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Death Of Malaysian Islamic Party Leader
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Fadzil
Noor
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By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent
KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 (IslamOnline) - The president of the Party Islam Se Malaysia (PAS), Fadzil Noor, died Sunday at the intensive care unit of the University Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM) in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, News Agencies reported.
Fadzil, 65, married to Datin Siti Khatijah Ibrahim with eight children, underwent a coronary bypass operation at the hospital on June 10 and died at 10:30 am.
His body was buried according to the Muslim rites at the Darul Ulum, in Pokok Sena, Kedah. A huge crowd of sympathizers had gathered for the religious ceremony.
The Chief Minister of Terengganu Hadi Awang, Noor’s vice-president, has immediatetly taken over the responsibilities of the party’s leader.
Fadzil was admitted to the cardiology unit of the Kuala Terengganu Hospital on May 15, 2002, after complaining of chest pain but was discharged five days later. He was admitted after taken part in a live broadcast of a long debate on the Palestinian issue. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Fadzil Noor were the main speakers at the debate.
Under his leadership, the Islamic party has claimed the scalp of the ruling Malay party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) in Terengganu, an UMNO stronghold for 25 years. Following its winning of 45 seats from the 192-seats parliament, the party became the first opposition force in the country.
Born in Kampung Seberang Pumpong, Alor Setar, on March 13, 1937, Fadzil received his early education at Sekolah Melayu Derga. He then joined Mahmud College in 1951 and continued his studies at Al-Azhar University in Egypt.
He worked as a lecturer at a public institution of higher learning in 1972 before turning to politics in 1978. He was also the PAS Member of Parliament for Pendang and the state assemblyman for Anak Bukit, Kedah, before he died.
He was the opposition leader in the National Parliament and some sources said that he would likely be replaced by Hadi Awang.
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body of Noor is carried from a mosque into a van to be taken to
an airport June 23, 2002, before being flown to his hometown in
the northern state of Kedah.
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A by-lection was supposed to be held in a period of six months to replace him.
Fadzil was also active in the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM), having served as its information secretary in 1973 and 1974 and then as its president until 1978.
He was also the Kuala Kedah PAS division chief and a member of the Kedah PAS liaison committee.
In Poko Sena, the burial of the PAS president went on grandly, with the huge crowd of sympathizers poring to the Darul Ulum in a long queue of cars coming from all over Kedah.
The PAS, commentators said, has lost one of its most moderate elements.
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