Musa Hitam

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Tun Musa bin Hitam is a Malaysian politician and a former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, serving under Mahathir bin Mohamad. He was born in Johor Bahru, Johor on 1934.

1 Education and honorifics
2 Political career
3 Notes and references
4 External links

[edit] Education and honorifics

He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Malaya and his Master's degree from the University of Sussex. He has since been awarded with various honours, including an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Sussex. Tun Musa has held various posts at the international level at various times. These included being Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Member of the Board of UNESCO, Leader of the Commonwealth Observer Delegation to the Malawi general elections and Member of the Commonwealth Ministers Delegations to Nigeria, Pakistan, Fiji and Gambia.

[edit] Political career

Before becoming Malaysia's fifth Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs in 1981-1986, Tun Musa held a number of key government posts, including Chairman of the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA), Deputy Minister of Trade & Industry, Minister of Primary Industries (1974-1978) and Minister of Education (1978-1981). In the 1960s, he was briefly Acting Secretary-General of UMNO. He was later expelled from the party in the wake of the May 13 racial rioting for insubordination to then Prime Minister and UMNO President Tunku Abdul Rahman. During his political exile, he obtained his Master's from the University of Sussex. Upon his return in 1971, he was readmitted to UMNO under the Tunku's successor, Tun Abdul Razak. He rose quickly, becoming Deputy Whip of the Alliance coalition in Parliament, and was elected as a member of the UMNO Supreme Council. He was elected as an UMNO Vice-President in 1978. ^[1]

Between 1990 and 1991, he was Malaysia's Special Envoy to the United Nations, and since 1995 he has been the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG). Tan Sri Musa also led the Malaysian delegation to the UN Commission on Human Rights from 1993 to 1998 and was elected Chairman of the 52nd Session of the Commission in 1995. As a member of UMNO, Musa has held various positions within the party up to Deputy President until 1987.

He also served as the Chairman of Suhakam, the Malaysian Human Rights Commission, from 1999 till 2002.

On June 3, 2006, he was conferred with Tunship, Malaysian highest federal award by the King of Malaysia.^[2]

[edit] Notes and references

^ Tan, Chee Khoon & Vasil, Raj (ed., 1984). Without Fear or Favour, p. 43–44. Eastern Universities Press. ISBN 967-908-051-X.
^ "Tun For Musa Hitam". Bernama. June 3, 2006.