Auntie Adibah Who Is Very Special

For anyone who knows Adibah Amin, it was certainly a moment of joy and pride when she was announced as the National Journalist Laureate at the Malaysian Journalists’ Night 2024 and received the Malaysian Journalism Award (HKM) MPI-Petronas 2023, held recently. The award was presented by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to her younger sister, Fadzilah Amin, who represented Adibah, as she unfortunately could not attend due to health reasons.

This recognition is just one of the many achievements Adibah has garnered throughout her career as a journalist, writer, and columnist. Many of us still remember her writings in the column As I Was Passing. Adibah, who wrote under the pseudonym Sri Delima, captured readers’ hearts with her simple yet profoundly touching language. This column even helped many readers improve their English in an entertaining way through the interesting stories she shared.

Adibah’s writing resonated with the everyday experiences we all go through. I feel very fortunate to have known Adibah, affectionately known as Auntie Adib, through my friendship with her nephew, Amin Syakib, a fellow law student who has followed in her footsteps by becoming a journalist, magazine writer, and now a scriptwriter.

Meeting Adibah for the first time makes one feel immediately comfortable when talking to her. She always smiles and pays close attention to every word spoken. In conversations, she respects every opinion given and, when it’s her turn to share her views, she is very considerate of her audience’s feelings. She never hurts those who disagree with her.

What makes Adibah more beloved and admired is her humility. She easily mingles with everyone, which earns her great respect. Many of us call her Auntie Adib, and we truly feel she is like our own aunt. Even as we go about our separate lives, we still inquire about Auntie Adib and always wish her well.

In her family, some members call her Abang Adib, following the Johor custom of addressing an elder sister as “abang,” while those who worked with her fondly call her Kak Adib. Despite her proficiency in English, she converses with us in Malay, complete with the Johor-Riau dialect, which is a source of pride for Johoreans.

Adibah Amin will always be remembered as a remarkable writer, novelist, teacher, actress, translator of Malay novels into English, and a great journalist. Although she has won various awards, many of us feel she deserves the highest recognition in our country’s literary world, the title of Sasterawan Negara (National Laureate). To us, she is a very special person, and we hope she continues to enjoy good health.