Mohamed Zahir Ismail
Tun Mohamed Zahir bin Ismail (19 March 1924 – 14 October 2004) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower chamber of the Malaysian Parliament from June 1982 to his death in October 2004. He was the longest-serving officeholder by serving for 22 years, 4 months. He was also the first Chancellor of the International Medical University from 1999 to 2004.
Mohamed Zahir Ismail | |
|---|---|
| 6th Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat | |
| In office 14 June 1982 – 14 October 2004 | |
| Monarchs | |
| Prime Minister | Mahathir Mohamad (1982–2003) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (2003–2004) |
| Preceded by | Syed Nasir Ismail |
| Succeeded by | Ramli Ngah Talib |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 March 1924 Alor Setar, Kedah, Unfederated Malay States, British Malaya (now Malaysia) |
| Died | 14 October 2004 (aged 80) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Resting place | Section 21 Muslim Cemetery, Shah Alam, Selangor |
| Political party | United Malays National Organisation |
| Other political affiliations | Barisan Nasional |
| Spouse | Halimatun Sa'adiah Chik |
| Profession | Advocate, solicitor |
Early life and education
Mohamed Zahir was born in Alor Setar, Kedah. He attended Sekolah Kebangsaan Hosba in Jitra and later Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid, Alor Setar. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws from Lincoln's Inn in 1955.
Career
Mohamed Zahir began practising as a lawyer from 1956. After the independence of Malaya, he served as the Kedah State EXCO from 1959 to 1963, and briefly as Menteri Besar in 1963. He was appointed to the Dewan Negara (the upper house) in August 1963, and completed two terms (of three years each) as a Senator.
He was actively involved in the formation of the Malaysia, serving as a diplomat to the United Nations and as the Malayan representative to the Cobbold Commission. In 1975, he was appointed to the Kota Bharu High Court as a judge.
Now a respected figure in Malaysian politics, he was elected Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat following the 1982 general elections, a post he held for 22 years. During his tenure, he also became President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum and the ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly.
Death
In October 2004, Mohamed Zahir died in office due to acute renal failure in Kuala Lumpur Hospital.[1] He was laid to rest beside the grave of his wife, Toh Puan Halimatun Saadiah Chik, at the Section 21 Muslim burial ground in Shah Alam, Selangor.[2]
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
- Malaysia :
- Companion of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (JMN) (1963)[3]
- Malaysian Commemorative Medal (Silver) (PPM) (1965)[4]
- Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN) – Tan Sri (1984)[5]
- Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM) – Tun (1998)[6]
- Kelantan :
- Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Kelantan (SPMK) – Dato' (1975)
- Kedah :
- Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal House of Kedah (SSDK) – Dato' Seri (2002)[4]
References
- ^ Speaker Dewan Rakyat Tun Zahir meninggal dunia 15 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine (in Malay) AgendaDaily. 15 October 2004
- ^ "A funeral befitting a Speaker". The Star Online. 16 October 2004. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1963" (PDF).
- ^ a b "SEMAKAN PENERIMA DARJAH KEBESARAN, BINTANG DAN PINGAT". Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia). Retrieved 24 December 2020.
- ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1984" (PDF).
- ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1998" (PDF).
Others
- MyKMU Net (from Berita Harian) Accessed 7 June 2010.