A Locally Recruited Staff at the High Commission of Malaysia, Canberra Won the Malaysia Premier Literacy Award

Mr. Mohd Izuddin Mohamed Nazir, a locally recruited staff (LRS) at the High Commission of Malaysia in Canberra had won the Malaysia Premier Literacy Award for the year 2006/2007.  Under the name of Ilham Hamdani, he was selected by the judges for his anthology of short stories entitled ‘Mekar Sakura di Mimbar Cinta’.  The judges of the award said that Izuddin "maintains a prolific writing schedule and continues to provide a role model among the young writers”.  Mohd Izuddin received an award of RM10,000 in cash from the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on 18 January 2010 at the Legend Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

Mohd Izuddin was born in Perlis and grew up in Kuala Lumpur.  He graduated from the University of Ibaraki, Tokyo in 2004 with a degree in mechanical engineering.  Always an avid reader, he moved naturally into writing and has been working with the High Commission since 2007.   His wife, Amelia Mohd Hashim, a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the Australian National University, Canberra said that her husband has been seriously into writing since they moved to Canberra.  Amelia also thanked the High Commission's officers whom have been supporting and encouraging Izuddin in his writting.