Zainal Abidin b Ahmad

(1895-1973)
Short Biography :
- Born in Bukit Kampung Kerdas, Jempol, Kuala
Pilah.
- Malaysian writer and language experts of
Minangkabau origin.
- He modernized the Malay language with the
Publication of a series of grammar books entitled
Pelita Bahasa in 1936 at Sultan Idris Training
College.
- Early education at a Malay school in Linggi
- Furthered his study at St. Paul's Institution,
Seremban
- The first Malay to take and pass Senior Cambridge
test in 1915
- Started his career by becoming a teacher at a
school in Johor Bahru in 1916
- 1918: Malay College Kuala Kangsar
- 1923: Education Department, Kuala Lumpur
- 1924: Maktab Perguruan Sultan Idris|Sultan Idris
Training College, Tanjung Malim
- 1939: Information Department, Singapore until
1942
- 1942: School of Oriental and African Studies,
University of London until 1951
- 1954: University of Malaya, Singapore until 1959
- His writings were published in local newspapers
and magazines
- He published a series of monographs in Malay
Language.
- He wrote a lot essays in the form of social
criticisms
- His had a role in the formation of the Malaysian
ruling party UMNO
- Resigned at the beginning of 1959 because of
health reasons
- He passed away at the age of 78.
Struggles :
- He urged the Malays to return to their own
Islamic teaching to rise as a developed
nation.
- Some of his famous works as Falsafah
Takdir(1952) and Asuhan Budi (1957)
were harshly criticized the attitude and
retrogression of the Malays.
- Not only the issues of Malays and Islam,
but also the question of morality,
education and poverty.
- He was not only describing the social
issues but finding ways to curb the
problem by using of religious education.
Zaba Philosophy/Principles
- Tiap-tiap orang
diwajibkan beramal dan
beribadat sendiri dengan
usaha dan
tenaganyatidak pernah
disuruh ia mengira dirinya
itu perlu bergantung
kepada doa orang sahaja
ataupun kepada fidyah
penebus yang dibuatkan
orang sahaja bagi
mendapat kejayaan dan
keselamatannya di akhirat
kelak
- Openness and truthfulness
were always his principles
of life.
Contributions :
- The pioneer of the Malay language
grammatical rules.
- Drafting the school curriculum
- As a translator, lecturer and during the
Japanese era was handed with the
responsibility to write books that could be
used in Malaya and Sumatra.
- 1956: Awarded the title "Reverend
(Pendeta)" at the Congress of the Third
Malay language and literature in Johor
Bahru.
- His sincerity in upholding the Malay
language is revealed when he rejected
the title of Dato on his services over the
years
- 1962: He was awarded the title of Tan Sri.
- In honor of his contributions in the field of
language and Malays.
By : DAVID (GSTT TESL 1.1)
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zainal_Abidin_Ahmad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zainal_Abidin_Ahmad_%28writer%29
http://www.arkib.gov.my/zainal-abidin-bin-ahmad-zaaba-
http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/zainal-abidin-bin-ahmad-zaaba-2
http://cikgu-girang.blogspot.com/2012/05/zainal-abidin-bin-ahmad-
zaba.html
http://warkahnizam.blogspot.com/2011/07/ilmuan-islam-zainal-abidin-
bin-ahmad.html