Abdul Samad Ismail

Abdul Samad Ismail (18 April 1924 – 4 September 2008), who often went by the moniker Pak Samad, was a Malaysian journalist, writer and editor.

Samad was born on 18 April 1924, in Singapore to Javanese immigrant parents, where he also attended Victoria School. He completed a Senior Cambridge certificate as a cub reporter at the daily newspaper, Utusan Melayu, where he began his career in journalism in 1940.

Samad's family is "very conscious" of their Javanese heritage, and Samad himself spoke English with thick Javanese accent.

During the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War II, Samad worked for the Japanese-supported newspaper, Berita Malai. He became editor of Berita Malai when he was just 21 years old. The British, who controlled Malaysia during the colonial era, returned following the Japanese defeat and briefly imprisoned Samad. He was released after a short time and returned to work at the Utusan Melayu.

Samad wrote extensively in support of Malaysian independence from the United Kingdom. He often met with the Malay supporters of independence, as well as the separatists who were against Dutch rule in nearby Indonesia. For his actions, Samad was arrested by the British authorities again in 1951. He was released from prison in 1953 and again returned to work at Utusan Melayu.

Samad founded the People's Action Party (PAP) with Lee Kuan Yew, the future Prime Minister of Singapore. However, disagreements between Samad and both Lee and the Utusan Melayu resulted in his move to the city of Kuala Lumpur. While in Kuala Lumpur, Samad became the head of the Berita Harian newspaper and the managing editor of the New Straits Times Press (NSTP) group.

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