USM PENANG, 15 May 2025 – The handover ceremony of Tan Sri Edgar Joseph Jr.’s collection to Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut was successfully held on 21 April 2025 at the Exhibition Area, Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

The ceremony was attended by guests of honour, which included Chief Librarian, Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut, Arinawati Ayob; Judge of the Court of Appeal, Honourable Dato' Lim Chong Fong; respected family members of the late Tan Sri Edgar Joseph Jr.; John G. Tucker and Esther Tucker; and Dean of USM School of Housing, Building and Planning (HBP), Associate Professor Sr. Ts. Dr. Md Azree Othuman Mydin.

Also present were family acquaintances of Edgar Joseph Jr (lawyers); Programme Chairperson/lecturer of HBP, Dr. Zul Zakiyuddin Ahmad Rashid; Deputy Chief Librarians, Heads of Department and Librarians of Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut.

Tan Sri Edgar Joseph Jr. is a prominent and highly respected figure within the Malaysian judiciary. He once served as a judge at the Federal Court of Malaysia, which is the highest court in the country, and as such, he is a highly esteemed figure within Malaysia's legal system.

The donation of this collection was made to the Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut by the family members of Tan Sri Edgar Joseph Jr. through the School of Housing, Building and Planning (HBP), USM with Dr. Zul Zakiyuddin Ahmad Rashid as the key reference person.

It consists of approximately 3,000 items including law books, law reports, legal commentaries, dictionaries, publications on arbitration and related topics; his Special Library Collection (around 300 law reports, within the total of 3,000 items), biographies and other books on notable figures in Law, Politics, and other fields; three large portraits of Tan Sri Edgar Joseph Jr.; and Edgar’s personal items (Judicial Robe, Judicial Gavel in a wooden box, a ‘songkok’, and a large nameplate which inscribed “EDGAR”).

The guests of honour were taken on a tour of the USM Archives, where the EJJ collection is housed - specifically in the Special/Private Collection Room, alongside the existing collections of other prominent figures.

“The donation and handover ceremony of Edgar’s library collection to USM was a memorable event for my husband and me,” said Esther Tucker.

Text: Nur Afiqah Mohd Shukri, Librarian, Corporate & Customer Service Division, Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut, USM/Editing: MPRC/Photos: Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut, USM