BA Hamzah .........the pride of Banggol Derdap

B. A. Hamzah is a lecturer with the Department of Strategic Studies, National Defence University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. He is also an adjunct research professor, National Institute of South China Sea Studies, Haikou, China

Prof. Dato’ Dr. BA Hamzah is a keen student of regional politics, geo-politics, maritime security, international law and law of the sea. He has conducted extensive research on the conflicting claims in the South China Sea, energy security and the global significance of strategic waterways including the Straits of Malacca. Current research includes examining the impact of China’s rise (Pax Sinica) on regional security. Prof. Dato’ Dr. BA Hamzah is in the process of completing a paper on the implications of the decline of American power (Pax Americana) and likely geo-strategic scenarios from Sino-American rivalry in the South China Sea. Other research areas include foreign policy issues, polar politics and environment (Antarctica and the Arctic); political violence in the Middle East and in Southern Philippines and ASEAN as a regional community. He has studied in Malaysia, the UK and Holland. In America, he atattended Tufts and Harvard University. He has served as visiting scholar at Lauterpacht Centre of International Law, Cambridge University. Dr. BA Hamzah has worked with Institute of South East Asian Studies (ISEAS) Singapore, United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) at Hiroshima and Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) at Jeddah. Locally, he has served MINDEF, University Science Malaysia (USM), Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS Malaysia), Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA), Petronas, Accenture, University Malaya (UM), and he is currently with the National Defence University. Over the years, he has written a couple of books and articles

Tan Sri Haji Hanafiah Ahmad........the pride of Banggol Derdap

HIGHLIGHTS

In 1977, Hanafiah became Director General of Tabung Haji, the Pilgrimage Management and Fund Board. Knowing from past encounters with fellow Malaysian pilgrims, especially those from rural areas how many needed support so they need not scramble for food and accommodations, HANAFIAH expanded Tabung Haji’s activities to help these pilgrims.
He made the Tabung Haji into an effective “people’s organization” with 69 branches throughout the country coordinating the issuing of passports, visas and health documents, and organizing briefings for the pilgrims. Their travel to Saudi Arabia, from air transport to board and lodging and any need for travel information and health services were also supported by Tabung Haji. Ten years after Hanafiah took the helm of Tabung Haji, the vast majority of Malaysia’s pilgrims—nearly 25,000 annually—were availing themselves of its comprehensive services.
Public confidence in the “people’s organization” saw over 1,000,000 Malaysians deposit their savings with Tabung Haji, which maintained individual computerized accounts. The growing fund was astutely invested in oil palm plantations, rubber estates, electronics firms, real estate and other profitable projects. Besides earning an approximate eight percent dividend for its investors—all in strict keeping with Islamic precepts— Tabung Haji served a secondary purpose, as a source of capital for spurring Malaysia’s progress.
The RMAF board of trustees recognizes “his enabling tens of thousands of devout Malaysian Muslims to accumulate savings and safely and economically make a cherished pilgrimage to Mecca.”