A huge loss but partys struggle goes on: PAS spiritual leader

comments     Mohd Irfan Isa and YS Tong     Published     Updated

PAS president Fadzil Noor's death, while a big loss to PAS, will by no means blunt the struggle of the party, said its spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

"Fadzil is someone who has given much of his life for Islam. May Allah render unto him the rewards due to him. At the same time, we all pray that his mistakes and weaknesses in the course of the struggle will receive divine forgiveness.

"May Allah also comfort his family, for their eventual reward will be as big as the suffering they have undergone," said Nik Aziz ( left ), who is also the Kelantan menteri besar.

Nik Aziz had known Fadzil since 1960s when the latter was a frequent visitor to the home of the late Muhammad Asri, one of the founding fathers of PAS.

He said Fadzil's vacancy would definitely be replaced by someone, though he stopped short of mentioning acting president Abdul Hadi Awang, the PAS deputy president and a party firebrand.

"Just like everything else in the world, whatever that is broken will be healed, and whatever has been lost will be replaced," he said.

He said the people's support PAS was not on account of Fadzil, but because of Islam.

"Fadzil is only one man who is steering PAS' ship in this world. Life will go on with those left behind, and whatever situation that we sail into will be left to God's hands.''

Moderate Islamic leader

Fadzil ( right ), 65, died this morning at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM), two weeks after he underwent a coronary bypass surgery.

Meanwhile, Fadzil's colleague in Barisan Alternatif, PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali said he was sad and distressed over the opposition leader's death.

He said he would remember Fadzil as "a person with strong conviction about his religious belief and a fighter for social, economic, and political justice".

Syed Husin added the late PAS president had appeared as an introvert to the public but friends close to Fadzil found him to be an easy person to talk with.

"Personally, he was open to ideas and criticism. He wasn't really a stern person. It was just that he did not brag much about his life and seldom got write-ups in the media.

Syed added that Fadzil represented a "liberal and open form of Islam".

When contacted, DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang said "it is sad that Fadzil's political life should be cut off so unexpectedly".

He also conveyed his condolences to Fadzil's wife, Siti Khadijah Ibrahim, and their eight children.



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