Za'ba was a pioneering Malaysian educator born in 1895. He received his early education through informal Islamic schooling and later formal education. He made significant contributions to education in Malaysia by establishing the Malay Studies department at University of Malaya to develop the Malay language. All Malay language textbooks until 1968 were based on his grammar book. He also published influential books on Malay prose, poetry, and Jawi spelling that were widely used for decades. Za'ba viewed essay writing as an expression system and published works analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the Malay language and its orthography. He accomplished the dream of earlier linguist Abdullah Abdul Kadir Munshi by developing a comprehensive Malay grammar.

1. Pioneers of Education : Za’ba
Nur Hafizah Binti M. Khairul
Nur Shazlin Binti Kamal Bacha
Nur Syahirah Binti Ismail
Qistina Binti M. Marzuki

2. Biography
• Tan Sri Dr. Zainal Abidin well
known with his nickname
Za‟ba, was born on 16
September 1895 (26 Rabiul
Awal 1313 H) at kampung Bukit
Kerdas, Batu Kikir, Negeri
Sembilan.
•Za‟ba was the eldest among
Za‟ba the siblings.
(1895-1973)
•He was from a pious family.

3. • Za‟ba got married for the
first time on 1917 and the
marriage ends after he got
his first child. He got married
for the second time and he
still take care of his first
daughter.
•Za‟ba passed away on 23
October 1973 when he was
78 years old.

4. Educational Background
• Received his first education through
informal approach by his father.
• He was taught to read the Holy Quran. 3
years after that, he was well versed in the
knowledge of the Quran.
• Got his first formal education at the age
of 12, in Sek. Melayu Batu Kikir.

5. •Not long after that, he was transferred to
Sek. Melayu Linggi to further his Arabic and
Islamic studies.
• Then, he went to St. Paul Institution,
Seremban to pass Senior Cambridge.
• At the age of 58, he managed to get a
second-class degree in Maters of Art at the
University of London.

6. Za’ba combined these two aspects in educating the students:
- Language
- Religion.
His contributions to education:
- The year 1947, the government agreed to establish the
Department of Malay Studies in University Malaya aimed to
support the development of the Malay Language, to collect the
ancient sources of Malay Literature, and to improve the Malay
Language teaching system in the Malaysian English schools. This
was based on his ideas.

7. - Until the year 1968, all the Malay Language
text books used in schools are based on his
grammar book
- He was also known as the one who set forth
the rhetorical knowledge. His book “Ilmu
Mengarang Melayu” was published in the year
1934 and was republished six times in „Jawi‟
edition until the year 1956 and was republished
in Romanized edition in the year 1962. The book
is used as guidance in writing prose and poetry.

8. - Za‟ba introduced the Jawi‟s spelling method in 1929
and formulate the Jawi‟s spelling law in a book titled
Rahsia Ejaan Jawi. In 1938 he published a book entitle
Daftar Ejaan Melayu (Jawi-Rumi)

9. Essay as a Discourse/Expression System
(Karangan sebagai Sistem Wacana)
- Za‟ba sees essay as an expression system
because how we express certain things in
writing is different from how we express it
orally.
Examples;
1) Bahasa Melayu Kelebihan dan Kekurangan
(1954)
2) Bahasa Melayu dengan Tulisannya (1958)

10. - Za‟ba is the one and only local linguist expert
whom accomplished Abdullah Abdul Kadir
Munshi‟s dream which is to developed
grammar (tatabahasa) in his own language
who failed to do so since the 19th century.