In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Omar is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Ismail. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
He holds a law degree from International Islamic University Malaysia, he then furthered his studies at the Kuala Kubu Bahru Police College. In 1971, he was commissioned as the Probationary Inspector.
Career
Ismail was a Criminal Investigation Officer at the Seremban District Police Headquarters in 1972 and Kuala Pilah District Police Headquarters in 1975 before he was posted to Ipoh District Police Headquarters in 1977 as a Traffic Investigation Officer, and was posted to Kerian District Police Headquarters in 1978 as a Criminal Investigation Officer. In 1980, he served as Officer in Charge of Taiping Training Area Training Center.
In 1983, he was promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Police and posted to the Federal Police Headquarters as one of the officers-in-charge in disciplinary investigations. He was made prosecuting officer in Ipoh in 1994 before being promoted as Seberang Perai Tengah District Police Chief in 1996.
In 1999, he was promoted to rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police and was made head of the CID Legal and Prosecution Affairs in Bukit Aman. He then moved up the ranks and was made Assistant CID Director in 2004 with the rank of Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police II.
He was promoted to deputy director of Narcotics Crime Investigation Department in 2005 with the rank of Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police I. In 2005, he was promoted to Deputy Commissioner of Police and assumed the role of Selangor Police Chief.
Later, he was promoted and made director of Management Department with the rank of Commissioner of Police. Hardly a year later, he was appointed Deputy Inspector General of Police.[3]
On 13 September 2010, the monarch appointed him as the Malaysian IGP.[4]
Grand Knight of the Order of the Territorial Crown (SUMW) – Datuk Seri Utama (2012) (scheduled conferred in 2012 but Ismail Omar was on a working trip to foreign country so the honour was officially conferred in 2013)