Rahah Noah

{{Infobox Officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|size=100|country=MYS|SSM|SIMP|SPDK|PNBS}}

| name = Rahah Mohamed Noah

| native_name = {{lang|ms|{{Script|Arab|راحة محمد نوح}}}}

| image = Rahah Noah 1968.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Rahah Noah in 1968

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1933|6|11|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Muar, Johor, Unfederated Malay States, British Malaya (now Malaysia)

| occupation =

| office = Spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia

| monarch = Abdul Halim
Yahya Petra

| primeminister = Abdul Razak Hussein

| term_label = In role

| term_start = 22 September 1970

| term_end = 14 January 1976

| predecessor = Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah

| successor = Suhailah Noah

| office2 = Spouse of the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia

| monarch2 = Abdul Rahman
Hishamuddin
Syed Putra
Ismail Nasiruddin
Abdul Halim

| term_label2 = In role

| term_start2 = 31 August 1957

| term_end2 = 22 September 1970

| primeminister2 = Tunku Abdul Rahman

| deputy2 = Abdul Razak Hussein

| successor2 = Norashikin Mohd Seth

| birthname =

| spouse = {{marriage|Abdul Razak Hussein|4 September 1952|14 January 1976|reason=died}}

| children = 5 (including Najib Razak and Nazir Razak)

| father = Mohamed Noah Omar

| mother = Maimun Abdul Manaf

| signature =

| website =

| footnotes =

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|12|18|1933|6|11|df=yes}}

| death_place = Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

| resting_place = Makam Pahlawan, Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur

| relatives = Nazifuddin Najib (grandson)
Suhailah Noah (sister)
Abdul Rahman Ya'kub (affinal)
Nizar Najib (grandson)

}}

Rahah binti Mohamed Noah (Jawi: راحة بنت محمد نوح‎; 11 June 1933 – 18 December 2020) was the wife of the second Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein (1922–1976) and the mother of sixth Prime Minister Najib Razak. Her father Mohamed Noah Omar (1898–1991) was the first Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of parliament, and the third President of the Dewan Negara, the upper house of parliament.

Biography

Rahah was born on 11 June 1933 in Muar, Johor. She was the youngest of Mohamed Noah Omar's ten children. While attending secondary school in Johor Bahru, Rahah was introduced to Abdul Razak Hussein, who was an active member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). This organization was founded by Taib Andaka, a friend of Abdul Razak, while studying in London. They married on 4 September 1952.{{cite web |title=Tun Rahah Noah|url=http://ensiklopedia-bahasa-malaysia.jbdirectory.com/Tun_Rahah_Noah|work=Ensiklopedia Bahasa Malaysia |publisher=JBDirectory |accessdate=6 June 2011}}

Abdul Razak became the second Prime Minister of Malaysia in 1970. As the prime minister's spouse, she served as President of the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia and patron of the Muslim Women's Action Organisation (Pertiwi). In 1976, Razak died in office, leaving Rahah widowed at a relatively young age of 43.

She was the chancellor of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, the university founded in honour of her husband. Since Abdul Razak was the prime minister who established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, all PRC ambassadors made a courtesy call on Rahah upon arriving in Malaysia.{{cite news |title=Malaysian PM's visit seeks more "vertical development" in ties with China |work=BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific – Political |date=1 June 2009}}

In an interview conducted in 2011, Rahah said she spent most of her time attending religious classes with friends.{{cite news |title=Najib's an obedient child, always listen to advice – Tun Rahah |url=http://my.news.yahoo.com/najibs-obedient-child-always-listen-advice-tun-rahah-083735891.html |publisher=Bernama |date=10 May 2011 |accessdate=6 June 2011 |archive-date=22 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322091851/http://my.news.yahoo.com/najibs-obedient-child-always-listen-advice-tun-rahah-083735891.html |url-status=dead }}

Death

Tun Rahah died on 18 December 2020 at the Prince Court Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur following a short illness, at the age of 87.{{cite web|date=18 December 2020|title=Najib's mum Tun Rahah passes away at age 87|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/12/18/rahah-mohamed-noah-dies|access-date=19 December 2020|website=The Star}}{{cite web|date=18 December 2020|title=Tun Rahah dies|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/12/650511/tun-rahah-dies|access-date=19 December 2020|website=New Straits Times}}{{cite web|date=18 December 2020|title=Tun Rahah meninggal dunia pada usia 87 tahun|url=https://www.bernama.com/bm/news.php?id=1913672|access-date=19 December 2020|website=Bernama|language=ms}}{{cite web|date=18 December 2020|title=Tun Rahah meninggal dunia|url=https://www.utusan.com.my/berita/2020/12/tun-rahah-meninggal-dunia/|access-date=19 December 2020|website=Utusan Malaysia|language=ms}} Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad described Tun Rahah as among the last from the independence generation who contributed invaluable services and sacrifices for the country.{{Cite web |date=2020-12-19 |title=Tun Rahah's demise prompts outpouring tributes |url=https://themalaysianreserve.com/2020/12/19/tun-rahahs-demise-prompts-outpouring-tributes/ |website=The Malaysian Reserve}} Mahathir was among the national leaders and acquaintances present to pay their last respects to Tun Rahah.{{Cite web |date=2020-12-19 |title=Dr M pays last respect to Najib's mother |url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/555843 |access-date= |website=Malaysiakini}}{{Cite web |date=2020-12-19 |title=Death of Tun Rahah: Dr Mahathir, Mukhriz arrive at Ar-Rahah Mosque |url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/12/650672/death-tun-rahah-dr-mahathir-mukhriz-arrive-ar-rahah-mosque-nsttv |website=New Straits Times}}

She was laid to rest at the Makam Pahlawan (Heroes' Mausoleum) near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur beside the grave of her sister Tun Suhailah Mohamed Noah, who died on 4 October 2014.{{cite web|date=19 December 2020|title=Tun Rahah laid to rest at Heroes' Mausoleum|url=https://bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=1913958|access-date=19 December 2020|website=Bernama}}{{cite web|date=19 December 2020|title=Tun Rahah laid to rest at National Heroes Mausoleum|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/12/650728/tun-rahah-laid-rest-national-heroes-mausoleum|access-date=19 December 2020|website=New Straits Times}}{{cite web|date=19 December 2020|title=Jenazah Tun Rahah selamat dikebumikan|url=https://www.hmetro.com.my/node/654854/amp|access-date=19 December 2020|website=Harian Metro|language=ms}}

Family

Abdul Razak and Rahah had five children:

Najib Razak (born 1953), the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia. In 2020, Najib was convicted of corruption in relation to the 1MDB scandal during his premiership.{{Cite news|date=2020-07-28|title=Najib Razak: Malaysian ex-PM gets 12-year jail term in 1MDB corruption trial|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53563065|access-date=}}
Ahmad Johari (born 1955)
Mohd Nizam (born 1957), the son-in-law to former Chief Minister from 1970 to 1981 as well as Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak from 1981 to 1986, Tun Abdul Rahman Ya'kub, being married to one of his daughters, Khadijah.
Mohd Nazim (born 1963), businessman cum husband to former tv presenter and AIDIJUMA entrepreneur, Norjuma Habib Mohammed.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2005/04/23/nazim-to-wed-former-nona-host-norjuma/|title = Nazim to wed former Nona host Norjuma}}
Mohd Nazir (born 1965), the former chief executive of CIMB, one of the largest financial services companies in South-East Asia.

Honours

=Honours of Malaysia=

{{flag|Malaysia}} :
50px Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM) – Tun (1976){{cite web|title=Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1976.|url=https://www.istiadat.gov.my//wp-content/uploads/2020/08/1976.pdf}}
{{Flag|Sarawak}} :
50px Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of Sarawak (PNBS) – Dato Sri (2002)
{{Flag|Pahang}} :
50px Grand Knight of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (SIMP) – formerly Dato, now Dato' Indera' (1973){{Cite book|author=Zainuddin Maidin|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/38048384|title=Tun Razak : jejak bertapak seorang patriot|date=1997|publisher=Lembaga Pemegang Amanah, Yayasan Tun Razak|isbn=967-61-0751-4|location=Kuala Lumpur|pages=320|oclc=38048384}}
{{flag|Sabah|1963}} :
50px Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) – Datuk Seri Panglima (1974){{Cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIYjAAAAIBAJ&dq=Toh+Puan+Rahah+SPDK&pg=PA13&article_id=2033,1560945 |title=Hussein and Rahah get top Sabah awards |pages=1 |date= 14 September 1974 |work=New Straits Times}}

=Places named after her=

Several places were named after her, including:

Taman Tun Rahah, Bukit Katil, Malacca
Dewan Besar Tun Rahah, Kuala Lumpur
Masjid Ar-Rahah, Kampung Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur
SMKA Tun Hajah Rahah, Sabak Bernam, Selangor

In popular culture

Rahah has been portrayed in a documentary, theater and films. She was portrayed by Fauziah Latiff in the theater Tun Razak Musical (2010) and a film played by Faezah Elai in Tanda Putera (2013).