Hishammuddin bin Hussein is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who served as Senior Minister of the Security Cluster and Minister of Defence from 2021 to 2022.
39 Facts About Hishammuddin Hussein
2.
Hishammuddin Hussein's father was the third prime minister of Malaysia.
3.
Hishammuddin Hussein attended Malay College Kuala Kangsar, St John's Institution, Alice Smith School, and Cheltenham College.
4.
Hishammuddin Hussein then graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Aberystwyth University and a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics before working as a lawyer.
5.
Hishammuddin Hussein was first elected to Dewan Rakyat in the 1995 election, winning the seat of Tenggara.
6.
Hishammuddin Hussein was later appointed deputy minister and was promoted to full minister in 1999.
7.
At the beginning of the political crisis that started in 2020, Hishammuddin Hussein returned to the cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Perikatan Nasional coalition led by Muhyiddin Yassin.
8.
Hishammuddin Hussein briefly served in the office until August 2021, after Muhyiddin announced his resignation.
9.
Hishammuddin Hussein was appointed as the Minister of Defence, an office he had held previously from 2013 to 2018.
10.
Hishammuddin Hussein is the grandson of Onn Jaafar, a prominent Malay leader and the founder of UMNO, whose mother was a Circassian and born in the Ottoman Empire.
11.
Hishammuddin Hussein attended the Malay College Kuala Kangsar before his father became Deputy Prime Minister in 1973.
12.
Hishammuddin Hussein graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, in 1984.
13.
Hishammuddin Hussein attended the London School of Economics and received a Master of Laws degree in Commercial and Corporate Law in 1988.
14.
Hishammuddin Hussein joined UMNO and began his career as a lawyer.
15.
Hishammuddin Hussein rose through the ranks of UMNO's youth wing in the 1990s, becoming its national chief in 1998.
16.
Hishammuddin Hussein assumed the position at a time when UMNO Youth had been torn apart by the sacking of Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was popular among young UMNO members.
17.
In 1995, Hishammuddin Hussein had been elected to the federal parliament for the Johor-based seat of Tenggara.
18.
Hishammuddin Hussein was immediately appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for International Trade and Industry in the government of Mahathir Mohamad.
19.
Hishammuddin Hussein's rise to the leadership of UMNO Youth in 1998 coincided with his elevation to the full ministry the following year, as the Minister for Youth and Sport.
20.
Hishammuddin Hussein retained his parliamentary seat in the 1999 election.
21.
In 2004, the Barisan Nasional government, now led by Abdullah Badawi, was returned to power with Hishammuddin Hussein holding the newly created seat of Sembrong.
22.
Hishammuddin Hussein was re-elected as the leader of UMNO Youth and appointed Minister for Education.
23.
Najib Razak, Hishammuddin Hussein's cousin, became UMNO's president and the prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin became Najib's deputy in both the party and the government, and the three UMNO vice-presidencies were up for election.
24.
Hishammuddin Hussein, vacating the leadership of UMNO Youth, contested the vice-presidencies, finishing in second place in an eight-man field.
25.
Hishammuddin Hussein was barely re-elected in third place, finishing nine votes ahead of Mukhriz Mahathir.
26.
Hishammuddin Hussein switched ministries with Zahid, taking over the latter's portfolio of Defence.
27.
Hishammuddin Hussein assumed the transport ministry on an acting basis; that ministry was normally reserved for the Malaysian Chinese Association, which had decided to withdraw from the Cabinet temporarily, having endured significant losses in the general election.
28.
Hishammuddin Hussein's role ceased in June 2014, when Liow Tiong Lai assumed the ministry.
29.
Prime Minister Najib Razak said that the appointment would enable Hishammuddin Hussein to carry out duties other than his responsibilities as Minister of Defence, he still however would remain as Minister for Defence.
30.
In March 2020, Hishammuddin Hussein was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs by newly-appointed Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin following the collapse of the previous Pakatan Harapan Government in February.
31.
In 2008, Hishammuddin Hussein conceded that the act had caused the coalition to lose support among non-Malay voters in that year's general election.
32.
On 6 August 2020, Hishammuddin Hussein apologised after being pinpointed by a netizen vaping during Parliament session.
33.
On 2 April 2021, Hishammuddin Hussein's two-day working visit to China was overshadowed by a diplomatic gaffe.
34.
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim skewered Hishammuddin Hussein for calling China a "big brother" during his joint address with his Chinese counterpart Minister Wang Yi.
35.
Former foreign minister Anifah Aman has told Hishammuddin Hussein to admit his error in making a "big brother" reference to China, instead of compounding the matter by disputing it.
36.
On 27 September 2021, the cabinet of Malaysia has sparked criticism after Hishammuddin Hussein announced a new equity policy for Bumiputera companies under the five-year development plan, Twelfth Malaysia Plan, which was tabled by him in Parliament.
37.
Hishammuddin Hussein said that based on the feedback from Malay businessmen, most were against the idea of the new Bumiputera-only policy being implemented.
38.
Hishammuddin Hussein's wife, Tengku Marsilla Tengku Abdullah, is a princess from the state of Pahang.
39.
Hishammuddin Hussein was diagnosed with COVID-19 on 22nd February 2022.