Appreciation
Dr M. S. Jaldeen, Attorney At Law
Kalabushana Dr Mohamed Sheriff Jaldeen, born on 9th October 1936, passed away peacefully on 14th August 2012 after a brief illness at the age of 76.
He was the eldest in a family of three boys and was educated at St Sebastian’s College, Kotahena.
Dr Jaldeen passed the Advocates Final Examination of the Sri Lanka Law College and was admitted to the bar in 1974.
He had an active practice, particularly in civil cases.
He was also a graduate in Law of the University of Ceylon and in 1987 passed the Master of Laws degree of the University of Colombo majoring in International Economic Law.
He was awarded his Ph.D doctorate in law for his thesis on ‘The legal nature and significance of bi-lateral investment treaties’.
Prior to his enrolment as an Attorney at Law, he was employed at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka when he passed the examinations leading to associate-ship of the Institute of Bankers of London.
For some time he was the Quazi of the judicial area of Colombo North and since 1989, a member of the Waqf Board of Sri Lanka. He was also appointed as Chairman of the Board of Review under the Ceiling on Housing Property Laws which is an Appellate Tribunal which reviewed the decisions of the Commissioner of National Housing.
In 1983, Dr Jaldeen and Al Haj Mehar Jaleel, long time residents of Mabole, Wattala felt a need to establish a Malay Association to cover the Mabole, Wattala, Ragama, Kandana, Kelaniya, Ja-ela and surrounding areas and began visiting Malay families with an intent to start an association. In 1984, the Mabole Malay Religious, Social and Cultural Association was established and for convenience the name was subsequently changed to the Mabole Malay Association. Dr Jaldeen was elected as its 2nd President.
Dr Jaldeen also held the office of President of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Pensioners Welfare Association, Legal Adviser to the Sri Lanka Malay Confederation (SLAMAC) and Legal Counsel for the Wekande Jumma Mosque.
He wrote three books viz: ‘The Muslim Law of Marriage, Divorce & Maintenance in Sri Lanka’ in 1990, ‘The Muslim Law of Succession Inheritance & Waqf in Sri Lanka’ in 1993 and ‘T. B. Jayah – A national hero of Sri Lanka’ in 1996.
He was buried on 15th Aug 2012 at the Mabole Muslim burial grounds and Chief Imam of the Wekande Jumma Mosque Muzni Ameer (Dheeni) officiated at the burial ceremony and delivered the bayan.
May Almighty Allah grant him ‘Jannathul Firdhouse’. Ameen.
M. D. (Tony) Saldin
Vice President/Social &
Cultural Affairs &
Past President
MABOLE MALAY
ASSOCIATION
