Syed Ahmad Shahabuddin
Syed Ahmad bin Syed Mahmud Shahabuddin (4 May 1925 – 7 July 2008) was a Malaysian politician who served as the Menteri Besar of Kedah from 1967 to 1978 and as the fifth Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Melaka from 1984 to 2004, making him the longest-serving governor of Melaka.
Born in Kulim, Kedah, he was the third of five siblings. He studied at Kulim Malay School and Sultan Abdul Hamid College, finishing his Senior Cambridge in 1947. He was active in UMNO Kedah, holding several leadership roles and helping lead the Kedah National Front (1967–1978). He also served as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (1978–1982) and as Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Singapore (1982–1984) before becoming governor.
He married Sharifah Haniffah Syed Alwi in 1950; they had six children, and she died in 1993. He later married Marfuza Sheikh Mohd Osman, with whom he had four children. He died in Kuala Lumpur on 7 July 2008 at age 83 and was buried at Makam Pahlawan Negeri, near the Al Azim Mosque in Melaka. He held the title Tun Datuk Seri Utama, a combination of the federal title Tun (SMN) and Melaka’s top state title Datuk Seri Utama (DUNM).
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:16 (CET).