Sulaiman was born in Kampung Sarang Buaya, Muar, Johor to a mix of Indian Muslim and Malay family. He married Rose Othman in 1946 and the couple had nine children. Six sons and three daughters named, Datin Faridah, Datuk Kadar Shah, Mohd Shah, Othman, Zainal Abiddin, Mariam, Hassan, Mohd Nathir and Intaan Rogayah.
Early life
Sulaiman started his career as a police constable in Johor in 1939. Three years later when Malaya was under the Japanese occupation, he was promoted as the Police Vehicles Officer and later as the Assistant Superintendent of Police to work as the Police Chief of Muar district until the surrender of Japan in 1945. At the same time, Sulaiman started to become involved in business by opening a newspapers, magazines and books store in Muar. Sulaiman in the subsequent year he managed to get a tender contract to provide foods supplies to Muar Hospital. In the 1970s, he started a joint-venture company opening a palm oil estate in Segamat. Sulaiman later successfully got elected as the chairman and director for companies such as Budget Rent-A-Car, Laksamana Tour, Top Coach Builder, Malacca-Singapore Ekspress, Pelaburan Johor Bhd., T & T Properties, Menara Landmark and also Bank Rakyat.
Politics
Sulaiman was involved in politics since the foundation of UMNO in 1946. In the 1st general election of Malaya in 1954 before Independence, he contested as an Alliance Party candidate and won the Muar Coastal seat to be a member of Johore State Council. In the second Malayan general election in 1959, he contested again under Alliance Party and managed to defeat the Pan-Malayan Islamic Party candidate with 7,020 majority votes to be the Johor state assemblyman for Parit Jawa seat. However, he had a heart condition which caused him to retract from re-contesting in 1964 general election He maintained his position as Deputy Chairman of the Muar Division of UMNO until 1967. In the following year he was selected as the Permanent Chairman of UMNO Malaysia in 1976 before elected in 1978. He held the position until his death in 2003. Sulaiman was also appointed as senator in Dewan Negara for two terms from 1979 to 1985 which he was elected as the Deputy President in the second term.
Death
Sulaiman, 83, died from leukaemia at 5am, at the Pantai Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur. He was buried at 6th Mile Muslim Cemetery, Jalan Bakri, Bukit Bakri, Muar, Johor.
