Sharir Samad began his political service as Political Secretary to the former Deputy Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Trade and Industry Tun Ismail Abdul Rahman from 1973-1975. From 1975-1976 he was Political Secretary to the Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, then Political Secretary to Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn, subsequently becoming Parliamentary Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Department.
In 1978 he began his political career after becoming Member of Parliament for Johor Bahru. He remained MP for Johor Bahru till 1990. In 1988 he resigned from his position as MP, forcing a by-election which he won to regain that parliamentary seat.
After a hiatus from politics he returned to win the seat of Johor Bahru from 2004-2018.
He served in government as Deputy Minister of Finance, then Trade and Industry before becoming Minister of the Federal Territories from 1983-1986. From 1986-1987 he served as Minister of Welfare. In 2008-2009 Shahrir Samad was appointed Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumerism.
He twice served as Chairman of the Barisan Nasional (National Front) Backbenchers Council from 2004-2006, and 2013-2018. He has also served as Chairman of the Perbadanan Nasional Berhad, Chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board; Advisor of the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, and Chairman of the Federal Land Development Authority.
