Syed Nasir Ismail

Syed Nasir Ismail
سيد ناصر إسماعيل
5th Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat
In office
9 January 1978 – 16 March 1982
Monarchs Yahya Petra
Ahmad Shah
Prime Minister Hussein Onn
Mahathir Mohamad
Preceded by Nik Ahmad Kamil Nik Mahmud
Succeeded by Mohamed Zahir Ismail
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Pagoh
In office
1974–1978
Preceded by Constituency established
Succeeded by Muhyiddin Yassin
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Muar Dalam
In office
1971–1974
Preceded by Aziz Ishak
Succeeded by Constituency abolished
2nd Director of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
In office
1957–1969
Preceded by Ungku Abdul Aziz
Succeeded by Ali Ahmad
Personal details
Born 7 March 1921
Batu Pahat, Johor, Unfederated Malay States, British Malaya (now Malaysia)
Died 16 March 1982 (aged 61)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Resting place Makam Pahlawan, Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur
Political party United Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
Spouse Sharifah Aishah Syed Mohamad
Children 10

Tun Syed Nasir bin Syed Ismail (Arabic: سيد ناصر بن سيد إسماعيل Sayyid Nāṣir bin ʼIsmāʻīl; 7 March 1921– 16 March 1982) was a Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. During his lifetime, he was known as a nationalist who sought to fight for the primacy of the national language in Malaysia as a means to create a national identity through the closing down of public-funded Mandarin and Tamil vernacular schools. Tun Syed Nasir sees a common education system for all as a solution to this dilemma. A prominent politician from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) – the leading party of the governing Barisan Nasional coalition – he served as the 5th Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat from 1978 till his death in 1982.

He was born in Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia, and is of Hadhrami Arab descent.

Awards and recognitions

Honours of Malaysia

Places named after him

Several places were named after him, including:

  • Kolej Tun Syed Nasir, a residential college at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor
  • Kolej Tun Syed Nasir, a residential college at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Johor
  • Politeknik Tun Syed Nasir Syed Ismail in Muar, Johor
  • Taman Tun Syed Nasir, a residential area in Muar, Johor
  • Kampung Kenangan Tun Syed Nasir in Muar, Johor
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tun Syed Nasir Ismail , Johor Bahru (SMKTSNI)