Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud
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Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud | |
|---|---|
| Senator Elected by the Penang State Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 1 June 2012 – 31 May 2015 | |
| Monarch | Sultan Abdul Halim |
| Prime Minister | Najib Razak |
| President of Malaysian Trades Union Congress | |
| In office 2005–2010 | |
| Preceded by | Zainal Rampak |
| Succeeded by | Mohd Khalid Atan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 1, 1952 |
| Party | Parti Sosialist Rakyat Malaysia (PSRM) (1974-2003) Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) (2003-) |
Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud is a former trade unionist and Senator from Malaysia. He led the country’s top umbrella union body, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, as president from 2005 to 2010.[1] He also served a single term as Senator in the Dewan Negara from 2012 to 2015.[2]
Syed Shahir was born in Kampung Sega, Raub, Pahang, in 1952.[3]
A young socialist, he became involved in the National Union of Transport Equipment & Allied Workers in his early 20s.[3]
He was then selected by Parti Socialist Rakyat Malaysia (PSRM) to contest the Batu Talam state seat in the 1974 Pahang state elections. He lost to a candidate from the ruling Umno/BN coalition.[3]
He became involved in trade union activities and labour movement in Malaysia, and represented the country in various forums, conferences and seminars at the national and international levels.[4]
He remained with PSRM even as the party reverted to the Parti Rakyat Malaysia moniker in the late 1980s and then later initiated a merger with Parti Keadilan Nasional to form Parti Keadilan Rakyat by 2003.
MTUC president
After competing five times for a position in MTUC, he succeeded in becoming MTUC President by defeating veteran unionist Zainal Rampak. He won a second term in 2007[5] and ultimately served from 2005 to 2010.
As MTUC president, he recognised that many traditional working-class jobs were going to migrant labourers and called for greater solidarity among the international workers' movements.[6]
On 7 May 2008, Syed Shahir led hundreds of MTUC members in a demonstration at the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur to send a memorandum to Human Resources Minister Dr S. Subramaniam. They demanded the implementation of a minimum wage of RM900 and a living allowance of RM300 per month.[7]
Syed Shahir was also involved in founding of the Bersih electoral movement which called for free and fair elections. He was a leader of the original Bersih gathering in 2007.[8]
His name was included in a list of 91 opposition leaders who were banned from entering the Kuala Lumpur area during the second Bersih protests in 2011.[9]