Meet Datuk Jamdin Buyong Place of birth: Putatan, Sabah Year of birth: 1946

About Datuk Jamdin Buyong

Datuk Jamdin Buyong is one of the most prominent Sabahan figures who not only has done so much for justifying the dignity of literature and language in the Sabah state, but he is also involved in many of the making of the history in Sabah. He is the pioneer for broadcasting the Bajau language in radios, contributed towards the development of museums in Sabah and played a vital role in empowering and dignifying the Malay language in our state. His peak achievement came when he was appointed as the member of Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) until he retired at the age of 66 in 2012.

He had his early education at the Government Primary School in the year 1952 until 1959 and his secondary education at Sabah College, however due to unwanted circumstances he had to quit. With much determination and diligence, he took the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) privately through qualifying test and passed with flying colours. He later on continued his study in journalism and literature at Writing School, England.

After finishing his study, he went back and started working as a journalist and assistant editor in Sabah Times. In the 60’s, he was a radio announcer and newsreader at Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM). In his time being a journalist, some of his position he had held over the years are; chief editor of Sabah Times before being the chief editor of Daily Express in 1969. Over a year later, he resigned and joined the State Civil Service and was given trust to be the translator, secretary and eventually promoted to be the Head of the Malay Language Bureau at the Prime Minister’s Office in 1977.

At the age of 56, he was appointed by the Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong to be the member of Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) from 2002 until 4th September 2012. During his time in SPR, he was considered to be the expert individual to find when dealing in correcting the proper use of Malay language used for communication and publishing in any Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya affairs.