Tunku Abdul Rahman
was born in Alor Setar, Kedah in 8 February , 1903. He was the twentieth child of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halimshah, the twenty-fourth Sultan of Kedah. Tunku's mother, Nerang, better known as Che Menjalara, was the daughter of Luang Nara Borirak, a descendent of Chao Phya Maha Kota, head of Mataban, Thailand.
At the age of six, Tunku went to a Malay school in Alor Setar, then
in an English Government School. In 1913, when he was ten, his mother sent him to Bangkok to stay with his eldest brother, Tunku Yusuf, who was working there.
In Bangkok, Tunku did quite well at Debsurin School, where he made many friends. However, his brother, Tunku Yusuf, passed away in 1915 and Tunku had to return to Kedah. He then studied in a Malay school for a year and then joined the Penang Free School.
When he was seventeen, Tunku left for England to continue
further studies. He sat for a University Entrance Examination after a period of coaching and was accepted into St. Catherine's College, Cambridge University.
That was when he had his first taste of racial discrimination. His application to stay in the college was rejected because of
color. Later, when it was learnt that he came from a royal family, he was offered a place, but he declined on
his principle and stayed in rented rooms throughout his university course.
The experience deepened his faith in the equality of man as an ideal to be fought for. At the same time, it kindled a desire in him to free his people from British rule.
Tunku
successfully obtained a bachelor's degree in law and history from Cambridge University in 1925. In 1926, Tunku returned to
Kedah. 4 months later, his elder brother, Tunku Ibrahim, who was Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Kedah at that time sent him back to England to continue his law studies at Inner Temple, with a view of qualifying to be a lawyer or a magistrate.
In England, Tunku found that the number of Malay students had increased but they had not
set up any association or organization. He showed initiative, leadership qualities and a nascent nationalism in the way he got them together to form 'Kesatuan Melayu Great Britain' (The Malay Association of Great Britain). He was elected
as secretary of the association.
His
was not engrossed in his law studies, however, after five years returned to Kedah. He joined the Kedah Civil Service as a cadet in the Legal Advisor's Office, and then District Officer in several districts of
Kedah.
Two years later, in 1933, Tunku married a Chinese lady who became a Muslim and took the name Meriam. They had two children, Tunku Khadijah and Tunku Ahmad
Nerang.
In 1935, when Tunku was in charge of Kuala Nerang, he fought to improve health and medical conditions there, for the district was malaria-ridden. Tragically, his own wife died after contracting the disease. Even in his grief, he went on striving to better the lot of the people.
Another attempt to complete his law studies in England was made in 1938, but when the Second World War broke out Tunku had to return to Kedah. He was appointed District Officer of Sungai Petani and later of
Kulim.
Earlier Tunku had married Violet Coulson from England, but the union was short-lived. In 1939, he
married Sharifah Rodziah bt. Syed Alwi Barakbah. This was a happy marriage that lasted to the end of Tunku's life.
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