Tun Syed Sheh Al-Haj bin Syed Hassan Barakbah (10 November 1906 – 8 October 1975) was a prominent Malaysian judge. He was the second

Lord President of the Federal Court The title of Lord President of the Supreme Court was formerly the title of the head of the judiciary in Malaysia, until 1994 when the office was renamed " Chief Justice of the Federal Court". The lord president was head of the highest court in Mal ...

, and the first Malaysian to hold that office. After his career in the judiciary, he briefly served as President of the Dewan Negara and later

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

of the Malaysian state of

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

. He is the shortest-serving President of the Dewan Negara in the history of Malaysia.

Early life and education

Born in Alor Star, Kedah, Syed Sheh was of Hadhrami- Malay descent; his Arab ancestors had migrated from

Hadhramaut Hadhramaut ( ; ) is a geographic region in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula which includes the Yemeni governorates of Hadhramaut, Shabwah and Mahrah, Dhofar in southwestern Oman, and Sharurah in the Najran Province of Saudi A ...

and settled in

Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...

for several generations. Being of the Barakbah clan, he is related to Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah, the third wife of the first

Prime Minister of Malaysia The prime minister of Malaysia (; ) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the Government of Malaysia, federal government. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the prime minister who is a membe ...

Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Abdul Rahman (8 February 19036 December 1990), commonly referred to as Tunku, was a Malaysian statesman who served as prime minister of Malaysia from 1957 to 1970. He previously served as the only chief minister of Federation of Malaya ...

. Syed received his education at the

Sultan Abdul Hamid College Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid (; abbreviated SAHC; also known as Maktab Sultan Abdul Hamid) located in Alor Setar, Kedah, is one of Malaysia's oldest and most prestigious schools. Founded in 1908 as Government English School (G.E.S.), it is also one ...

before continuing his studies in England sponsored by the

State Government's scholarship. He was accepted to read law at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

and graduated in 1934 with a

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

(LLB) degree.

Career

Syed Sheh began his career in the judiciary as a special magistrate in the Colonial Legal Service in 1946. After independence, he served as a judge on the

Court of Appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...

and in 1963, was appointed Chief Justice of Malaya. In 1968, Syed Sheh succeeded Tun Sir James Thomson as

, then the highest office in the Malaysian judiciary. He was the first Malaysian to serve in that capacity. After retiring as Lord President, Syed Sheh was appointed a Senator in the

Dewan Negara The Dewan Negara (; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia, consisting of 70 senators of whom 26 are elected by the State legislative assemblies of Malaysia, state legislative assemblies, with two senators for ea ...

, the upper house of the

Parliament of Malaysia The Parliament of Malaysia (; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives, Literal translation, lit. "People's As ...

. He became President of the Dewan Negara in 1969, serving for little over a week until early February. He retired from the Senate later that month and was appointed the third

of the state of

Yang di-Pertuan Agong The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...

Tuanku Ismail Nasiruddin. He served two terms (four years, then two years) until February 1975. In becoming Lord President, President of the Dewan Negara and Governor of Penang, Syed Sheh has served in senior positions in the Malaysian executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.

Death

Tun Syed Sheh died on 8 October 1975, in Alor Star, Kedah.

Legacy

The Esplanade Road in

George Town, Penang George Town is the capital of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. It is the core city of the George Town Conurbation, Malaysia's List of cities and towns in Malaysia by population#Largest metropolitan are ...

was renamed as Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

* : ** Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN) – Tan Sri (1965) **

Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM) – Tun (1967) ** Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN) – Tun (1971) * : ** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Kedah (SPMK) – Dato' Seri (1969) * : ** MY-PEN Order of the Defender of State - Knight Grand Commander - DUPN

MY-PEN Order of the Defender of State - Knight Grand Commander - DUPN

Grand Master and Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DUPN) – Dato' Seri Utama

Foreign honours

* : **

Fourth Class of the Most Blessed Order of Setia Negara Brunei (PSB)

References

{{Authority control Malaysian people of Yemeni descent Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang 1906 births 1975 deaths Members of the Dewan Negara Chief justices of Malaysia Malaysian politicians of Malay descent Malaysian Muslims People from Kedah Hadhrami people Presidents of the Dewan Negara 20th-century Malaysian judges Members of the Inner Temple Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Grand Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia Colonial Legal Service officers