His desire was to melt a multi-ethnic Malaysia into a pot: who is Onn Jaafar?

Onn Jaafar's services were not limited to nationalizing Malaysia and establishing the state but also contributed very significantly to the preservation and recognition of Malay religious identity. Some liken him to Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian Independence Movement, known as the father of independence in India. Dato Onn is the person to whom the title "Pengasas Kemerdekaan", that is, "Pioneer of Independence", is generally attributed.

Onn Jaafar is an important figure in Malaysia's political and social history. Born in Johor Bahru in 1895, Onn Jaafar played an active role in Malaysia's struggle for independence.

Dato' Sir Onn bin Dato' Jaafar (February 1895 – 19 January 1962) was a Malayan politician who served as the 7th Menteri Besar of Johor from 1947 to 1950, then Malaya (now Malaysia). His organised opposition towards the creation of the Malayan Union (by the returning British colonial power after the end of the Japanese occupation of Malaya) led him to form the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 1946; he was UMNO's founder and its first President until his resignation in 1951. 

Onn Jaafar is known for shaping the political party system in Malaysia. In 1946, he began leading the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party and worked to include more ethnic groups in the party. He resigned from UMNO in 1951, however, after failing to pursue his party's policy of ethnic inclusion.

Onn Jaafar later founded a new political party called Parti Negara. Parti Negara aimed to restore relations between Malaysia's different ethnic groups and achieve political unity that would lead to the country's independence. However, the party failed and Onn Jaafar retired from political life.

He was famously known as the pioneer of organised anti-imperialism and early Malay nationalism within the entire Malaya, which eventually culminated with the Malayan independence from Britain. He was also responsible for the social and economic welfare of the Malays by setting up the Rural Industrial Development Authority (RIDA).

Onn Jaafar is remembered as an important figure in the history of Malaysia for ethnic reconciliation and political unity.

Life story

Onn Jaafar was born in 1895 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. His father, Jaafar Muhammad, was the sultan of Johor and also served as a high official in the British colonial administration. Onn Jaafar started his education by learning English and later completed his education by attending Johor Malay College.

In his youth, Onn Jaafar followed in his father's footsteps and began serving in the British government when Malaysia was under British rule. Later, he started his own business.

In 1946, Onn Jaafar began leading the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the largest political party in Malaysia. When it came to the leadership of UMNO, the party was popular only among the Malays. However, Onn Jaafar started working to include other ethnic groups in the party. In 1951, however, he resigned from UMNO because he failed to adopt an ethnically based membership policy in the party.

Later, Onn Jaafar founded a new political party called Parti Negara. The party aimed to restore relations between Malaysia's different ethnic groups and achieve political unity that would lead to the country's independence. However, the party failed and Onn Jaafar retired from political life.

Onn Jaafar is remembered as an important figure in the history of Malaysia for ethnic reconciliation and political unity. He died on January 19, 1962.

Malay Nationalism and Political Career

Onn Jaafar is considered a prominent representative of Malay nationalism. At that time, Malay nationalists stood out as a movement that opposed British colonialism and defended the political rights of the Malays. Onn Jaafar was also an important figure in this movement and thought that the Malays should be united.