Zainal Abidin Ahmad

Infobox revolution biography
name=Zainal Abidin bin Ahmad
lived=birth date|1895|09|16 – death date and age|1973|10|23|1895|09|16


caption=Za'aba
alternate name=Za'aba
dateofbirth=birth date|1895|09|16
placeofbirth=Jempol, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
dateofdeath=death date and age|1973|10|23|1895|09|16
movement=Malayan Academic Movement
organizations=Writing and Malay Language Congress Malaya
religion=Islam

Zainal Abidin Ahmad (16 September 1895 - 23 October 1973), also known ad Za'aba was a Malaysian writer in the 1940s. From his achievements in literature, he was a kampung boy who succeeded to place himself among other famous individuals in Malaysian history.

Biography

Born in Bukit Kampung Kerdas, Jempol, Negeri Sembilan, Zaaba received his early education at a Malay school in Linggi. He then continued his study at St. Paul's Institution, Seremban and was the first Malay to take and pass Senior Cambridge test in 1915.

Zaaba started his career by becoming a teacher at a school in Johor Bahru in 1916, and then changed to:
* 1918: Malay College Kuala Kangsar
* 1923: Education Department, Kuala Lumpur
* 1924: Sultan Idris Teacher's College, Tanjung Malim
* 1939: Information Department, Singapore until 1942
* 1942: East and Africa studies centre, University of London until 1951
* 1954: Universiti Malaya, Singapore until 1959. Zaaba loved reading and had excellent talent to write. Most of his writings were published in local newspapers and magazines. He published a series of monograph in Malay Language, including "Bahasa Pelita" (Language of light) and "Ilmu Mengarang" (Writing Skills). His other writings include "Cerita-cerita Shakespeare" (Shakepeare stories in Malay) that was published by Percetakan Gudang Chap, Singapore.