From New Straits Times
Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah, who passed away at 88 today, was a long-serving cabinet minister of Malaysia.
The Olympic Council of Malaysia's honorary life president hailed from Pekan, Pahang and was related to second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein (he was married to Abdul Razak's sister Toh Puan Zainon Hussain and they have seven children).
Apart from being a cabinet minister until 1980, Hamzah was the president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (1976-1998) and vice president of the Asian Sports Federation (1988-1998), Olympic Council of Asia (1982-1986) and Commonwealth Games Federation (1982-1998) and honorary life president of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (1977-2012).
He was also the president of the Football Association of Malaysia (1976-1983), honorary president of the Football Association of Malaysia (1983-2012), president of the Asian Football Confederation (1978-1994), honorary president of the Asian Football Confederation (1994-2012), vice president of FIFA (1982-1990), honorary executive member of FIFA (1990-2012), president of the Malaysian Cricket Association (1969-1990) and president of the Malaysian Taekwondo Association (1987-1999).
Hamzah studied in the Malay College Kuala Kangsar and graduated with a law degree from Gray's Inn, the United Kingdom in 1953.
During Britain's Queen Elizabeth's visit to Malaysia in 1972, Hamzah was the minister assigned to accompany her.
