AT 47, Education Minister Uatuk is three years older than Finance Minister , his opponent for the Umno deputy presi- dency tomorrow Datuk Musa was born in Johore on April 18. 1934 and had his early educa- tion at the English College. Johore Baru, before he entered the University of Malaya and graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. received feelers from Tun scored a He was active in student Abdul Razak who had la- landslide win and Datuk politics and in 1957, accep- ken over as Prime Minis- Musa himself was retuhied ted the job of associate ter when the Tunku stepp- unopposed in Labis. secretary of the Internatio- ed dawn. When Tun Razak form- nal Student Conference in Datuk Musa joined the ed his Cabinet after the Leiden, Holland University of Malaya as a election, Datuk Musa was He served there until senior lecturer in the Fa- made a full Minister in 1959 when he returned and culty of Economics and charge of the Primary In- A few months later, Da- the Deputy Prime Minis- joined the civil service as Administration. dustries portfolio. an Assistant District Offl tuk Musa was appointed ter. Politically, he was also Datuk Musa . . . three years older than cer in Kluimg from 1959 to executive secretary of Just when it seemed his back in business. In Ja- Tengku Razaleigh 1964, when lie resigned and Umno and ran the party's career had taken off, the nuary 1971, he was elected 'TOWKAY GETAH' joined Jardine-Waugh as administrative affairs until Tunku dismissed him front Umno Youth deputy presi- an executive IBM his post in August 1969. dent as well as a member lie then got to know the In the meantime, the The Tunku said he had Hussein Onn in a Cabinet contested for one of the of the party's Supreme He likes to joke that this then Minister of Communi- Utara Parlia- received an "unfavourable reshuffle following the three vice presidencies for Council. was the time he was nick- cations, Datuk (now Tun) military seat in Johore fell report" about him. death of Agriculture Minis- the first time and was Later the same year, he named "Towkay Getah" Sardon Haji Jubir who vacant when the MP, Haji This was about the ter Datuk Ali Haji Ahmad elected. was appointed chairman of (Rubber Towkay) but the in the 1977 MAS crash in offered him a job as politi Abdullah Mohamed Salleh, same time that Datuk Seri the Federal Land Deve- job was not all plain sail- Johore. He came in third when cal secretary. died in August 1968 and Dr lopment Authority (Felda), ing. tie obtained 699 votes Datuk Musa was chosen as was expelled from the a post he retained until behind Tengku Razaleigh Datuk Musa served with the Alliance's candidate. party In the general election 1973 when he was appoint- He had lo face the tap- (763 votes) and Encik Gha- Tun Sardon for only one He was involved in a Datuk Musa said then in July that year, he was ed Deputy Trade and In- pers in Baling who demon- far Babu (705 votes) year and was next appoint straight light with the that he regretted the Tun- re-elected in the Labis dustry Minister. strated when the price fell ed acting secretary-gene- DAP's Leo Ah Meng and ku had not called him for constituency when he de- sharply and his handling of Since then, he was up ral of Umno in 1965 when won by 3,754 votes to enter an explanation During his tenure at the feated PAS candidate Ja- this crisis won him kudos. pointed head of the Mala the then secretary-general Parliament He then left for Sussex Ministry, he led several mal Ahmad by a majority cca Umno Liasion Com- Tan Sri Syed Jaffar Albar The following year, he University in tirilain and trade missions to Japan, Datuk Musa retained his of 16,917 votes. mittee, a post he holds up resigned over differences was re-elected in the same did his Masters in Interna- Europe and. the United portfolio-until January 1978 to now, and was also ap- with then party president constituency in the general tional Relations Stales. when he was appointed In the Umno General pointed deputy chairman and Prime Minister Tunku election and was appoint- He returned a year later In the 1974 general elec- Education Minister by Assembly held later the of the Johore Umno Liai- Abdul Rahman ed Assistant Minister to apparently after he had tion, the newly-formed Prime Minister Datuk same year, Datuk Musa son Committee.