Malaysian political party. Formed by Dato Onn bin Jaafar, then Prime Minister of Johore, in 1946 in response to British attempts to form the Union of Malaya, UMNO’s aim was to fight for national independence and protect the interests of the indigenous population. Since independence in 1957 UMNO has been the dominant party in Malaysia, forming the cornerstone of successive electoral alliances, notably the Alliance Party of the 1960s and its successor, the National Front.