The Second Tunku Abdul Rahman Ministry was formed following the general elections victory of the Alliance Party led by Tunku Abdul Rahman. The ministry was sworn in on August 22, 1959 and Tunku Abdul Rahman assumed the office of Prime Minister from Abdul Razak Hussein who was the Acting Prime Minister after Rahman took a three month leave of office to campaign for the elections. All federal ministers from the First Tunku Abdul Rahman Ministry were retained with the exception of H.S. Lee who did not contest the 1959 elections and Mohd Khir Johari who was contesting in the constituency of Kedah Tengah, where elections had been postponed to September 30, 1959.