A funeral befitting a Speaker

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak were among the dignitaries who attended the special prayer for Zahir at the National Mosque on Friday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mohamed Zahir Ismail was given a funeral befitting his status as the Dewan Rakyat Speaker before he was buried at the Section 21 Muslim burial ground in Shah Alam yesterday. 

Zahir, who died on Thursday, was buried at 2.38pm beside his wife, Toh Puan Halimatun Saadiah Chik, who died on Sept 11. 

Among those at the cemetery were Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Jamaludin Jarjis, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mahadzir Mohd Khir, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamad, DAP national vice-chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw, Dewan Negara Speaker Datuk Abdul Hamid Pawanteh, Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Lim Si Cheng, former Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar and a number of state exco members. 

Earlier, the congregation at the National Mosque held a special prayer – sembahyang jenazah – for Zahir after Friday prayers. Yesterday was the first day of Ramadan. 

Zahir's body, placed in a casket draped with the national flag, arrived at the mosque at 11.45am. 

A team of Armed Forces personnel acted as pallbearers and carried the casket into the main prayer hall.  

The prayer crowd started to trickle in at around noon, comprising members of the public as well as relatives and friends of the family of Dr Zahir. 

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was among the earliest VIPs to arrive at the mosque at 12.50pm.  

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, also joined the crowd to pray and bid farewell to the country’s longest serving Dewan Rakyat Speaker, who died at the age of 80.  

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