[2] Samad was born on 18 April 1924, in Singapore to Javanese immigrant parents,[3] where he also attended Victoria School.
[4] He completed a Senior Cambridge certificate as a cub reporter at the daily newspaper, Utusan Melayu, where he began his career in journalism in 1940.
[5] During the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War II, Samad worked for the Japanese-supported newspaper, Berita Malai.
[4] The British, who controlled Malaysia during the colonial era, returned following the Japanese defeat and briefly imprisoned Samad.
[7] Samad founded the People's Action Party (PAP) with Lee Kuan Yew, the future Prime Minister of Singapore.
While in Kuala Lumpur, Samad became the head of the Berita Harian newspaper and the managing editor of the New Straits Times Press (NSTP) group.
[4] Lee Kuan Yew sent his condolences to Samad's son, describing him as able and shrewd though with an innate ability to accept changed realities.