MarketTunku Zain Al-'Abidin
Company Profile

Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin

Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin ibni Tuanku Muhriz is the second son of Tuanku Muhriz and his wife, Tuanku Aishah Rohani. He is the founding president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), and is actively involved in public policy advocacy. In addition to his work as a newspaper columnist, he serves on the boards of several businesses and non-profit organisations. His areas of focus include public policymaking, youth development, and nation-building.

Early life and education
Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin was born on 6 July 1982 at University Hospital in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, during the reign of Tuanku Ja'afar. He is the second son of Tuanku Muhriz and Tuanku Aishah Rohani, and has two brothers: an elder, Tunku Ali Redhauddin, and a younger, Tunku Alif Hussein. He received his early education at the Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur and Marlborough College in the UK. He later pursued higher education at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), earning a Bachelor of Science in government and sociology, followed by a Master of Science in comparative politics and imperial history. ==Public service==
Public service
Tunku Zain began his career in public service holding positions at the Houses of Parliament and various think tanks in London before relocating to Washington, D.C., to work as a public sector consultant for the World Bank. In 2006, while still in London, he co-founded the Malaysian Think Tank with his friends Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Wan Mohd Firdaus Wan Mohd Fuaad. The organisation was created to promote classical liberal ideas in Malaysia and eventually evolved into the IDEAS after being relocated to Kuala Lumpur in 2009. Beyond this, he has been a key figure in the development of ICAN College since 2012 and, Tunku Zain was appointed pro-chancellor of UCSI University in 2021, a role in which he made notable contributions to the development of its Bangladesh branch campus and helped expand the university’s international research collaborations through various overseas initiatives. In April that same year, he and his brother, Tunku Ali Redhauddin, collaborated with The 10 Ringgit Project to support B40 families in Negeri Sembilan, raising funds through Yayasan Munarah to provide essential aid. As chairman of General Assembly Malaysia, Tunku Zain also spearheaded the MySTEP Programme 2021, which aimed to equip unemployed Malaysians with digital skills to enhance their employability during the COVID-19 lockdown. Since 2023, he has served as advisor to the UCSI Group. == Personal life ==
Personal life
Tunku Zain is a pianist, having performed or recorded with several ensembles and musicians including the UiTM Chamber Choir, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, and Mei Yi Foo. Beyond music, he enjoys tennis and squash, and currently serves as president of the Negeri Sembilan Squash Association. ==Titles, styles and honours==
Titles, styles and honours
• Royal Family Order of Yamtuan Radin Sunnah (DKYR; 20 October 2009) • Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Loyalty to Tuanku Muhriz (SSTM; 14 January 2018) – ''Dato' Seri'' • Recipient of the Tuanku Muhriz Installation Medal (26 October 2009) == Books ==
Books
Tunku Zain has authored four books to date: • • • • ==Notes==
tickerdossier.comtickerdossier.substack.com