Mohamad Iskandar is a well-known figure in the field of education in Kedah. He was born in 1880 in Pulau Pinang and received his early education at the Penang Free School. After completing his School Certificate examination, he enrolled himself in 'Normal Class' to become an educator.

The State of Kedah started its era of development when he started his career as an educator. The Kedah State Government invited him to start an English School in Alor Setar, based on the fact that he had extensive experience in the field of education. The problem faced by him then was the lukewarm response from the parents towards the opening of a new English school. Due to his untiring efforts, the number of students steadily increased from 12 to 97 in 1909. The increase in the number of students, however, brought about another set of problems, that is the lack of teachers and classrooms. Additional teachers were appointed but somehow problems of additional classrooms could not be overcome. As a result, he taught his students under the trees and things became unbearable when it rained. Nevertheless, he succeeded in propagating himself to be a truly dedicated and successful educator.

Career

• The first Headmaster of the Government English School (G.E.S.), now known as Sultan Abdul Hamid College, Alor Setar.
• Headmaster of the Pekan English School (1911)
• Served in the Audit Department, Kedah from 1914 until he retired in 1930.

He is the father of Y.A.B Dato' Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. He passed away in 1960 at his house at Seberang Perak, Kedah. To commemorate his valuable contributions, the Ministry of Education has named a school after him to be the Iskandar National Primary School.