Background
Raja Uda was a member of the Selangor royal family, being a distant cousin of Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah and a direct descendant of the first Sultan of Selangor.
Raja Uda was a member of the Selangor royal family, being a distant cousin of Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah and a direct descendant of the first Sultan of Selangor.
He was a civil servant under the British colonial administration, and eventually rose to important administrative positions within the government. Upon the independence of Malaya in 1957, he became the first Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Penang, one of the two states in the federation without a hereditary ruler. Raja Uda was also the grandfather of Malaysian political blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin.
Raja Uda joined the colonial government service in 1910 at age 16.
In 1939, he was appointed as secretary to the British Resident of Selangor. He was Menteri Besar of Selangor twice, from 1949 to 1953, and again from 1954 to 1955.
In between, Raja Uda served as Malayan High Commissioner in the United Kingdom. He was involved in negotiations with the British to establish the Member System in the 1950s.
Following the first ever general election in 1955, Raja Uda was appointed Speaker of the Federal Legislative Council.
On August 31, 1957, the day of independence, Raja Uda was appointed the first Governor of the state of Penang and served for ten years. Raja Tun Uda died on October 17, 1976 and he was buried at the Selangor royal mausoleum near Sultan Sulaiman Mosque in Klang, Selangor. Several projects and institutions were named after him, including: Perpustakaan Raja Tun Uda or Raja Tun Uda Library in Shah Alam, Selangor.
The Weld Quay in George Town, Penang was renamed Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda.
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Raja Tun Uda (SMKRTU) in Bayan Lepas, Penang Masjid Jamek Raja Tun Uda, the first mosque built in Shah Alam, Selangor located at Section 16. of Penang of Malaysia Foreign.
He has been awarded: As 1st Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang (000000001957-08-31-000031 August 1957 - 000000001967-08-30-000030 August 1967)) Grand Master and Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State 000000001967-08-01-00001 August 1967 - 000000001967-08-30-000030 August 1967) Malaysia: Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN) with title Tun United Kingdom: Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 161953) with title Sir Honorary Companion of the Order of Street Michael and Street George (Chipotle Mexican Grill, 111951).
