JEDDAH, 6 July — Abraham M. Malli, the Philippine labor attaché in Jeddah, died of cardiac arrest early morning yesterday.
Sixty-year-old Malli was confined at the King Abdul Aziz University Hospital on Wednesday for his lingering sickness, according to Consul General Kadatuan P. Usop.
He was suffering from chronic hypertension and diabetes. He leaves behind his wife, Dr. Roya Malli and three children. His remains will be buried in Makkah.
Community members recalled the services of the veteran labor attaché who served in several countries, including Iran and Singapore, aside from the Kingdom where he served twice. He was first posted here in the early 1980’s.
Malli studied at the Silliman University in Dumaguete City in the central Philippine island of Negros, where he obtained his law degree as a university scholar in 1965. He first joined the government service as a public school teacher in 1957 in his hometown, Parang, Sulu, and became member of the Philippine Bar in 1966.
Malli had a checkered academic and diplomatic career. He has been the recipient of a number of scholarships, fellowships and study grants, and actively participated in seminars.
The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh commended him for his outstanding performance as labor attaché from 1988 to 1990, and for the services rendered to the Filipino workers in the Kingdom earlier in 1986 — the year in which he was also cited by the consul general and principal officer at the local consulate for rendering outstanding service to Filipino expatriate workers in the Kingdom and the rest of the Middle East. His services were also cited by various other agencies including the Autonomous Government (Region 9) in 1985.
The Philippine Embassy in Iran commended him in 1979 for his outstanding and exemplary performance in securing the safety of about 8,000 Filipino workers and dependents in 1979. The embassy also gave him the recognition as a model public servant for his dedication to duty and genuine concern for the welfare and interest of Filipino workers in Iran. Among others recognizing his services were the Association of Philippine Overseas Labor Officers (APOLO), an organization of Philippine labor attaches in 1995-97, and Foreign Labor Attaché Corps Forum, Western Province, 1996-98.
Prior to his assignment as labor attaché in Jeddah, he was labor attaché from Singapore in 1991-94, supervising labor attaché at the embassy in Riyadh from 1988-91, and acting labor attaché and POEA representative labor center for Middle East & Africa, Jeddah, in 1981.
Among the fellowships granted to him was by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the UN Development Program (UNDP) at the ILO Institute for Higher Studies in Turin, Italy, with overseas study tours in 1975-76. He participated in a seminar on human rights and international law, Foreign Service Institute, Department of Foreign Affairs, Manila in September 1995.