on January 26, 1959 as the Bank Negara Malaya, its main purpose was to issue currency, act as banker and adviser to the Government of Malaysia and regulate the country's credit situation...

 (The Central Bank of Malaysia) and Bank Bumiputera Malaysia Berhad. Pernas was put under a solid footing under the chairmanship of Razaleigh (1970-1974) who had been the Minister of Finance from 1976 to 1984.

With the background of poor and very low participation of Bumiputeras in the private sector and industries at that time, PERNAS' principle were to:
  • to enter undertakings which would bring high economic returns,
  • when enter into joint ventures, PERNAS was to be the majority stockholder with controlling interest over operations,
  • Bumiputeras were to be employed at all levels of operations and undertakings..


8 subsidiaries were setup under PERNAS to achieve its objective. Malaysia National Insurance Berhad (MNI) was established in April 1970. There followed during 1971 Pernas Construction Sdn. Bhd., Pernas Engineering Sdn. Bhd., and Pernas Securities Sdn. Bhd. Then came Pernas Mining Sdn. Bhd (1973) and Pernas Edar Sdn Bhd (1974).

Razaleigh was in the thick of what became known as the Haw Par imbroglio of the mid-1970s, working with the Singapore-based Haw Par Brothers International Ltd, then an offshoot of the empire of British wheeler-dealer Jim Slater, to acquire control of London Tin Company, the British-controlled tin conglomerate, and the Sime Darby
Sime Darby
Sime Darby is Malaysia's leading multinational conglomerate involved in five core sectors: plantations, property, industrial, motors and energy & utilities, with a growing presence in healthcare...

 plantations conglomerate.This was to be achieved through a complex series of transactions by which PERNAS would end up as the largest shareholder of both. It failed when Singapore accused Haw Par of financial irregularities and later jailed a senior executive and the head, Donald Watson, fled to Ireland.

But it proved a short-lived setback for Razaleigh. Within two years, a share and proxy battle orchestrated by merchant bank Rothschild – which was also a part owner of Bumiputera Merchant Bankers – brought Sime Darby under Malaysian control and its headquarters shifted to Kuala Lumpur. Control of London Tin Company was acquired the same year. In another coup in 1979, Malaysian money made a “dawn raid” on British plantation giant, Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd, which wrenched the company from British control; most of the other British owned plantations soon followed..

Among the major corporate takeover exercise and formation of new businesses during Razaleigh's stewardship as Pernas Chairman were
  • Insurance - Malaysia National Insurance Bhd,
  • Banking - Maybank
    Maybank
    Maybank , a trade name for Malayan Banking Berhad is the largest bank and financial group in Malaysia, with significant banking operations in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. The bank also has large interests in Islamic banking through Maybank Islamic Berhad and insurance via its Etiqa...

     Bhd,
  • Mining - the then world largest tin mining company, London Tin Company which later were renamed into Malaysian Mining Corporation. It is known as MM Corporation Berhad.
  • Palm Oil and Rubber Producer - Sime Darby
    Sime Darby
    Sime Darby is Malaysia's leading multinational conglomerate involved in five core sectors: plantations, property, industrial, motors and energy & utilities, with a growing presence in healthcare...

    , Guthrie
    Guthrie
    -People:*Guthrie , for information on the nameSurname* A. B. Guthrie, Jr.* Allan Guthrie* Arlo Guthrie, American folk singer, son of Woody Guthrie* Bruce Guthrie* Charles Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank...

     Berhad, Highlands and Lowlands Berhad.

Malaysia's First Trade Delegation to China

In 1971, Razaleigh's led trade delegation went to China to initiate a prospect of initiating a business relationship.. During the visit to China, Razaleigh managed to meet the then China's Premier Zhou En Lai. Total trade with China stood at a mere RM105.6 million in 1971, but ballooned to RM1.6 billion in 1980. Since then the contact between the two countries has been on the increase as evidenced by the number of visits of trade, medical and sports delegations to China.

Petronas
Petronas
PETRONAS, short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, is a Malaysian oil and gas company that was founded on August 17, 1974. Wholly owned by the Government of Malaysia, the corporation is vested with the entire oil and gas resources in Malaysia and is entrusted with the responsibility of developing and...

On 6 September 1974, Malaysia's then prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak, announced the appointment of Razaleigh as Chairman and Chief Executive of Petronas (Petroleum Nasional Berhad). Tun Razak said: "From among the new blood, I intended to bring Tengku Razaleigh into the Cabinet. However, I have an important job for him, a job as important as that of a Cabinet Minister. I have decided to appoint him as Chairman and Chief Executive of Petronas, which is equivalent to being a Cabinet Minister.". Subsequently, Razaleigh had to relinquish his job as Chairman of PERNAS which he held from 1970, but retained the chairmanship of Bank Bumiputra.

Political career

As the former president of the Malayan Students Union in London and secretary of the Malay Society in Britain, Razaleigh has entered into politics in 23 April 1962. He was unanimously elected as chairman of the Ulu Kelantan Division of UMNO at its annual meeting. He had returned to Malaya earlier that year to attend the funeral of his father.

In the 1969 general election
Malaysian general election, 1969
General elections were held in Malaysia on 10 May 1969, although voting was postponed until between 21 and 27 June in Sabah and Sarawak. It resulted in the return to power, with a reduced majority, of the ruling Alliance Party, comprising the United Malays National Organization , the Malayan...

, Razaleigh won the Parliamentary
Parliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....

 seat of Kelantan Barat. In 1971, he was elected to the UMNO Supreme Council, and was elected as a Vice-President of UMNO in 1975. After Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...

 Tun Abdul Razak's sudden death in 1976, he was appointed as Finance Minister by the new Prime Minister, Hussein Onn
Hussein Onn
Tun Hussein bin Dato' Onn who is of 3/4 Malay and 1/4 Circassian ancestry was the third Prime Minister of Malaysia, ruling from 1976 to 1981. He was granted the soubriquet Bapa Perpaduan...

. Razaleigh's planning is reputed to have been the main reason the Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...

 (BN) coalition, of which UMNO is a member, almost totally defeated the opposition Islamic party of PAS
PAS (political party)
The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party commonly known as PAS or Pas, is an Islamist political party in Malaysia and is currently headed by Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang...

 in the 1978 general election
Malaysian general election, 1978
General elections were held in Malaysia on 8 July 1978. It was Hussein Onn's first election since he became the country's third Prime Minister. His Barisan Nasional Party emerged victorious with 131 of the 154 seats in Parliament...

 and the Kelantan state elections of the same year.

When Mahathir bin Mohamad
Mahathir bin Mohamad
Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad . is a Malaysian politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the post for 22 years from 1981 to 2003, making him Malaysia's longest serving Prime Minister. His political career spanned almost 40 years.Born and raised in Alor Setar, Kedah, Mahathir...

 succeeded Hussein Onn as Prime Minister, he declared the election for the Deputy Presidency of UMNO — and thus by extension the Deputy Prime Ministership — was open; he would not support any candidate. Razaleigh joined the fray, and his main opposition was Musa Hitam
Musa Hitam
Tun Musa bin Hitam , is a Malaysian politician and a former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, serving under Mahathir bin Mohamad. He was born in Johor Bahru, Johor in 1934...

. Eventually, Musa won the election with 722 votes to Razaleigh's 517 votes, becoming the new Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister. Razaleigh blamed himself for taking "a rather passive stance" and not having a campaign strategy.

In 1987, Tengku Razaleigh challenged Mahathir. In the election, Dr. Mahathir managed to retain his position. However, UMNO was split into two separate entities as Tengku Razaleigh was left unsatisfied with the result.

The split forced the Malaysian court to declare UMNO as illegal. Shortly after the court ruling, Dr. Mahathir reestablished UMNO as UMNO Baru (New UMNO), though the new UMNO was badly weakened. Tengku Razaleigh at the same time went on his own path and found a new political party called Semangat 46
Semangat 46
Parti Melayu Semangat 46 or Spirit of 46 Malay Party is a now defunct Malaysian political party. The party was formed in 1988 under the leadership of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who felt capable of mounting a realistic challenge to the dominance of then UMNO under Mahathir's leadership and its...

 in 1989. The number 46 refers to the year UMNO was originally founded.

Seven years later, Tengku Razaleigh disbanded Semangat 46 and rejoined UMNO.

In 2004, he announced his interest for the UMNO top post yet again but failed to garner enough nominations to contest the presidency.

Media and public appearances

Tengku Razaleigh is one of many Malaysian politicians, celebrities, and other well-known personalities who appear in Pete Teo and Namewee's public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...

 voter education video "Undilah" released in 2011. Razaleigh provides a spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....

 introduction to the rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...

 song.

Other references


External Links


See also

  • 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis
    1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis
    The 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis was a series of events that began with United Malays National Organisation general election in 1987 and ended with the suspension and the eventual removal of the Lord President of the Supreme Court, Tun Salleh Abas, from his seat...

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