Syed Hamid Albar | |
|---|---|
| سيد حميد البر | |
 | |
| 1st Chancellor of theAsia e University | |
| Assumed office 15 October 2022 | |
| Vice Chancellor | Nik Mustapha Raja Abdullah |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Ministerial roles | |
| 1990–1995 | Minister in the Prime Minister's Department |
| 1990–1995 | Minister of Justice |
| 1995–1999 | Minister of Defence |
| 1999–2008 | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| 2008–2009 | Minister of Home Affairs |
| Faction represented inDewan Rakyat | |
| 1990–2013 | Barisan Nasional |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Syed Hamid bin Syed Jaafar Albar (1944-01-15)15 January 1944 (age 82) Kampung Melayu Air Hitam,Penang,Japanese occupation of Malaya (now Malaysia) |
| Party | United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) (–2018) Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU) (2018–2022) |
| Other political affiliations | Barisan Nasional (BN) (–2018) Pakatan Harapan (PH) (2018–2020) Perikatan Nasional (PN) (2020–2022) |
| Spouse | Sharifah Aziah Syed Zainal Abidin |
| Relations | Syed Jaafar Albar(father) |
| Children | 6 |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Lawyer[1] |
| Website | syedhamidalbar44 |
Syed Hamid bin Syed Jaafar Albar (Jawi: سيد حميد بن سيد جعفر البر;Arabic:سيد حامد بن سيد جعفر البارSayyid Ḥāmid bin Sayyid Ja'far al-bār;[2][3] born 15 January 1944) is a Malaysian lawyer and politician who has served as 1st Chancellor of theAsia e University (AeU) since October 2022. He served asMinister in the Prime Minister's Department,Minister of Justice,Minister of Defence,Minister of Foreign Affairs andMinister of Home Affairs in theBarisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime MinistersMahathir Mohamad andAbdullah Ahmad Badawi from October 1990 to April 2009. He also served asMember of Parliament (MP) forKota Tinggi from November 1990 to May 2013. He was a member of theMalaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), a component party of the rulingPerikatan Nasional (PN) and formerlyPakatan Harapan (PH) coalitions. Prior to that, he was also a member of theUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the ruling BN coalition. He retired from politics in February 2022 and left UMNO for BERSATU in September 2018. He had also served as the Chairman ofLand Public Transport Commission (SPAD) which was already dissolved.[4]
Syed Hamid was born in Kampung Melayu Air Hitam,Penang,Malaysia, toSyed Jaafar Albar, an UMNO politician and former cabinet minister. Syed Hamid's father was ofHadhramiArab descent, and migrated from Indonesia to Malaysia shortly beforeWorld War II.[5][6][7]
He had his secondary education atMaxwell School before going toMethodist Boys' School (Kuala Lumpur) for his Form Six education. For his tertiary education, he read law in the Inns of Court, London and was called to the Degree of an Utter Barrister by the Honourable Society of Middle Temple in 1970. As a student in London, he set up a club for Malaysian expatriates and students.
He is married with 6 children.
Syed Hamid has been active inUMNO in his student days, including while studying in the United Kingdom. After returning to Malaysia he became a magistrate, and then president of theSessions Court, before entering the corporate world. In 1986 he won election to UMNO's Supreme Council and entered Parliament in 1990, as the member for Kota Tinggi. He was immediately appointed Minister for Justice, and in 1995 became the Defence Minister.[8]
In 1999, he was appointed the Foreign Minister by Prime MinisterMahathir Mohamad. In March 2008, he was appointed the Home Minister. In April 2009, he was dropped from the Cabinet. The previous month he had contested, but failed to win, one of UMNO's three vice-president positions at the party's general assembly.[9] He left Parliament in 2013, deciding not to re-contest the seat of Kota Tinggi, which he had held by large margins since 1990.[10] On 18 February 2022, he announced his retirement from politics and devotion of time to legal practice work and non-governmental organisation (NGO) activities.
On 15 October 2022 during the 11th convocation ceremony of theAsia e University (AeU), Syed Hamid was appointed its 1st Chancellor. His appointment was made based on his "vast experience in administration and management he possesses" and confidence that he would "provide AeU with the direction and leadership to further enhance its academic standing". Responding to the appointment, Syed Hamid said that it was unexpected and that he was deeply moved, humbled and touched to get the "recognition". He also described it as a "great honour and privilege".[11]
| Year | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Opponent(s) | Votes | Pct | Ballot casts | Majority | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | P128Kota Tinggi | Syed Hamid Albar (UMNO) | 36,504 | 78.57% | Ma'on Omar (S46) | 9,956 | 21.43% | 48,073 | 26,548 | 79.42% | ||
| 1995 | P139Kota Tinggi | Syed Hamid Albar (UMNO) | 36,776 | 92.44% | Mohamed Hanipa Maidin (PAS) | 3,007 | 7.56% | 41,577 | 33,769 | 78.83% | ||
| 1999 | Syed Hamid Albar (UMNO) | 36,819 | 86.84% | Rosdin Taha Abd Rahman (keADILan) | 5,651 | 13.16% | 44,994 | 32,161 | 78.15% | |||
| 2004 | P156Kota Tinggi | Syed Hamid Albar (UMNO) | Unopposed | |||||||||
| 2008 | Syed Hamid Albar (UMNO) | 22,682 | 85.91% | Onn Jaafar (PAS) | 3,721 | 14.09% | 27,109 | 18,961 | 79.29% | |||
Malaysia_-_SMN.svg)
Member of theOrder of the Defender of the Realm (AMN) (1984)[13]-_PMN.svg)
Commander of theOrder of the Defender of the Realm (PMN) –Tan Sri (2009)[13][14][15]
Johor
Companion of theOrder of the Crown of Johor (SMJ) (1991)[16] Knight Commander of theOrder of the Crown of Johor (DPMJ) –Dato' (1992)[16][17] Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ) –Dato'[16]
Kedah.svg)
Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Crown of Kedah (SPMK) –Dato' Seri (2008)[13][18]
Malacca
Grand Commander of theExalted Order of Malacca (DGSM) –Datuk Seri (2007)[13][19]
Penang
Knight Commander of theOrder of the Defender of State (DPPN) –Dato' Seri (2004)[13][20]
Sabah
Grand Commander of theOrder of Kinabalu (SPDK) –Datuk Seri Panglima (1997)[13][21]
Indonesia.png)
Star of Yudha Dharma, 1st Class (BYDU) (1996)[22]
Japan
Grand Cordon of theOrder of the Rising Sun (2019)[23]
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| National | |
| Other | |
