Zainal Abidin Ahmad, Malaysian author and scholar (d. 1973)
Tan Sri Zainal Abidin bin Ahmad (16 September 1895 – 23 October 1973) or better known by the moniker Za'aba, was a Malaysian writer and linguist. He
modernised the Malay language with the publication of a series of grammar books entitled Pelita Bahasa in 1936 at the Sultan Idris Training College. The book contained guidelines in modernising the structure of classical Malay language, transforming it into the Malay language that is in use today. The most important change was in syntax, from the classical passive form to the modern active form.
He also devised the Za'aba Spelling system for Malay, which was adopted as the official orthography of Malay in Malaya and continued to be used by its successor states Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei until 1972, when it was replaced by New Rumi Spelling.