Abdul Rahman bin Arshad (27 November 1936 – 16 August 2020) was a

Malaysian Malaysian may refer to: * Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia * Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia * Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...

academician, educator and diplomat. He served as the Pro-Chancellor of the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and has been widely known as the national education icon.

Early life

Abdul Rahman was born in Kampung Air Limau, Masjid Tanah,

Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...

and received his early education in his home state and later pursued his studies at the University of Malaya (UM). He then went on to study at the University of Singapore, the University of Reading, the New Zealand College of Administrative Staff,

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...

and completed his

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

at the

University of East London , mottoeng = Knowledge and the fulfilment of vows , established = 1898 – West Ham Technical Institute1952 – West Ham College of Technology1970 – North East London Polytechnic1989 – Polytechnic of East London ...

Career

Arshad's academic career began as a teacher at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, and then he was appointed the Deputy Director of Education in

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

, Kedah and

Kelantan Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode"). Kelantan is located in the ...

. He went on to hold his last position as Director General of Education before officially retiring in 1991. After his retirement, he was appointed to multiple positions including Education Consultant at

Bank Negara Malaysia The Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM; ms, Bank Negara Malaysia) is the Malaysian central bank. Established on 26 January 1959 as the Central Bank of Malaya (''Bank Negara Tanah Melayu''), its main purpose is to issue currency, act as banker and ad ...

. He has also served as a diplomat in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

and

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. He was appointed the Pro-Chancellor of UiTM on 15 December 2002 along with other five fellows. From 2014 to 2016, he was appointed by Muhyiddin Yassin when the latter held the position of

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

to be the Chairman of the National Education Advisory Council (MPPK).

Death

Arshad died on 16 August 2020 at the age of 83 at his residence in Taman Ampang Utama, Ampang District,

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

due to

old age Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

, exactly three months prior to what would have been his 84th birthday. His remains were laid to rest in his hometown in Masjid Tanah,

. He is survived by his widow, Puan Sri Noor Hayati Mohamed and three children.

Honours

* : **

Companion 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 ...

(J.S.M.) (1973) ** Companion of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (J.M.N.) (1981) ** Order_of_Loyalty_to_the_Crown_of_Malaysia_-_PSM

Commander of the

(P.S.M.) - Tan Sri (1988) * : ** MY-MAL_Exalted_Order_of_Malacca

Knight Commander of the Exalted Order of Malacca (D.C.S.M.) - Datuk Wira (1986) * : ** MY-PAH_Order_of_Sultan_Ahmad_Shah_of_Pahang_-_Knight_Companion_-_DSAP

Knight Companion of the

Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang The Most Illustrious Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (Malay: ''Darjah Kebesaran Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang Yang Amat Di Mulia'') is a knighthood order of the Sultanate of Pahang. History The order was founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah on 24 Oc ...

(D.S.A.P.) - Dato’ (1986) * : ** MY-SAB_Order_of_Kinabalu_-_SPDK

Grand Commander of the

Order of Kinabalu The Illustrious Order of Kinabalu (Malay: ''Darjah Yang Amat Mulia Kinabalu'') is the only order conferred by the Governor of Sabah, Malaysia. Background The Illustrious Order of Kinabalu is established by virtue of Section 3(a) of State Honou ...

(S.P.D.K.) - Datuk Seri Panglima (1990) * : ** MY-PEN_Order_of_the_Defender_of_State_-_Companion_-_DMPN

Companion of the

Order of the Defender of State 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 ...

(D.M.P.N.) - Dato' (1992) * : ** MY-SEL_Order_of_the_Crown_of_Selangor_-_Knight_Grand_Commander_-_SPMS

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Selangor (S.P.M.S.) - Dato’ Seri (2010)

References

External links

Official profile
at www.schoolmalaysia.com {{Authority control 1936 births 2020 deaths Malaysian people of Malay descent Malaysian Muslims Academic staff of Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysian diplomats People from Malacca University of Malaya alumni University of Singapore alumni Harvard Business School alumni Alumni of the University of Reading Malaysian expatriates in the United States Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia Companions of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Companions of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Selangor Grand Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu