Mohamed Zain "Jins" Shamsuddin (Jawi: محمد زين بن شمس الدين) (5 November 1935 – 1 March 2017) was a Malaysian film actor, director, politician, writer and producer.

Jins Shamsuddin
جينس شمس الدين
Born
Mohamed Zain bin Shamsuddin

(1935-11-05)5 November 1935
Died1 March 2017(2017-03-01) (aged 81)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Resting placeAl-Ridzuan Mosque, Hulu Kelang Muslim Cemetery, Selangor
NationalityMalaysian
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • politician
  • art activists
  • writer
  • producer
Years active1956–2011
Known forJefri Zain in
  • Gerak Kilat
  • Bayangan Ajal
  • Jurang Bahaya
Political partyUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
Spouses
Rahmah Rahmat
(m. 1961; div. 1963)
Puan Sri Halijah Abdullah
(m. 1986⁠–⁠2017)
Children4
Jins Shamsuddin
Senator
Appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
In office
12 February 2008 – 11 February 2011
MonarchMizan Zainal Abidin
Prime MinisterAbdullah Ahmad Badawi
(2008–2009)
Najib Razak
(2009–2011)
In office
13 October 2004 – 12 October 2007
MonarchsSirajuddin
(2004–2006)
Mizan Zainal Abidin
(2006–2007)
Prime MinisterAbdullah Ahmad Badawi

Early life and film career

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Mohamed Jins was born in Taiping, Perak on 5 November 1935. He went to SMK King Edward VII Taiping, Perak and he completed his Senior Cambridge exams in 1956, hoping to continue his studies at the University of Malaya in Singapore (currently the National University of Singapore).[1] His hopes were dashed when the university's admission officer said that they would "keep his application in view". His great-uncle, who was a teacher at the prestigious Anderson School in Ipoh, however managed to apply for a place to study electrical engineering in England three months into the deadline. Jins would use this spare time to take nightly English courses while he stayed with a relative who was the director for Radio Malaysia's education wing.[1]

Meanwhile, there were rehearsals of a play that were going on nearby, in which Jins would watch them daily. The lead actor of the play would later choose him as his stand-in, with the blessings of the cast and crew, when it was learnt that the lead's mother fell ill and the lead had to attend to her. When the lead actor's mother died and he could not resume his role, Jins's stand-in became permanent.[1] The play would eventually open at the Victoria Memorial Hall in Singapore. This is where he would be discovered by a Shaw Brothers public relations officer, who approached him about wanting to act in a movie. He agreed, and thus made his screen debut in Keluarga Tolol in 1956. He went on to act in several films until eventually becoming a main star in 1957 through Pancha Delima, a film directed by P. Ramlee.[1]

Rising popularity and other ventures

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From 1966 to 1968, Jins had starred in several action movies produced by Malay Film Production where he portrays Jefri Zain, a James Bond-like spy character.[2]

He had pursued his studies in the London Film School from 1970 to 1972, obtaining his Diploma in Motion Picture Technology and graduated with first class honours.[3]

In 1981, Jins collaborated with the Royal Malaysia Police to produce and direct Bukit Kepong; a film dramatizing the Bukit Kepong incident, which was a chaotic armed conflict between the Malayan police and Malayan Communist Party gunmen during the Malayan Emergency. The movie, which costed about RM1.3 million to make and collected RM1.7 million at the box-office, won eight awards in the 3rd Malaysia Film Festival the next year including the Best Film category.[4] The film eventually went under a restoration project by KRU Studios in 2014.[5][6]

For much of his life, Jins was interested in making a film about the events that led to the assassination of the British official J.W.W. Birch in Perak in 1875. A newspaper report indicated that he had begun work on such a film in 1992,[7] but it was not completed. In 2004, Jins announced plans to make an epic English-language film entitled The King of the River: Pasir Salak,[8] though the project was ultimately never realized. Even five years later in 2009, Jins expressed his eagerness for the project that he considered his lifelong ambition, saying "I hope to complete my movie on the historical events that happened in Pasir Salak before I die."[9]

Political career

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On 13 October 2004, he became the first actor-politician in Malaysia following his appointment as a member of the Dewan Negara in the 11th Parliament of Malaysia. He was reappointed again as a Senator for a second term from 12 February 2008 until 11 February 2011.[3][10]

Personal life

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Jins was first married to actress Rahmah Rahmat in Singapore in 1961, from which their marriage bore a son named Jeffry Jins. Their marriage however was short-lived, eventually divorcing in 1963. In 1986, he married Halijah Abdullah. They had two children together, Putera Hang Jebat and Putera Hang Nadim.[11]

Death

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Jins died at 5:45 pm at a clinic in Taman Melawati after choking on cekodok on Wednesday, 1 March 2017 at the age of 81,[12][13][14] as confirmed by his second son Putera Hang Nadim.[15]

Honours and awards

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Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1956 Keluarga Tolol Extra character
Keadilan Illahi Youth in a Country
Anak-ku Sazali While at the Train Station
1957 Pancha Delima Suria Kencana
Kasih Sayang
1958 Matahari Prebet Bujang
Azimat
Sergeant Hassan Aziz
Anak Pontianak Petir
1959 Dandan Setia Tengku Dandan Setia
Samseng Ahmad
1960 Lela Manja Megat Komeng
Megat Terawis Megat Sari
Pertarongan Tamir
Putera Sangkar Maut
1961 Si Tanggang Tanggang
Indera Bangsawan Indera Bangsawan
1962 Lubalang Daik Singkip
Batu Durhaka Wira
1963 Darah Muda Yazid
Neracha Rahman / Hussein
Budi dan Dosa Osman
1965 Bidasari Tengku Indera
Takdir Panglima Meranti
Sayang Si Buta Dr. Rashid
1966 Gerak Kilat Jefri Zain
Kacha Permata Hamzah / Omar
1968 Bayangan Ajal Jefri Zain
Jurang Bahaya
Amok Tok Nading
Kanchan Tirana Kanchan
Miang-Miang Keladi Khalid
1969 Bukan Salah Ibu Mengandong Agus Directing debut
1970 Di-Belakang Tabir Osman, Karim As director
1977 Menanti Hari Esok Cikgu Talib / Jalil As director and writer
1979 Esok Masih Ada ASP Zamri As director and producer
Tiada Esok Bagimu Ghailan
1981 Bukit Kepong Sgt. Jamil Mohd Shah
1982 Esok Untuk Siapa Jiman As director, writer and producer
1985 Ali Setan Tan Sri As director
1991 Memory Herman
1993 Balada Father Desa As director
1998 Money No Enough Rich Man Cameo
2001 The Deadly Disciple Mahaguru Yassin
2007 1957: Hati Malaya Sultan Johor
2008 Akhirat Dato’ Shamsudin
2010 Miss You like Crazy Mir's Grandfather A Filipino production

Television series

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Year Title Role TV channel Notes
1993 Roda Roda Kotaraya Supt Rahman TV1
2004–2005 Masih Ada Cinta Zahran TV3
2005 Mahligai Gading Tan Sri Suffian TV1
2007 Dinasti Bilut Tan Sri Mustafa
2008 Roda-Roda Kuala Lumpur (Season 2) TV2 Special appearance
2011 Tahajjud Cinta Tan Sri TV3

Telemovie

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Year Title Role TV channel Notes
1991 Wawasan TV1
1993 Ianya.... Anugerah TV3 As director

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Tan Shiow Chin (9 March 2008). "Never too late". The Star. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  2. ^ Fu, Poshek (2008). China Forever: The Shaw Brothers and Diasporic Cinema. University of Illinois Press. pp. 168–169. ISBN 9780252075001.
  3. ^ a b Melati Pusaka. "Jins Shamsuddin: Bintang filem yang pernah jadi YB". Free Malaysia Today (in Malay). Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  4. ^ Niezam Abdullah (13 September 2011). "Filem 'Bukit Kepong' Ikut Fakta Sejarah - Jins Shamsuddin". mStar Online (in Malay). Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  5. ^ Yeoh, Angelin (27 August 2015). "Proudly Malaysian: Iconic film Bukit Kepong restored to its full glory". The Star. No. Star 2. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Bukit Kepong naik taraf". Utusan Malaysia. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Movie to lay ghost of J.W.W. Birch to rest," New Straits Times , 2 October 1992
  8. ^ "Coming: Epic English film on Perak War and Birch". New Straits Times. Singapore. March 17, 1994.
  9. ^ "A filmmaker who is 73 going on 20". AsiaOne News. January 10, 2009. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  10. ^ "Siapa pengganti Senator Tan Sri Jins Shamsuddin". Astro Awani (in Malay). Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  11. ^ Ifqdar Rahman (6 February 2015). "Jins Shamsudin hanya ada tiga anak". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  12. ^ "Legendary actor Jins Shamsuddin dies". The Star Online. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  13. ^ Raja Nurfatimah Mawar Mohamed (1 March 2017). "Seniman legenda, Jins Shamsuddin meninggal dunia". BH Online. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  14. ^ Ariffudin Ishak (1 March 2017). "Seniman Negara Jins Shamsuddin Meninggal Dunia". mSTAR Online. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  15. ^ "Jins Shamsuddin meninggal dunia". Free Malaysia Today. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".
  17. ^ "Jins Shamsuddin terima Anugerah Seniman Negara". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). 10 January 2009. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2017.

Bibliography

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