ZAIN AZRAAI BIN ZAINAL ABIDIN:
Diplomat, Corporate Figure, Man of Culture
(1936 - 1996)

During his lifetime Tan Sri Zain Azraai Zainal Abidin drew many lines of devotion on the canvas of modern history of the country. He contributed his services wholeheartedly and diligently in three different fields, namely, diplomatic, corporate and art.

Zain was born on 27 July 1936, the third child of four siblings in Teluk Intan, Perak. He grew up in a prominent nationalist family, where mother was Che' Puteh Mariah Ibrahim Rashid, a political figure who once fought against the British colonists in the Perak Malay Alliance around the 40s. At that time she was also known as one of the founders and the head of the first UMNO Women's Movement. His father, the late Tan Sri Zainal Abidin Abas, was a former Senior Government Officer and a close friend of the late Dato' Onn Jaafar - the founder of UMNO - who also tried to establish the party on 11 May 1946 and was once appointed as the Secretary General of UMNO around 1947 to 1948.

At the age of six during the Japanese occupation, he was enrolled in a Malay school. His parents were quite concerned with education, especially in the English stream. After the war, they broke with the tradition of the local Malay community who were reluctant to send their children to vernacular schools. To his parents, the struggle against the colonialists was simply to liberate the homeland, but not to completely reject the knowledge possessed by the colonialists. Thus, Zain was sent to an English school, St. Anthony's School, Teluk Intan, from 1945 to 1949.

In 1950, when he was 14 years old, the family moved to the Federal capital and Zain continued his studies in Standard 8 (Form 4 today) at the Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur. At the end of 1951, he was one of the youngest pupils, at a mere fifteen years of age, to sit for the Cambridge School Certificate examination, achieving a Grade One certificate for his efforts.

Zain busied himself in drama activities. Elected Secretary, in 1952, of the newly revived V.I. Society of Drama, he was involved in the Society's inaugural play "The Merchant of Venice" which was staged at the Kuala Lumpur Town Hall to packed houses. Zain was cast as Gratiano, a friend of Antonio, the character in the title role, played by future judge, Mahadev Shankar.

He plunged into other Society activities as well. It would seem that secretaryship was Zain's favourite pursuit as he simultaneously held that same position in the Literary and Debating Society, and in the Science and Mathematics Society as well! Capping off that busy Post-School Certificate year, Zain was appointed a V.I. Prefect. Then in the following year, 1953, he first crowned it by becoming Captain of Yap Kwan Seng House and, two months later, - the ultimate honour - V.I. School Captain. His captaincy was short, though, as he left in September of that year for his university studies.

Setting foot in Oxford University, England, Zain made history as the first Malay to study at the famous institution of higher education at the tender age of seventeen. He graduated with a Master's Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and then spent a year at the London School of Economics deepening his knowledge in the field of international relations.

On his return to his homeland, Zain began his career in the civil service as a Cadet Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 1 October 1958. A year later he was appointed as Assistant Principal Secretary (politics) in New York. He also served the subsequent years as Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) from 1962 to 1966.

In 1962, the 26-year-old Zain collaborated with Ghazali Shafie, later the Minister of Home Affairs under Tun Razak, as members of the Cobbold Commission in London to prepare recommendations for the formation of the proposed Malaysian state.

Before long, his diplomatic skills were called on when Malaysia confronted Indonesia in the tense period from 1963 to 1966. Zain's role behind the scenes explaining the concept of the formation of Malaysia to the member countries of the United Nations was quite effective, so much so that the world body recognized and supported that concept.

Zain Azraai with UN Secretary-General, Javier Perez de Cuellar

In 1971, Zain was offered by the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein the position of Secretary to the Prime Minister. He served with Tun Razak for five years until Tun died on 14 January 1976.

Zain's service in government service was further marked by his appointment as Ambassador to the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Cuba from 1976 to 1983, in addition to serving as Executive Director of the World Bank from 1978 to 1982.

Because of the high trust and confidence in his abilities, the government appointed him again as Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from March 1984 to May 1986.

During his tenure as Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Tan Sri Zain Azraai created history as the first Malaysian, along with Science Adviser in the Prime Minister's Department Prof. Datuk Dr. Omar Abdul Rahman, to set foot at the South Pole in January 1985. They were selected as Malaysia's representatives in the United States Antarctica Research Program.

In a meeting with journalists in 1991, Zain recounted his experiences in the South Pole, declaring, "It's not as cool as you might imagine. The temperature was below zero degrees but very pleasant and, of course, it was summer. We lived there. It was clean, quiet and bright... it was just beautiful."

On his return from his New York assignment, Zain was appointed Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance in 1986. He held the position until his compulsory retirement from government service in July 1991 after serving with full dedication for 33 years.

Among his colleagues and associates, Tan Sri Zain Azraai was known as a friendly person, and a superior leader, rich in smiles. He was a man who liked to dress well and smartly, wearing shirts buttoned up to the collar. He was the only high-ranking Malay official who often wore Malay clothes to the office since the late 60s.

His distinctive stature and dressing skills put him in the list of ten "Best Dressed Men in Malaysia, 1993" together with Sultan Azlan Shah, Raja Nazrin Shah, Tuanku Naquiyuddin Tuanku Jaafar, Tan Sri Azman Hashim. Tan Sri Loy Hean Heong, Datuk Mohd. Ghazali Mohd. Khalid, Datuk Jeffrey Cheah, Kamaruddin Taib and Akbar Khan.

Zain was not only known as a diplomat but also as an authoritative corporate figure. After retiring from government service, he poured his extensive experience into the field of corporate administration. Starting as Chairman of the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), he was then Chairman of the Malaysian Aviation System (MAS) in 1991. Zain then joined the Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad (MIDF) and Syarikat Perumahan Pegawai Kerajaan Sdn Bhd.

He was also appointed as Chairman of Malaysia International Merchant Bankers Berhad (MIMB) and Oriental Bank Berhad, in addition to holding several important positions such as Director of Bank Negara (1991 - 1993) and Director of Petronas.

As an artist, Zain was interested in the beauty and harmony present in art. Painting, western classical music, jazz rhythms and keroncong were among the aesthetic activities he enjoyed very much. It was this fact that prompted him to be directly involved in art activities with a special focus on paintings. In 1960, Zain was appointed as the Secretary of the Implementation Committee for the Establishment of the National Gallery of Art. In the 1970s, as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, he was responsible for bringing the late artist Ismail Zain to the National Gallery of Art as the first director.

"His interest in painting was quite deep, perhaps it blossomed when he was studying in England", said his brother, Zain Azahari, also a former Victorian. Zain greatly appreciated paintings and had an artistic taste for the local paintings of a country. Because of this strong interest, Zain Azraai was appointed by the Government to find and evaluate high-quality local paintings to be sent to Malaysian embassies around the world.

As the hundredth birthday of the V.I. approached in 1993, this former School Captain was tapped for one last duty to his school - to chair the Centenary Celebrations Committee to plan the celebrations, an august group that included prominent alumni such as Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, Dato Siew Nim Chee, Dato R. S. McCoy, and others. In the end they produced a muti-faceted, multi-day programme spanning months and incorporating concerts, exhibitions, cross-country runs, special sports, tattoos, fashion shows, band concerts. These culminated in a grand dinner at the Shangrila Hotel to which were invited Old Boys and Old Girls from all eras.

On the evening of August 13th 1993, a casually-dressed Zain Azraai was present at the school premises to join in the Open House festivities, in the classrooms and in the quadrangle. Accompanied by Dato Siew Nim Chee, ex-Headmaster Dr G E D Lewis and others, he joined a new generation of Victorians to usher in the school's second century. The following evening - the big day itself - at the Shangrila Hotel, a smartly dressed 1953 School Captain proudly welcomed and escorted the Malaysian Prime Minister and the Sultan of Brunei, also an Old Boy, to their places, to launch the formal celebrations. The ex-School Captain's final duty was beautifully wrapped up.

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From the V.I. Archives


Drama Production 1951


VI Society of Drama 1952
Hon Secretary Zain Azraai is seated fourth from right


VI Prefects 1953: School Captain Zain Azraai is seated fourth from left



Zain Azraai giving away prizes at the
1992 VI School Sports



Zain Azraai was Chairman of the 1993
VI Centenary Celebrations Committee



Zain Azraai with Dato Siew Nim Chee (left)
at the Centenary festivities on August 13th 1993



Zain Azraai escorting the Prime Minister and the Sultan of Brunei
at the Shangrila Hotel on August 14th 1993