Dato' Seri Syed Razak was born on 22 August 1944 at Kubang Rotan, Kuala Kedah. He had his secondary school education at St. Michael Secondary School, Alor Setar, Kedah.

Dato'Seri Syed Razak was a successful Malay business entrepreneur. His success was considered to be at par with other successful non-Malay businessmen. His success in business also earned him the respect of fellow businessmen who appointed him to head the Kedah branch of the Malaysian Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industries from 1986. Through the Chamber, Dato' Syed Razak did his utmost to bring Malays into becoming a trading and industrial community as it was the objective of the 'Wawasan 2020' to turn Malaysia into a developed nation.

Dato' Syed Razak began his political career when he was appointed as the Chief of Kilang Ais UMNO Branch, Kuala Kedah 15 years ago. In 1985, he was nominated as Deputy Chairman of Kuala Kedah UMNO Division, but he declined the nomination. He was nominated to stand for the State Legislative Council seat of Pengkalan Kundor in the 1986 General Elections as a Barisan Nasional Party candidate. He stood against a PAS candidate and won. In 1987 he won the post of Deputy Chief of Kuala Kedah UMNO Division. He retained the post in the 1993 party election.

Dato'Seri Syed Razak was a successful Malay business entrepreneur. His success was considered to be at par with other successful non-Malay businessmen.

His involvement in politics and Kedah State Government administration for the past 25 years had made him an experienced and dedicated leader. He was appointed as a Member of the Kedah State Executive Council in 1992. He had begun his service as an Exco member under Menteri Besar Tan Seri Dato' Seri Hj. Osman Aroff's government. He held the portfolio of Chairman of the Permanent Committee for Entrepreneur Development and for the Small and Medium Industries Committee. Dato' Seri Syed Razak's responsibility became heavier as his portfolio had close ties with the tourism sector. He set up the strategy and objectives to develop the tourism industry in Kedah so that it would become a viable source of income for its people.

Dato' Syed Razak was appointed as the eighth Menteri Besar Kedah replacing Tan Sri Dato' Seri Sanusi Bin Junid on 12 December 1999, a post he held up to the present. As Menteri Besar, he was responsible for the State's finance and expenditure, to act as Chairman of the State's Industrial Incentive Committee, the State Economic Planning Committee, the State Planning Committee, the State Development Council, the Land and Mines Committee, the IT Development Committee and the State Security Committee.

In recognition of his efforts and valuable service to the State and Nation, he was awarded the, Seri Setia Di Raja Kedah (S.S.D.K.), Kesatria Mangku Negara (K.M.N.), Bintang Kebaktian Masyrakat (B.K.M.) and Jaksa Pendamai (J.P.)