September 10 was M.A. Bakeer Markar’s Death Anniversary National leader with exemplary vision

• If we are Ceylonese, they are Ceylonese… if the Muslims are Ceylonese, the estate Tamils are Ceylonese too
• The public remembers a self-effacing leader of great charm, integrity, incorruptibility, and dignity
•  He uniquely served as acting President, the only minority leader to hold Sri Lanka’s highest office temporarily
•  His life exemplified unity, civic responsibility, and nation-building through dedicated public service

By M.R.M Fouzi

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

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 M.A. 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
Marhoom Alhaj Bakeer Markar’s political career commenced in 1949 when he was  elected member of the Beruwala Urban Council. Subsequently, he was elected Chairman of the Urban Council.  He instilled in the voters a much-needed civic consciousness to push through pragmatic decisions.  
This waspossible as late Bakeer Markar was under the tutelage of Dr. T.B. Jayah. During his stay at Zahira College, Colombo as Sub-Warden, Dr. T.B. Jayah contested Labor Leader Mr. A.E. Goonesinghe, at the 1946 General Elections to the State Council and Alhaj Bakeer Markar successfully carried out the election campaign for his ‘political-guru’, Dr. T.B. Jayah. The transformational style of leadership of Dr. T.B. Jayah led the late Bakeer Markar to follow suit and was immersed with the professional experience and the moral wisdom of his guru Dr. T.B. Jayah.  In 1955, as Chairman of the Urban Council, he was the first among the local authorities in Ceylon to initiate and pass a resolution at the Council that Sinhala should be the official language. 
He did so with an effort to unite the Muslim youths with the Sinhalese counterparts. He knew to walk the talk! He was nicknamed “Sinhala Bakeer”. This earned him no wrath but mercy as a lovable character!
His entry into national politics signaled notable features. He made representations tothe Delimitation Commission to carve out a separate electorate for Beruwala, and in 1960 the Beruwala electorate was created. In the General Elections in March 1960, Alhaj Bakeer Markar was elected Member of Parliament for the home electorate. Unfortunately, Parliament was dissolved, as the UNP Government lost the Throne Speech and he couldn’t continue as Member of Parliament. In the General Elections in1965 he regained his Parliamentary seat. 
The Turning Point
The turning point in his resonant political career arrived with the General Elections of 1977. Deshamanya Alhaj M.A. Bakeer Markar was elected 1st Member of Parliament of the newly created Beruwala multi-member constituency with 49,000 votes cast in his favor, and a thumping majority of 27,000 votes – this was a huge majority in terms of those times. I did enjoy my share of happiness, as I was actively involved in his election campaign, as a staunch supporter. 
He became Deputy Speaker of the National State Assembly on 4th August 1977 and continued in office up to 20th September 1978 and on 21st September 1978, he was unanimously elected Honorable Speaker by the whole House. His victory at the 1977 General Elections has been recorded as: “The electoral victory of 1977 was a historic gift to the respectful minority”. He held the esteemed position of Speaker of Parliament from 21st September 1978 up to August 1983. It was a unique feature indeed, to become the last Speaker of the old Parliament in Galle Face and the first Speaker of the new Parliament in Sri Jayawardenapura, Kotte. The relevant inscriptions laid in both places, in the old Parliament as well as in the new Parliament records this unique feature. Marhoom Deshamanya Alhaj Bakeer Markar’s stewardship in Parliament was admired for high degree of impartiality, his ability to maintain order and decorum, his skill in mediation, deep understanding of Parliamentary procedure and being a very good listener. He exercised sound judgement and discretion in applying the Parliamentary rules even in sensitive situations. The Speaker’s traditional robe was reintroduced, which to this day has glamour. Further, the ‘Mace’ he reintroduced became the symbol of authority, being carried with solemnity by the Serjeant-at-Arms and placed appropriately. 
Thus, in recognition of his unblemished service, a commemorative stamp was issued by the Postal Department of Sri Lanka to mark his enviable tenure of office from 1977 to 1983. 
A historic landmark of his political career was when he served as acting Head of State while President J.R. Jayewardene and Prime Minister R. Premadasa were simultaneously out of the country on official business. During this time, the constitutional responsibility of the President came upon the Hon. Speaker Deshamanya Alhaj Bakeer Markar. He acted in the position of President when both Hon. W.L. Wijemanne and Hon. A.R.M.B. Attanayake had to take oaths under the Hon. Speaker, as acting Ministers of Plantation Industries and Higher Education respectively.
This constitutional act performed by Speaker Bakeer Markar made him to date the only minority leader to act for H.E President of Sri Lanka.
It has been rightly said that the life of Deshamanya Alhaj Bakeer Markar has been inscribed in the public minds: “The public memory is overwhelming of a self-effacing political figure of great charm, high integrity, total incorruptibility and dignity”. He therefore belongs to the handful who possessed the vision to look for peaceful UNITED SRI LANKA! 
His final role in public office was as Governor of the Southern Province. As first Governor of the Southern Province, held office from13th June 1988 to 21st December 1993. President R. Premadasa conferred on him the title of Deshamanya. Finally, he completed his span of public office on 21st December 1993.
The Patriot
The resonance of his noble deeds, expressions and his voice revealed to us how his heart and soul were so close to the constituents and to all Sri Lankans. He was a sincere patriot with feelings of love and affection for the people and the country, rising deep from his heart. 
Let me quote Charles E. Jefferson: “A man is a patriot, If his heart beats true, To his country”.