Syed Sheh Barakbah

Malaysian politician (1906 - 1975)

Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun

Syed Sheh Syed Hassan Barakbah

SMN SSM PMN DUPN SPMK PSB

سيد شيه الحج سيد حسن برکبه
3rd Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang
In office
1 February 1969 – 1 February 1975
Preceded by| Syed Sheh Shahabudin
Succeeded by| Sardon Jubir
2nd President of the Dewan Negara
In office
27 January 1969 – 5 February 1969
Preceded by| Abdul Rahman Mohamed Yassin
Succeeded by| Mohamed Noah Omar
2nd Lord President of the Federal Court
In office
1966–1968
Preceded by| James Beveridge Thomson
Succeeded by| Mohamed Azmi Mohamed
Personal details
Born| (1906-11-10)10 November 1906
Alor Setar, Kedah, Siam (now Malaysia)
Died| 8 October 1975(1975-10-08) (aged 68)
Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia
Education| Sultan Abdul Hamid College
Alma mater| Inner Temple (LLB)
Profession| Lawyer

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, 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 Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Penang. He is the shortest-serving President of the Dewan Negara in the history of Malaysia.

## Early life and education

[edit]

Born in Alor Star, Kedah, Syed Sheh was of Hadhrami-Malay descent; his Arab ancestors had migrated from Hadhramaut and settled in Kedah for several generations.[1] Being of the Barakbah clan, he is related to Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah, the third wife of the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Syed received his education at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College before continuing his studies in England sponsored by the Kedah State Government's scholarship. He was accepted to read law at the Inner Temple and graduated in 1934 with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.

## Career

[edit]

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 and in 1963, was appointed Chief Justice of Malaya. In 1968, Syed Sheh succeeded Tun Sir James Thomson as Lord President of the Federal Court, then the highest office in the Malaysian judiciary. He was the first Malaysian to serve in that capacity.[2]

After retiring as Lord President, Syed Sheh was appointed a Senator in the Dewan Negara, the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. 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 Governor of the state of Penang by Yang di-Pertuan Agong 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

[edit]

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

## Legacy

[edit]

Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah

The Esplanade Road in George Town, Penang was renamed as Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah.

## Honours

[edit]

### Honours of Penang

[edit]

As 3rd Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang (5 February 1969 – 5 February 1975)

* Penang :
* Knight Grand Commander (DUPN) with title Dato' Seri Utama
* Grand Master of the Order of the Defender of State

### Honours of Malaysia

[edit]

* Malaysia :
* Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN) – Tan Sri (1964)
* Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM) – Tun (1968)[3]
* Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN) – Tun (1970)[4]
* Kedah :
* Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Kedah (SPMK) – Dato' Seri (1969)[5]

### Foreign honours

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Macam-macam Ada: Memo untuk Pak Lah (Bahagian Satu), by Hussien Alattas, published by JB News Media Network, 2006, ISBN 983-40962-8-3, pg 254
2. ^ Sultan Azlan Shah And The Judiciary Bernama. 29 January 2009
3. ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1968" (PDF).
4. ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1970" (PDF).
5. ^ "Darjah kerabat Kedah untok Sultan2 Pahang dan Kelantan". 29 January 1969. p. 3.

Preceded by

Syed Sheh Shahabudin

|  Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang
1969–1975  | Succeeded by

Sardon Jubir

|
|

Preceded by

James Beveridge Thomson

|  Lord President of the Federal Court
1966–1968  | Succeeded by

Mohamed Azmi Mohamed

* v
* t
* e

Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm

Commanders|

* 1958: Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid
* 1958: Abdul Wahab Toh Muda Abdul Aziz
* 1958: Ahmad Perang
* 1958: Fatimah Hashim
* 1958: G. Shelley
* 1958: Gunn Lay Teik
* 1958: Mohamad Seth Mohamed Sa'aid
* 1958: Nik Ahmad Kamil
* 1958: S. Chelvasingam MacIntyre
* 1958: Syed Omar Shahabuddin
* 1958: Tunku Ismail Tunku Yahaya
* 1958: Tunku Ya'acob
* 1958: Wong Pow Nee
* 1959: Ismail Abdul Rahman
* 1959: Omar Yoke Lin Ong
* 1959: Suleiman Abdul Rahman
* 1959: V. T. Sambanthan
* 1961: Sheikh Ahmad Mohd Hashim
* 1961: Lee Tiang Keng
* 1961: Loke Wan Tho
* 1961: Mohamed Din Ahmad
* 1961: Nik Mustapha Fadzil
* 1961: Sardon Jubir
* 1961: Tengku Indra Putra
* 1962: Abdul Jamil Abdul Rais
* 1962: Ahmad Husin
* 1962: Hassan Yunus
* 1962: Syed Sheh Shahabudin
* 1962: Zainal Abidin Ahmad
* 1963: Mohamed Noah Omar
* 1963: Mohamed Salleh Ismael
* 1964: Ismail Mohd Ali
* 1964: Jugah Barieng
* 1964: Lee Kong Chian
* 1964: Tunku Osman
* 1964: Syed Jaafar Albar
* 1964: Syed Sheh Barakbah
* 1964: Mohammad Tahir Tan Tong Hye
* 1965: Ibrahim Fikri Mohamad
* 1965: Ghazali Shafie
* 1965: Runme Shaw
* 1965: Taib Andak
* 1965: Tay Teck Eng
* 1965: Tunku Mohamed Tunku Besar Burhanuddin
* 1965: Wee Chong Jin
* 1966: Abdul Kadir Yusof
* 1966: Mohd Sharif Abdul Samad
* 1966: Saw Seng Kew
* 1967: Mohamed Azmi Mohamed
* 1967: Mohamed Said Mohamed
* 1968: Abdul Hamid Khan
* 1968: Lim Swee Aun
* 1970: Ibrahim Ismail
* 1970: Khaw Kai Boh
* 1970: Mohamed Ghazali Jawi
* 1970: V. Manickavasagam
* 1971: Mohammad Said Keruak
* 1971: Syed Nasir Ismail
* 1971: Abdul Kadir Shamsuddin
* 1972: Chik Mohamad Yusuf
* 1972: Ong Hock Thye
* 1972: Lee Siok Yew
* 1974: Abdul Rahman Hashim
* 1974: Lee Hun Hoe
* 1975: Ong Kee Hui
* 1975: Othman Saat
* 1975: Sarwan Singh Gill
* 1976: Mohammed Hanif Omar
* 1977: Abdul Rahman Ya'kub
* 1977: Abdullah Mohd Salleh
* 1977: Raja Mohar
* 1978: Mohd Sany Abdul Ghaffar
* 1979: Abang Ikhwan
* 1979: Abdullah Ayub
* 1979: Raja Azlan Shah
* 1981: Abdul Samad Idris
* 1981: Hashim Aman
* 1981: Mohd Ghazali Mohd Seth
* 1983: Hamzah Abu Samah
* 1983: Mohamed Salleh Abas
* 1984: Ismail Khan
* 1984: Mohamed Zahir Ismail
* 1984: Mohd Sunoh Marso
* 1985: Aishah Ghani
* 1985: Sallehuddin Mohamed
* 1986: Abdul Hamid Omar
* 1986: Khir Johari
* 1987: Mohd Ghazali Che Mat
* 1988: Hashim Mohd Ali
* 1988: Senu Abdul Rahman
* 1989: Abang Ahmad Urai
* 1989: Chan Siang Sun
* 1990: Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid
* 1990: Bahaman Samsudin
* 1990: Hashim Yeop Abdullah Sani
* 1990: Lee San Choon
* 1991: Tengku Ahmad Rithaudeen
* 1992: Abu Talib Othman
* 1992: Asri Muda
* 1992: Mohammed Jemuri Serjan
* 1992: Yaacob Mat Zain
* 1993: Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid
* 1994: Borhan Ahmad
* 1994: Gunn Chit Tuan
* 1994: Musa Hitam
* 1994: Sulaiman Ninam Shah
* 1995: Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor
* 1995: Ismail Omar
* 1997: Abdul Halim Ali
* 1999: Lamin Mohd Yunus
* 1999: Mohtar Abdullah
* 2001: Mohd Zahidi Zainuddin
* 2001: Norian Mai
* 2001: Samsudin Osman
* 2004: Mohd Bakri Omar
* 2005: Abdul Gani Patail
* 2005: Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor
* 2007: Abdul Aziz Zainal
* 2007: Mohd Sidek Hassan
* 2007: Musa Hassan
* 2008: Rafidah Aziz
* 2009: Alauddin Mohd Sheriff
* 2009: Ong Ka Ting
* 2009: Syed Hamid Albar
* 2010: Azizan Ariffin
* 2010: Ismail Adam
* 2010: Joseph Pairin Kitingan
* 2011: Ismail Omar
* 2011: Harris Salleh
* 2012: Md Raus Sharif
* 2012: Zulkifeli Mohd Zin
* 2013: Ali Hamsa
* 2013: Yek Min Ek
* 2013: Lim Kok Wing
* 2014: Khalid Abu Bakar
* 2016: Mohamed Apandi Ali
* 2017: Mohamad Fuzi Harun
* 2017: Raja Mohamed Affandi
* 2017: Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin
* 2019: Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat
* 2019: Ismail Bakar
* 2019: Zulkifli Zainal Abidin
* 2020: Mohd Zuki Ali
* 2020: Idrus Harun
* 2020: Affendi Buang
* 2020: Abdul Hamid Bador
* 2021: Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg
* 2021: Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani

Honorary
Commanders|

* 1958: A.H.P. Humphrey
* 1958: Abdul Hamid Jumat
* 1958: David Watherston
* 1958: F.H. Brooke
* 1958: James Beveridge Thomson
* 1958: James Cassels
* 1958: O.A. Spencer
* 1958: T.V.A. Brodie
* 1959: W.L.R. Carbonell
* 1959: Lord Ogmore
* 1959: Prijono
* 1961: Claude Fenner
* 1961: Douglas Waring
* 1961: H.A. Campbell
* 1961: John Hay
* 1961: Rodney Moore
* 1961: W.H. Wilcock
* 1962: Alexander Oppenheim
* 1962: L.C. Hoffman
* 1962: Luang Suranarong
* 1962: Stanley Edward Jewkes
* 1962: Syed Esa Almenoar
* 1963: Geofroy Tory
* 1963: George L. P. Weaver
* 1963: John Galvin
* 1963: Charles Bennett
* 1963: C.M. Sheridan
* 1963: Ngo Hou
* 1963: Samdech Penn Nouth
* 1963: Son Sann
* 1964: Dawee Chullasapya
* 1964: Kalya Israsena
* 1964: Peekdhip Malakul
* 1964: Nai Phairot Jayanama
* 1964: Presert Rujirawongse
* 1964: Swaeng Senanarong
* 1964: Nai Thitinant Na Ranong
* 1965: Abdel-Aziz El-Sayed
* 1965: Abdel-Maguid Farid
* 1965: Abdel-Monein Hassan Tawfik
* 1965: Abdul Wahab Al-Majali
* 1965: Ahmad Abdu El-Sharabassi
* 1965: Akef Al-Fayez
* 1965: Daoud Abu Ghazaleh
* 1965: Dhogan Hindawi
* 1965: El-Sayed Mohamed Youssef
* 1965: Habis Al-Majali
* 1965: Hazem Nuseibeh
* 1965: Mahmoud Fawzi
* 1965: Mahmoud Riad
* 1965: Mohamed Abdel Khalek Hassouna
* 1965: Mohamed Rashad Hassan
* 1965: Ngo Trong Anh
* 1965: Nguyễn Chánh Thi
* 1965: Nour-Eddine Tarraf
* 1965: Ra'ad bin Zeid
* 1965: S.F. Owens
* 1965: Saad Jumaa
* 1965: Sa`id Al-Mufti
* 1965: Salah El-Shahed
* 1965: Shawkat Sati
* 1965: Varyl Begg
* 1965: W.T. Philips
* 1965: Walter Colyear Walker
* 1966: Tran Kim Phuong
* 1967: John Grandy
* 1968: Philip Ernest Housden Pike
* 1971: Nai Puang Suwanrath
* 1972: John Baines Johnston
* 1972: Surakij Mayalarp
* 1977: Sumitro Djojohadikusumo
* 1979: Charoen Pongpanich
* 1979: Eikichi Hara
* 1979: Kōnosuke Matsushita
* 1979: Mohammad Jusuf
* 1979: Prem Tinsulanonda
* 1979: Sheikh Hassan Abdullah Al-Shaikh
* 1979: Yudhisthira Svasti
* 1981: Mohamed Al-Hamad Al-Subaili
* 1982: Abdul Muhsin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 1982: Alsayed Ahmed Abdul Wahab
* 1982: Badr bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 1982: Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 1982: Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 1982: Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 1983: Leonardus Benjamin Moerdani
* 1983: Siddhi Savetsila
* 1983: Takeo Aritta
* 1984: Arthit Kamlang-ek
* 1984: Poniman
* 1986: Jürgen Warnke
* 1988: Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
* 1988: Try Sutrisno
* 1989: Etienne F. Glichitch
* 1989: Pengiran Ibnu Ba'asith Pengiran Apong
* 1991: Tadashi Kuranari
* 1993: Pao Sarasin
* 1994: Domingo Cavallo
* 1994: Masami Ishii
* 1999: Wiranto
* 2000: Datuk N Siva subramaniam
* 2007: Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Madani
* 2010: Yōhei Sasakawa

* v
* t
* e

President of the Dewan Negara

* Abdul Rahman Mohamed Yassin
* Syed Sheh Hassan Barakbah
* Mohamed Noah Omar
* Abdul Hamid Khan
* Omar Yoke Lin Ong
* Ismail Khan Ibrahim Khan
* Benedict Stephens
* Abang Ahmad Urai
* Chan Choong Tak
* Vadiveloo Govindasamy
* Adam Kadir
* Mohamed Yaacob
* Michael Chen Wing Sum
* Abdul Hamid Pawanteh
* Wong Foon Meng
* Abu Zahar Ujang
* Vigneswaran Sanasee
* Rais Yatim
* Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar
* Mutang Tagal

* v
* t
* e

Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm

Grand
Commanders|

* 1958: Tunku Kurshiah
* 1958: Tunku Ismail
* 1958: Tunku Munawir
* 1958: Tengku Yahya Petra
* 1958: Leong Yew Koh
* 1958: Raja Uda
* 1958: Tan Cheng Lock
* 1959: Abdul Razak Hussein
* 1959: Henry Lee Hau Shik
* 1959: Tengku Budriah
* 1961: Abdul Malek Yusuf
* 1963: Yusof Ishak
* 1964: Abang Openg
* 1964: Mustapha Harun
* 1967: Pengiran Ahmad Raffae
* 1968: Syed Sheh Shahabudin
* 1970: Syed Sheh Barakbah
* 1970: Tuanku Bujang
* 1970: Sharifah Rodziah Barakbah
* 1973: Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid
* 1975: Fuad Stephens
* 1976: Sardon Jubir
* 1976: Syed Zahiruddin
* 1977: Mohd Hamdan Abdullah
* 1978: Abang Muhammad Salahuddin
* 1978: Ahmad Koroh
* 1979: Mohamad Adnan Robert
* 1981: Hussein Onn
* 1982: Abdul Rahman Ya'kub
* 1982: Awang Hassan
* 1987: Tunku Ibrahim Ismail
* 1989: Ahmad Zaidi Adruce
* 1989: Hamdan Sheikh Tahir
* 1989: Mohammad Said Keruak
* 1989: Syed Ahmad Shahabuddin
* 1996: Sakaran Dandai
* 2003: Ahmadshah Abdullah
* 2003: Mahathir Mohamad
* 2004: Mohd Khalil Yaakob
* 2009: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
* 2011: Juhar Mahiruddin
* 2014: Abdul Taib Mahmud
* 2020: Mohd Ali Rustam
* 2021: Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak
* 2024: Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar

Honorary
Grand
Commanders|

* 1958: Lim Yew Hock
* 1959: Djuanda Kartawidjaja
* 1960: Gerald Templer
* 1962: Thanat Khoman
* 1962: Thanom Kittikachorn
* 1963: Norodom Monineath
* 1963: Yusof Ishak
* 1964: Dhani Nivat
* 1964: Hayato Ikeda
* 1964: Masayoshi Ōhira
* 1964: Norodom Kantol
* 1964: Prapas Charusathien
* 1964: Wan Waithayakon
* 1965: Abdel Hakim Amer
* 1965: Ali Sabri
* 1965: Anwar Sadat
* 1965: Zein al-Sharaf bint Jamil
* 1965: Firyal Irshaid
* 1965: Hassan bin Talal
* 1965: Hassan Ibrahim
* 1965: Hussein el-Shafei
* 1965: Chung Il-kwon
* 1965: Muhammad bin Talal
* 1965: Muna Al Hussein
* 1965: Nguyễn Cao Kỳ
* 1965: Hussein ibn Nasser
* 1965: Wasfi al-Tal
* 1965: Zakaria Mohieddin
* 1966: Chang Kay Young
* 1966: James Beveridge Thomson
* 1967: Albert II
* 1967: Eisaku Satō
* 1970: Adam Malik
* 1970: Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 1971: Souvanna Phouma
* 1975: Kukrit Pramoj
* 1979: Kriangsak Chamanan
* 1982: Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 1984: Elena Ceaușescu
* 1984: Prem Tinsulanonda
* 1989: Jefri Bolkiah
* 2000: Maha Vajiralongkorn
* 2000: Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 2001: Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa
* 2003: Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 2003: Marcello Pera
* 2003: Pier Ferdinando Casini
* 2005: Victoria
* 2010: Moza bint Nasser
* 2011: Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
* 2012: Naruhito
* 2012: Masako

* v
* t
* e

Grand Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia

Grand Commanders|

* 1966: Ismail Abdul Rahman
* 1967: Tan Siew Sin
* 1967: V. T. Sambanthan
* 1968: Syed Sheh Barakbah
* 1970: Mohamed Azmi Mohamed
* 1973: Mohamed Salleh Ismael
* 1975: Mohamed Suffian Mohamed Hashim
* 1976: Rahah Noah
* 1979: Omar Yoke Lin Ong
* 1980: Ismail Mohd Ali
* 1981: Jugah Barieng
* 1982: Syed Nasir Ismail
* 1983: Raja Azlan Shah
* 1985: Salleh Abas
* 1987: Ahmad Zaidi Adruce
* 1987: Syed Ahmad Shahabuddin
* 1989: Abdul Hamid Omar
* 1990: Suhailah Noah
* 1991: Daim Zainuddin
* 1991: Lim Chong Eu
* 1992: Raja Mohar
* 1993: Mohammed Hanif Omar
* 1995: Ghafar Baba
* 1997: Eusoff Chin
* 1998: Mohamed Zahir Ismail
* 2000: Ibrahim Ismail
* 2001: Sulaiman Ninam Shah
* 2002: Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah
* 2003: Abdullah Mohd Salleh
* 2003: Fatimah Hashim
* 2003: Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali
* 2004: Ling Liong Sik
* 2005: Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim
* 2005: Ghazali Shafie
* 2006: Musa Hitam
* 2008: Abdul Hamid Mohamad
* 2008: Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid
* 2008: Lim Keng Yaik
* 2009: Endon Mahmood
* 2009: Jeanne Abdullah
* 2009: Zaki Azmi
* 2010: Azizan Zainul Abidin
* 2011: Abdullah Ayub
* 2012: Arifin Zakaria
* 2017: Michael Chen Wing Sum
* 2017: Md Raus Sharif
* 2017: Samy Vellu
* 2020: Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat
* 2020: Arshad Ayub
* 2020: Richard Malanjum
* 2021: Raja Muhammad Alias Raja Muhammad Ali
* 2022: Mohamed Hashim Mohd Ali

Honorary Grand Commanders|

* 1966: Lee Tong Won
* 1967: Dawee Chullasapya
* 1968: Ardeshir Zahedi
* 1969: Habib Bourguiba
* 1969: Willy Brandt
* 1971: Maraden Panggabean
* 1972: Hamengkubuwono IX
* 1972: Martin Charteris
* 1972: Prasert Ruchirawongse
* 1973: Bhanubandhu Yugala
* 1973: Chatichai Choonhavan
* 1973: George David Woods
* 1973: Kris Sivara
* 1973: Swaeng Senanarong
* 1979: Serm Na Nakorn
* 1982: Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 2003: Antonio Puri Purini
* 2003: Franco Frattini
* 2003: Gaetano Gifuni
* 2009: Sirindhorn

Authority control databases

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National|

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