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Tun Mohamed Zahir bin Ismail (19 March 1924 – 14 October 2004) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the 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 | |
---|---|
محمد ظاهر إسماعيل | |
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) |
Deputy | Hee Tien Lai (1982–1983) Abdul Hamid Pawanteh (1984–1986) D. P. Vijandran Mohamed Amin Daud (1986–1990) Ong Tee Keat Juhar Mahiruddin (1990–1999) Lim Si Cheng Muhammad Abdullah (1999–2004) Lim Si Cheng Yusof Yacob (2004–2004) |
Preceded by | Syed Nasir Ismail |
Succeeded by | Ramli Ngah Talib |
Personal details | |
Born | Alor Setar, Kedah, Unfederated Malay States, British Malaya (now Malaysia) | 19 March 1924
Died | 14 October 2004 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | (aged 80)
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
editMohamed 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
editMohamed 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
editIn October 2004, Mohamed Zahir died in office due to acute renal failure in Kuala Lumpur General 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]
Election results
editYear | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | N14 Kota | Mohamed Zahir Ismail (UMNO) |
Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballots cast | Majority | Turnout | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1964 | P012 Sungei Patani | Mohamed Zahir Ismail (UMNO) | 14,177 | 70.23% | Teh Pek Choon (SF) | 3,680 | 18.22% | 20,714 | 10,497 | 76.28% | ||
Syed Jan Aljeffri (PMIP) | 1,176 | 5.83% | ||||||||||
Ong Boon Seong (UDP) | 1,154 | 5.72% |
Honours
editHonours of Malaysia
edit- 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' (1981)[7]
- Kedah :
- Knight Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal House of Kedah (DSDK) – Dato'
- Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal House of Kedah (SSDK) – Dato' Seri (2002)[4]
References
edit- ^ Speaker Dewan Rakyat Tun Zahir meninggal dunia Archived 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).
- ^ Sultan: Be on guard against anti-nationals. New Sunday Times. 31 March 1981.
Others
edit- Dalam lembut Tun Mohamed tetap tegas MyKMU Net (from Berita Harian) Accessed 7 June 2010.