PROF. AHMAD IBRAHIM

Meet Tan Sri Prof. Emeritus Ahmad Ibrahim

Tan Sri Datuk Professor Ahmad Ibrahim B.A., M.A., LLD. a.k.a. Ahmad bin Mohamed Ibrahim (b. 12 May 1916 Singapore - d. 17 April, 1999, Gombak, Malaysia). Educated at Victoria Bridge School, Raffles Institution, Raffles College, and Cambridge University where he graduated with first class honours in economics and law. Appointed a Singapore Magistrate in 1946, District Judge and Magistrate in 1955, he became Singapore's first State Advocate General in 1959, and Singapore's first Attorney-General in 1966. He was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) from the University of Singapore on 5 June 1965. Known to the law fraternity as an expert on Muslim law, he drafted the Administration of Muslim Law Act which revamped the Syariah Court's jurisdiction, and established the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore. From 1969 he worked in Malaysia as Professor of Legal Studies at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya, next as Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya, and then as Sheikh and Dean, Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University, Malaysia.

Early Life

Born in Singapore on 12 May 1916, he was educated at Victoria Bridge School, Raffles Institution and Raffles College Singapore, where in 1935, he graduated with an Honours London Bachelor of Arts, External degree. In 1936, he won a Queen's Scholarship, to study at St. John's College, Cambridge University, which he completed in 1939, with first class honours in Economics Tripos I, and Law Tripos II, and graduated with a B.A. (Cantab). While at Cambridge, he won the George Long Prize for Roman Law, and was exhibitioner, scholar and McMahon Law student of St. John's College. He obtained the Certificate of Honour, in the Bar Final exams, Middle Temple, London. Was called to Bar Middle Temple in November 1941.

Career Highlights

1946 : Became a Magistrate in Singapore.

1947 : Made a District Judge.

1948 : Left Civil Service, became a Law lecturer at Raffles College.

1949 - 1955 : In private practice and served as Municipal Commissioner, and was a member of the Rural Board.

28 February 1955 : Appointed District Judge and Magistrate and returned to the Civil Service.

1956 : Made Crown Counsel and Deputy Public Prosecutor.

1959-1963 : Singapore's first State Advocate General

1963-1969 : Singapore's first Attorney-General

1965 : Master of Arts degree, Cambridge.

5 June 1965 : Awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) from the then University of Singapore (today's National University of Singapore).

1966 : Drafted The Administration of Muslim Law Act which revamped the Syariah Court's jurisdiction, and established the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).

1967 : Senior Crown Counsel

1967 : Singapore's Ambassador to the United Arab Republic, and Singapore's Ambassador to the Republic of Egypt

1968 : As the Finance Ministry's legal consultant, his name came up in Parliament when a Member of Parliament questioned why Professor Ahmad was paid more as a legal consultant than a Cabinet minister. Dr Goh Keng Swee, who was then Finance Minister, replied that Professor Ahmad was a legal authority of international eminence. His high remuneration was aimed at keeping him there.

1969 : Resigned from the Singapore Government after 22 years service. He wanted to work in Malaysia and joined a Kuala Lumpur law firm.

1969-1972 : Professor of Legal Studies at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya

1972-1983 : Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya

1983-1999 : Sheikh and Dean, Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University, Malaysia.

1984 : Professor Emeritus, University of Malaya

7-9 August 1998 : Attended the 2nd International Islamic Unity Conference at Washington, D.C., as Tan Sri Datuk bin Mohamed Ibrahim, LL.D., Dean of the Faculty of Law, International Islamic University, Malaysia.

Vital Contributions



He was a key player in the merger talks between Singapore and Malaysia in the early 1960s.  He was also the legal expert in the Singapore delegation to the Malaysia Talks in London in 1963 which discussed independence from the British.

Former Senior Cabinet minister Dr. Goh Keng Swee, once described him as a man of "tremendous breadth and depth of intellect, whose ability as a legal draftsman is unsurpassed in this country".

He is the most active author of law books in the legal history of Malaysia. He has written several books related to the law that is still used as a reference until now. Among his famous books are: The Malaysia Legal System, First Edition 1987, Second Edition 1995, co-author Ahilemah Joned, Sistem Undang-Undang Malaysia (terjemahan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka), Family Law In Malaysia and Singapore, First Edition 1978, Second Edition 1984, Family Law in Malaysia, 1997, Undang-Undang Keluarga Islam di Malaysia, 1999 (His last book before his death).

In addition, he is also the founder of the, Law Journal, a journal with reported cases concerning decisions of the Syariah Court and he was an adviser and editor of the Law Journal. Moreover, he is also an editorial advisor for the Malayan Law Journal, Code, IIUM Law Journal, IKIM Law Journal and more.

His involvement is not limited to academic field. He was also a Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Syariah Court and had decided a number of cases. He is also a member of the Judiciary Department of Syariah Malaysia until the end of his life. He was invited to become a member of the panel makers of Islamic Law Enactment (Hudud and Qisas) Kelantan in 1991.

His greatest merit is that he proposed the formulation of Article 121 (1A) of the Federal Constitution which provides for preventing the civil courts to intervene in the affairs of the Syariah Court in 1988. He has successfully established a Syariah Court to a higher level that is seen on par with the Civil Court.

Ahmad Ibrahim Kuliyyah of Laws

The Kulliyyah of Laws was one of the two Kulliyyahs formed at the inception of the International Islamic University Malaysia in 1983.

The Kulliyyah started with 3 teaching staff and the first batch of undergraduate students of 59. The first programme offered was Bachelor of Laws (LL.B)(Honours). In 1986, the Kulliyyah started its Master of Comparative Laws (MCL) adn Ph.D programmes. In 1989, the double degree programme LL.B (Shari'ah)(Honours) was launched.

In 2000, the Kulliyyah was proclaimed as Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, in honour of the late Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Ahmad bin Mohamed Ibrahim, the founding father of the Kulliyyah.

AIKOL actively participates in various public speaking, debating, client counseling and mooting competitions, both nationally and internationally, and it has achieved quite a remarkable success throughout the years from its involvement in these co-curricular activities. AIKOL has continuously produced exceptional debaters and public speakers who regularly represented the university and also the country in numerous tournaments like the Royal Malaysian Intervarsity Debating Championship, Bar Council Debate, United Asian Debating Championships and Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships.

Irma Nur Zahrah of AIKOL became the first Asian to win the public speaking competition at the World Universities Debating Championships 2004 held at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. One of AIKOL's major achievements was when it became the runner-up in the prestigious Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition 2005 held at Washington, D.C. and Melati Abdul Hamid was awarded the Best Oralist in the Championship Round. Another major achievement was in 2008, where the IIUM mooting team represented Malaysia and managed to garner a clean sweep of the awards in the Inaugural Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition held at University of Oxford. The IIUM team was crowned the inaugural champion, merited the Best Memorial Award and Best Oralist of the said competition.