Musa Hitam facts for kids

Musa bin Hitam (born 18 April 1934) is a Malaysian retired politician. He served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 1986. During this time, he worked alongside Mahathir Mohamad, who was the Prime Minister. Musa Hitam also led a big company called Sime Darby Berhad as its chairman.

Early Life and Education

Musa bin Hitam was born on 18 April 1934 in Johor Bahru, which was then part of British Malaya. His father was of Javanese descent, and his mother had Chinese heritage. She was adopted and raised in a Malay family from a young age.

Musa went to school at the English College Johore Bahru. He earned his first degree from the University of Malaya. Later, he continued his studies and received a master's degree from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. He has also received special honorary doctorates from both the University of Sussex and Ohio University.

Musa has taken on important roles around the world. He was the Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. He also served as a member of the board for UNESCO, which is a United Nations agency. He led groups that observed elections in countries like Malawi. He was also part of delegations that visited countries such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Fiji, and Gambia.

Political Journey

In the 1960s, Musa Hitam briefly worked as the Acting Secretary-General for UMNO. This is a major political party in Malaysia. Later, he was removed from the party after some difficult times in Malaysia, known as the 13 May Incident. He was expelled for not following the instructions of the Prime Minister at the time, Tunku Abdul Rahman. During this period, he went to study for his master's degree.

In 1971, he was allowed to rejoin UMNO. This happened under the new Prime Minister, Abdul Razak Hussein. Musa quickly moved up in the party. He became a Deputy Whip for the Alliance coalition in Parliament. He was also chosen as a member of the UMNO Supreme Council. In 1978, he was elected as a Vice-President of UMNO.

When Mahathir Mohamad became Prime Minister, he announced that the position of Deputy President of UMNO was open for election. This position usually meant becoming the Deputy Prime Minister. In 1981, Musa Hitam ran against another politician, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Musa won the election and became the new Deputy President of UMNO and the Deputy Prime Minister.

Key Government Roles

Before becoming Malaysia's fifth Deputy Prime Minister in 1981, Musa Hitam held several important government jobs. These roles helped him gain experience in leading the country.

• He was the Chairman of the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA). This agency helps develop land for agriculture.
• He served as the Deputy Minister of Trade & Industry from 1970 to 1974.
• From 1974 to 1978, he was the Minister of Primary Industries. This role focused on important resources like rubber and tin.
• He then became the Minister of Education from 1978 to 1981.
• Finally, he served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1981 to 1987.

In September 1981, Musa Hitam even served as the Acting Prime Minister. This happened when Mahathir Mohamad was away on a vacation. Musa retired from his role as Deputy Prime Minister in 1986. He was then replaced by Ghafar Baba.

Life After Politics

In 1987, there was a big challenge within the UMNO party. Tengku Razaleigh ran against Mahathir Mohamad for the party's top position. Musa Hitam, who had some disagreements with Mahathir, decided to resign as Deputy Prime Minister. He then supported Razaleigh's team in the election.

Mahathir's team won the election, but UMNO ended up splitting into two groups. A court even declared UMNO illegal for a short time. Mahathir then created a new version of the party called UMNO Baru. Tengku Razaleigh started his own party. However, Musa decided to step away from politics completely after this.

After leaving active politics, Musa Hitam continued to serve Malaysia in other ways.

• From 1990 to 1991, he was Malaysia's Special Envoy to the United Nations.
• Starting in 1995, he became the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).
• He also led Malaysia's group to the UN Commission on Human Rights from 1993 to 1998. He was even chosen as the Chairman of the 52nd Session of the Commission in 1995.

He also served as the Chairman of Suhakam, which is Malaysia's Human Rights Commission, from 1999 to 2002. In 2007, Musa became the chairman of Synergy Drive Berhad. This company was formed from a merger of several large companies. He is also involved with the International Advisory Council of the Brookings Doha Center. Currently, Musa is the Chairman of the World Islamic Economic Foundation.

On 25 September 2024, Tun Musa Hitam was appointed as the Grand Chancellor of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia. This is a special role given by the King of Malaysia. He will hold this position for three years.

Personal Life

Musa Hitam was first married to Datin Ines Maria Reyna. She was from Peru and had Spanish heritage. They met in Lima, Peru, in 1959 when he was an international student. They had three children together: Mariana, Carlos Abdul Rashid, and Rosana. Sadly, Carlos and his wife were killed in the Highland Towers collapse on 11 December 1993.

Musa is now married to Toh Puan Zulaikha Sheardin. His daughter Mariana passed away on 5 November 2022.

Honours and Awards

Musa Hitam has received many special honours and awards throughout his life. These awards recognize his important contributions to Malaysia and other countries.

• From Malaysia, he received the highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM), which gives him the title Tun. He also received the Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN), which gives him the title Tan Sri.
• From the state of Johor, he received the Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ) and the Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Loyalty of Sultan Ismail of Johor (SSIJ), both giving him the title Dato.
• He also received honours from other Malaysian states like Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Sabah, and Selangor. These honours also come with special titles like Datuk Seri Utama and Dato' Seri.
• From Japan, he received a foreign honour called the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in 2018.