Born in Jitra, Kedah, Senu was trained as a teacher at the Sultan Idris Education University in southern Perak.

When Kedah state was placed under Siamese rule during the Japanese occupation, he was an officer at the Alor Setar Education Department (1942-1943).

In 1943, together with Ahmad Nordin, Mohd Jamil, Mohamed Khir Johari and Wan Din, he formed the Syarikat Bekerjasama Am Saiburi (SABERKAS) with the objectives of improving social and economic welfare for Kedahan Malays and served as its secretary general (1945-1947).

He worked as a dishwasher, waiter and cook to finance his high school diploma and degree at the University of California (UCLA).

[3] He re-entered Parliament in 1972 as the member for the seat of Kuala Kedah Langkawi but resigned after the 1978 election.