Raja Uda

Template:Short description Raja Uda ibni Raja Muhammad (15 December 1894 – 17 October 1976) 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 four states in Malaysia without a hereditary ruler.

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 both of Sultan Hisamuddin's sisters namely, Tengku Badariah binti Sultan Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah and Tengku Nor Saadah.

Educated at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, Raja Uda joined the colonial government service in 1910 at the age of 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.

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. Following the first ever general election in 1955, Raja Uda was appointed Speaker of the Federal Legislative Council.

On August 30, 1957, the day before 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:

• The neighbourhood of Kampung Raja Uda, Port Klang, Selangor
  • Template:KLRT code Kampung Raja Uda Komuter station
• Template:KLRT code Raja Uda MRT station
• Perpustakaan Raja Tun Uda or Raja Tun Uda Library in Section 13, Shah Alam, Selangor.
• The Weld Quay in George Town, Penang was renamed Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda.
• Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Raja Tun Uda (SMKRaTU) in Bayan Lepas, Penang
• Masjid Jamek Raja Tun Uda, the first mosque built in Shah Alam, Selangor located at Section 16.

Streets

• Jalan Raja Uda in Butterworth, Penang
• Jalan Raja Uda in Kuala Lumpur

Honours

Honour of Malaysia

• Malaya :
  • File:MY Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara (Defender of the Realm) - SMN.svg Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN) – Tun (1959)
• Malaysia :
  • File:MY Pingat Peringatan Malaysia (Malaysian Commemorative Medal) ribbon.svg Recipient of the Malaysian Commemorative Medal (Gold) (PPM) (1965)
• Penang :
  • File:MY-PEN Order of the Defender of State - Knight Grand Commander - DUPN.svg Grand Master and Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DUPN) – Dato' Seri Utama (Template:Dts–Template:Dts)

Foreign Honours

• United Kingdom :
  • File:UK King George VI Coronation Medal ribbon.svg Recipient of the King George VI Coronation Medal (1937)
  • File:Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon.svg Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) (1945)
  • File:UK Order St-Michael St-George ribbon.svg Honorary Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) (1951)
  • File:Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon.svg Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) – Sir (1953)