– 1994) was a member of the parliament of Papua New Guinea (PNG) between 1964 and 1982, during which time he both served as a government minister in several positions and was leader of the opposition.
His mother died during his childhood, apparently because of devastating frosts that left the Laiagam valley without food.
The hunger led father and son to leave home and travel through the Lai Valley in search of food.
Abal witnessed his father being murdered by local tribesmen, and subsequently suffered considerable destitution.
Abal trained as a medical orderly in 1947, and later supervised New Guinean staff at Wabag Hospital.
[1][2] Encouraged by the Western Highlands district commissioner, Tom Ellis, Abal entered politics.
In 1968, he had unsuccessfully argued for a delay in the planned Independence of PNG until the Highlands had caught up with the more developed coastal regions, which had a longer history of exposure to the colonial power.
After a state funeral at Wabag Community School, which he had helped found, he was buried at his home in a grave topped by a little house.