Tun Sufian Legacy

In Service of Law
Simplicity and Greatness

Born 12/11/1917, Lenggong.

Finished High School 33, winning a Queen's Scholarship in 1935. He was the first Malay to do so.

english school principle remarked, Suffian has by his success brought credit not only to the school and state, but also to the whole Malay race. He has provided a striking example of what Malay boy can accomplish -without money and without influence- if he possesses ability and determintaion.

In 1956, on the eve of our independence, Suffian was sent to Johore as its Legal Advisor. It was then the Conference of Rulers decided to give him another major task. he was asked to advised them in drawing up our Constitution- the most important document for a nation about to achieve independence.

in 1959, the then Sultan of Brunei requested him to draft a constitution of Brunei.

Merdeka University v Government of Malaysia [1982] 2 MLJ 243

Would Merdeka University be prohibited from teaching in Cihinese as the sole or major medium of instruction? it certainly would if it a public authority, for the use of Chinese there would be used for an official purpose which in the constitution read together with the National Language Act says is prohibited..

In our judgment a public authority includes not only a body of government or quasi government nature but indeed any authority with a public elemetn established by statue and exercising powers vested in it by federal law.. as there is no right to use the Chinese language for an official purpose, accordingly in our judgment it was not unconstitutional and unlawful for the government to reject a Plaintiff's petition to establish Merdeka University