Fadzil Muhammad Noor | |
---|---|
فاضل محمد نور | |
7th Leader of the Opposition | |
In office 29 November 1999 – 23 June 2002 | |
Monarchs | Jaafar Salahuddin Sirajuddin |
Prime Minister | Mahathir Mohamad |
Preceded by | Lim Kit Siang |
Succeeded by | Abdul Hadi Awang |
6th President of the Malaysian Islamic Party | |
In office 1989 – 23 June 2002 | |
Preceded by | Yusof Rawa |
Succeeded by | Abdul Hadi Awang |
Personal details | |
Born | Fadzil bin Muhammad Noor 15 March 1937 Kampung Seberang Pumpung, Alor Setar, Kedah |
Died | 23 June 2002 Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur | (aged 65)
Political party | Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) |
Other political affiliations | Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah (APU) (1990-1996) Barisan Alternatif (BA) (1999-2002) |
Spouse | Siti Khadijah Ibrahim |
Children | 8 (5 sons & 3 daughters) including Muhammad Faiz Fadzil |
Parent(s) | Mohd Noor Abdul Hamid (father; deceased) Hindun Abdul Rahman (mother; deceased) |
Alma mater | Al-Azhar University |
Profession | Religious teacher |
Dato' Ustaz Haji Fadzil bin Muhammad Noor[1] (Jawi: فاضل بن محمد نور; 15 March 1937 – 23 June 2002) was a Malaysian politician and religious teacher. He was the president of Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) from 1989 to 2002 and Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Malaysia from 1999 to 2002.
Fadzil became the Deputy President of PAS in 1982, when Yusof Rawa ascended to the party's presidency. The election of Yusof and Fadzil marked a victory for the party's conservative ulama faction. Both men wanted PAS to advocate for an Islamic state in Malaysia modelled on the one that had arisen in Iran following the 1979 revolution there.[2]
When Yusof resigned for health reasons in 1989, Fadzil became PAS's President. He set PAS on a more moderate path, diverting from the hardline Islamism of Yusof's presidency. This involved reorienting the party's platform away from the propagation of religious doctrine towards a greater focus on social and economic issues such as poverty alleviation.[3] This approach brought greater electoral success for the party. PAS captured the state of Kelantan at the 1990 election and Terengganu in 1999.[4] His presidency saw the formation of the Barisan Alternatif coalition between PAS, the Democratic Action Party and Keadilan, which made large gains in the 1999 election.[5] In the face of criticism from the party's conservatives, he justified cooperation with non-Muslim opposition parties by arguing that PAS's 'struggle for justice' was 'not only for the Malays, not only for the Muslims, but for all Malaysians'.[6]
Fadzil also set about infusing the party's youth ranks with urban professionals, such as Hatta Ramli, Dzulkefly Ahmad and Nasharudin Mat Isa, to diversify the party's future leadership beyond religious clerics.[7]
Fadzil died on 23 June 2002 after undergoing heart bypass surgery.[8] He was succeeded as PAS President and leader of the opposition in Parliament by Abdul Hadi Awang.
He was an alumnus of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.[9]