KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 — Writer and poet Datuk Firdaus Abdullah, 79, who also served as Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) director-general from 2005 to 2008, passed away today.
DBP announced the news on its official Facebook page, expressing its condolences to the deceased’s family members.
“Members of the Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka fraternity expressed their condolences to the family of Yang Berbahagia Datuk Dr Firdaus Abdullah, who passed away on April 11, 2024, corresponding to Syawal 2, 1445AH.
“May his soul be blessed and placed among the believers. Amin,” it said.
The late Firdaus was known for several works, including the poetry collection Prisma Mimpi (1985) and the children’s poetry collection Puisi Amira dan Falahi (1986), apart from most of his short poems, which were published in poetry anthologies and periodicals.
He received his early education at Sekolah Menengah Methodist Sentul in Kuala Lumpur before obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science at the Northern Illinois University in the United States (US) in 1969.
Firdaus also held a Master’s in Communication and International Relations from Ohio University, a Master’s in Philosophy and Comparative Politics, and a Doctorate in Political Science from Columbia University, US.
He began his career as an assistant lecturer (Temporary) at the Faculty of Economics and Administration of the University of Malaya and served as its deputy vice-chancellor (Student Affairs) from 1998 to 2001.
In the private sector, Firdaus served as a reporter for Berita Harian and News Straits Times and the executive chairman of Utusan Karya Sdn Bhd. In politics, he was appointed twice as a Senator starting in 2009.
— Bernama
