Rahimah Stephens
Malaysian politician (1930–2022)
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Rahimah Stephens (née Cecilia June Lutter, 22 October 1930 – 14 March 2022) was a Malaysian politician. She was the Member of Sabah State Legislative Assembly for Kiulu from 1976 to 1985. She was also the wife of Fuad Stephens, the first Chief Minister of Sabah.
22 October 1930
Rahimah Stephens | |
|---|---|
Rahimah Stephens during an interview about her husband | |
| Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly for Kiulu | |
| In office 15 July 1976 – 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Fuad Stephens |
| Succeeded by | Gisin Lombut |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cecilia June Lutter 22 October 1930 Beaufort, North Borneo (now Sabah) |
| Died | 14 March 2022 (aged 91) Kota Kinabalu, Sabah |
| Citizenship | Malaysian |
| Party | UPKO BERJAYA |
| Other political affiliations | Barisan Nasional (1976-1986) |
| Spouse | Fuad Stephens |
| Children | Johari Stephens (adopted stepson, deceased) Affendi Stephens (deceased) Asgari Stephens Faridah Stephens Fauziah Stephens (adopted daughter) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Participation in NGO
Rahimah was active in the Sabah Anti Tuberculosis Association (SABATA), Malaysian Red Crescent Society, Inner Wheel Club, National Stokees Association, and Senior Citizen Association. She was also the founder of Sabah Heart Fund (SOS).
Politics
In 1961, Rahimah became the first Chief of Women's Wing in UPKO, the party established by her husband, Tun Fuad Stephens.[1] After that, she joined BERJAYA together with her husband and became the Chief of Women's Wing of BERJAYA. She was then elected to become the Member of Sabah State Legislative Assembly for Kiulu after a by-election, caused by the death of her husband. On 17 July 1976, she was appointed as the Welfare Minister of Sabah and became the first woman to be appointed as a Sabah cabinet member in the new administration.[2][3]
Election results
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct. | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct. | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Kiulu | Rahimah Stephens (BERJAYA) | Unopposed | |||||||||
| 1981 | Rahimah Stephens (BERJAYA) | 2,552 | 67.23% | Gisin Lombut (PASOK) | 1,071 | 28.21% | 3,796 | 1,481 | 77.42 | |||
| Indra Bayat (PUSAKA) | 42 | 1.11% | ||||||||||
| 1985 | Rahimah Stephens (BERJAYA) | 1,462 | 32.19% | Gisin Lombut (PBS) | 2,289 | 50.40% | 4,542 | 827 | 75.81 | |||
| Abdul Kadir Baba (USNO) | 637 | 14.02% | ||||||||||
| Gaibin Ransoi (BERSEPADU) | 45 | 0.99% | ||||||||||
| Abdul Kahim Abdul Sanip (BERSIH) | 36 | 0.79% | ||||||||||
| 1986 | Rahimah Stephens (BERJAYA) | 1,775 | 36.20% | Gisin Lombut (PBS) | 2,967 | 60.51% | 4,903 | 1,192 | 75.31 | |||
| Ayun Meliyon (IND) | 101 | 2.06% | ||||||||||
Health
Honours
Sabah
Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (PGDK) - Datuk (1971) [6]
Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) - Datuk Seri Panglima (1982) [6]
