Ali Ahmad (politician)

Dato' Ali bin Haji Ahmad (29 June 1930 – 4 December 1977) was a Malaysian politician.

Ali Ahmad
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
In office
1976–1977
MonarchYahya Petra
Prime MinisterHussein Onn
Preceded byAbdul Ghafar Baba
Succeeded byShariff Ahmad
ConstituencyPontian
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Pontian, Johor
In office
1974–1977
Preceded byNew constintuency
Succeeded byIkhwan Nasir
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports
In office
1973–1976
Monarchs
Prime Minister
Preceded byHamzah Abu Samah
Succeeded byAbdul Samad Idris
Constituency
  • Pontian Selatan (until 1974)
  • Pontian (from 1974)
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs
In office
January 1973 – August 1973
MonarchAbdul Halim
Prime MinisterAbdul Razak Hussein
MinisterIsmail Abdul Rahman
ConstituencyPontian Selatan
Assistant/Deputy Minister of Finance
In office
1969–1972
Monarchs
Prime Minister
MinisterTan Siew Sin
ConstituencyPontian Selatan
Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Finance
In office
1965–1969
MonarchIsmail Nasiruddin
Prime MinisterTunku Abdul Rahman
MinisterTan Siew Sin
ConstituencyPontian Selatan
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Pontian Selatan
In office
1964–1974
Preceded byZainon Munshi Sulaiman
Succeeded byConstintuency abolished
Personal details
Born(1930-06-29)29 June 1930
Kampung Parit Rambai, Rambah, Pontian, Johor
Died4 December 1977(1977-12-04) (aged 47)
Tanjung Kupang, Johor
Cause of deathKilled in Malaysian Airline System Flight 653 plane crash
Political partyUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
Other political
affiliations
SpouseDatin Halimah Abdul Rahim
Children5
OccupationPolitician

Political career

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Ali was first elected to Parliament when he won the Pontian Selatan seat in the 1964 Malaysian general election under the Alliance ticket, a seat he successfully defended in the 1969 Malaysian general election unopposed.

Ali was the UMNO Division chief of Pontian after Pontian Selatan and Pontian Utara Parliamentary seat were merged before 1974 Malaysian general election.[2] In the election, he won the newly created seat, Pontian by a walkover.

Ali was first appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the then finance minister, Tan Siew Sin on 1965, in the third Tunku Abdul Rahman cabinet.[3] He continued as assistant to Tan Siew Sin to in the final cabinet of Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1969, and promoted to Deputy Finance Minister in the first cabinet of Tun Abdul Razak. His portfolio was switched to Deputy Minister of Home Affairs in the January 1973 cabinet reshuffle, after the admittance of Malaysian Islamic Party in the Alliance-led government.[4] In another Cabinet reshuffle on August the same year after the death of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs Ismail Abdul Rahman, he was appointed as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports,[5] a post he retains in the 1974 Razak cabinet after the 1974 election. He holds this position until 1976, when his portfolio was changed to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development under the new prime minister Hussein Onn's cabinet, his final position in the government.[6]

Personal life

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He was married to Datin Halimah Abdul Rahim, with 5 daughters.[7]

Death and legacy

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On 4 December 1977, while he was still Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, he was one of the passengers killed in Malaysian Airline System Flight 653 plane crash at Tanjung Kupang,[8] along with his press secretary Hood Fadzil.[9] Ali was 47 years old.[7] He was returning to Kuala Lumpur after a visit to Perlis.[10]

Parliament's Dewan Rakyat on the next day observed a minute silence before the start of meeting as a sign of respect of Ali and others who perished in the tragedy.[11][7]

The remains of Ali was buried, along with remains of other victims of the crash, in a common burial site at Jalan Kebun Teh, Johor Bahru.[12]

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato` Ali Hj Ahmad, a secondary school in Pontian, Johor, is named after him.

Election results

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Parliament of Malaysia
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
1964 P098 Pontian Selatan, Johore Ali Ahmad (UMNO) 13,759 69.95% Tan Tai Chee (SF) 5,910 30.05% 20,234 7,849 82.36%
1969 Ali Ahmad (UMNO) Unopposed
1974 P112 Pontian, Johore Ali Ahmad (UMNO) Unopposed

Honours

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Notes

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  1. ^ The prefix "Yang Berhormat" is used for recipients of the First and Second Classes of the Johor's Orders of Chivalry.[1]

References

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  1. ^ Abdul Rahim Ramli (19 June 2010). "Syarat Ketat Anugerah Datuk Johor". mStar Online (in Malay). Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  2. ^ Biografi Dato' Ali Haji Ahmad
  3. ^ "Parliamentary Debates" (PDF). Official Report, Dewan Ra'ayat (House of Representatives). II (27). 29 November 1965. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Asri's men gets key job". 29 December 1972. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Parlimen Ketiga, Penggal Parlimen Ketiga" (PDF). Penyata Rasmi Parlimen, Dewan Rakyat. 3 (26). 26 November 1973. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  6. ^ Penduduk imbau tragedi Tanjung Kupang
  7. ^ a b c "Night minister couldn't sleep". The Straits Times. eresources.nlb.gov.sg. 6 December 1977. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  8. ^ Nadia Khairani (9 March 2022). "Hikmah di sebalik tragedi Tanjung Kupang 1977 - Bermulanya episod pembangunan". Bernama.com (in Malay). Bernama. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Remembering the good deeds of Hood 40 years on". New Straits Times. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2022 – via Pressreader.
  10. ^ Dawn Chan (15 September 2020). "MH653: The air disaster that hijacked Malaysia". www.nst.com.my. New Straits Times. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Parlimen Keempat, Penggal Ketiga" (PDF). Penyata Rasmi Parlimen, Dewan Rakyat. 5 December 1977. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  12. ^ "Common burial for air crash victims". The Straits Times. eresources.nlb.gov.sg. 8 December 1977. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  13. ^ Ministers head Sultan's awards list. New Straits Times. 16 November 1972.
  14. ^ Johore Sultan's Birthday List Parade. New Straits Times. 3 November 1973.
  15. ^ "柔佛州苏丹殿下 昨庆八三岁华诞" [Johor Sultan Yesterday celebrate his 83th birthday]. 星洲日报. 29 October 1977. p. 7.