Abdul Ghafar Baba

Tun Abdul Ghafar bin Baba (Jawi: عبدالغفار بن باب; 18 February 1925 – 23 April 2006) was a Malaysian politician who served as 6th Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1986 to 1993.

In this Malay name, there is no family name. The name Baba is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Abdul Ghafar. The Arabic-derived word "bin" or "binti"/"binte", if used, means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun
Abdul Ghafar Baba
SSM SUMW
عبدالغفار باب‎
6th Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
In office
10 May 1986 – 15 October 1993
MonarchsIskandar
Azlan Shah
Prime MinisterMahathir Mohamad
Preceded byMusa Hitam
Succeeded byAnwar Ibrahim
ConstituencyJasin
Minister of Rural Development
(Minister of National and Rural Development : 23 September 1970 – 11 May 1972, 11 August 1986 – 20 May 1987)
(Minister of Rural Economy Development : 11 May 1972 – 25 August 1974)
In office
11 August 1986 – 1 December 1993
MonarchsIskandar
Azlan Shah
Prime MinisterMahathir Mohamad
DeputyTajol Rosli Mohd Ghazali (1986–1990)
Ng Cheng Kuai (1986–1987)
Mohd. Yasin Kamari (1990–1993)
Preceded bySanusi Junid
Succeeded byAnnuar Musa
ConstituencyJasin
In office
22 December 1970 – 4 September 1974
MonarchAbdul Halim
Prime MinisterAbdul Razak Hussein
Assistant MinisterAbdul Samad Idris (1970–1973)
Preceded byAbdul Razak Hussein
Succeeded byHimself as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
ConstituencyMalacca Utara
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
In office
5 September 1974 – 14 January 1976
MonarchsAbdul Halim
Yahya Petra
Prime MinisterAbdul Razak Hussein
DeputyMokhtar Hashim (1974–1975)
Mustapha Abdul Jabar (1975–1976)
Preceded byHimself (Rural Development)
Mohamed Ghazali Jawi (Agriculture)
Succeeded byAli Ahmad
ConstituencyAlor Gajah
2nd Chief Minister of Malacca
In office
1 June 1959 – 5 October 1967
GovernorLeong Yew Koh
Abdul Malek Yusuf
Preceded byOsman Talib
Succeeded byTalib Karim
ConstituencyTanjong Kling
Personal details
Born(1925-02-18)18 February 1925
Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Federated Malay States, British Malaya (now Malaysia)
Died23 April 2006(2006-04-23) (aged 81)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Resting placeMakam Pahlawan, Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur
Political party United Malays National Organisation
Other political
affiliations		 Alliance Party
Barisan Nasional (BN)
Spouse(s)Asmah Alang
Dayang Heryati Abdul Rahim
RelationsTamrin Abdul Ghafar (son)
Ahmad Hamzah (son-in-law)
OccupationTeacher

Life and career

He was born on 18 February 1925 in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, the son of an impoverished villager. Ghafar Baba became a teacher and later became a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) political party, which is part of the Barisan Nasional coalition.

In 1942, he married Toh Puan Asmah Binti Alang and they had twelve children, five of whom have died. In the early 1990s, he married his second wife Toh Puan Heryati Abdul Rahim, with whom he had one child.

In 1986, he was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Previously, Musa Hitam held the deputy premiership but he resigned, citing irreconcilable differences with Mahathir.[1] On 15 October 1993, during a UMNO election, he was challenged by Anwar Ibrahim. Ghafar Baba was defeated by Anwar and subsequently lost the deputy premiership.

On 23 April 2006, he died at Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur due to poor heart and lung condition. He had been in critical condition for several months prior to his death. He was buried the same day in an official state funeral at Makam Pahlawan near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur alongside the graves of former Prime Ministers Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Hussein Onn and former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Dr Ismail.[2][3]

Posts
  • Teachers' Union secretary (1946–1948)
  • Melaka UMNO Secretary (1951)
  • Melaka UMNO Chairman (1955)
  • Chief Minister of Malacca (1959–1963)
  • UMNO High Council member (1957)
  • UMNO Information Chief (1958)
  • UMNO Vice-President (1962–1987)
  • Barisan Nasional Secretary-General [1]
  • Federal Territory Barisan Nasional Chief [1]
  • Deputy Prime Minister (1986–1993)

Election results
Parliament of Malaysia
Year Constituency Candidate Votes Pct Opponent(s) Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
1969 P087 Malacca Utara, Malacca Abdul Ghafar Baba (UMNO) 15,692 63.86% Ali Md. Salleh (PAS) 8,881 36.14% 26,088 6,811 78.49%
1974 P095 Alor Gajah, Malacca Abdul Ghafar Baba (UMNO) 20,890 78.89% Abdul Ghani Long (PEKEMAS) 5,591 21.11% N/A 15,299 N/A
1978 P096 Jasin, Malacca Abdul Ghafar Baba (UMNO) N/A N/A Abdul Karim Abu (DAP) N/A N/A N/A 12,067 N/A
1982 Abdul Ghafar Baba (UMNO) 27,542 81.07% Salleh Ayob (PAS) 6,432 18.93% 35,657 21,110 76.54%
1986 P114 Jasin, Malacca Abdul Ghafar Baba (UMNO) 20,772 76.35% Rahimin Bani (PAS) 6,436 23.65% 28,200 14,336 71.21%
1990 Abdul Ghafar Baba (UMNO) 22,826 72.46% Aris Konil (S46) 8,674 27.54% 32,519 14,152 77.93%
1995 P124 Jasin, Malacca Abdul Ghafar Baba (UMNO) 25,693 78.19% Ahmad Mohd Alim (PAS) 4,856 14.78% 34,181 20,837 75.80%
Aris Konil (S46) 2,310 7.03%
1999 P122 Batu Berendam, Malacca Abdul Ghafar Baba (UMNO) 37,656 55.36% Khalid Jaafar (KeADILan) 30,368 44.64% 69,592 7,288 78.82%

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

Places named after him
Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba Memorial

Several places were named after him, including:

  • Persiaran Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba, a major road at Peringgit, Malacca.
  • Persimpangan Tun Abdul Ghafar, an intersections between Jalan Batu Berendam, Persiaran Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba and Lebuh Ayer Keroh at Peringgit, Malacca.
  • The Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba Memorial, a memorial and museum in honour of his achievements located at Persiaran Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba in Peringgit, Malacca.
  • MRSM Tun Ghafar Baba a MARA institution boarding school at Jasin, Malacca.
  • SMK Ghafar Baba (formerly SMK Masjid Tanah), a secondary school at Masjid Tanah, Malacca.
  • Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba Mosque, Sungai Udang, Malacca.
  • Six FELDA settlements were renamed after him, they are FELDA Tun Ghafar Machap, FELDA Tun Ghafar Hutan Percha, FELDA Tun Ghafar Menggong, FELDA Tun Ghafar Kemendor, FELDA Tun Ghafar Air Kangkong and FELDA Tun Ghafar Bukit Senggeh.
  • Kolej Tun Ghafar Baba, a residential college at Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kuala Perlis, Perlis
  • Kolej Tun Ghafar Baba, a residential college at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor

Notes and references
  1. Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra (1986). Political Awakening, p. 86. Pelanduk Publications. ISBN 967-978-136-4.
  2. "PM hails a humble leader". www.thestar.com.my. Archived from the original on 15 May 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  3. "Funeral with full honours". thestar.com.my. Archived from the original on 13 May 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  4. "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1995" (PDF).
  5. "Ghafar made Tun in King's honours list". New Straits Times. 3 June 1995. p. 1.
  6. "Late Tun Ghafar bestowed 'Datuk Seri Utama' title in conjunction with FT Day". New Straits Times. 1 February 2017. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
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