Raja Uda Raja Muhammad

Yang Amat Mulia Raja Tun Uda Raja Muhammad
1st Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang
In office 31 August 1957 – 30 August 1967
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Syed Sheh Shahabudin
2nd Menteri Besar of Selangor
In office July 1949 – March 1953
Preceded by	Hamzah Abdullah
Succeeded by	Othman Muhammad
4th Menteri Besar of Selangor
In office September 1954 – August 1955
Preceded by	Othman Muhammad
Succeeded by	Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid
Personal details
Born	Raja Uda bin Raja Muhammad 1894 Kuala Langat, Selangor
Died	17 October 1976 (aged 81–82)
Spouse(s)	Raja Maslamah Raja Busu Tengku Badariah Tengku Puan Nor Saadah
Residence	Seri Mutiara
Religion	Sunni Islam

Raja Tun Sir Uda bin Raja Muhammad, KBE, CMG, was a Malaysian statesman during the country's struggle for independence and its early years of nationhood. He was a civil servant under the British colonial administration, and eventually rose to important administrative positions within the government. Upon the independence of Malaya in 1957, he became the first Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Penang, one of the two states in the federation without a hereditary ruler.

Raja Uda was also the grandfather of Malaysian political blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin.

Biography

Raja Uda was a member of the Selangor royal family, being a distant cousin of Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah and a direct descendant of the first Sultan of Selangor. He married Sultan Hisamuddin's sister, Tengku Badariah binti Sultan Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah.^[1]

Raja Uda joined the colonial government service in 1910 at age 16. In 1939, he was appointed as secretary to the British Resident of Selangor. He was Menteri Besar of Selangor twice, from 1949 to 1953, and again from 1954 to 1955. In between, Raja Uda served as Malayan High Commissioner in the United Kingdom. He was involved in negotiations with the British to establish the Member System in the 1950s.^[2]

In 1951, Raja Uda was appointed a CMG and appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1953,^[3] entitling him to the style "Sir," since the Federation of Malaya was then a realm of the British Empire. Following the first ever general election in 1955, Raja Uda was appointed Speaker of the Federal Legislative Council.

On August 31, 1957, the day of independence, Raja Uda was appointed the first Governor of the state of Penang and served for ten years.

Raja Tun Uda died on October 17, 1976 and he was buried at the Selangor royal mausoleum near Sultan Sulaiman Mosque in Klang, Selangor.

Legacy

Several projects and institutions were named after him, including:

• Perpustakaan Raja Tun Uda or Raja Tun Uda Library in Shah Alam, Selangor.
• The Weld Quay in George Town, Penang was renamed Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda.
• Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Raja Tun Uda (SMKRTU) in Bayan Lepas, Penang
• Masjid Jamek Raja Tun Uda, the first mosque built in Shah Alam, Selangor located at Section 16.

Honours

He has been awarded :^[3]

Honour of Penang

• As 1st Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang (31 August 1957 - 30 August 1967))
  • Grand Master and Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State 1 August 1967 - 30 August 1967) ^[4]

Honour of Malaya

•  Malaya : Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (1958)^[5]

Foreign Honours

•  United Kingdom :
  • Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE, 1.6.1953) with title Sir
  • Honorary Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG, 1.1.1951)

Notes

1. Raja Sir Tun Uda Al Haj Bin Raja Muhammad: Family Tree
2. Bab 5: Pembinaan Negara Bangsa yang Merdeka (in Malay). Textbook notes. Accessed June 3, 2010
3. The Royal Ark, Selangor genealogical details p.2
4. decorations of Penang : Order of the Defender of State founded in 01/08/1967
5. "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1958." (PDF).

References