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.
Mohamed Zahir Ismail | |
---|---|
Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat | |
In office 14 June 1982 – 14 October 2004 | |
Prime Minister | Mahathir Mohamad (1982–2003) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (2003–2004) |
Preceded by | Syed Nasir Ismail |
Succeeded by | Ramli Ngah Talib |
Personal details | |
Born | Alor Setar, Kedah | 19 March 1924
Died | 14 October 2004 80) Kuala Lumpur | (aged
Political party | UMNO – BN |
Spouse(s) | 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 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 24 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]
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
Malaysia : Companion of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (JMN) (1963)[2] Malaysian Commemorative Medal (Silver) (PPM) (1965)[3] Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN) - Tan Sri (1984)[4] Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM) - Tun (1998)[5]
Kelantan : Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Kelantan (SPMK) - Dato' (1975)[6][7]
Kedah : Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal House of Kedah (SSDK) - Dato' Seri (2002)[8]
References
- Speakar Dewan Rakyat Tun Zahir meninggal dunia Archived 15 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine (in Malay) AgendaDaily. 15 October 2004
- "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".
- "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".
- "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".
- "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1998" (PDF).
- "Tun Mohamad Zahir Ismail".
- "DR-05112003" (PDF).
- "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".
Others
- Dalam lembut Tun Mohamed tetap tegas MyKMU Net (from Berita Harian) Accessed 7 June 2010.
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Syed Nasir Ismail |
Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat 1982–2004 |
Succeeded by Ramli Ngah Talib |