Loving wife who devoted her life to her family

AN affectionate wife who made herself popular because of her modest ways – that was how former Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman once described the late Tun Suhailah Mohammad Noah, wrote Zainah Anwar in her book Legacy of Honour (Yayasan Mohamad Noah, Kuala Lumpur, 2011), a tome tracking three generations of political leaders in Johor’s illustrious political family – Datuk Ja’afar Mohamed, Datuk Onn Ja’afar and Tun Hussein Onn.

The daughter of the Dewan Rakyat’s first speaker Tan Sri Mohammad Noah Omar, she was always admired for the way she and the late Tun Hussein Onn brought up their six children, Datin Roqiyah Hanim (deceased), Puan Seri Dr Suraiya Hanim, Rozia Hanis, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin, Dr Rozita Halina and Datuk Haris Onn.

The couple met in 1946 when Suhailah was just 15.

It was love at first sight for Hussein although when he first laid eyes on her, Suhailah was sitting on the bridal dais dressed as a man, Zainah wrote.

She was playing the role of the groom in a mock wedding designed to educate Malays that a wedding need not be a costly and elaborate affair.

Hussein, who was in Batu Pahat visiting his family, had attended the event organised by his mother, Halimah, and immediately asked for her hand in marriage.

The lovebirds were engaged six months later.

Wherever they went courting, whether it was to the movies or restaurants, they were chaperoned by either Halimah or her good friend Maimon, Suhailah’s mother.

They were married on Feb 12, 1948, Hussein’s birthday.

Two wedding ceremonies took place, in Segamat and Johor Baru, where Dato Onn Ja’afar was the then Mentri Besar.

The dutiful wife then went with Hussein to the sleepy fishing and agricultural Kuala Selangor community to set up home, marking the start of an extraordinarily close and loving relationship, Zainah wrote.

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