Jins Shamsuddin

Jins Shamsuddin was born on 5 November 1935 in Taiping, Perak. He completed his Senior Cambridge exams in 1956 and hoped to continue his studies at the University of Malaya in Singapore, but his application was not accepted. He then got involved in theatre and was discovered by a Shaw Brothers public relations officer, who invited him to act in a movie. He made his film debut in Keadilan Illahi in 1956 and became a main star in 1957 through Pancha Delima, a film directed by P Ramlee. He went on to act in several films until eventually becoming a popular action hero in the 1960s, playing Jefri Zain, a James Bond-like spy character, in Gerak Kilat, Bayangan Ajal and Jurang Bahaya. He pursued his studies in the London Film School from 1970 to 1972 and graduated with first class honours. He then returned to Malaysia and became a film director, producer and writer. He directed and produced some of the most acclaimed and successful films in Malaysian cinema history, such as Bukit Kepong, Tiada Esok Bagimu, Esok Untuk Siapa, Ali Setan, Kembara Seniman Jalanan and many more. He also acted in some of his own films and won several awards for his performances and direction. He was also active in politics and joined the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 1986. He was appointed as a senator in the Malaysian Parliament in 2004 and served until 2011. He was also involved in various art and cultural activities and organisations. He was married twice and had three children. He died on 1 March 2017 at the age of 81 due to asphyxia via choking. He was buried at the Al-Ridzuan Mosque, Hulu Kelang Muslim Cemetery, Selangor. He is widely regarded as one of the legends and icons of Malaysian cinema and culture.