In Memoriam: Tun Abdul Rahman Ya'kub (1928-2015)

First of all, I would like to wish everyone a belated Happy New Year 2015.

January 9th, 2015, at 9.34 PM, Sarawak has lost one of its beloved son.

Tun Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Rahman Ya'kub, the 3rd Chief Minister of Sarawak (1970-1981) and the 4th Governor of Sarawak (1981-1985), passed away after being admitted to Normah Medical Specialist Centre since December 15th,2014. Even the place where he passed away is named after his first wife, the late Toh Puan Normah Abdullah @ Rosaline Soon Siew Joon, where she passed away in 1984 due to cancer.

Born on January 3rd, 1928 in Bintulu, he was the uncle of the 4th Chief Minister of Sarawak and the current Governor of Sarawak, Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud.

He will be remembered for his role in changing the official  medium of Instruction in Schools from English to Bahasa Malaysia, the idea of forming the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), the founding of now-defunct Bank Utama Malaysia, and also one of the proponents for Malaysia to create its own oil company, known as Petronas.

And not to forget, his biggest achievement in signing the peace deal with the PARAKU (Parti Rakyat Kalimantan Utara-Northern Kalimantan Peoples Party), thus ending the Communist Insurgency in Sarawak in 1973.


Al-Fatihah and Farewell, Tun.

Almarhum Tun Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Rahman Ya'kub,
SMN, DP, SIMP,SPMK,SPMS,SSDK,SPMP,PNBS, Order of the Star of Merit (Korea),

The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Ethiopia (Ethiopia), Bintang Mahaputra (Indonesia)

L.D (Hon), UKM, D.Sc. (Hon), UPM

The 3rd Chief Minister of Sarawak (1970-1981)

The 4th Governor of Sarawak (1981-1985)
The Chairman of Angkatan Nadhatul Islamiah Bersatu Sarawak (BINA) (1969-1986),

Member of the Supreme Council of the Rabitah Alam Islami (Muslim World League, Makkah)
Member, Muslim World Congress,Karachi Pakistan