Abdul Hamid Omar
Tun Abdul Hamid Bin Haji Omar (born 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, Perlis Indera Kayangan. He obtained his early education at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Alor Setar 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 Star to continue his studies and passed his "Senior Cambridge" examination. Later, he left for London to further his studies at Lincoln's Inn.
Career
- Entered the Civil Service as a Magistrate (1955)
- Deputy Public Prosecutor of Perak State (1960–1961)
- State Legal Advisor of Perak (1961–1962)
- Chief Registrar of the Federal Court (1967)
- Federal Legal Draftsmen
- High Court Judge (1968)
- Chief Justice of Malaya (3 February 1984)
- Lord President of the Supreme Court (10 November 1988)
- Special and Professional Activities
- President, Asian Golf Association
- Member of World Amateur Golf
- Leprosy Association of Malaysia
- Association of Spastic Children, Selangor
- Red Crescent Movement, Malaysia
In appreciation to his services and contributions, 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 on 7 June 1989, the Panglima Setia Mahkota (P.S.M.), the Panglima Mangku Negara (P.M.N.), the D.P.M.P. and the P.M.P.
Death
In September 2009, Hamid suffered from a stroke. He survived, but the stroke left him partially paralysed. He died on 1 September 2009 at the Gleneagles Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. The official cause of death was renal failure. He was 80 when he died.