Ong Yoke Lin

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun

| name = Omar Ong Yoke Lin

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=MYS|size=100|SSM|PMN|SPMS|SPDK|DPMS}}

| native_name = {{nobold|翁毓麟}}

| native_name_lang = zh

| image = Omar Ong Yoke Lin.jpg

| image_size =

| order = 5th

| monarch = Abdul Halim
Yahya Petra
Ahmad Shah

| term_start = 23 February 1973

| term_end = 30 December 1980

| predecessor = Abdul Hamid Khan

| successor = Ismail Khan

| order2 =

| monarch2 =

| term_start2 =

| term_end2 =

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| birth_name = Ong Yoke Lin

| birth_date = {{birth date|1917|7|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Federated Malay States, British Malaya (now Malaysia)

| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|7|1|1917|7|23|df=y}}

| death_place = Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

| resting_place = Makam Pahlawan, Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur

| spouse = {{marriage|Aishah Chan-Ong|1974}}

| children = 3

| occupation =

| party = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Malaysian Chinese Association.svg}} Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)

| signature =

| module = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes|hide=no

| c = 翁毓麟

| p = Wēng Yùlín

| poj = Ong Io̍k-lîn

}}

| office = President of the Dewan Negara

| primeminister =

| caption = Ong in 1962

}}

Tun Omar Ong Yoke Lin ({{lang-zh|翁毓麟}}; 23 July 1917 – 1 July 2010){{cite web|url=http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/web/guest/tun-dato-haji-omar-ong-yoke-lin1|title=Tun Dato' Haji Omar Ong Yoke Lin|publisher=National Archives of Malaysia|access-date=2018-10-02}}{{cite web|url=http://www.arkib.gov.my/web/guest/tun-dato-haji-omar-ong-yoke-lin1|title=Tun Dato' Haji Omar Ong Yoke Lin|publisher=National Archives of Malaysia|access-date=2018-10-02}} {{in lang|ms}} was a Malaysian politician, diplomat and businessman. He was a founding member of the Malaysian Chinese Association, and was a key figure in the country's road to independence. Ong served various positions in the government of Malaya and Malaysia, as a Cabinet minister and ambassador.

He was a Chinese Muslim convert.

Early life and education

Ong Yoke Lin was born on 23 July 1917 in Kuala Lumpur, he attended Pudu Girls' English School and later Victoria Institution, where he was contemporaries of, among others, Yahya Abdul Razak, Lee Siew Choh, Yaacob Latiff and Mahmood Ambak, the father-in-law of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia. He passed the London Matriculation in 1935 and trained as a chartered accountant. He intended to read law, but his studies were put on hold by the Japanese occupation of Malaya.

Politics

Omar helped found and joined the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) in 1949. As a prominent Chinese leader, Ong was selected by the British High Commissioner as a member of the then fully appointed Selangor State Council and Federal Legislative Council.

In 1952, he and Yahya Abdul Razak mooted the idea of an alliance between MCA and the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) for the Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council elections. This was the precursor to the formal Alliance Party. He contested and won a seat in that election, and was chosen as leader of the Alliance Party in the Municipal Council.

Omar went on to become MCA vice-president and the member of parliament for Hulu Selangor.{{cite news |title=Omar Ong Yoke Lin: the passing of an era |url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/omar-ong-yoke-lin-the-passing-of-an-era/ |publisher=The Malaysian Insider |date=1 July 2010}}

In 1955, the Alliance Party won the first ever elections to the Federal Legislative Council under the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman. Omar was appointed Minister for Post and Telecoms in the Tunku's first Cabinet. Following the overwhelming support shown for the Alliance Party during the elections and the forming of the government, the Tunku led the Merdeka Delegation to London which successfully negotiated independence from the British. Omar joined the Tunku on his second trip to London in April 1957 to finalise the newly drafted Constitution of Malaya.

=Independence and the formation of Malaysia=

On 31 August 1957, Omar was appointed to the first Rahman cabinet of the newly independent Federation of Malaya, holding the Labour and Social Welfare portfolio. In 1959, he became health minister.

During negotiations to unite Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and British North Borneo (later known as Sabah), Ong was ambassador to the United Nations as Malaya focused on diplomacy amid regional tensions with Indonesia (Konfrontasi).

Following the proclamation of the Federation of Malaysia, Ong continued to serve in the Cabinet as minister without portfolio until 1973. He served concurrently as High Commissioner to Canada in 1966 and as ambassador to Brazil from 1967 to 1972.

In 1973, he was elected President of the Dewan Negara and served until 1980.

Personal life

Tun Omar was married to Toh Puan Dr. Aishah Chan binti Abdullah, also a Chinese Muslim convert and had three children.{{cite news|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/7/1/nation/20100701130403&sec=nation|title=Tun Omar Yoke Lin Ong dies of old age|date=1 July 2010|work=The Star|publisher=Star Publications|access-date=1 July 2010}} He converted to Islam in 1961.

Death

Ong died on 1 July 2010 due to old age. He was 92. His body was laid to rest at Makam Pahlawan near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

Honours

{{Flag|Malaya}} :
50px Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN) – Tan Sri (1959){{cite news | url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/beritaharian19590831-1.2.7 | title=Lagi dua orang bergelar Tun | work=Berita Harian | date=31 August 1959 | pages=1}}
{{Flag|Malaysia}} :
50px Recipient of the Malaysian Commemorative Medal (Gold) (PPM) (1965){{cite web|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/semakanlantikanskp/|title=SEMAKAN PENERIMA DARJAH KEBESARAN, BINTANG DAN PINGAT|publisher=Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia)|access-date=12 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929181530/http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/semakanlantikanskp/|archive-date=29 September 2018|url-status=dead}}
50px Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM) – Tun (1979){{cite web

|url=https://www.istiadat.gov.my//wp-content/uploads/2020/08/1979.pdf|title=Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1979.}}

{{Flag|Selangor}} :
50px Knight Commander of the Order of the Crown of Selangor (DPMS) – Dato' (1971){{cite web|url=https://awards.selangor.gov.my/sublinkyear.php?cat=39&subcat=D.P.M.S.|title=DPMS 1971|website=awards.selangor.gov.my|access-date=23 January 2022}}
50px Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Selangor (SPMS) – Dato' Seri (1973){{cite web|title=SPMS 1973|url=https://awards.selangor.gov.my/sublinkyear.php?cat=38&subcat=S.P.M.S.|website=awards.selangor.gov.my|access-date=23 January 2022}}
{{Flag|Sabah|1963}} :
50px Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) – Datuk Seri Panglima (1973)

Notes

References

[https://web.archive.org/web/20080509104835/http://www.viweb.freehosting.net/OmarOng.htm Tun Omar Yoke-Lin Ong The Last Independence Fighter] (1999 interview), and "First step to independence", The Star, 2 April 2001. Online at The Victoria Institution
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080509154650/http://www.viweb.freehosting.net/OngYL.htm Catching up with... The Patriot with the golden heart], 17 December 2006, The Victoria Institution

{{Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia}}

Category:1917 births

Category:Malaysian people of Chinese descent

Category:2010 deaths

Category:Converts to Islam from Buddhism

Category:Malaysian Muslims

Category:Government ministers of Malaysia

Category:Malaysian politicians of Chinese descent

Category:Malaysian Chinese Association politicians

Category:Permanent representatives of Malaysia to the United Nations

Category:Ambassadors of Malaysia to the United States

Category:Malaysian expatriates in the United States