First Rahman cabinet

Tunku Abdul Rahman formed the first Rahman cabinet after being invited to begin a new government following the 27 July 1955 general election in Malaysia. Upon receiving the assent of the Rulers of the Malay States, the composition of the cabinet was announced by the High Commissioner of the Federation of Malaya, Donald MacGillivray, from King's House on 4 August 1955. The cabinet was sworn on 9 August 1955, by the Chief Justice of Malaya, Prethaser.

First Rahman cabinet

1st Cabinet of Malaya
People and organisations
Head of stateTuanku Abdul Rahman
Head of governmentTunku Abdul Rahman
Deputy head of governmentAbdul Razak Hussein
Member partiesAlliance Party
Status in legislatureUMNO led coalition majority government
Opposition partyPan-Malayan Islamic Party
History
Election(s)Malayan general election, 1955
Outgoing electionMalayan general election, 1959
Incoming formationRahman I Cabinet formation, 1955
Outgoing formationRahman II Cabinet formation, 1959
SuccessorSecond Rahman cabinet

The swearing in of this cabinet marked the first time the majority of the Executive were members directly elected by Malayans and this was also the last cabinet to hold office under the British protectorate. Only four portfolios, the Chief Secretary to the Government, Secretary of Finance, Attorney General and the Secretary of State, remained directly appointed by High Commissioner and were helmed by British officials.[1]

The tenure of the cabinet extended beyond the independence of Malaya on 31 August 1957, although it was reshuffled with the addition of new portfolios following independence and was only dissolved with the first post-independence general elections was called on 19 August 1959.

This is a list of the members of the first cabinet of the first Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya (then Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya), Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Composition
Members of the Cabinet of the Federation of Malaya, 1955: Sitting from the left: C.J. Thomas (Secretary of Finance), H. S. Lee (Minister of Transport), Tunku Abdul Rahman (Chief Minister and Minister of Home Affairs), Donald MacGillivray (High Commissioner), D.J. Watherson (Chief Secretary), J.P. Hogan (Attorney General), and Dr. Ismail Abdul Rahman (Minister of Natural Resources). Standing from the left: Bahaman Samsuddin (Deputy Minister of Home Affairs), Abdul Razak Hussein (Minister of Education), O.J. Spencer (Secretary of Economy), Abdul Aziz Ishak (Minister of Agriculture), A.H.P. Humphrey (Secretary of Defence), Sulaiman Abdul Rahman (Minister of Local Government, Housing and Town Planning), V. T. Sambanthan (Minister of Labour), Sardon Jubir (Minister of Works), Leong Yew Koh (Minister of Health), Ong Yoke Lin (Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Posts), A.S.H. Kemp (Secretary of State), and Too Joon Hing (Deputy Minister of Education).

Full members

The federal cabinet consisted of the following ministers:[2][3]

Portfolio Office Bearer Party Constituency Term Start Term End
Chief Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman UMNO Sungei Muda 1955 1957
Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman UMNO Sungei Muda 1957 1959
Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein UMNO Semantan 1957 1959
Minister of Home Affairs Tunku Abdul Rahman UMNO Sungei Muda 1955 1957
Minister of Foreign Affairs Tunku Abdul Rahman UMNO Sungei Muda 1957 1959
Minister of Education Abdul Razak Hussein UMNO Semantan 1955 1957
Mohd Khir Johari UMNO Kedah Tengah 1957 1959
Minister of Defence Abdul Razak Hussein UMNO Semantan 1957 1959
Minister of Home Affairs and Justice Sulaiman Abdul Rahman UMNO Johor Bahru 1957 1959
Minister of Finance H. S. Lee MCA Nominated 1957 1959
Minister of Natural Resources Ismail Abdul Rahman UMNO Johore Timor 1955 1957
Bahaman Samsudin UMNO Telok Anson 1957 1959
Minister of Transport H. S. Lee MCA Nominated 1955 1957
Abdul Rahman Talib UMNO Pahang Timor 1957 1959
Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives Abdul Aziz Ishak UMNO Selangor Barat 1955 1959
Minister of Health Leong Yew Koh MCA Ipoh-Menglembu 1955 1957
V. T. Sambanthan MIC Kinta Utara 1957 1959
Minister of Works Sardon Jubir UMNO Segamat 1955 1957
Minister of Works, Posts and Telecommunications Sardon Jubir UMNO Segamat 1957 1959
Minister of Labour V. T. Sambanthan MIC Kinta Utara 1955 1957
Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Ong Yoke Lin MCA Kuala Lumpur Barat 1957 1959
Minister of Local Government, Housing and Town Planning Sulaiman Abdul Rahman UMNO Johor Bahru 1955 1957
Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Posts Ong Yoke Lin MCA Kuala Lumpur Barat 1955 1957
Minister of Trade and Industry Tan Siew Sin MCA Malacca Central 1957 1959

Deputy and assistant ministers
Portfolio Office Bearer Party Constituency Term Start Term End
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bahaman Samsuddin UMNO Telok Anson 1955 1957
Deputy Minister of Education Too Joon Hing MCA Kinta Selatan 1955 1957
Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives Mohd Khir Johari UMNO Kedah Tengah 1955 1957
Assistant Minister of Health Abdul Rahman Talib UMNO Pahang Timor 1955 1957
Assistant Minister of Works Abdul Khalid Awang Osman UMNO Kelantan Selatan 1955 1957

See also

References
  1. Arkib Negara: Pembentukan Kabinet Pertama Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (in Malay)
  2. Malaysia, National Archives of. (n.d.). 1955 Cabinet (in Malay)
  3. Arkib Negara: Mesyuarat Kali Pertama Kabinet Merdeka (in Malay)
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