| Yang Amat Berhormat Tuan Guru Dato' Bentara Setia Haji Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat |
|
|---|---|
| Menteri Besar of Kelantan | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 22 October 1990 |
|
| Monarch | Sultan Muhammad V |
| Deputy | Ahmad Yaakob |
| Preceded by | Mohamed Yaacob |
| Member of the Kelantan State Assembly for Chempaka |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1995 |
|
| Majority | 4249 |
| Spiritual Leader of PAS | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1991 |
|
| Preceded by | Yusof Rawa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1931 Pulau Melaka, Kelantan |
| Political party | Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) |
| Spouse(s) | Tuan Sabariah Tuan Ishak |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Dato' Bentara Setia Haji Nik Abdul Aziz bin Nik Mat (born 1931 in Pulau Melaka, Kelantan) is a Malaysian politician, a Muslim ulama and currently the Menteri Besar of the state of Kelantan. He is the Mursyidul Am or spiritual leader of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).
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Nik Abdul Aziz was born in 1931 to a single father (Tok Kura) who was an aspiring blacksmith in his hometown of Pulau Melaka, being the second eldest of five siblings.[1] His Islamic studies began in pondok schools in Kelantan and Terengganu.[2] He went on to study at Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, India for five years. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Arabic Studies and Master of Arts in Islamic jurisprudence from Al-Azhar University, Egypt. During his university studies, he was one of the witnesses and a civilian to have lived in the heat of the Arab-Israeli Conflict.[3]
Having returned from Egypt, Nik Aziz began as a teacher at various religious schools in Kelantan, hence his popular nickname "Tok Guru."[2] He is able to converse in Arabic, English, Tamil and Urdu in addition to his native Malay language.[2]
Nik Aziz joined PAS in 1967. He contested and won the Kelantan Hilir parliamentary seat by-election in that same year, and held the seat (later renamed Pengkalan Chepa) until 1986.[2] In 1982, he was part of a movement by young members to bring change to the party leadership. PAS had lost the Kelantan state elections in 1978 and, as PAS state commissioner, Nik Aziz began to question president Asri Muda's leadership. Finally, in the PAS Muktamar (General Assembly) that year, Asri was forced to resign.[3]
After stepping aside from federal politics, Nik Aziz won a seat in the Kelantan State Assembly in the 1986 general elections. In 1990, PAS managed to wrest control of Kelantan back from Barisan Nasional. In his capacity as party leader in the state, Nik Aziz became Menteri Besar of Kelantan.[2] He succeeded Yusof Rawa as spiritual leader of PAS in 1991.
His administration in Kelantan frequently clashed on the role of Islam in Malaysia with the former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir. In contrast with the racially-exclusive ruling party UMNO, he openly rejects communal politics.[4]
Nik Aziz has been known to command support from non-Muslims in Malaysia and has played a leading role during PAS' increase in popularity among non-Muslims.[5][6][7]
Nik Aziz has drawn occasional criticism for his hardline Islamic views. His advocacy of Islamic shariah law to all Malay Muslims drew criticism, as did his suggestion that women would be at a lower risk of being raped if they abandoned their lipstick and perfume, and for a 15-year ban on the game of snooker.[8][9]
His son Nik Adli was held under the Malaysian Internal Security Act in 2001 for alleged terrorist activities including planning jihad, possession of weapons, and membership in the Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM), an Islamist extremist group.[10][11][12][13] After 5 years in detention without trial, he was released.[14]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mohamed Yaacob |
Menteri Besar of Kelantan 1990 – now |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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