National leader

A rich and memorable legacy bequeathed by a remarkable personality to the nation is significantly valuable and is worthy of emulation!

- By M.R.M Fouzi

Thus, my thoughts are on the noble contribution that Marhoom Deshamanya Alhaj M.A. Bakeer Markar, former Speaker of Parliament, professed in an exemplary manner, during his precious life span.

These exemplary precedents are lessons to be learnt in the task of nation-building. I am privileged to write my thoughts, as one who has seen and known this wonderful personality since my childhood.

The late Deahamanya Alhaj MA. Bakeer Markar was born on 12th May 1917 and his humble abode was "Hakeem Villa", in Maradana, Beruwala.

This village, Maradana', is historically renowned, as the place where early Arab settlers built the first ever mosque in Ceylon, called the "Masjid Al-Abrar", in this coastal suburb of Maradana, which dates back to 920 A.D. Two heritage postal stamps with Rs 23.00 and Rs 4.50 denominations were issued to commemorate the first Arab settlement.

His father was Hakeem Alia Marikar Mohamed Marikar, a popular ayurvedic physician of that time. His mother was Rahila Umma Marikar. In tracing the former Speaker's family tree, the roots go into Sheik Jamaluddeen Al-Maghdoomi, an early Arab settler who settled down in this coastal town in Beruwala.

He received his primary education in Beruwala and at the age of seven moved to Colombo. He was then admitted to St. Sebastian College in Hultsdorp. Thereafter, he received his senior secondary education at Zahira College, Colombo. At Zahira, he was Editor of the school magazine, President of the Muslim Majlis and active member of the Tamil Literary Association. He passed his Senior Cambridge Examination and then became the Sub-Warden of Zahira College, during the time of Dr. T.B.Jayah.

In 1939, he entered Ceylon Law College.

Then, World War II interrupted his legal studies.

By the end of the war, he resumed his studies at Ceylon Law College and became a Proctor of the Supreme Court in 1950.

Politics and Tutelage