Abdul Hamid bin Omar (25 March 1929 – 1 September 2009) was the first
Chief Justice of Malaysia.
Early life
Abdul Hamid Omar was born on 25 March 1929 in
Kuala Perlis
Kuala Perlis is the second-largest town in and the main port of Perlis in Malaysia. It is in extreme northwest Peninsular Malaysia, near the border with Thailand. The older part of town has houses and mosques built on stilts over mangrove swamp ...
,
Perlis Indera Kayangan. He obtained his early education at the
Sultan Abdul Hamid College in
Alor Setar
Alor Setar ( Jawi: الور ستار, Kedahan: ''Loqstaq'') is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia ...
in 1940,
[ which could not be completed as a result of the Second World War. During the war period, he was able to master the Japanese language. When the war ended, he returned to Alor Setar to continue his studies and passed his "Senior Cambridge" examination. Later, he left for London to further his studies at ]Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...
, and graduated as a Barrister-at-Law in England. He was called to the English Bar in November 1955.[
]
Career
He first entered the Malaysian Civil Service as a Magistrate in 1956,[ and then moved to become Deputy Public Prosecutor of ]Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
State (1960–1961) and then quickly moved to being State Legal Advisor of Perak (1961–1962). After a few years he was then Chief Registrar of the Federal Court (1967) and soon afterwards a High Court Judge (1968).[ After becoming Chief Justice of Malaya in 1985,][ he was involved in the 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis, chairing the six member ]tribunal
A tribunal, generally, is any person or institution with authority to judge, adjudicate on, or determine claims or disputes—whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title.
For example, an advocate who appears before a court with a single ...
which resulted in the dismissal of the then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas
Mohamed Salleh bin Abas ( Jawi: محمد صالح بن عباس; 25 August 1929 – 16 January 2021) was a Malaysian judge and politician. He was a Lord President of the Federal (then Supreme) Court of Malaysia. He was dismissed from his ...
.[ After taking over as ]Lord President of the Supreme Court The title of Lord President of the Supreme Court was formerly the title of the head of the judiciary in Malaysia, until 1994 when the office was renamed " Chief Justice of the Federal Court".
The Lord President was head of the highest court in Mal ...
[ a vote of no confidence was passed against him by the ]Bar Council
{{see also, Bar association
A bar council ( ga, Comhairle an Bharra) or bar association, in a common law jurisdiction with a legal profession split between solicitors and barristers or advocates, is a professional body that regulates the profess ...
. He retired shortly after he became Chief Justice of Malaysia in 1994, when the Lord President post was abolished and renamed.[ He was also involved with the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and joined the private sector after his retirement from the judiciary where he was chairman of several companies.][
]
Death
In early 2008 he suffered from a debilitating stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
. He died aged 80 on 1 September 2009 from renal failure
Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...
at the Gleneagles Hospital, Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
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, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
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, su ...
.[
]
Honours
He was bestowed several awards, which include the Seri Setia Mahkota (S.S.M.) which carries the title of Tun by His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...
on 7 June 1989, the Panglima Setia Mahkota
The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted on ...
(P.S.M.), the Panglima Mangku Negara
The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace ...
(P.M.N.), the D.P.M.P. and the P.M.P. He was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws
A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...
by the Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The university offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, graduate master's degrees and doctor ...
, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in April 1997.
National honours
*:
** Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted on ...
(PSM) – Tan Sri (1981)
** Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace o ...
(PMN) – Tan Sri (1986)
** Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted on ...
(SSM) – Tun (1989)
*:
** Member Grand Companion of the Order of Sultan Mahmud I of Terengganu
The Most Revered Order of Sultan Mahmud I of Terengganu (Bahasa Melayu: ''Darjah Kebesaran Sultan Mahmud I Terengganu Yang Amat Terpuji'') is a dormant honorific order of the Sultanate of Terengganu
History
It was founded by Sultan Mahmud of Te ...
(SSMT) - Dato’ Seri (1991)
** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Terengganu
The Most Distinguished Order of the Crown of Terengganu (Bahasa Melayu: ''Darjah Kebesaran Mahkota Terengganu Yang Amat Mulia'') is an honorific order of the Sultanate of Terengganu.
History
It was founded by Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin of Terengg ...
(SPMT) - Dato’
*:
** Grand Knight of the Order of the Crown of Pahang
The Esteemed Order of the Crown of Pahang ( Malay: '' Darjah Kebesaran Mahkota Pahang Yang Amat Mulia'') is a knighthood order of the Sultanate of Pahang.
History
The order was founded by Sultan Abu Bakar on 27 December 1968. It is awarded ...
(S.I.M.P.) - formerly Dato’, now Dato’ Indera (1985)
*:
** Knight Grand Commander of Order of the Crown of Selangor
The Most Illustrious Order of the Crown of Selangor (Bahasa Melayu: ''Darjah Kebesaran Mahkota Selangor Yang Amat Mulia'') is an order awarded by Sultan of Selangor as a reward for general services to the sultan and state of Selangor. It was foun ...
(SPMS) - Dato’ Seri (1991)
*:
** Knight Commander of the Order of the Crown of Perlis
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
(DPMP) - Dato’
References
People from Perlis
Malaysian people of Malay descent
Malaysian Muslims
Chief justices of Malaysia
20th-century Malaysian judges
Members of Lincoln's Inn
Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
Grand Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
2009 deaths
1929 births
{{Malaysia-bio-stub