Datuk Abdullah Hussain , (25 March 1920 – 31 December 2014) was a Malaysian novelist and writer. He received the Malaysian National Laureate in 1996 which made him the 8th recipient of the award.

Early years

Abdullah was born on 25 March 1920 in Sungai Limau Dalam,

Yan, Kedah Yan is a district in Kedah, Malaysia. It is bordered by Kota Setar District to the north, Pendang District to the northeast and Kuala Muda District to the south. Yan District is along the coast of the Straits of Malacca. It is the smallest mu ...

. Between the years 1926 and 1931 he received his early education at the Sekolah Melayu Sungai Limau and continued his studies at Sekolah St. Michael Alor Setar from 1932 until 1933 and also at the Anglo Chinese School, Alor Setar until 1935.

Career

Abdullah started his career as an assistant cashier in the mining industry in

Pahang {{Infobox political division , name = Pahang , official_name = Pahang Darul Makmur , native_name = , settlement_type = States and federal territories of Malaysia, State , image_skyline = , imagesize ...

in 1939. In the same year, he moved to

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

to start work for the newspaper ''Sahabat''. During this time, he released two writings titled ''Binti Penghulu'' and ''Harta Dan Jodoh Menanti di England'' which was featured in ''Sahabat''. During the years 1940 to 1941, Abdullah worked as an assistant writer for the newspaper ''Saudara'' and released two novels, ''Kasih Isteri'' and ''Dia...Kekasihku''.

Death

Abdullah died on 31 December 2014 at his residence in Section 17,

Petaling Jaya Petaling Jaya (), colloquially referred to as "PJ", is a city in Petaling District, in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Originally developed as a Satellite city, satellite township for Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, it is part of the G ...

Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...

, at the age of 94. He was buried in Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery,

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

Publications

Goodreads
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Awards

*1981

S.E.A. Write Award The S.E.A. Write Award, or Southeast Asian Writers Award, is an award that is presented annually since 1979 to poets and writers of Southeast Asia. The awards are given to the writers from each of the countries comprised in the Association of S ...

*1992/1994 ''Hadiah Novel Nasional'' from Syarikat Utusan Melayu and Public Bank Berhad * 1994/1995 ''Hadiah Sastera Malaysia'' for the novel ''Imam'' *1995 ''Pingat Jasa Hukom Ngon Adat Lembaga Adat Kebudayaan Aceh (LAKA)'' and Hadiah Sako *1996 The Sasterawan Negara, ''Darjah Dato' Setia Diraja Kedah (DSDK)'' and ''Darjah Kebesaran Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN)''LATAR BELAKANG PENULIS NOVEL INTERLOK
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References

External links

{{Authority control 1920 births 2014 deaths People from Kedah Malaysian people of Acehnese descent Malaysian people of Malay descent Malaysian Muslims S.E.A. Write Award winners 20th-century Malaysian novelists Malaysian National Laureates