Abang Openg bin Abang Sapiee (Jawi: ابڠ حاج اوڤيڠ بن ابڠ شافعي; 7 October 1905 – 28 March 1969)[1] was a Malaysian politician who served as the first Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak from September 1963 to his death in March 1969. He assumed the newly established post following Sarawak's independence from Great Britain and the formation of Malaysia in 1963. He is the father to Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg, the current Premier of Sarawak.
Abang Openg was born on 7 October 1905 during the White Rajahs of Brooke dynasty's rule.[2] Abang Openg's first great-grandfather was Datu Patinggi Haji Abdul Gapor, the former governor of Sarawak preceding James Brooke's era. Moreover, Abang Openg was the third-generation descendant of Datu Patinggi Ali and a direct descendant of Raja Jarum.[3]
Abang Openg had his early education in Kuching before moving to Sarikei with his father.[4] He attended St. Anthony School in Sarikei before returning to Kuching to continue his education at St. Thomas School.[4]
As a 19-year-old man of the descendants of the elite with title Abang, Abang Openg chose to enter the Brooke administration as a clerk in 1924.[4] He was elevated to senior officer of native affairs in Sarikei after serving for eight years.[4] He was appointed third-class magistrate in 1937.[4]
White Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke gave Abang Openg a special appointment, and he was afterwards appointed to a member of the state council.[4] He was elevated to second-class magistrate and Kuching Division native affairs first officer in early 1941, just before World War II.[4]
Abang Openg held the principle of choosing to be loyal to the Brooke rule until the Japanese surrender in September 1945.[4] When Vyner decided to cede Sarawak to Britain,[5] Abang Openg and several other Brooke officials opposed the decision.[4]
Malaysia :_-_SMN.svg/1280px-MY_Darjah_Yang_Mulia_Pangkuan_Negara_(Defender_of_the_Realm)_-_SMN.svg.png){kind=small}
Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN) – Tun (1964)[6]
Sarawak:
Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak (PNBS) – Dato,' now Dato Sri (1954)
United Kingdom:_Ribbon.svg/1280px-Order_of_the_British_Empire_(Civil)_Ribbon.svg.png){kind=small}
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1962)Several places were named after Abang Openg, including:
... Rajah Vyner Brooke, faced with a series of family disputes concerning succession, made the difficult decision to cede sovereignty of Sarawak to the British Crown.