There is a Malay saying, that when a tiger dies, it leaves behind its stripes. But when a man dies, he leaves behind his deeds. Today, one such man, Retired IGP, Tun Hanif Omar, left us.
Legendary police officer and retired Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tun Hanif Omar was born on 16 January 1939 in Teluk Intan, Perak. He hailed from a family that traced its roots to Panglima Imam Jabor, who participated in the assassination of British Resident JWW Birch in Pasir Salak and was the founder of today’s Kampar township in Perak.
Tun Hanif Omar and MAGERAN
He joined the police force as a graduate officer in the 60s after graduating from the University of Malaya. As the police force pivoted to recruiting educated young Malaysians to serve as police officers, he had a fast-tracked career. The police force appointed him as the force’s representative to the Majlis Gerakan Negara (MAGERAN), which the government formed after the 1969 racial riot in Kuala Lumpur.
Tun Hanif Omar was appointed Malaysia’s fourth Inspector-General of Police (IGP) when his predecessor, Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Hashim, died in a communist assassination in Kuala Lumpur. He served in the position for almost two decades, from 1974 to 1994. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest chief of police among all police services in the Commonwealth.
During his illustrious career as the IGP, he oversaw the successful dismantling of the armed communist insurgency, the Japanese Red Army hostage crisis, and the elimination of dangerous criminal elements such as Bentong Kali and Botak Chin. He served under five YDP Agongs and three Prime Ministers, including Tun Abdul Razak.
Tun Hanif Omar passed away on Saturday, 20 April 2024, at 2.15 am at the age of 84, and his final resting place is at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery. He leaves behind a loving wife, Toh Puan Hamidah Abdul Hamid and five children. – NMH
The editorial team of New Malaysia Herald extends our condolence to the family of the late Tun Hanif Omar.
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