Mohamed Zahir Ismail

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.

Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun

Mohamed Zahir Ismail

SSM PMN PPM SPMK SSDK
6th Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat
In office
14 June 1982 – 14 October 2004
Monarch
Prime MinisterMahathir Mohamad
(1982–2003)
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
(2003–2004)
Preceded bySyed Nasir Ismail
Succeeded byRamli Ngah Talib
Personal details
Born(1924-03-19)19 March 1924
Alor Setar, Kedah
Died14 October 2004(2004-10-14) (aged 80)
Kuala Lumpur Hospital
Resting placeSection 21 Muslim Cemetery, Shah Alam, Selangor
Political partyUMNO – BN
Spouse(s)Halimatun Sa'adiah Chik
ProfessionAdvocate, 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 on 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

References
  1. Speaker Dewan Rakyat Tun Zahir meninggal dunia Archived 15 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine (in Malay) AgendaDaily. 15 October 2004
  2. "A funeral befitting a Speaker". The Star Online. 16 October 2004. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  3. "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1963" (PDF).
  4. "SEMAKAN PENERIMA DARJAH KEBESARAN, BINTANG DAN PINGAT". Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia). Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  5. "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1984" (PDF).
  6. "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1998" (PDF).

Others
Political offices
Preceded by
Syed Nasir Ismail		 Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat
1982–2004		 Succeeded by
Ramli Ngah Talib
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