Zainal Abidin Ahmad (writer)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Ahmad is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Zainal Abidin. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri
Zainal Abidin Ahmad
PMN
زين العابدين أحمد‎
Born
Zainal Abidin bin Ahmad

(1895-09-16)16 September 1895
Batu Kikir, Negeri Sembilan, Federated Malay States, British Malaya (now Malaysia)
Died23 October 1973(1973-10-23) (aged 78)
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Resting placeJalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur
Other namesZa'aba or Za'ba
Organisation(s)Malay Language and Literary Congress
MovementMalayan Academic Movement

classical Malay, transforming it into the language that is in use today: the most significant change was the switch from the conventional passive to the modern active form of syntax.[2]

He also devised the

New Rumi Spelling
in 1972.

Biography

Teratak Za'aba, a museum dedicated to his life in Kampung Bukit Kerdas

Zainal Abidin was born on 16 September 1895 in Kampung Bukit Kerdas,

writing slate and some chalk. This further motivated Zainal's affinity for writing and helped to finetune his writing skills later on.[4]

Za'aba initially received his early education at a Malay school in Batu Kikir at the age of 12. His academic excellence allowed him to advance by two grades to Year 3. His father transferred him to a nearby school in

St. Paul's Institution, Seremban, becoming the first Malay to take and pass the Senior Cambridge test in 1915.[5]

Za'aba started his career as a teacher at:

Za'aba loved reading and had a highly commendable talent in writing, with most of his writings published in local newspapers and magazines. He published a series of

monographs in regard to the Malay language, including Pelita Bahasa (lit. 'Light of Language') and Ilmu Mengarang Melayu (lit. 'Malay Writing Skills'). His other writings include a compilation of translated Shakespeare
works, Cerita-Cerita Shakespeare, that was published by Percetakan Gudang Chap in Singapore.

Za'aba wrote a lot of essays that were social criticisms against the ills affecting contemporary Malay society and against British colonial rule at the time. His hidden hand[

United Malays National Organisation, a political party that had played an influential role in Malayan and later Malaysian politics as one of the dominant parties in the Alliance coalition (1957–1973) and the succeeding Barisan Nasional
(1973–2018).

Selected works

Linguistics

  • Pelita Bahasa Melayu series
    • Pelita Bahasa Melayu (original
      Malaya Publishing House
      ).
    • Pelita Bahasa Melayu I (1954, Malaya Publishing House).
    • Pelita Bahasa Melayu II (1957,
      MacMillan and Co
      ).
    • Pelita Bahasa Melayu III (1958, MacMillan and Co).

Anthropology

Histories

Award and recognition

Honour of Malaya

Places named after him

Several places were named after him, including:

  • Kolej Pendeta Za'ba, a residential college at
    Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
    in Bangi, Selangor
  • Kolej Pendeta Za'ba, a residential college at
    Universiti Putra Malaysia
    in Serdang, Selangor
  • Kolej Za'ba, a residential college at
    Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
    in Tanjung Malim, Perak
  • Za'ba Residential College, a residential college at University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur

References

  1. ^ Zainal Abidin bin Ahmad (Za'ba). arkib.gov.my
  2. ^ Mohamed Pitchay Gani Bin Mohamed Abdul Aziz (July 2016). "Unveiling Secrets of the Past Through the Passage of Malay Scripts". BiblioAsia. Vol. 6, no. 2. National Library Board. pp. 19–23.
  3. ^ a b "Biodata Tokoh - Pendeta Za'ba". National University of Malaysia. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  4. ISBN 9789832877080
    .
  5. ^ Syed Naquib al-Attas. Za'aba dalam kenangan // "Panji Masyarakat", Sept/Okt 1981
  6. ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1962" (PDF).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zainal_Abidin_Ahmad_(writer)&oldid=1267870413"