In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Mohamed Zain is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Abdul Aziz. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Tan Sri Dato' Paduka Abdul Aziz bin Mohamed Zain (10 November 1922 – 12 January 2012) was a Malaysian barrister, judge and businessman whom formerly took office as the second Attorney General of Brunei from 1961 to 1963.[1]
Before being appointed a magistrate in Taiping, Perak, in 1955, he started his public service career with the Kedah state administration. After that, he worked as a deputy public prosecutor in the state of Perak before being named a member of the Kuala Lumpur legal council in 1957. He served as the state's legal adviser for Kelantan and Terengganu in 1958. Before serving as Brunei's attorney general for two years beginning in 1961, he was appointed Perak's state legal adviser in 1960. He is also the founder and Deputy Chairman of Perkim and Chairman of Perkim from 1969 to 1971.[3] Aziz then served as Malaysia's solicitor-general from 1963 until 1964, when he was appointed to the High Court, and from there to the Federal Court in 1970.[2]
The reason Abdul Aziz served on the tribunal during the 1988 constitutional crisis that resulted in Tun Salleh Abbas' resignation as Lord President was questioned. He stated that he was given the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's order to sit on the tribunal. Even though Salleh was a very close friend of his, how could he refuse. Although he wasn't happy, he had to fulfill my obligations to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. When asked if he had any regrets about how the tribunal had turned out, he responded with an equally concise response, "I entered and left with a clear conscience."[4]
Later life
From 1971 to 1973, he presided over the National Electricity Board. Subsequently, he served as chairman of the Bedford (M) Bhd, Kota Tanah Sdn Bhd, Kao (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, and the Malaysian Institute of Management. He was also a trustee for the Council of Colleges Malaysia. When Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra served as secretary-general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1973, Aziz served as Tunku's special assistant.[2][5] He was not only a founding member and vice president of the Muslim Welfare Organization (PERKIM), but he also played a significant part in the establishment of a worldwide Islamic bank. He significantly contributed to the expansion of Anglia Ruskin University's involvement in a number of projects in Malaysia and Thailand.[6]
Death
At 6 am in his house in Bukit Pantai on 12 January 2012, Abdul Aziz passed away in his sleep at the age of 89. The Taman Titiwangsa Muslim Cemetery is where he was interred.[2]
Abd. Rahman, Zainatul Shuhaida (2005). Memoir Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zain: negarawan tujuh zaman (in Malay). Versi Gemilang. ISBN9789834286903.
Awards and honours
Namesakes
Tan Sri Dato' Abdul Aziz Mohammad Zain Jamek Mosque, also known as the Permatang Bogak Jamek Mosque, is situated in Permatang Bogak, Penaga and is anticipated to formally open on 29 April 2022.[7]
Honours
As a result of Tan Sri Abdul Aziz's humanitarian and charity activity as well as his efforts on behalf of the Anglia Ruskin University, he was awarded an honoraryDoctor of Laws in 1994.[6] Moreover, he has earned the following honours;[8][9]